How to Take a Screenshot on Xiaomi: All Ways in 2026

Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone owners are constantly faced with the need to save the image of the current screen. Whether it is important correspondence, a travel map or just a funny meme, the ability to quickly capture what is happening on the display becomes a basic skill. However, the shell of MIUI and the new HyperOS has many ways to accomplish this task, and not all users are aware of them.

Many people limit themselves to a standard set of buttons, without even knowing that the system offers more flexible tools. For example, creating long screenshots or controlling gestures significantly speeds up the process of working with the device. In this article, we will discuss all the methods available in detail so that you can choose the most convenient one for your use case.

Modern smartphones have powerful processors that process image capture instantly, but the right setup allows you to avoid unnecessary actions and save time. Next, we will look at the technical details and hidden features that will help you become a real master of creating screenshots.

Classical Method: A Combination of Physical Buttons

The most common and time-tested method is to press power buttons and turn down the volume simultaneously, which works on most Android devices, including the entire Xiaomi line, and is simple: the system registers a simultaneous signal from two hardware switches and initiates a frame capture process.

To do this successfully, you need to press the buttons almost simultaneously, with minimal intervals. If you hold your finger on the volume button too long, the phone may perceive this as a command to change the sound level, so the movement must be short and clear, like a slight click.

After a successful capture, a thumbnail notification will appear at the top of the screen, and an image file will be saved in the gallery. If a screenshot is not created, check if the physical buttons are locked with a cover or a safety glass.

⚠️ Warning: Do not push the buttons too hard, especially on models with mechanical buttons, so as not to damage the switch mechanism or break the glass near the keys.

It's a good way to be versatile, but it has one major drawback: it's quite difficult to do this with one hand, especially on large diagonals, and that's why the developers have introduced alternative controls.

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To make it easier to press with two fingers, you can slightly tilt the phone sideways so that the buttons are in line with your fingers.

Manage through menu and notification panel

If physical buttons are busy or damaged, you can use the software in the system, the MIUI and HyperOS shells have a special function in the notification curtain, and you just swipe down to the control center and find the Screenshot icon.

This is ideal for situations where the phone is on the table or you're holding it in one hand, but it has a limitation: in some applications, especially banking or with protected content, the system can block screenshots from being taken through the security menu, in which case the screen will remain black or an error message will appear.

You can add an icon to the curtain by editing the control panel. Click on the three dots or the edit icon in the corner of the curtain, find the Screenshot item in the list of available ones, and drag it to the active area. This will take a few seconds, but save time in the future.

• 📱 Open the notification curtain with the swipe down.
• 🔍 Find the icon "Screenshot" (rectangle with scissors).
• ⚙️ If the icon is not, go to edit mode and add it.

Another option is to use the multitasking menu. Click the Menu button (three bars or a latency swipe at the bottom) to open a list of running apps. Click the "More" button above the app window and select "Screenshot," which is especially useful if you've just switched between apps.

Gestures and additional methods of capture

The MIUI shell is famous for its functionality, and three-finger screenshots are one of the most popular features. To activate this feature, go to settings, select "Advanced" and find "Screenshots." Here you need to turn on the option "Three-finger screenshot."

Once activated, it's easy to swipe three fingers down the screen, and the system will instantly respond to the gesture and save the image, which is very convenient for users with large smartphones, where reaching the top buttons is physically difficult, but be careful: accidentally touching three fingers while playing or reading can lead to an unplanned shot.

Owners of the new Xiaomi 14 or Redmi Note 13 flagships can use the “Back Tap” feature, which is configured in the “Advanced Settings” section → “Special Features” → “Back Tap shortcuts.” By assigning double or triple tapping on the back cover to create a screenshot, you can take pictures even with gloves on.

⚠️ Note: Back Tap may not work properly with thick protective covers, as the accelerometer sensor does not always register a shock through a dense material.

And it's also worth mentioning voice control. If you have Google Assistant or Xiao AI enabled, just say, "OK, Google, take a screenshot." That frees up your hands completely, but requires a stable Internet connection to process voice commands in the cloud.

Create long screenshots (Long Screenshot)

Often, you need to save not one frame, but an entire page of the site, a long correspondence in the messenger or a list of products in the online store. To do this, Xiaomi implemented the “Advanced Screenshot” feature. After creating a regular screenshot, a floating menu appears in the corner.

In this menu, you need to select a button with a down arrow or a "More" → "Scroll" button, and the system will automatically start scrolling down the contents of the screen, stitching the frames into one long picture, and you can stop the process at any time by touching the screen or pressing the stop button.

It's important to understand that not all apps support this feature. In games or apps with a horizontal orientation, scroll may not work, and if there is dynamically loadable content on the page, a long screenshot may be cropped or contain artifacts.

The quality of the final image depends on the screen resolution and the number of pixels traveled. Long screenshot files can take up much more space in memory, so keep an eye out for free space.

Format configuration and automation in HyperOS

The latest versions of HyperOS have the option of choosing a save format. JPG is the default, but PNG is better suited for text documents or diagrams, which keeps the clarity without loss. You can change the settings in the screenshots menu in the system settings.

Script automation is also available, and you can set your phone up so that when you run a particular application, a screenshot is automatically created or sent to the cloud, and this is done through the Auto Tasks app or third-party utilities like Tasker.

For advanced users, quick notes are available, and the sidebar allows you not only to take a screenshot, but also to immediately add it to a note or send it to a chat without opening the gallery, which greatly speeds up the workflow.

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The choice of method depends on your habits: for one-time shots enough buttons, and for active work with text it is better to adjust gestures.

Where to find and how to edit pictures

All images created are automatically saved in the Gallery app, usually in a separate album called Screenshots, where you can do basic editing: cropping, adding text, drawing arrows or blurring sensitive information.

The editor is built into the gallery and opens immediately after the image is created if you click on the Edit button, and the tools allow you to quickly highlight the main thing, hide personal data (such as a card number or address) and send the file to the interlocutor, which is an important aspect of digital hygiene and safety.

Files are also accessible through the file manager via the Internal Drive/DCIM/Screenshots path, from where they can be moved to a computer, mailed or uploaded to the cloud, and periodically cleaning this folder helps free up space on the device.

⚠️ Note: When sending screenshots to third parties, always check the image for hidden personal data, such as notifications at the top of the screen or autocomplete data.

Regular screenshot sorting helps keep your phone in order, and you can set up automatic removal of old screenshots after a month or transfer them to the cloud so you don’t take up precious smartphone memory.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)