Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco mobile devices often face the need to quickly capture an image on the screen, whether it is a correspondence in the messenger, a plane ticket or an interesting moment in the game. The standard interface of the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS offers many flexible tools for this, go far beyond just clicking buttons. Understanding all the options available allows you to save time and make the process of using a smartphone much more comfortable.
Screenshots are a basic feature, but on Chinese devices, they come with a lot of nuances that are not obvious when you first meet them. You can use a classic keyboard combination, draw your finger across the display, or even give a voice command to the assistant. In this guide, we will discuss each method in detail, and also explain how to set up automatic removal of unnecessary interface elements.
And the big thing to do is to focus on the long-screenshot feature, which is essential when you save articles, correspondence, or web pages in its entirety. Many users don't even realize that their phone can scrolle through content and glue it into one long image automatically. Let's look at all the options available, from the simplest to the most advanced.
Classical method using physical buttons
The fastest and most familiar way to do this, running on the vast majority of Android phones, including the Xiaomi lineup, is that it doesn't require any pre-setting and is available immediately after you turn on the device. To create a picture, you need to press and briefly hold two buttons at once: Volume down and Lock. It's the simultaneous press that matters; if you press one button before the other, you just change the volume or lock the screen.
Successful execution of the action is accompanied by the characteristic sound of the camera shutter (if the sound is on) and visual animation in the form of a decreasing thumbnail in the corner of the screen. At this point, the system offers additional actions: editing, sending or creating a scrolling shot. If you release the buttons too early, the screenshot may not be created, and if you hold it for a long time, the off menu or voice assistant will start.
💡
If you have In-pocket or One-Hand mode enabled, physical access to the buttons may be limited, so it’s best to use alternative methods such as a notification curtain.
It is worth noting that some models with HyperOS have the ability to change the purpose of the buttons in advanced settings, but by default the “Loudness minus” + “Power” bundle remains a priority, this method is ideal for situations where the screen is dirty or wet hands are difficult to get through the touch areas of control.
Control through notification curtain and sidebar
For those who are uncomfortable reaching for buttons on the case or using a two-handed grip, the developers of MIUI have provided software buttons in the interface. The first option is a standard notification curtain. Swipe down from top to bottom, you will see the icon "Screenshot" (usually looks like scissors), pressing it instantly takes a picture of the current contents of the display.
The second, more advanced tool is the Floating Window, which is a floating menu that can swipe from the edge of the screen at any time, even inside games or apps with full-screen mode, where the curtain is often not available, so you go to the settings to activate this feature, find the Sidebar and add the screenshot shortcut.
- 📱 Curtain: swipe from top to bottom, search for scissors icon, instant shot without sound (optional).
- 🧩 Sidebar: Swipe call from the edge, the ability to take a picture in games and videos.
- 🎨 Editing: After a call through the panel, quick access to drawing tools is often available.
The use of software buttons is especially important if the physical lock button is locked or has a tight stroke. In addition, through the sidebar you can immediately send the picture to the messenger without saving it to the gallery, which is convenient for confidential information.
☑️ Setting up the sidebar
Unique gestures and three finger control
One of the most convenient features of the MIUI shell is the ability to create screenshots using gestures. By default, many Xiaomi and Redmi devices already have the "Three fingers down" gesture activated. You just need to touch the screen with three fingers at once and swipe them from top to bottom. This action instantly captures the image.
If the standard gesture doesn't work, you can manually activate it. Go to Settings menu → Additional features → Screenshot. Here you will find a three-finger gesture switch. Moreover, you can also set up other actions in the same menu, such as taking a screenshot with a long two-finger press or swiping two fingers in a certain direction.
⚠️ Note: A three-finger gesture may conflict with control in some games or drawing apps. If you notice random screenshots while playing, temporarily disable this feature in the settings.
The advantage of gesture control is that it's fast and ergonomic, so you don't have to look for buttons on the body or reach for the top edge of the screen, but you just need to move confidently through the center of the display, which is especially convenient on large smartphones, where reaching the top corners with one hand is physically difficult.
