How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi 12: all the ways

Modern smartphones like the Xiaomi 12 provide users with a variety of tools to capture the information displayed on the screen.Saving an image of the current content of the display is necessary to save important correspondence, screenshots of errors, interesting moments in games or instructions. Owners of flagship devices of the brand often look for the fastest and most convenient methods to accomplish this task, since standard methods may not always be obvious when first familiar with the shell of MIUI or HyperOS.

There are several proven screenshot techniques, each with its own advantages depending on the situation: you can use physical buttons, special gestures, voice commands or system interface elements. Understanding all the options available will allow you to effectively manage content and significantly speed up the work with the gadget in everyday life. In this article, we will discuss in detail each of the ways that you can choose the most suitable for yourself.

Not to be limited to one option, as in different scenarios of using a smartphone, the relevance of methods changes. For example, when watching a video or playing, using buttons can be uncomfortable, and in one-hand mode it is preferable to use gestures. Deep knowledge of the capabilities of your operating system helps to unlock the full potential of the Xiaomi 12 device and makes interaction with it as comfortable as possible.

Classical method using physical buttons

The most common and versatile way to create a screenshot on any Android smartphone, including the Xiaomi 12, is a combination of physical keys. This method works always, regardless of whether the screen is locked or the application is running, and does not require pre-tuning.

It is important to keep the pressing buttons pressed at the same time, but not hold them too long so as not to trigger the shutdown menu or voice assistant. A short press of about one second usually leads to the desired result. The system instantly responds to the action with the characteristic sound of the camera shutter and visual animation of the screen curling.

If the screenshot is not created the first time, try changing the force or the moment you press. On some devices with protective glass or covers, physical contact with the buttons can be difficult, which requires a clearer and more confident action. Once you successfully create the image, you will see a notification at the top of the screen that allows you to quickly move to edit or share a file.

⚠️ Warning: Don’t hold the buttons too long (more than 3 seconds) as this can trigger Recovery Mode or call the Google Assistant voice assistant instead of taking a screenshot.

This method is especially useful in situations where the system interface does not respond to touch or when you need to quickly capture a moment in the game where other methods can be blocked.Physical buttons remain the most reliable tool in the user's arsenal Xiaomi 12.

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If you have In-pocket mode on or the protective glass is thick, press the buttons a little more confidently to provide a clear signal to the power controller.

Creating screenshots with three finger gestures

The MIUI shell installed on Xiaomi 12 offers one of the most convenient features for creating screenshots - gesture management. By default, this option can be disabled, so you need to go to the settings to activate it. Open the Settings menu, select the Additional section, then find the Screenshot item and activate the Screenshot switch with three fingers.

Once the function is activated, the image creation process becomes intuitive and fast, and you just swipe your three fingers across the screen from top to bottom in any area of the interface, instantly recognizes the gesture, emits an audible signal, and saves the image to the gallery, a method that is particularly convenient when using a smartphone with one hand or when physical buttons are inconvenient.

In addition, gesture settings can be used to set a long-duration three-finger action, such as opening the screenshot editor or running the scroll function, which makes the Xiaomi 12 a very adaptive device for the user’s individual habits.

• 🖐️ Swipe three fingers from top to bottom for an instant snapshot.
• ⚙️ Set up a long press to start additional functions in the settings menu.
• 🚫 Turn off the feature if it interferes with games or casual touches.

It is worth noting that a three-finger gesture may not work in some data-enhanced applications or in full-screen games where the system blocks unnecessary touches to prevent errors, in which case it is better to switch to using physical buttons or notification curtains.

Use of control panel and notification curtain

Another effective way to capture the contents of the screen on Xiaomi 12 is to use a control center, which does not require memorizing key combinations or performing complex gestures, making it ideal for those who prefer visual interface control.

In the icon menu that opens, find the icon with the image of scissors, which indicates the screenshot creation function. Clicking on this icon will lead to a snapshot of the current screen. If the icon is not in the visible area, you may need to edit a set of quick buttons, adding them there from the full list of available widgets of the system.

This is especially true when the physical buttons of the smartphone are faulty or locked, and the use of gestures for some reason is impossible. The control panel is always available on top of most applications, providing stable access to the screen save feature.

⚠️ Note: In some versions of the shell, the control center can be divided into two parts: notifications on the left and switches on the right.

For users who frequently work with documents or web pages, this method may seem less quick than gestures, but it remains an important backup option.Always keep this option on hand in case other methods are temporarily unavailable.

Long screenshot function for web pages and documents

One of the most useful features in the Xiaomi 12 arsenal is the ability to create long screenshots, or scrolling screenshots, which allows you to capture the contents of an entire web page, long correspondence in a messenger or a whole document, automatically gluing several images into one vertical canvas.

To activate this mode, first create a normal screenshot in any convenient way (buttons or gestures). Immediately after that, a floating window with a thumbnail will appear at the top of the screen. In this window, you need to click on the down arrow button or the scroll icon. The system will automatically begin to scroll down the contents of the screen, adding new areas to the image.

You can stop it at any time by touching the screen or waiting for the end of the page, and when you've finished creating an image, it's stored in the gallery as a single file, and it makes it much easier to save articles, recipes, or correspondence, eliminating the need to take many individual frames and then glue them together by hand.

Note that the long screenshot function does not work in all applications, for example, in some banking applications or secure video players, the scroll may be blocked by the security system, in which case the system will either not offer a continuation button or stop scrolling at a certain stage.

Voice control and additional tools

For users who prefer to control the smartphone voice, Xiaomi 12 offers integration with voice assistant. By activating Google Assistant or XiaoAI (depending on the regional version of the firmware), you can simply say the command "Take a screenshot" or "Take a screenshot." The assistant will perform the action instantly, which is especially convenient when the hands are busy or the device is in an uncomfortable position.

In addition, the system has a function “Quick commands”, which allows you to assign the creation of a screenshot for a specific action, for example, to knock on the back of the smartphone (if the model supports this function hardware or through special macro applications) or to start a specific scenario.

Voice commands can be less reliable in noisy environments or with poor internet connection if the request is processed on a server, but at home, it is one of the most futuristic and convenient ways to interact with a gadget.

Remember that voice assistants need a stable network connection and appropriate permissions in their privacy settings to work, and check if the assistant has access to the screen and system so that the command is executed without errors.

Editing and managing saved screenshots

Once you've taken a screenshot on Xiaomi 12, it offers powerful tools to process it, and immediately after that, you have a floating menu that allows you to crop the image, draw pictures, add text, or highlight important areas with a marker, and these tools are built directly into the gallery and do not require third-party apps.

All images are automatically saved to a separate Screenshots folder in the gallery, where they can be sorted, deleted or sent, and the system also knows how to recognize text in screenshots (OCR), allowing you to copy text data directly from the image, which is extremely useful for working with documents.

Controlling screenshot memory is also important, as long screenshots and high-resolution images can take up significant space. Check the screenshot folder regularly and delete the unnecessary ones so as not to overflow the device's internal storage.

⚠️ Note: When sending screenshots via messengers, pay attention to the compression quality. To maintain high resolution, send the file as a document, not as an image.

Using a built-in editor saves time and allows you to immediately prepare content for posting on social networks or sending to colleagues. Explore the capabilities of the markup tool so that you always have ready-to-use material on hand.

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The built-in screenshot editor in MIUI/HyperOS has functionality sufficient for 95% of user tasks, without requiring the installation of third-party software.