Xiaomi’s Redmi Note line of smartphones has been one of the most popular devices on the market for many years due to its excellent price-performance ratio. The Redmi Note 8 Pro is no exception, offering users a powerful processor and a quality camera. However, as with any modern gadget, managing basic functions may not be obvious to beginners who have switched from other operating systems or simpler button phones.
Screenshot is one of those things that seems like a rudimentary task until you have to save a major email, ticket, or bug in the app. The MIUI shell, which is installed on all Xiaomi devices, has many ways to do this, far beyond the standard button combination. Understanding all the methods available will allow you to work with the device as efficiently and quickly as possible.
In this article, we will take a look at all the possible screenshots, from classic methods to hidden features, how to take pictures of long pages of websites, how to use voice commands, and how to set up automatic screenshots by tapping, which will help you to fully unlock the potential of your Redmi Note 8 Pro.
Classical Method Through Physical Buttons
The most common and reliable way, which works on the vast majority of Android smartphones, including Xiaomi, is to press two physical keys simultaneously. On the side of your Redmi Note 8 Pro are the on button and volume swing. To create a screenshot, you need to press the Volume down button and the Power button at the same time.
It is important to keep the timing right: pressing should be a brief, literally light touch, after which the buttons should be immediately released. If you hold them for too long, the smartphone may perceive this as a command to force the reboot or call the emergency menu. Once you successfully perform the action, you will hear the characteristic sound of the camera shutter, and in the upper right corner a thumbnail of the created image will appear.
⚠️ Warning: If you press the power button too long, a phone switch-off menu or Google voice assistant will appear instead of a screenshot, so train speed and ease of pressing.
This is a universal technique that works even if the touch screen is temporarily unresponsive or the system has an interface failure, is independent of software settings and is available immediately after the device is turned on. For many users, especially those who are used to mechanical interaction, this method remains preferable because of its predictability.
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If you have thumbs, try pressing the volume button first and a split second later the power button to avoid accidentally clamping both keys for too long.
Using three fingers for a quick snapshot
The MIUI shell is famous for its handy gestures, and one of the most useful is to create a screenshot with a three-finger swipe. This feature greatly speeds up the process, because it does not require you to search for physical buttons on the device body. To activate this mode, you need to go to the settings menu, select optional, and then screenshot.
In the menu that opens, you need to find the gesture switch and activate the Three Finger option. Once you turn on this feature, just swipe your three fingers from top to bottom over any area of the screen so that the system instantly takes a picture, which is especially convenient when you are holding the phone with one hand and performing an action with the other, or when the buttons on the body are inconvenient.
- 🖐️ The gesture works in most applications, including browsers, gallery and social networks.
- ⚙️ The direction of the swipe can be changed in the settings if the standard movement from top to bottom you are uncomfortable.
- 🚫 The feature may not work in some secure applications, such as bank clients or incognito browser mode.
It is worth noting that the sensitivity of the Redmi Note 8 Pro sensor allows you to recognize this gesture even when using non-original protective glasses, if they are not too thick. However, if the gesture stops working, check the cleanliness of the screen, as greasy spots can interfere with the correct recognition of touch. Also make sure that the gesture settings do not include one-handed mode, which may conflict with this action.
Control panel and notification curtain
Another software method that is often overlooked is using a quick access panel. Swipe down from top to bottom, you open the notification curtain and control center. Among the many icons responsible for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and flashlight, there is a screenshot button, usually presented as scissors or screen icons.
If you didn't find this button in the front row of icons, try swiping left or pressing the edit button (usually a pencil or three dots) to add a shortcut to a prominent place. This method is ideal in cases where the physical buttons are damaged and the three-finger gesture for some reason is not activated. It is also convenient when the phone is lying on the table and you control it without lifting it in your hands.
The advantage of using the control panel is the ability to take a screenshot without the risk of smearing the screen with your fingers at the right moment, which often happens when using gestures. In addition, this method eliminates the accidental pressing of other buttons, which can be critical, for example, while watching a video or reading, where it is important not to knock down the scroll position.
Why can a screenshot button be gray?
Voice control and Google Assistant
Modern smartphones, including the Redmi Note 8 Pro, have powerful voice control systems. If your hands are busy or you are in a situation where you can't touch the screen, a voice assistant will come to the rescue. You can just say the phrase "OK, Google, take a screenshot" or "Ok Google, take a screenshot," and the system will execute the command.
This feature requires that the voice assistant be activated in the Google account settings and that voice be allowed to be unlocked or commanded, which is not only convenient, but also opens up opportunities for people with disabilities to fully control the voice device. The Google Assistant speech recognition quality is high enough to understand commands even with an accent or in light noise.
Voice commands are especially relevant in scenarios where the phone is locked in a car or holder, and it's physically difficult to reach the buttons, and it's a great way to demonstrate the power of a smart assistant to friends, turning a routine into a small technological show.
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Voice control is the only way to take a screenshot without touching the device physically, which is useful when working with dirty hands or wearing gloves.
Creating long screenshots (scrolling)
One of the most popular features in MIUI is the ability to create long screenshots that capture the entire page of a website, long correspondence in a messenger or a document as a whole. After you take a regular screenshot in any of the ways described above, a thumbnail will appear in the upper corner. This thumbnail will have a button that says Scrolling or an icon that depicts the down arrow.
By pressing this button, the system automatically starts to scroll down the contents of the screen, taking a series of pictures and gluing them into one long image. You can stop the process at any time by touching the screen, or wait until the content is over. It is an indispensable tool for saving articles, instructions or product lists without having to take dozens of individual photos.
| Parameter | Description | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Up to 100% of the page content | Limited to device memory |
| Format | PNG or JPG | Depends on the quality settings |
| Annexes | Browsers, Chats, News | Doesn't work in some games |
| Quality. | High (original) | May decrease under severe compression |
When creating long screenshots, it is important to consider that dynamic content such as video or animation may not be displayed correctly. This feature works best with static text and images. Once saved, a long screenshot can be edited in a standard Xiaomi editor, cutting edges or adding annotations.
Set up and edit screenshots
Once you create an image, the Redmi Note 8 Pro offers a lot of quick processing. Immediately after you take the picture, you have a toolbar at the bottom of the screen, where you can choose Full Screen mode to remove the system strings, or you can immediately go to edit. The built-in editor allows you to draw on the image, blur sensitive data, add text and stickers.
In the screenshot settings that are on the Settings path → Additional → Screenshot, you can change the format of the saved file. By default, you use PNG, which provides high quality lossless, but takes up more space. If you care about saving memory, you can switch to the JPG format, although the difference in quality on the smartphone screen may not be noticeable.
- 📁 The default folder for all shots is in the gallery in the Screenshots album.
- ✂️ Removal of system elements allows you to hide the status bar and navigation bar.
- 📤 Images can be immediately sent to the messenger or cloud storage via the menu "Share».
⚠️ WARNING: When using the Full Screenshot feature in some applications, useful content at the edges may be cropped, so check the result before sending it.
You can also activate the screenshot time display in the image, which is useful for documenting events. Remember to regularly clean the folder with screenshots, as they tend to quickly accumulate and take up precious space in the internal memory of the device.