How to take a screenshot on a Xiaomi phone: the complete guide

Xiaomi’s current smartphones, powered by MIUI shells or the new HyperOS, offer users a variety of ways to capture what’s happening on the display: it can be important correspondence, a movie ticket, a map of the area, or just a funny meme from the social network. Whether you own a budget model of the Redmi series or the flagship Xiaomi 14 Pro, the basic mechanics of creating screenshots remain intuitive, but hide powerful tools for advanced users.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at not only standard techniques, but also hidden features that often go unnoticed. You’ll learn how to take a long screenshot to save entire pages of sites, how to customize handy gestures, and why sometimes familiar keyboard shortcuts may not work. Understanding these nuances will allow you to save time and effectively manage your device’s media content.

Android, in conjunction with the Chinese giant’s proprietary designs, provides flexibility that many other platforms don’t. We’ll look at settings that automate the process or change the format of stored files. Ready to work with a graphical interface is the key to quickly mastering the functionality of your gadget.

Classical Method: A Combination of Physical Buttons

The fastest and most common way for most smartphone users is to press control buttons simultaneously. On Xiaomi devices, this combination works consistently in all versions of the firmware. You need to press Volume Down and Power at the same time. The main thing here is synchronicity: if you press one button before the other, the phone will simply turn down the volume or lock the screen.

Once the action is successful, the camera's characteristic shutter click (if the sound is on) will be heard, and a thumbnail of the image will appear in the top corner of the screen for a split second, at which point the system has already stored the image in memory. Physical buttons work even when the touchscreen temporarily does not respond to touch, making this method universal.

⚠️ Warning: Do not hold the buttons too long. Prolonged clamping of the combination Volume down + Power (more than 3 seconds) on many Xiaomi models activates the emergency call menu or forced reboot, rather than creating a screenshot.

If you're having trouble getting through the buttons, it might be the case with the safety case. Some thick cases block access to the keys, making it impossible to press without removing the protection, in which case it's worth considering the alternative methods described below, or changing the accessory to a thinner one.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with curved edges of the screen (2.5D or 3D mechanical push of buttons may be less responsive. Make sure you push clearly and confidently, but without fanaticism, so as not to damage the side of the body.

Gesture control: three fingers and swipes

MIUI and HyperOS shells are famous for their convenience, and gesture control is one of their strengths. You can set up a screenshot by simply swiping three fingers down the screen, which is much more convenient to do with one hand when the phone is lying on the table or when the second hand is busy. To activate this feature, go to Settings → Additional Features → Screenshot.

There are other useful options, such as swiping down three fingers in any area or in certain applications. Gestures speed up the work significantly, because they don't require physical buttons to be found. Once the function is turned on, the system will ask you to practice to make the sensitivity calibration successful.

It's worth noting that the sensitivity of the touchscreen can vary depending on the protective film installed. If the three-finger gesture works again, try to increase the speed of movement or press your fingers a little tighter, in some cases, removing the thick tempered glass and replacing it with a thinner hydrogel helps.

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For people with large rooks or when using a phone with gloves, the three-finger method can be uncomfortable, in which case it is better to activate the screenshot button in the notification curtain.

Control panel and floating window

If you find physical buttons uncomfortable and gestures are not well-maintained, you can always use software tools. In the top corner of the screen, when you unlock or when you use apps, there's often a little icon in the form of two rectangles. Pressing it instantly takes a snapshot of the current area, and this interface element can be moved around the screen, which adds another level of comfort.

Also, don't forget the notification curtain. Swipe down to open the control center, and find the screenshot icon (usually looks like a scissor or a square) and click on it, you get an image of the current screen. This is especially true when the phone is in front of you, and reach for the side buttons of laziness. The control panel is the center of all the fast actions of your smartphone.

New versions of HyperOS add the option of double tapping on the back (if the phone supports hardware) or using a virtual home button to call a screenshot, making the smartphone an even more responsive tool that responds to the slightest touch.

⚠️ Note: In some applications with enhanced security (bank clients, incognito browser mode), the creation of screenshots can be blocked by the system, in which case you will receive a black screen or a notification of prohibition instead of an image. This is a standard measure to protect Android Security from leakage of confidential data.

Long screenshot: Capturing the entire page

One of the most sought-after features in the Xiaomi ecosystem is the ability to create a “long screenshot” or Scrolling Screenshot, which allows you to capture not only the visible part of the screen, but also all the content that is hidden outside the display, such as a long article in the news, correspondence in the messenger or product in the online store.

Immediately after you create a normal screenshot (in any of the ways described above), a thumbnail appears in the upper right corner, and there are several icons below it. You have to click on an icon that resembles a scroll or a down arrow, and the system will automatically scroll down the page, stitching the image into one long tape.

You can stop the process at any time by tapping the screen or pressing the stop button that appears on the interface. This is useful if you only need part of the list, not the entire page, and the file of this screenshot will have elongated proportions and will be saved to a separate folder or marked in the gallery.

It's important to understand that not all apps support this feature correctly, and in some cases, the seams between parts of a screenshot may be noticeable, or the scrolling may go wrong, and in these situations, it's better to take a few regular shots.

Voice control and special features

Now, technology has gone a long way, and Xiaomi is keeping up with the trend. You can just say, "OK, Google, take a screenshot," and the phone will execute the command. You have to activate the voice assistant and have your speech recognition set up, and that's the perfect thing to do when your hands are busy or dirty, and you can't touch the screen.

There is also a special feature menu, so if you have motor difficulties, you can set your phone to take a screenshot of the phone by pressing the volume button for a long time or by using a special floating menu on the screen, which can be found in Settings → Advanced Settings → Special features.

Using voice commands requires a good Internet connection, as the processing of the request often takes place on servers. If the network is unstable, the phone may simply not understand the command or respond with an error.

Editing and Preserving: Working with the Result

Once the image is taken, MIUI suggests editing it immediately, so in the window that appears, you can crop the extra, draw an arrow, add text, or smear sensitive information (such as a card number or address) with a special marker. The editing tools are built in very deep, so you can not open individual applications for basic processing.

All the screenshots you take automatically go to the Screenshots folder inside the Gallery app, and you can sort them by date, and you can quickly share the image via instant messengers, send it over Bluetooth, or save it to the Mi Cloud or Google Photos cloud storage.

If you take a lot of screenshots, I recommend cleaning this folder periodically, as high-resolution images can take up a significant amount of memory. The built-in Cleanup tool in the Security app will help you find and remove duplicates or old pictures.

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The most versatile method is a combination of buttons, but the fastest in everyday use is a three-finger gesture if you get used to it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)