Despite its age, the Redmi 4X remains a popular device due to its reliability and autonomy, so the question of how to take a screenshot on a Xiaomi 4x is not lost on the topic. Users often need to save correspondence, a recipe, a route map or important information from the screen, and the standard MIUI functionality offers several convenient tools for this. Understanding all available methods will allow you to instantly capture the image on the display in any situation.
The Android operating system that runs the MIUI has basic capture mechanisms, but Xiaomi engineers have expanded the functionality of the system to include not only physical buttons, but also gestures, voice commands, or special applications, each of which has its own advantages depending on whether you have a second hand occupied or your phone is in an uncomfortable position.
In this article, we will take a look at all the options available for taking screenshots, including hidden features that not all owners know about. We will look at the system settings that can block the taking of pictures, and offer solutions for common problems.
The classic method with the help of buttons
The most common and quick way that works on any Android smartphone, including the Redmi 4X, is a combination of physical keys. You need to press the volume down button and the power button (lock) simultaneously. Pressing should be short-term, but synchronous; if you press them too long, the phone will offer a switch-off or reboot menu.
The success of the operation is confirmed by the characteristic sound of the camera shutter (if the sound is not turned off) and the appearance of a smaller copy of the screen in the upper right corner. After that, you have a few seconds to edit the image by clicking on the thumbnail, or simply leave it in the gallery. This method is universal and does not require pre-tuning.
But there's a nuance to this: on the Redmi 4X, the power button is on the right side and the volume is on the left, which requires both hands or a certain skill. In some cases, especially when using a protective case, the buttons may not be hit or pressed simultaneously, which leads to an error. If you use this method often, try to press the keys with your finger pads rather than your nails for better tactile contact.
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If you have thumbs, try pressing the buttons with the back of the phalange – this is often more convenient when grabbing a smartphone with one hand.
Use of notification curtain
For those who are uncomfortable reaching for buttons or using two hands, MIUI has a convenient screenshot-taking feature through the control panel, so you have to unlock the screen, swipe down to open the curtain, and find the Screenshot icon there, which is usually located among the quick switches in the top row.
If you don't see the icon right away, it may be hidden in the second page of the panel or it needs to be added manually. To do this, click on a pencil or edit button in the corner of the curtain, search the list of available widgets for Screenshot and drag it to the active zone. Now, creating a screenshot will take just one touch.
This method is especially useful when the smartphone is lying on the table or in a vertical holder, and you do not want to pick it up, and it eliminates the risk of accidentally clamping buttons and calling the off menu. The visual interface makes the process understandable even for beginners who have just bought their first Xiaomi.
Screenshot with three fingers (swipe)
One of the most convenient features of the MIUI shell is the ability to take screenshots simply by swiping three fingers across the screen. This feature is not active by default on all versions of the firmware, so it must be pre-enabled in the settings. Go to the settings menu, select the "More" section, then "Buttons and gestures" and find the "Three-finger screenshot".
Once activated, you just swipe three fingers down from top to bottom on any part of the screen to take a picture, which is ideal when the phone is lying on a horizontal surface, or when you hold it with one hand and swipe the other. The system's response rate to this gesture is usually very high, allowing you to capture rapidly changing content.
It's important to note that the swipe needs to be confident and cover enough screen area. If you're using a low-quality protective glass or the screen is contaminated, the touchscreen sensitivity may decrease and the gesture won't work the first time, in which case wipe the display or try to change the angle of the fingers.
☑️ Tweaking the gesture with three fingers
Voice control and assistant
Modern smartphones, including the Redmi 4X, support voice control, allowing you to take screenshots without touching the screen. This uses the built-in Google Assistant or voice control MIUI. Just say the command "OK, Google, take a screenshot" or "Screenshot" if the appropriate mode is activated.
To activate voice control without hands, go to Google's settings, select Voice control, and turn on Hey Google. After that, the phone will constantly listen to the activation command, which is extremely convenient when your hands are busy, for example, while cooking or working, and you need to quickly save information from the screen.
The alternative is to use the Mi Drop app or other utilities that may have voice commands, but the standard assistant is a little more stable. Remember, voice commands require an Internet connection to work, because speech recognition often happens on the company's servers. Voice input greatly expands the ability to interact with the device.
Why does the voice assistant not understand the command?
Long screenshot and extended functions
The Long Screenshot (or Scrolling Screenshot) feature allows you to capture the contents of a web page, instant messenger correspondence, or document that doesn't fit on a single screen. Once you have a regular screenshot (buttons or swipe), a thumbnail will appear in the top corner. Click on it, and then select the button with the arrows down or the words "Scroll".
The device will automatically scroll down the page, gluing the images into one long tape, and you can stop the process at any time by touching the screen, and the maximum length of this image is limited by the system, but it's usually enough for multiple text screens.
MIUI also has a video screenshot feature that records the actions on the screen in video format, which is in the same notification curtain as a regular screenshot, which is useful for creating instructions or saving video playback in games, and after you stop recording, the file is saved to the gallery in the Screen Recorder folder.
| Method | Speed. | Convenience | Adjustment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buttons | Tall. | Average. | No. |
| Curtain. | Medium | High. | No (usually) |
| Three fingers. | Very high. | Very high. | Yes. |
| Voice. | Medium | High. | Yes. |
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A long screenshot is the only way to save the entire correspondence or article without making dozens of individual fragments.
Where to find and how to edit screenshots
All images created are automatically saved in the standard Gallery app, usually in a separate album called Screenshots or Screenshots, making it easy to separate them from personal photos. In this album, you can sort files by date of creation.
Once you've created a screenshot, it offers basic editing: cropping, drawing, adding text or stickers, and these tools are built right into the viewing interface and don't require third-party apps to be installed, so you can highlight an important part of the image with a marker or hide sensitive data in advance.
The Android file system also allows you to find screenshots through a conductor. /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots or /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/screen_shot, depending on the version MIUI. Knowing this path, you can quickly transfer files through a computer or file manager.
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Use cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud) to automatically synchronize the folder of screenshots, so as not to lose important information when your phone breaks down.
Possible problems and solutions
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where screenshots are not created, and this can be caused by the application’s protection: some banking programs, browser incognito modes or streaming services (Netflix) block the creation of screenshots for security and copyright protection, in which case you will see a black screen instead of an image.
Another reason could be a lack of free memory on the device: If Redmi 4X's internal storage is crowded, the system won't be able to save the new file. Check the free space in the memory settings and clear the cache or delete unnecessary files if necessary.
⚠️ Note: If screenshots are no longer saved after the system update, try clearing the Gallery app cache or resetting the interface settings. Do not manually delete system files without understanding their purpose.
Problems can also arise when using third-party launchers or themes that conflict with the system functions of MIUI. In this case, it is recommended to temporarily switch to a standard theme. If nothing helps, check for updates for the system, as new patches often fix similar bugs.