How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi Redmi 5: all ways

Screenshot creation is one of the basic features that users need on a daily basis, whether it’s saving an important dialogue, a payment receipt or an interesting moment from the game. Xiaomi Redmi 5 owners can use several methods to capture the image, since the MIUI shell offers flexible tools to work with the interface. The standard procedure may seem obvious, but knowing alternative methods greatly speeds up the process in situations where hands are busy or physical buttons are unstable.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all available options for creating screenshots, ranging from the classic keyboard combination to voice commands. Redmi 5, released on the basis of Android 7.1 with a proprietary add-on, has its own features in the organization of menus and gestures. Understanding these nuances will allow you not only to take pictures, but also to instantly edit them or share content without wasting time for unnecessary actions.

We will also discuss storage and possible memory problems, as graphics files can quickly fill the internal storage of the device. Proper management of screenshots is part of the overall smartphone culture. Below are proven methods that work on your model.

Classical method using physical buttons

The most common and reliable way, familiar to Android users for many years, is to press two buttons simultaneously. On the Redmi 5 case, this is the Power button and the Volume Down button. To successfully capture the screen, you need to press them almost simultaneously, doing it quickly and sharply. If you hold your finger too long, a smartphone can perceive this as a command to call the switch-off menu or change the sound level.

The success of the operation is confirmed by the characteristic sound of the camera shutter and a short flash of the screen. In the upper corner of the display, a notification will appear with a thumbnail of the image taken. The physical buttons on this model are located on the right and left sides, respectively, which requires a certain skill when using one hand.

⚠️ Warning: Don't push too hard on the buttons. The button mechanism on Redmi 5 is sensitive, and excessive mechanical action can damage the plumes or lead to key sticking.

Once you have created a picture, the system offers quick action: edit, send or delete, and ignoring these actions will automatically save the file in the gallery.

Use the menu of additional MIUI functions

The MIUI shell installed on Xiaomi Redmi 5 provides a unique tool, a floating quick action menu, ideal for those who have difficulty pressing physical keys at the same time or prefer software management. To activate this feature, you need to swipe up the notification curtain and find the Scissor icon. If the icon is not on the first screen, flip to the right or click on three points to edit the quick settings list.

When you click on the scissors icon, the screen blinks and you hear the sound of the image, and the main advantage of the method is that it doesn't require physical manipulation of the phone body. You can hold the device in one hand and activate the function in the interface with the other, which is especially useful when you need to capture an error on the screen that disappears when you press any other buttons.

Some firmware versions offer an extended menu that appears after swiping down three fingers (if activated) or through a special widget. The software method completely eliminates the risk of damage to the mechanical parts of the smartphone. It also allows you to take screenshots even in those rare cases when the touchscreen partially does not work, but responds to the notification curtain area.

Screen capture via swipe with three fingers

One of the most convenient features in the Xiaomi ecosystem is the ability to create a screenshot with a simple gesture. You need to swipe three fingers from top to bottom in the center of the screen. This option is not active by default, so you need to pre-enable it in the settings. To do this, go to the Settings menu → Additional Features → Screenshot and activate the Three Finger Swipe switch.

Once activated, the gesture becomes available in all applications where content capture is allowed, a fast way that gamers or users who read long articles often use. Gesture controls save time and look spectacular, but it is worth considering that in some games or applications with a horizontal orientation, swipe can be inconvenient because of the location of the fingers on the body.

If the swipe doesn't work the first time, try changing the speed or the density of your fingers pressing against the display. The system calibrates sensitivity, but sometimes requires clear and confident movement. Also make sure that the screen doesn't have a thick protective film on it, which can reduce the accuracy of multi-touch gesture recognition.

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For a more accurate hit on the desired area of the screen when using a swipe, keep the phone in an upright position and swipe your fingers strictly in the center of the display.

Voice control and Google Assistant

Modern smartphones, including Redmi 5, allow you to control basic voice functions. If you have Google Assistant enabled or voice search active, you can just say, "OK, Google, take a screenshot." The smartphone recognizes the command and performs a capture of the current image on the screen. This method is especially useful when your hands are full, for example, while cooking or working with tools, and the phone is mounted on the holder.

Voice control requires a stable Internet connection, as the request is often processed on the company's servers. Also make sure that the language and input settings allow the use of voice commands for system functions. In some cases, the assistant may request confirmation of action, which adds an extra step, but increases security.

The alternative is a built-in voice recorder or custom automation scripts if you use advanced settings. However, the standard voice assistant remains the most affordable option. Voice control is not just a fashion homage, but a real accessibility tool to help people with disabilities fully use Xiaomi.

Long screenshot: how to capture the entire page

Often, a single screenshot is not enough to save all the correspondence in the messenger or the article in the browser. In such cases, the Xiaomi Redmi 5 feature is available for “Long Screenshot”. After you have taken a normal shot in any of the ways described above, in the notification or preview that appears, find a button that says “Scroll” or the scroll icon.

The system will stitch multiple frames into one long image, you can stop the process at any time by touching the screen or pressing the stop button, the long screenshot is saved as a single image file, which is convenient for sending documents, the quality of the final picture depends on the resolution of the source screen and the length of scrolling.

It's worth noting that this feature doesn't work in all applications, for example, in some games or secure banking applications, scrolling can be blocked, in which case you'll have to take a few regular screenshots manually, and the long screenshot feature makes it much easier to archive information from news feeds and social networks.

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The long screenshot feature automatically combines multiple frames into a single file, which is ideal for saving correspondence and web pages without losing context.

Where screenshots are stored and how to manage them

All images are automatically stored in the device's internal memory, and can be found through the Gallery app in Screenshots or through the file manager on the Internal Storage/DCIM/Screenshots path. MIUI also has a separate folder in the Files menu that groups images by date, which allows you to quickly find the desired images, even if there are hundreds of them.

It is important to check memory occupancy periodically, as high-resolution screenshots can take up a significant amount of space. If the memory is crowded, the system may stop taking new pictures or work slower, and it is recommended to delete failed frames immediately after creation or transfer them to the cloud storage.

Below is a table with the main paths and formats that the system uses to store data:

⚠️ Warning: When cleaning memory through third-party crawler apps, be careful. Do not delete system folders with thumbnails, otherwise the Gallery will take longer to download previews of images.

Frequent problems and their solution

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the screenshot is not created or the file is corrupted. Most often this is due to a lack of free memory or a software failure of a particular application. If the button combination does not work, try restarting the device. Redmi 5 restarts the temporary clipboard and restarts the system services responsible for processing input.

Another reason could be content protection: apps like Netflix, bank clients or incognito browsers block screenshots for security reasons, in which case you'll see a black screen instead of the expected image, and DRM protection doesn't allow you to bypass this restriction by standard means.

If the problem is systemic, check for firmware updates. Settings → Phone → System Update may have a patch available to fix interface errors. Also make sure that the device does not have conflicting root-right modifications.