How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi Redmi: all ways

Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones have become an integral part of digital life, where the need to save information from the screen arises daily, whether it is correspondence in the messenger, a route map or an application error, the ability to quickly capture the image of the display is a basic skill. However, users often encounter different versions of the MIUI shell and HyperOS, where the location of the elements may differ.

In this guide, we will take a look at all the existing screenshot techniques, from the classic to the hidden features available to Android device owners. You will learn how to set up handy gestures, use a timer for delayed shots, and where to look for saved files after you capture the screen. Understanding these mechanisms will greatly speed up your work with the gadget.

Many owners are unaware that the standard functionality of the system offers much more than just copying a picture. The built-in screenshot editor in MIUI allows you to take long photos of pages and automatically glue them together into a single file. Let's take a detailed look at each option available so you can choose the most suitable for your situation.

Classical Method Through Physical Buttons

The most common and time-tested method, which works on 99% of Android devices, including Xiaomi’s budget and flagship models. To implement it, you need to press two buttons simultaneously: turn down the volume and lock the screen. The mechanics of the action are simple, but require a certain skill to not activate the turn off menu.

It is important to keep the timing right: pressing should be short, literally "pumping." If you hold your finger on the buttons for longer than one second, the system can consider this as a command to call the Power Off menu or voice assistant. On new models without a physical lock button (where it is combined with the fingerprint sensor in the screen), the algorithm remains the same, only the location of the volume key changes.

⚠️ Note: On some models with very sensitive buttons, pressing simultaneously can cause the voice recorder or Google Assistant to accidentally turn on.

Once you've done the action, you'll hear the characteristic shutter sound of the camera, and in the upper right corner, you'll see a thumbnail of the image you've taken, which is a signal that the file is stored in the gallery, and this is ideal when you need to act quickly and the screen responds to touch normally.

Use of control panel (Curtains)

If physical buttons are uncomfortable or faulty for some reason, MIUI offers a software analog. At the top of the screen is a control panel, often called a "curtain," where the main switches are drawn, often including a "screenshot" icon, presented as scissors or a rectangle.

To access this feature, you need to swipe down to open the control center. If the right icon is not on the first page, flip to the right — there may be additional tools hidden. Clicking on the icon instantly makes a copy of the current content of the screen. This is especially convenient when the phone is lying on the table and you do not want to reach for the side buttons.

Sometimes users complain that this button is not in the standard set, so you can add it manually through the panel editing mode, you click on three dots or the pencil icon in the corner of the curtain, find the "Screenshot" in the list of available items and drag it to the active area.

Gesture control: three fingers

One of the most convenient features of Xiaomi’s shell is the ability to take screenshots with a swipe with three fingers, which requires no access to physical buttons and is performed with a single hand movement, making the process as fast and ergonomic as possible.

To activate this feature, you need to go to the system settings. The path usually looks like: Settings → Additional features → Screenshot. In the menu that opens, you need to tick the box opposite to "Three-finger swipe." After that, just swipe three fingers from top to bottom down the center of the screen at any time.

There's also a variation of this method that allows you to take screenshots on a locked screen, but it doesn't work on all versions of Android. The three-finger gesture can be used not only to create a regular copy, but also to run the "Long Screenshot" mode if you swipe your fingers just below or hold them at the beginning of a movement. It's a great way to save long correspondence on Telegram or WhatsApp without scrolling.

Long screenshot and mode with one hand

The Long Screenshot (or Scrolling Screenshot) feature is indispensable when you want to save an entire article, a long chat or a list of products in an online store. After you create a normal screenshot in any of the ways described above, a thumbnail appears in the upper corner, and there is a button below or next to it with arrows down or a scrolling icon.

By clicking this button, the system automatically starts to scroll down the page, stitching the image into a single long file, and you can stop the process at any time by touching the screen, so you can control the length of the final image and crop the extra image from the bottom, and the file is saved in the same format as the normal image.

One-handed mode, often confused with screenshots, is also useful for content, and is activated by triple tapping on the Menu button (square below) or through special settings, which reduces the screen to the top corner to create a screenshot with three fingers, even on large diagonals of the Redmi Note.

⚠️ Attention: When you create long screenshots on lazy loading sites (when pictures only appear when you scroll), you may experience artifacts or blank white bars.

Voice control and timer

For those who prefer to control the smartphone voice, Google Assistant and built-in Mi AI offer the command "Make a screenshot" (or "Make a screenshot"). Just wake the assistant with the phrase "Ok Google" and voice the command. The system itself will perform the screen capture, which is especially convenient when your hands are busy or dirty.

Another interesting feature is a screenshot timer, which allows you to take a screenshot with a 3 or 5-second delay, and you can find it by opening the notification curtain, holding the screenshot icon (or finding it in the extended menu).

Why does that? It's the perfect way to capture a pop-up notification that disappears after a couple of seconds, or to take a screenshot of a context menu that closes whenever you touch it, and you press the start, you trigger the event on the screen, and after a given time, the system takes the picture itself.

Where to look and how to edit pictures

All images are automatically saved to the system folder, and you can find them through the Gallery app in Screenshots or through the file manager on the Internal Memory → MIUI → screenshot path. The files are PNG or JPG format and have a name corresponding to the date and time of creation.

And right after you take a screenshot, if you click on the thumbnail, the built-in editor opens up, and it lets you:

• ✂️ Cut off the extra edges and highlight an important area.
• 🖍 Draw with a marker, add arrows and text over the image.
• 🔍 Blurring confidential data (card numbers, passwords).
• 📤 Sharing a file directly through messengers or social networks.

The editor in MIUI is powerful enough to dispense with third-party apps. You can even overlay stickers or resize the canvas. After editing, remember to click "Save" to make changes apply to the file, or "Save as a copy" to keep the original intact.

Solution and quality setting

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the screenshot is not created, most often it is associated with the protection of content, for example, in banking applications (Sberbank Online, Tinkoff) or in the Incognito mode of the browser, the system blocks the creation of copies of the screen for security purposes, in which case you will see a black image or a message about restriction.

There may also be problems with a lack of free memory: If the internal storage is overcrowded, the system will not be able to save the new file. Check for free space in Settings → About Phone → Storage. Another reason is a failure in the SystemUI system process, which is treated by restarting the device.

To improve screenshots in games or when watching videos, make sure that the display settings set the maximum resolution. In some game modes (Game Turbo), there is a separate button for screenshots that does not interrupt the game process and does not display unnecessary interface elements.

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Tip: If you're taking screenshots to post on social media, turn on the date and time display in the image itself in the settings, which will add context and look more professional.

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The most versatile method is a combination of buttons, but the fastest in everyday use is a three-finger gesture, which is worth setting up first.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)