How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi Redmi: all ways

Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face the need to save the image from the screen, whether it is correspondence in the messenger, an interesting moment from the game or important information from the bank application. The Android operating system, which underlies the shell of MIUI and HyperOS, provides many convenient tools for capturing the screen. However, standard methods, familiar to other brands, here can work differently or be supplemented with unique features.

Understanding how your device captures your screen will save you time and take quality UI shots of any complexity, and we’ll explore not only classic button combinations, but also hidden features that are often overlooked by users.

Classical method using physical buttons

The most reliable and versatile way, which works on 99% of modern Xiaomi smartphones, including the budget Redmi series and the flagship Mi, is to press two hardware keys simultaneously. You need to press the Power button and Volume Down button.

If done correctly, you'll hear the characteristic snap of the camera shutter, and in the upper right corner of the screen a thumbnail of the image will appear, at which point the system will automatically prompt you to edit the picture or send it to someone, a basic screenshot that is available even in Safe Mode.

It is worth considering that in some old models or in specific situations (for example, when locking the screen), this method may not work the first time.

• 📱 Press the “Power” and “Loudness –” buttons at the same time.
• ⚡ Wait for the sound signal and vibration.
• 🖼 Check the notification in the curtain or thumbnail in the corner.

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If the screenshot doesn’t work the first time, try pressing the volume button a fraction of a second earlier than the power button – this helps on some versions of MIUI.

Sometimes users complain that instead of taking a screenshot, the phone starts to turn down or turn off, which means that the pressing is out of sync, and that muscle memory training helps solve the problem in a couple of days of active use.

Handling gestures: three fingers instead of buttons

For those who are uncomfortable reaching for buttons or holding a phone with one hand, Xiaomi has implemented a handy gesture management feature that allows you to take a screenshot of Xiaomi Redmi with a simple swipe. To activate this option, you need to go to the system settings and find the appropriate item.

Once the function is turned on, just swipe three fingers from top to bottom down the center of the screen, the screen blinks, and the image will be saved in the gallery, which is especially convenient when viewing news feeds or web pages when the phone is in an upright position.

⚠️ Warning: Three fingers may conflict with app switch gestures or other navigation settings. If a screenshot is not taken, check if the action is taken by another command in the special features menu.

Importantly, the sensitivity of the touchscreen may vary from model to model, and on devices with low-quality safety glasses, the gesture may not be recognized the first time, so try to swipe your fingers a little faster or tighter to press them against the display.

Using gestures makes the interface much faster, and you can take pictures without changing the grip of the device, which is especially true for owners of large smartphones such as the Redmi Note series.

Configure and activate additional methods

MIUI is famous for its flexibility and the number of settings, and if standard methods don't work for you, it offers alternatives, such as adding a screenshot button to the notification curtain or using a floating window, which allows you to take one-click shots without looking for physical keys.

To activate the button in the curtain, lower the top menu down, find the Screenshot icon (sometimes hidden in the optional button editing menu) and drag it to the main panel. Now, to take a picture, just touch this icon.

You can also assign a screenshot to double tap on the back (if your smartphone supports this feature) or to long-press the menu button in older versions of the interface. All these settings are in the Settings → Additional Features → Screenshots.

The variety of options allows each user to choose the most ergonomic way. Do not ignore the setting of the interface, as this directly affects the comfort of daily use of the gadget.

How to take a long screenshot (scroll)

Often you need to save not just a picture, but an entire article, a correspondence in the messenger or a list of products in the online store. A regular shot will crop the content, but Xiaomi has a feature called "Extended Screenshot" or "Scroll." After you take a regular screenshot of any of the above methods, a thumbnail will appear in the corner.

Click on an icon that resembles a scroll or arrows down above the thumbnail. The screen will automatically scroll down, capturing a new area of the image. The process continues until you hit the stop button or reach the end of the page.

The quality of the final image using scrolling can be lower than that of a conventional shot, because the system stitches several frames together, but this is enough to read text or save checks.

⚠️ Note: The scroll function may not work in copy-protected applications (e.g. banking applications) or in games where content is loaded dynamically.

Using a long screenshot is a great way to structure information, so you get one picture instead of ten, making it easier to send files and store them in the device’s memory.

Use of voice assistant

Modern smartphones, including Redmi, have powerful voice assistants, so you can just say, "OK, Google, take a screenshot," or activate Xiao AI (in Chinese firmware versions) to make the system execute a command, which is especially handy when your hands are busy or your phone is on the table.

This method requires that you have a voice assistant activated and allow screen access, and requires a stable Internet connection, as voice command processing often takes place on the company’s servers.

Voice control opens up new possibilities for people with disabilities, allowing you to have complete control of your device without touching your display, and it's not just a convenience, it's an important accessibility feature.

Despite the apparent complexity, setting up voice control takes a couple of minutes, but in the long run makes it much easier to interact with a smartphone.

Where to look for saved images and how to edit them

Once you've created a picture, it automatically stores in the gallery, usually a Screenshots folder inside the main gallery, and there's a built-in editor that allows you to crop off, draw arrows, blur sensitive data (such as card numbers) or add text.

The MIUI editor is functional enough for basic tasks. You can add time stamps, resize an image, or even apply filters. All changes are saved as a copy, the original remains intact unless you select the Save as New option.

If you accidentally delete an important screenshot, don't panic. In the "Recently deleted" folder, files are stored for 30 days. This is a "basket" that saves you from many errors. Just find the file, click on it and select recovery.

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All screenshots are saved to internal memory by default in the Pictures/Screenshots folder, but the path may vary depending on the Android version.

Regular screenshot sorting helps to free up space, and we often take dozens of pictures that we never use, and cleaning that folder periodically is a good habit for keeping the file system in order.

Possible problems and solutions

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the screenshot is not created, this can be caused by overflowing memory, system freeze or limitations of a particular application.

If the memory is fine, try rebooting the device, a universal solution for many Android problems, and it’s also worth checking if you have Do Not Disturb mode or special profiles that block certain features.

In rare cases, the problem is with the hardware of the buttons, so if the volume buttons go down or don't respond, switch to gestures or software buttons, which is a temporary solution, but it allows you to keep going.

• 🔍 Check the vacant space in the vault.
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone to reset the cache.
• 🛡 Make sure the app doesn’t block the pictures (DRM-defence).

⚠️ Note: In some applications (Netflix, banking clients), screenshots are not allowed by security, in which case you will get a black screen instead of an image - this is normal data protection behavior.

Understanding the causes of errors helps to quickly eliminate them, and if nothing helps, resetting the settings to the factory (with a pre-backup) can solve the software conflict.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)