How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi Mi5: all ways + problem solving

The Xiaomi Mi5, released in 2016, is still popular with users due to its balanced specs and support for MIUI. However, many owners of this smartphone face difficulties when trying to take a screenshot of the screen – especially if they have previously used devices from other brands. In this article, we will not only analyze all the available ways to take screenshots on the Mi5, but also reveal the nuances of working with MIUI 8/9/10, which can affect the process.

It's important to understand that the way you take screenshots on the Xiaomi Mi5 depends on the firmware version and the updates you install. For example, the early versions of MIUI lacked the scrolling screenshot feature that came later, and we took all of these features into account and prepared up-to-date instructions that work even on informal firmware like LineageOS or Pixel Experience.

If you've never taken a screenshot on Xiaomi before, or you've encountered errors like "no image saved" or "black screen in the picture," this guide will help you understand the reasons and offer working solutions, and for power users, we've added a section with hidden features that few people know about.

1. Standard method: button combination

The most versatile method that works on any version of MIUI, and even custom firmware, is a combination of physical buttons. On the Xiaomi Mi5, you need to simultaneously clip the screenshot:

• 🔘 Power button (right) + volume-reduce button (left).
• 🕒 Hold them for 1-2 seconds until you hear the shutter sound or see the save animation.
• 📁 The image is automatically saved in the folder DCIM/Screenshots or Pictures/Screenshots.

This method is reliable, but has nuances:

• ⚡ If you press the buttons too long (more than 3 seconds), the smartphone can reboot or trigger the shutdown menu.
• 🔋 On a discharged battery (less than 15%), the screenshot may not be saved due to energy savings.
• 🎮 In games or applications with button locking (for example, PUBG Mobile) this method may not work.

💡

If you can’t press two buttons at the same time, try using a stylus or palm edge to lock one of the buttons.

2. Screenshot via notification panel (curtain)

MIUI 8 and later has a handy button to take screenshots straight from the notification bar, which is especially useful if the physical buttons on the Mi5 are worn or not working well.

Instructions:

1. 📱 Unlock the screen and open the desired application or page.
2. 👆 Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar.
3. 🔍 Find the screenshot icon** (scissors or a rectangle with lightning) and tap it.
4. 🖼️ After 1-2 seconds, the picture will be saved, and a thumbnail will appear at the bottom of the screen for quick editing.

If the button is not in the curtain:

• ⚙️ Go to Settings. → Notification panel → Change the order.
• 🔄 Find it in the screenshot list and drag it to the active area.
• 🔄 If there is no option at all, update. MIUI until the latest available version for Mi5.

3.The "three fingers" gesture for screenshot

One of the fastest ways is to use a swipe gesture with three fingers across the screen, which is available in MIUI 9 and later, but is disabled by default.

How to turn on:

1. 🔄 Activate the switch "Swipe with three fingers»**.

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Instantly create a screenshot without searching for buttons.
• 🎮 Works in games and applications where physical keys are blocked.
• 🔧 You can adjust the direction of the swipe (up or down).

If the gesture doesn't work:

• 🧹 Clear the Launcher app cache in the settings.

4. Scrolling (long) screenshot

The scrollable screenshot feature allows you to capture not only the visible part of the screen, but also the part that is hidden outside it (for example, a long chat or a web page). On the Xiaomi Mi5, it works in MIUI 9+, but with limitations.

How to do this:

1. 📱 Create a regular screenshot of any of the above methods.
2. 📄 Immediately after the appearance of the thumbnail at the bottom of the screen, tap it on it.
3. 🔄 In the editor that opens, click on the “Scroll” button** (two arrows down).
4. ⏬ Wait until the screen automatically scrolls to the end, or stop the process manually.

Important: on the Mi5, the scrolling screenshot doesn’t work in all apps, for example, on Telegram or WhatsApp, it will capture only the visible area, and in Chrome or MIUI Browser, it will capture the entire page.

Close all pop-up windows.|Turn off autobrightness (may knock down scroll)|Make sure there is enough content in the app to capture|Do not touch the screen while scrolling.-->

5. Screenshot via Google's voice assistant

If the physical buttons on the Mi5 don't work and the gestures are disabled, you can use Google's voice assistant, which requires an Internet connection and a microphone on.

Instructions:

1. 🎤 Say “OK Google” or hold the Home button to activate the assistant.

Limitations of the method:

• 🔇 Does not work in Do Not Disturb mode** or with the microphone turned off.

💡

The voice assistant is the only way to take a screenshot on the Xiaomi Mi5 with power and volume buttons broken.

6. Solving screenshot issues on Mi5

If screenshots are not saved, black or other errors occur, check the following points:

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi Mi5 With an unlocked bootloader and custom firmware (such as Resurrection Remix), screenshots may not work due to the lack of drivers for the Adreno 530 GPU.

Frequent problems and solutions:

• ▫️ Black screen in the picture: This is a typical problem when trying to take a screenshot in the image. DRM-Secure applications (e.g. Netflix or banking programs) Try to turn off hardware acceleration in the app settings (if you have this option).

If none of these things work, your Mi5 might have a broken graphics subsystem.

1. 🔧 Try resetting to factory settings (Settings) → Additionally. → Recovery and discharge).
2. 📥 Refuse the smartphone to the official version MIUI via Mi Flash Tool.
3. 🛠️ Contact the service center – the problem may be in the display controller.

7. Hidden screenshot features on MIUI

Few people know, but MIUI for Xiaomi Mi5 has a few hidden features associated with screenshots:

• 🖌️ Quick editing: Immediately after you create a screenshot, tap the thumbnail at the bottom of the screen and an editor with cropping, drawing and text-adding tools will open. MIUI 10+ There is a function of "Recognition of text»** (OCR), which allows you to copy the text from the photo.
• 📤 Instant sending: After creating a screenshot, hold its thumbnail – a quick send menu will appear on Telegram, WhatsApp or by email.
• 🔍 Search by screenshots: In the gallery MIUI You can search for text on screenshots (for example, enter “password” – the system will find all the pictures with this word).

Another life hack: If you need to take a screenshot without saving notice (for example, to covertly capture the screen), use the ADB command:

adb shell screencap -p /sdcard/screen.png

This method requires a connection to a PC and enabled debugging mode over USB.

FAQ: Frequent questions about screenshots on Xiaomi Mi5