How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi: an exhaustive guide

Modern Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, which run on MIUI and HyperOS shells, offer users many advanced multimedia features. One of the most sought-after features is screenshots, or screenshots. This action is necessary to save important correspondence, fixing errors in applications, saving tickets or simply interesting moments from games and social networks. Unlike standard Android devices, where functionality is often limited to basic combinations, the Xiaomi ecosystem provides an expanded toolbox.

Device owners are often unaware of all available methods, using only one familiar method that may not always be convenient in certain situations, such as when you damage physical buttons or if you need to take a picture in a gaming environment without interrupting the process. Understanding all the nuances of the Android system in conjunction with Xiaomi's branded add-ons allows you to significantly improve the efficiency of the gadget. In this article, we will discuss in detail each available method.

We're going to look at both standard and hidden features that may not be obvious to the beginner. You're going to learn how to set up automatic image-making, use voice control, and edit images immediately after capture. A screenshot is not just a picture, it's an information management tool, and you need to master it to the fullest. Let's move from theory to practice.

Basic method: use of physical buttons

The most common and versatile way, which works on 99% of Xiaomi smartphones, regardless of the operating system or model version. The mechanics here are as simple as possible and brought to automaticity. You need to simultaneously press the Volume Down button and the Power button. Press it should be brief but clear. On devices with a side fingerprint scanner, the on button is combined with the sensor, but the principle of operation remains unchanged.

If you do everything right, the device will emit a characteristic shutter sound (if the sound is not turned off), and the screen will blink. In the corner, a thumbnail of the shot will appear, which can be immediately edited or sent. It is important to observe the synchronization of pressing: if you press the buttons too long, instead of taking a screenshot, you can activate the off menu or voice assistant. In some cases, especially on older models, you need minimal delay between taps, but on modern Redmi Note and Xiaomi Mi series pressing should be strictly simultaneous.

⚠️ Warning: If you press the buttons, the switch-off menu appears instead of the screenshot, try changing the force and duration of the press. On some models with moisture protection, the buttons may be more tight.

This is a good method for reliability, but it also has drawbacks: for example, taking a high-quality picture with one hand on a large smartphone can be physically inconvenient, and the constant mechanical load on the buttons can eventually lead to wear and tear, although modern components are designed for hundreds of thousands of clicks.

Screenshot with three fingers: a feature for convenience

One of the most popular features of MIUI is the ability to create a screenshot by simply swiping three fingers across the screen, a technique that doesn't require physical buttons, which is especially useful when you're holding your phone with one hand or in motion, but by default, this feature is often disabled and needs to be activated in settings.

To enable, go to the Settings menu, then select the Additional Features section and find Screenshots. Here you must tick the Swipe option with three fingers. Once activated, you can take pictures by simply swiping three fingers from top to bottom over any area of the screen, and the system instantly responds with an audible signal and saves the image.

Note that the sensitivity of the touchscreen may vary from model to model. On low-end Redmi models with low-quality safety glasses, the swipe may not always be recognized the first time, so try to move your fingers a little slower or tighter to the display, and this feature also allows you to select Scrolling mode for capturing a long page immediately after you take a picture, which is a huge advantage over the mechanical method.

Control through Control Center and curtain

If the mechanical buttons are damaged or the swipe is inconvenient in the current situation, the software interface comes to the rescue. In the newer versions of the HyperOS shell and MIUI 14, control is taken to the Control Center, which is called by a swipe from top to bottom right, and in the older versions this is done by swiping all over the top panel.

In the drop-down menu, you need to find an icon with a picture of scissors or an icon "S." Clicking on it instantly creates a snapshot of the current content of the screen. If you don't see this button in the standard set, you can add it. To do this, click on the edit icon (usually a pencil icon or a tripod in the corner of the curtain), find the screenshot buttons in the list of available and drag it to the active zone.

This method is ideal for situations where the phone screen is contaminated or wet and the touchscreen reacts incorrectly to multi-touch gestures. It is also useful when the phone is connected to an external manipulator, such as a mouse or keyboard via USB-OTG. The software call ensures that the picture is taken cleanly, without accidental touching by other elements of the interface.

Voice control and Google Assistant

Modern Xiaomi smartphones are deeply integrated with Google services, allowing voice commands to be used to control the device, especially for people with disabilities or in situations where the user's hands are busy. To take a screenshot with his voice, just say the phrase "Ok Google" (or press and hold the home / assistant button), and then say "Take a screenshot" or "Photograph the screen."

The assistant will instantly execute the command, make a confirmatory sound and show a preview of the image. It is important that the system language and voice input are configured correctly, and the microphone has access to the system. In some cases, especially in custom assemblies or in specific regions, the command may not work in Russian, then you should try the English version: "Take a screenshot."

In addition, the Xiao AI voice assistant built into Xiaomi (which is limited in global versions) also supports such commands, but requires additional configuration and, often, knowledge of Chinese or English. For most users, the connection with Google Assistant remains the most stable and understandable.

Long screenshot and extended functions

One of the strengths of the Xiaomi ecosystem is the ability to create long screenshots, or scrolling, which allows you to capture the entire page of a website, long correspondence in a messenger or a document that does not fit on a single screen. After you create a regular screenshot (any of the methods described above), a thumbnail appears in the corner, you need to press the down button or say "Scroll".

The device will automatically start to scroll down, take a series of pictures and glue them into one long image. You can stop the process at any time by touching the screen. Once saved, this image can be viewed as a normal picture, but when scrolling in the gallery, it will move, simulating a live tape.

Also worth mentioning is the "Advanced" feature in the screenshot editing menu. Once you've created a picture, you can click on the "More" button (three dots), where you can add frame, text, or even text recognition (OCR) right from the image. Text recognition works amazingly accurately even with handwriting if the handwriting is legible.

Where to look for saved screenshots and how to share them

All images are automatically stored in the device's internal memory, and can be found through the Screenshot Gallery app or through the file manager on the Internal Drive → DCIM → Screenshots path (sometimes called MIUI → ScreenShot). The files are PNG format, which provides high quality without losing details, but takes up more space than JPG.

Once you've created a screenshot, while the thumbnail is hanging, you can click on the "Share" button, which will open the standard Android menu, allowing you to send an image to the messenger, by mail or save to the cloud. If you missed this point, it's no problem: open the image in the gallery, click the "Share" button at the bottom of the screen and select the service you want. The system will also offer the "Send to devices nearby" option if there are other Xiaomi or Android gadgets with Bluetooth enabled.

It is important to remember privacy. Before sending a screenshot of correspondence or personal data to third parties, use the built-in editor to smear sensitive information with a marker. MIUI This allows you to do it quickly and efficiently.

Frequent problems and their solution

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where a screenshot is not created, most often due to security restrictions.