Screenshots are one of the most basic but critical features in today’s Android operating system. Xiaomi and Redmi users often face the challenge of saving correspondence, capturing an in-app bug, or simply sharing an interesting moment from a game. Unlike some other manufacturers, Xiaomi has implemented many ways to accomplish this task, which can confuse a beginner but provides tremendous flexibility to power users.
In the standard sense, it seems trivial: you press two buttons and you're done. But the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS offers a lot more of the power hidden in the depth of the settings. You can take long screenshots, capture a random shape area, or use voice commands when your hands are busy. Understanding all of these nuances will allow you to manage content on the device as efficiently as possible.
In this article, we will take a closer look at every screenshot method, from the classic keyboard combination to advanced management menu tools. We will also look at the situation when physical buttons stop working and offer software alternatives. Regardless of your device model, whether it is a budget Redmi Note or flagship Xiaomi 14, the solutions presented here will be relevant.
Classical Method: A Combination of Physical Buttons
The fastest and most time-tested way to take a screenshot on any Android device is to use a physical keyboard. On Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones, two specific buttons are responsible for this: Volume down and Power, which works even when the system responds to latency touches, making it the most reliable option.
To do this successfully, you need to press both buttons at the same time. The important nuance is the strength and duration of the press: it has to be a short but confident touch. If you hold the buttons for too long, the phone may perceive this as a command to turn off or call emergency services, which will lead to a menu of the device turning off instead of clicking the shutter.
Once successful, you'll hear a distinctive sound that resembles a camera click, and a thumbnail of the image will appear in the upper right corner of the screen, which usually disappears after a few seconds, sending the file to the gallery, but you can click on it for quick editing or sending it to the messenger.
💡
If the standard button combination doesn’t work, check if In-pocket mode or special game settings that block side keys are enabled.
It is worth noting that on some models with curved edges of the screen or specific location of fingerprint sensors, physical pressing can be uncomfortable. In such cases, manufacturers sometimes change the logic of the buttons, but the Volume + Power standard remains unchanged for 99% of Redmi devices.
Use of the control menu (Curtains)
If your smartphone’s physical buttons are damaged, crashed, or simply uncomfortable in a particular situation, the system offers a great software alternative: At the top of the screen of any Xiaomi or Redmi, there is a notification panel known as a “curtain.” By swiping from top to bottom, you get access to a quick menu with icons of the main features.
Among the many switches, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and flashlight, there is a Screenshot icon that can be hidden in the second page of the Quick Settings menu, which you can access by swiping sideways. Just click on this icon, and the system instantly saves the current screen image, ignoring the state of the physical buttons.
- 📸 Screenshot allows you to capture the current interface without the participation of buttons.
- ⚙️ The icon can be moved to the top row for faster access through editing settings.
- 🖐️ The method is ideal when the phone is lying on the table or fixed in the holder.
The advantage of this method is that it's visually obvious, you don't have to memorize combinations or say commands, but there's a downside: to reach the top corner of a large smartphone with one hand, you sometimes need to get your hands on it, especially if the device doesn't have one-handed control.
☑️ Checking the availability of screenshot
If you don't find the icon you want, it may have been removed by the user before. To return the function, click on the pencil icon or tripod in the corner of the Quick Settings menu, find the Screenshot in the list of available items, and drag it to the active area.
Triple tapping and gestures
The MIUI shell is famous for its unique control features, and one of the most convenient is to take a screenshot by tapping on the screen, which does not require touching physical buttons or opening menus, making the process of creating a picture almost invisible to others.
To activate this feature, you need to go to the system settings. The path usually looks like: Settings → Additional features → Screenshot. Here you need to choose the option “Three fingers” or “Taps”, depending on the firmware version. In some regions and versions of the software, the knuckle finger tapping feature is available, but it is less common.
⚠️ Note: Three-finger tapping may conflict with gestures in some applications, such as graphics editors or games. If you notice random screenshots while playing, it's best to disable this method.
Once turned on, just swipe three fingers down the screen (or knock if you choose this mode), and the system will react instantly, which is especially convenient when reading long articles or watching social media feeds when your hands are in the middle of the screen.
