Xiaomi budget smartphone owners often face the need to capture information displayed on the screen. Despite its availability, the Redmi 6A offers a wide range of multimedia functionality, including several screenshot techniques. Understanding how to quickly save the image of the current content of the display makes it much easier to communicate in messengers, save important data from applications or fix errors in the system. In this article, we will discuss all the available methods, from standard buttons to hidden features of the MIUI shell.
The process of creating a screenshot on this device does not require the installation of third-party programs, since all the necessary tools are built into the Android operating system with the manufacturer's proprietary add-on. However, users sometimes do not realize that there are alternative methods that may be more convenient in certain situations, for example, when physical buttons are busy or when you need to take a series of pictures without using hands. We will consider each option so that you can choose the most suitable for your use scenario.
Special attention should be paid to system settings that allow you to activate additional functions, such as taking screenshots with three fingers or through a floating button. These options make interaction with the Redmi 6A interface more flexible. It is also important to know where the received files are stored and how to manage them, so as not to overflow the internal storage of the device, the volume of which is limited in the basic version.
Use of physical control buttons
The most common and quick way to take a screenshot of the Xiaomi Redmi 6A is to use a combination of physical keys. This method works on all versions of MIUI firmware and does not require any pre-tuning. You need to simultaneously press the volume down button and the screen on/lock button. It is important to keep synchronization: the press should be brief, but clear. If you hold your fingers too long, you can activate the off menu or voice assistant.
Once you've done the action successfully, you'll hear the characteristic shutter sound of the camera, and a notification will appear at the top of the screen with a thumbnail of the image you've created. At this point, the system prompts you to immediately edit, add notes or share the image. If nothing has happened, it's possible that the buttons were pressed at the same time or at too long intervals. In this case, try repeating the procedure by changing the rhythm of the press.
- 📸 Press the “Loudness Down” and “Nutrition” buttons at the same time.
- ⏱️ Hold the buttons for less than one second to avoid calling the menu.
- 🔔 Check the top notification curtain to confirm success.
- 🖼️ Click on the preview to proceed to editing.
⚠️ Warning: Don't push buttons with excessive force, as the mechanical elements on budget models may be less durable.A light but confident touch is enough to register the signal.
It is worth noting that this method is universal for the entire range of Android smartphones. However, on Redmi 6A, the location of the buttons may not be the most convenient for some users, especially when using one hand. In such cases, software solutions built into the shell of the manufacturer come to the rescue. Also remember that frequent use of physical buttons can lead to wear and tear over time, so it makes sense to master other methods.
Creating screenshots through the notification curtain
If you're uncomfortable with the buttons or if one of them is faulty, the MIUI offers an alternative through the control panel, and you need to unlock the screen and swipe down to open the notification curtain, and at the bottom of the panel you'll see a number of quick access icons, and among them should be a scissors button, which is responsible for creating a screenshot.
In some versions of the firmware, this button can be hidden in the second Quick Settings menu. To reach it, you need to swipe the notification bar again or click on the edit button (usually in the form of a pencil or three dots) to add a screenshot shortcut to a prominent place. Once you click on the icon, the system will instantly take a picture of the current content of the display, and you will receive a notification.
The advantage of this method is that it does not require the use of physical manipulators, which is especially true if the volume buttons are stuck or are tightly traversed. It is also convenient when the phone is lying on the table or fixed in the holder. However, it is worth remembering that access to the curtain is only possible from an unlocked screen, which makes this method unsuitable for removing the lock screen.
The Three Fingers function and the control gestures
MIUI is famous for its advanced gesture control features, and Redmi 6A is no exception. One of the most useful options is to take a three-finger screenshot. To activate this feature, go to Settings, then select Additional and find Screenshot, and you need to switch the switch that allows you to swipe three-finger shots down the screen.