Voice control via Google Assistant and Xiao AI
Modern smartphones allow you to control your voice system, and taking screenshots is no exception. If you have Google Assistant or Xiao AI, which is a proprietary AI assistant that can be limited in global versions, you can just say a command. For Google Assistant, the phrase is "OK, Google, take a screenshot" or "Take a screenshot."
This is ideal in situations where your hands are busy or dirty, like you're cooking with a prescription on your phone and you want to save the result, but you don't want to touch the screen with your dirty fingers. The voice command will do it instantly, but it requires an active Internet connection and a voice activator function to work.
It should be borne in mind that voice control may not work in the “Do Not Disturb” mode or if the microphone is occupied by another application (for example, a voice recorder or a call in a messenger), and in some banking applications with increased protection, the creation of screenshots in any way, including voice, can be blocked by the security system.
The function of a long screenshot (Scroll shot)
One of the most popular features for social media and news feed users is a long screenshot, which allows you to capture not only the visible part of the screen, but also the content that is below, automatically scrolling the page and gluing the image, which is indispensable for saving WhatsApp, Telegram, browser articles or long checks.
To activate this mode, first take a regular screenshot in any convenient way. Immediately after clicking the shutter, a button with down arrows or a "Scroll" icon will appear in the upper right corner of the thumbnail that appears. When you click on it, the system will automatically scroll down the contents, and you can stop the process at any time by touching the screen or waiting for the end of the page.
| Parameter | Description of function | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum length | Up to 100% page scrolling or 10 screens | Depends on the amount of memory |
| Format | Saved as a single PNG image | Could be a heavy file. |
| Editing | Available after completion of the scroll | You can't edit in the process. |
| Support for applications | Browsers, gallery, notes, instant messengers | Doesn't work in some games |
Once you've done the scrolling, the system will ask you to save the final image, and you can immediately go to editing it, cutting edges, adding text, or highlighting important points with a marker, eliminating the need to take many individual frames and paste them manually in third-party applications.
What to do if the scroll shot does not work?
Quality, format and file storage settings
All images are automatically saved in the gallery. MIUI and HyperOS have a separate folder for screenshots, which makes it easier to sort. The path to files is usually: Internal memory → DCIM → Screenshots. If you connect your phone to your computer, you can easily find them at this address.
You can adjust the quality of the images you save in the screenshot menu settings. The default is the maximum resolution that corresponds to your screen matrix. However, if you often share screenshots through heavy compression messengers, you can try to lower the quality in the settings to save space, although this is rarely the case on modern devices with large storage capacity.
- 📂 Storage folder: Gallery → Albums. → Screenshots.
- 🗑️ Auto Delete: You can set up screenshots over 30 days.
- ☁️ Sync: via Xiaomi Cloud or Google Photos to access from other devices.
⚠️ Note: When cleaning memory through the built-in Security tool, screenshots often fall into the recommended file removal list, as the system considers them temporary garbage.
Also worth mentioning are watermarks: some users want to add a phone model and shooting time to screenshots, which is included in the camera settings or in a special screenshot menu if it is provided by a particular firmware version, which can be useful for bloggers or when sending evidence to support.
Problem Solving and Frequently Asked Questions
Despite the system's fine-tuning, users sometimes face situations where a screenshot is not created, the image is black or the file is not saved, most often due to Android security restrictions, such as in incognito browser mode or in banking applications, the screen can turn black when you try to take a copy - this is normal data protection.
If screenshots are no longer saved at all, check for free space in internal memory. A crowded drive is a common cause of system failure. Also try restarting the device to clear the system cache that may have accumulated errors in the screenshot service.
💡
If screenshots are not saved, first check the free space in memory and access rights of the Gallery or MIUI System Services application to the storage.
In some cases, the problem may lie in third-party launchers or design themes that conflict with system functions. Switching to a standard theme often solves the problem. If nothing helps, resetting the interface settings or updating the system to the latest version usually eliminates software bugs.