It’s important to understand that sensor sensitivity may vary between Redmi models. On budget models with less responsive screens, triple tapping may not always work the first time, requiring a clearer, more rhythmic gesture.
Voice control and assistants
Modern smartphones have become full-fledged voice assistants, and Xiaomi is no exception. If your hands are dirty, you are wearing gloves or just holding your phone with both hands horizontally, the easiest way to use a voice command is to use it.
To do this, you’ll need to activate the voice assistant. Depending on the region and settings, it could be Google Assistant or its own Xiao AI (which, however, works best on the Chinese version of firmware).
Just say, "OK, Google, take a screenshot," or "Take a screenshot." It recognizes the command, it emits the shutter sound, it saves the image, and it's also useful for people with disabilities who have difficulty pressing small buttons or performing complex gestures.
| Method | Conditions required | Reaction rate | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buttons | Working physical keys | Instantly. | Tall. |
| Curtain. | Access to the notification menu | 2-3 seconds | Tall. |
| Gestures | Setting enabled | Instantly. | Medium |
| Voice. | Internet, active microphone | 1-2 seconds | Medium |
It is worth considering that voice commands often require an active Internet connection, since the request processing can occur on the company's servers. In a bad signal, communication with the server can be lost and the command will not be executed.
How to Take a Long Screenshot
One of the most sought-after features in the Xiaomi ecosystem is the ability to create long screenshots, or Long Screenshot. It is an indispensable tool for saving correspondence in messengers, long articles in the browser or lists of products in online stores that do not fit on a single screen.
The process starts as usual: you take a standard screenshot in any convenient way (by buttons, gesture or menu). Immediately after that, in the upper right corner, a preview of the image appears. In this preview, you will see several buttons, one of which is signed as Scrolling or marked with arrows down.
By clicking this button, the system will automatically start scrolling down the screen contents, stitching the image into one long tape, and you can stop the process at any time by touching the screen, or wait until the scroll reaches the end of the page automatically.
Why can a long screenshot be cut off?
The resulting image is stored in the gallery as a single file, which is extremely convenient for sending proof of translation, navigation routes or entire dialogues, but it is worth remembering that such files can have a high resolution and weigh more than normal pictures.
Editing and managing screenshots
Once you've taken a screenshot, MIUI suggests you move on to editing it, and unlike standard Android, it has a pretty powerful editor built in that allows you to not only crop the image, but also to mark up.
You can use tools to draw, add text, blur sensitive information (such as card numbers or addresses) and add stickers, all of which are done in a couple of taps, eliminating the need to install third-party apps for basic processing.
- ✏️ Drawing allows you to highlight important details with color.
- 🔒 Blurring hides personal data before sending.
- 📐 Cutting removes unnecessary interface elements.
All screenshots are automatically sorted into a separate folder in the gallery, making it easier to search, and they are duplicated in the cloud service if you have sync with Mi Cloud or Google Photos enabled, which ensures that data is safe even if you lose your device.
⚠️ Note: When editing screenshots with sensitive information, always use the blur feature, not just coloring with a marker, as the color can be removed in the graphics editor and restore the source text.
File management also includes the ability to quickly share immediately after creation. You can choose a contact in the messenger or application, and the image will be sent without having to open the gallery again.
Problem Solving: Why the Screenshot Doesn't Work
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the usual methods stop working, the screen does not respond to buttons, the menu does not open, and the sound does not play, and most often the problem is not a failure, but software constraints or settings.
The first thing to check is the contents of the screen. Many applications, such as bank clients, online cinema services (Netflix, Kinopoisk) or incognito browsers, block the creation of screenshots at the security level, in which case you will see a black screen instead of an image.
The second reason could be a lack of free memory: If Redmi's internal storage is overcrowded, the system will not be physically able to save the new file.
💡
If a screenshot is not taken in a particular app, it is likely a copy protection for content, not a phone error.
It’s also worth checking for system updates. In rare cases, bugs in a particular version of MIUI can disrupt the screenshot service, and updating to the latest available firmware version often corrects such bugs.