Modern Xiaomi smartphones running MIUI shells or the new HyperOS provide users with many ways to capture the contents of the screen, which may be necessary to save correspondence, device instructions or an interesting moment in the game. Standard methods laid down by the manufacturer often turn out to be more functional than the basic solutions in “pure” Android.
Owners of the brand’s devices face the need to take screenshots daily, but not everyone is aware of the existence of advanced features such as automatic scrolling for long pages or highlighting objects. Understanding all the options available will significantly speed up the work with the gadget and make the process of documenting information as efficient as possible.
In this article, we will take a look at every method available, from classic buttons to hidden gestures, how to set up handy shortcuts, where to look for saved files and how to edit images immediately after creation. The instructions are relevant for most current models, including the Redmi Note series, POCO F and the flagship Xiaomi Mi.
Using physical buttons for quick snapshots
The most obvious and common way that every smartphone user is familiar with is a combination of hardware keys. On Xiaomi devices, it works identically to most Android gadgets. You need to press the Power button and Volume Down simultaneously.
If you hold your fingers on the buttons too long, instead of taking a screenshot, you can start a shutdown menu or activate a voice assistant. So muscle memory training is important. Once you do the action, you hear the characteristic click of the camera shutter, and a notification with a thumbnail will appear at the top of the display.
⚠️ Warning: Do not push buttons with excessive force, especially on models with side-finger scanner, so as not to damage the key mechanism or the sensor itself.
This is a universal technique that works even when the touch layer is temporarily unresponsive to touch, and it's also useful when the screen is locked from random taps in your pocket, but you need to get something to look at, and the key is to keep the two buttons in synchrony.
Screenshot with three fingers: setting and use
One of the most convenient features in the MIUI shell is to take a screenshot with a three-finger swipe, which allows you to take a picture with one hand without having to search for buttons on the body, but by default this option can be disabled, so you need to activate it in the system settings.
To enable the function, go to Settings → Additional settings → Screenshots. Here you need to find the "Three-finger screenshot" item and switch to the active position. After that, simply swiping three fingers from top to bottom across the screen will instantly save the image.
☑️ Checking readiness for gestures
Note that sensor sensitivity can vary across models. Redmi series budget devices with capacitive screens sometimes require more confident and fast movement than flagships. If the gesture doesn't work the first time, try to increase the speed of the swipe or tighten your fingers to the display.
The use of three fingers is especially important when the phone is on the table or when the second hand is occupied, eliminating the need to reach for the side faces of the body, and reducing the risk of mechanical wear of physical buttons, prolonging the life of the device.
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If a three-finger gesture conflicts with game control, you can temporarily turn it off in the settings to avoid accidental screenshots during gameplay.
Control through notification curtain and side menu
The HyperOS and modern MIUI interface allows you to control system functions through the control center. The upper right side of the screen (or top-down the entire area on older versions) has a quick settings curtain. Among the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth icons, there is often a Scissors or Screenshot icon.
Clicking on this icon takes a snapshot of the current screen. This is convenient when you are on the menu, where physical buttons can be locked or uncomfortable. In addition, some versions of the firmware offer a Side Menu feature that is called by swiping from the edge of the screen.
You can add a screenshot shortcut to the side menu.
- 📱 Open the Settings. → Additional settings → Side menu.
- 📱 Turn on the menu display and select “All Apps” or specific programs.
- 📱 In the called menu, click on the Scissors icon for an instant snapshot.
This approach allows you to avoid cluttering the main notification bar with unnecessary elements, leaving them available only in the context of the running application, which is especially useful for those who often work with documents or correspondence in messengers.
| Method | Speed. | Convenience with one hand | Risk of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buttons | Tall. | Low. | Medium. |
| Three fingers. | Very high. | High. | Low. |
| Curtain. | Medium | Average. | Low. |
Creating long screenshots (Scrollshots)
Often, you need to save not one frame, but an entire web page, article or long correspondence. To do this, Xiaomi has implemented the function “Advanced Screenshot” or scrolling shot. After creating a normal shot in any of the above ways, a floating window with a preview will appear in the upper corner.
In this window, you need to click on the down arrow button or the Add icon. The device will automatically start scrolling the contents of the screen down, adding new areas to the image. The process continues until you stop it by clicking on the screen or until you reach the end of the page.
⚠️ Note: When taking long screenshots, avoid touching the screen while scrolling automatically, otherwise the process may be interrupted or the image distorted.
The maximum length of such a composite image can vary depending on the version of the operating system and the amount of free RAM. Usually, the system limits the number of frames "glued" so that the file does not weigh too much. If the page is very long, you may have to take several scrollshots.
The resulting file is saved as a single image in PNG or JPG format, eliminating the need to manually glue many individual pictures in Photoshop, a feature that is indispensable for saving instructions, tickets or contact lists.
What to do if the scrolling shot is broken?
Voice control and Google Assistant
For those who prefer voice control, Xiaomi offers integration with Google Assistant, which is especially convenient when hands are busy or the phone is far away. Just say the phrase "OK, Google, take a screenshot" or "Take a screenshot," and the system will execute the command.
That method worked consistently, make sure that the assistant settings allow you to control the system, and XiaoAI (in Chinese firmware versions) has similar functionality, voice commands can be useful for people with disabilities who have difficulty using accurate finger motor skills.
However, voice control requires a stable Internet connection to process a request by Google servers. In a bad signal, a command may fail or be executed with a delay. In a noisy environment, the phone may not recognize the command the first time.
Using voice assistants opens up new possibilities of automation, and you can create scenarios where screenshots are taken on a schedule or at a specific event, although this requires more in-depth customization through automation applications.
Editing and tools after creation
And right after you take a screenshot, you have a thumbnail in the top right corner, and if you click on it, you open up the built-in image editor, and it allows you to do basic things like framing, drawing, adding text and stickers, and it eliminates the need to open a separate gallery app.
The editor has tools to highlight important areas, which is useful when sending instructions to colleagues, you can resize the canvas, rotate the image or apply a filter, all changes are saved either as a copy or overwrite the original, depending on the option you choose.
The special feature that deserves attention is Text Recognition (OCR), which is that if you have text in a screenshot, the system can suggest you copy it to the clipboard, and it works surprisingly well even with handwriting if the handwriting is legible, and it's machine learning-based and it's constantly being improved.
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The built-in screenshot editor in MIUI/HyperOS allows you to perform 90% of the necessary actions with the image without installing third-party applications.
Where are the screenshots stored and how to find them
By default, all images created are saved to a standard gallery. The path to files in the file system usually looks like internal memory. → DCIM → Screenshots or MIUI → screen_shot. Depending on the Android version and file manager, the folder structure may vary slightly.
The Gallery app has a separate album called Screenshots, which automatically sorts all screenshots, making it easier to find the right file among thousands of photos taken by the camera, and it also allows you to sort images by date of creation.
If you use cloud services like Google Photos or Xiaomi Cloud, screenshots can automatically sync, which ensures that your data is kept safe even if your phone is lost or broken, but you should keep an eye on the amount of cloud space available.
You can use the built-in Cleanup tool to clean up the space, and it finds similar screenshots, old files, and suggests that you delete them. Regularly cleaning the screenshot folder helps free up gigabytes of space, as users often forget to delete temporary images.