Creating a screenshot on a smartphone is one of the basic features that users need daily. Xiaomi Redmi 5 owners often wonder how to quickly capture information without using third-party apps. MIUI shell offers many built-in tools for working with images that are hidden from the surface.
In this article, we will take a closer look at all the ways you can create screenshots on your device, including hotkeys, notification curtains, and specific gestures that make life easier, and understanding these mechanisms will allow you to manage media more effectively.
We'll also look at the typical problems that users face when trying to save an image, and we'll offer specific solutions. Your Redmi 5 is capable of more than a standard display shooting. Let's dive into the system settings.
The button combination: the classical method
The most common and quick way to take a screenshot on Xiaomi Redmi 5 is to use a physical button combination, which works even if the system is temporarily suspended but responds to hardware interruptions, and you need to press and briefly hold the buttons Volume down and Power.
It's not just about tapping the keys, it's about making a confident, synchronous press. If you press them too long, the phone can go into off or reboot mode, which is standard behavior for Android devices. After a successful shot, you'll hear the characteristic sound of the camera shutter and see a pop-up notification at the top of the display.
⚠️ Warning: If the smartphone screen is off, pre-energizing the display with the power button can knock the press timer, and instead of screenshots, the phone will simply turn on.
This is a universal technique that works in all applications, including games, browsers and system menus, but if you have thumbs or use a phone with one hand, it can be physically inconvenient to reach both buttons at the same time, and in such cases, software solutions come to the rescue.
For convenience, you can change the behavior of the buttons in the settings, although on Redmi 5 with Android 7.1 (Nougat), the basic logic remains unchanged.
Use of notification curtain
If you're having a hard time physically pressing the buttons, or if you're in a situation where you can't rattle the keys, use the software button in the interface, and you need to unlock your smartphone and swipe from top to bottom to open the Control Center (curtain).
Sometimes this button can be hidden in the second Quick Settings menu. To get to it, swipe from left to right over the open curtain or click on the edit button (usually a pencil or three dots) to add a shortcut to the main panel screen. This action makes the function available in one click.
The advantage of this method is that you can see what's going on, and you can pause before you shoot, for example, to wait for the right frame to appear in the video. However, if the screen of the device responds to late touch, the screenshot may not be taken the first time.
It's worth noting that some versions of MIUI may not have a screenshot button in the curtain, so you have to go to the notification panel settings and activate the appropriate switch, which takes a couple of seconds, but it adds a lot of functionality.
- 📱 Open the curtain with a swipe from top to bottom.
- 🔍 Find the icon "Screenshot" (rectangle with dotted).
- 🖱️ Click on the icon for an instant snapshot.
- ⚙️ If the icon is not available, add it through the panel editing menu.
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To keep the screenshot button always on hand, drag it to the top row of quick settings where Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are located.
Three-finger method
The MIUI shell is famous for its unique gestures, and a three-finger screenshot is one of the most elegant. It requires three fingers to swipe down the center of the screen to activate it, and it instantly captures the current content of the display without using buttons.
Before you use this feature, make sure it's enabled in the settings. Follow the Settings path → Additional settings → Screenshot with three fingers and activate the switch. Without this step, the system will ignore your movements, perceiving them as a normal touch of the screen.
The gesture is particularly useful when reading long articles or browsing the web when your hands are busy holding the device. However, it requires a certain skill: touch the screen with three fingers at once and draw them a straight line. On an oleophobic-coated protective glass, the finger slides easily, but on cheap films, it can be difficult.
⚠️ Attention: The three finger gesture may conflict with special features or multi-touch games. If a particular application does not take a screenshot, the app will probably block the gesture.
Some users complain of accidental triggering when simply wipe the screen with a napkin. If this happens often, it is better to turn off the function or reduce the sensitivity of the touchscreen in the engineering menu (although the latter is not recommended for beginners). For the Redmi 5 with its 5.7-inch screen, this method is very ergonomic.
☑️ Checking the work of the gesture with three fingers
Voice control and assistants
Modern smartphones allow you to control the basic functions of voice, and the Xiaomi Redmi 5 is no exception. You can use the built-in Google Assistant or Mi AI voice assistant (if it is supported in your firmware version and region).
This method requires a stable Internet connection, as voice requests are often processed on the company’s servers, and the phone settings should allow access to the microphone and activate the “Clocked Screen Access” option if you plan to take pictures without unlocking.
Voice control is ideal for people with disabilities or in situations where hands are busy (like you're cooking with a prescription on your phone or holding the device in a bicycle mount).
If the standard assistant doesn't respond, check the language and region settings. Sometimes changing the system's language to English helps activate hidden voice controls that aren't localized yet for the Russian-language MIUI.
- 🎙️ Activate the voice assistant (button or phrase).
- 🗣️ Make a clear command to “take a screenshot».
- ⏳ Wait for confirmation of the action.
- 🌐 Make sure the device is connected to the network.
Long screenshot and extended functions
One of the most useful features in MIUI is the ability to create long screenshots (scroll shots), which allows you to capture the entire page of the site, long correspondence in the messenger or the entire document, not just the visible part of the screen.
Click the Scrolling button (or the down arrow) on the thumbnail that appears. The screen will automatically scroll down, capturing new areas of the image. You can stop the process at any time by touching the screen, or wait until the content is over.
In addition, the system allows you to annotate immediately after shooting, in the editor that opens, you can crop the redundant, add text, pictures or blur sensitive data (such as card numbers or passwords) before sending, which saves time and eliminates the need to open third-party editors.
The long-screen feature doesn't work in all apps; it's most effective in browsers, notes, and social media. In some games or secure apps (banks), scrolling may be blocked for security reasons or because of the interface's rendering features.
Why does the long screenshot end?
Where to find saved images and problem solving
All screenshots are automatically saved to the gallery. To find them, open the Gallery app and go to Screenshots. The files are also accessible through the file manager on the Internal Memory path → DCIM → Screenshots or MIUI → Gallery → cloud → screenshots, depending on the system version.
If screenshots are not saved, check for free storage.Redmi 5 has a limited amount of built-in storage (16/32GB), and memory overflows are a common cause of failures.Cache cleaning or deleting unnecessary files can solve the problem.
In some cases, the problem is application access rights, if you're using a third-party launcher or a specific theme, it can block system functions, and try to return a standard theme to check if it works.
| Method | Speed. | Convenience | Dependence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buttons (Loudness + Power) | Instantly. | Average. | Hardware. |
| Notification curtain | Quickly. | High. | Software |
| Three fingers. | Instantly. | High. | Setting up/Tachscrin |
| Voice. | Slower. | Specific | Internet/Microphone |
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If none of the software methods work and the buttons fail, the problem is probably in the damage to the MIUI system files or the hardware defect of the button plume.