How to Take a Screenshot on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Screenshots are one of the most sought-after features in modern smartphones, and Xiaomi devices are no exception. Users often wonder how to capture an image when standard methods don’t work or seem inconvenient. MIUI and the new HyperOS have a variety of ways, from classic keyboard shortcuts to advanced gestures.

Whether you own a budget Redmi or a flagship Xiaomi, the algorithms can vary depending on the firmware version. Sometimes the usual combinations fail to respond due to software failures, and sometimes you just want to find a faster way. In this article, we will discuss all the options available, including hidden features that not all owners know about.

And we're going to talk about image processing right after you create it, and the built-in editor allows you not only to save a frame, but also to instantly highlight an important area or hide sensitive data, which is especially true for those who often share screens of correspondence or settings on social networks.

Use of volume and power buttons

The most common and reliable method, which works on the vast majority of Android devices, including Xiaomi smartphones, is to implement it by simultaneously pressing the volume button and the button on (lock).

If you hold the buttons too long, the phone may perceive this as a command to call a voice assistant or reboot the device. So the ideal time to press is less than one second, after which the characteristic click of the camera shutter is heard, and the screen blinks.

• 📸 Press the “Loudness Up” and “Food” buttons at the same time.
• ⏱️ Hold them for a split second without clamping for long.
• ✅ Check the notification of the creation of the picture at the top of the screen.

It's worth noting that some older models or custom firmware builds may have different combinations, and in rare cases, manufacturers change the logic of how physical keys work, but for current versions of MIUI, this method is the basic standard.

⚠️ Warning: If you press the buttons, the phone starts to vibrate, but the screenshot is not created, check if the device is completely locked.

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the buttons are physically correct, but the system does not respond. This can be due to the freeze of the SystemUI process.

Screenshot through the notification curtain

For those who are uncomfortable reaching for the buttons on the case, or if the physical volume key is damaged, there is a software method. In the control center, which is called by a swipe from top to bottom, there is a special shortcut. It allows you to take a screenshot of Xiaomi with one touch.

To find this feature, you need to open the notification curtain and deploy the full icon list. If the screenshot icon is not on the visible part of the panel, you need to add it manually through the button editing menu, which will take only a few seconds and greatly simplify further use.

The advantage of this method is that it does not require mechanical action on the buttons, which reduces the wear of the case, and this method is often used in creating screencasts or screen videos, where pressing physical buttons can interrupt the recording.

• 📲 Swipe from the top edge of the screen down.
• 🔍 Find an icon with a picture of scissors or a square.
• 🖱️ Tap it to create an instant picture.

If you have changed the theme to custom, make sure that the new graphic elements do not hide the functional buttons.

Screenshots with three fingers (Gestural)

One of the most convenient features of MIUI is the ability to create screenshots using gestures, which allows you to capture an image on a screen just by swiping it with three fingers from top to bottom, and it looks spectacular and saves time.

But by default, this option is often disabled, so to activate it, you have to go to the system settings, the path may vary slightly depending on the version of the software, but it's usually in the option section, where you can turn on not only the function itself, but also adjust its senses.

The use of gestures is especially important for models with large screen diagonals, where it can be difficult to reach the top buttons with one hand, and three fingers become a universal control tool.

You can also customize the scope of a gesture, and in some versions of the firmware, you can choose whether the gesture will work in all applications or only in certain applications, which is useful if in games or graphics editors, a three-finger swipe causes unwanted actions.

• 🖐️ Open "Settings» → «Additionally» → «Buttons and gestures».
• 👆 Select the option “Screenshot with three fingers».
• ✅ Activate the switch and check the work.

⚠️ Attention: three-finger gesture activation may conflict with split-screen functions. If you use multitasking frequently, experiment with swipe direction or turn off gesture in work applications.

Creating a screenshot without buttons through the menu

In situations where buttons are not working and gestures are turned off, the system menu comes to the rescue. In Xiaomi, it is called by long pressing the Menu button (a square or three bars in the navigation bar) or through a special item in the curtain if it is displayed separately.

Another way that not everyone knows about is using a voice assistant, so you can just say, "Take a screenshot" or "Take a screen off," and Google Assistant or Xiao AI will do the command, which is ideal for people with disabilities or when hands are busy.

Also worth mentioning is the "Second Space" feature, which is that if you use this mode to separate personal and work data, screenshots taken in one profile won't be visible in another, which is important to consider when searching for saved files.

For models without physical navigation buttons (when using full-screen navigation), a long-term press on the virtual Menu button can also be programmed to create a snapshot.

Each user chooses his or her method based on habits, some prefer tactile recoil of buttons, some prefer gesture speed, and the main thing is that the system provides choice.

Long screenshot (Scroll)

Often, you need to save not just one frame, but an entire page of a site, an article or a long correspondence in the messenger, for which Xiaomi implements the function of “Long screenshot” or “Scroll” and after creating a regular shot in the corner, a floating menu appears.

In this menu, you need to select a button with a down arrow or a scroll icon. The phone will automatically start scrolling the contents of the screen down, stitching the frames into one long picture. The process continues until you touch the screen or reach the end of the page.

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When you take a long screenshot, try not to touch the screen while you scroll, otherwise the process will stop. If you want to capture a specific area, release your finger at the right time.

The quality of the final image depends on the speed of scrolling and the complexity of the content. On pages with lazy loading (when the content is loaded as you scroll) artifacts can occur, but in most cases the result is excellent.

• 📄 Take a regular screenshot in any convenient way.
• 🔽 Click on the “Scroll” icon (shooting down).
• ✋ Tap the screen to stop or wait for the end of the page.

The resulting file is saved as a normal image, but with a non-standard, elongated resolution, and it is convenient to send these pictures to messengers, since they save the context of the conversation without having to send a dozen individual files.

⚠️ Attention: the long screenshot feature may not work properly in applications with dynamically changing content, such as social media feeds with autoplay video.

Where to look and how to edit screenshots

Once you've taken a screenshot of Xiaomi, the system suggests you edit it immediately, and in the bottom corner, you have a preview that's clicked on by the built-in editor, and you can crop it, add text, draw arrows, or blur sensitive information.

If you missed the editing moment, all the files are saved in the gallery, and the way to them is standard: open the Gallery app, go to Screenshots, where they are sorted by date of creation.

In the Android file system, the path to the folder is: Internal memory → DCIM → Screenshots or MIUI → ScreenShot. Knowing this path, you can easily find files through any file manager or when connecting your phone to your computer.

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The built-in MIUI editor allows not only to crop the image, but also automatically hide personal data (phone numbers, names) using the Hide Information function.

For advanced users, the feature is available to send screenshots immediately after creation. In the settings, you can set the default action: for example, after creating a picture, immediately open the Share menu to send a file to Telegram or WhatsApp.

Remember to clean this folder periodically. Screenshots often contain temporary information (codes, checks, tickets), which after a month is no longer needed, but continues to take up space in the memory of the device.

Problem Solving and Frequently Asked Questions

Sometimes, users find that screenshots are no longer created or saved in black, often when trying to take a screenshot in banking applications or in incognito browser mode. Android security locks the recording of screen content to protect your data.

In such cases, standard methods will not work, and this is not a malfunction of the phone. However, if screenshots are not taken anywhere, it is worth checking for system updates or resetting special features.

Understanding these nuances will help you manage content more efficiently on your device. Xiaomi's technology is constantly evolving and new features may come with each update.