Once activated, the process becomes as simple as possible: just swipe three fingers across the screen from top to bottom any time you need to save an image. The system responds instantly, making sound and showing previews. This is especially useful when viewing long lists, articles or correspondence, where you need to quickly capture information without changing the grip of the device.
☑️ Customization of gestures
It is important to note that this gesture requires a certain area of contact to work properly, so if your fingers are too close to each other or the touch is too weak, the sensor may not recognize the command, and in some heavy applications or games, the gesture may not work due to the priority of control within the application itself, in which case it is better to return to using buttons or curtains.
Floating menu and fast commands
For those who prefer to have constant access to the basic features without distraction by searching for buttons or curtains, Xiaomi has a floating menu known as “Quick Commands” or “Ball.” This virtual assistant can be placed anywhere on the screen and can trigger a variety of actions, including taking screenshots. → Additionally. → Fast teams.
Once turned on, a translucent button will appear on the screen, and if you click on it, you will open an icon menu, and if the icon is not in the standard set, you can add it through the Quick Commands menu editing settings, which allows you to create a personalized toolkit where you can create a screenshot in one click, which is especially useful for people with disabilities or who prefer software management.
⚠️ Warning: Turning on a floating menu takes up part of the screen and may overlap interface elements in applications.
Quick commands also allow you to combine actions, for example, you can configure a script where you automatically open the editor or send a file to a specific chat. While the standard functionality of Redmi 6A does not allow you to create complex macros without third-party programs, the basic features of the “Ball” are flexible enough for most everyday tasks.
Long screenshot and extended features
One of the most popular features in modern smartphones, including the Redmi 6A, is the ability to create long screenshots (or “scrollable” shots), an indispensable tool for saving long correspondence in messengers, web pages or contact lists. After creating a regular screenshot (any of the methods described above), a button will appear at the bottom of the preview with the words “Scroll” or the corresponding icon.
By clicking this button, you'll automatically scroll down, where the system will stitch the successive frames into one long image, and it continues until you touch the screen or reach the end of the page, and it allows you to keep the context of the information in a holistic way that you can't do with a series of regular shots.
| Method | Speed. | Convenience | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buttons | Tall. | Average. | It works always, even when the interface is stuck. |
| Curtain. | Medium | High. | Requires unlocking, conveniently with one hand |
| Three fingers. | Tall. | Maximum. | Requires activation, may not work in games |
| Floating menu | Low. | High. | Takes up space on the screen, customizable |
Keep in mind that creating long screenshots requires more CPU and RAM resources. Redmi 6A with its modest characteristics at the time of “stitching” can be a slight slowdown of the interface. Interrupting the process by pressing other buttons is not recommended, as this can lead to corruption of the file or the creation of a cropped image.
Where screenshots and file management are stored
Understanding the structure of the Android file system is essential to effectively manage the images created. By default, all screenshots on the Xiaomi Redmi 6A are stored in the device's internal memory. The path to the folder usually looks like Internal Memory/DCIM/Screenshots or Internal Memory/Pictures/Screenshots, depending on the version of MIUI.
You can use the standard Gallery app or Explorer file manager to view and manage files. In the gallery, screenshots are often highlighted as a separate album, which makes it easier to find them, but it is more convenient to use a file manager to free up space or transfer files to a computer, where you can see the real size of files and the date of creation.
How to automatically delete old screenshots?
Remember to clean the screenshot folder regularly, as they can take up a significant amount of memory, especially if you often take long shots or high-resolution shots. For Redmi 6A, which often comes with 16 or 32 GB of internal storage, this is critical.
Solutions and optimization of work
Despite the stability of the system, users may encounter situations where screenshots are not created, most often due to a lack of free memory. If the internal storage is full, the system will not physically be able to save a new file, in which case you need to delete unnecessary applications, videos or transfer files to the memory card.
Another common cause is application conflict: Some programs, especially banking or DRM-protected ones (like Netflix), block the ability to take screenshots for security purposes, and in such cases, instead of an image, you'll see a black screen or a ban notification, and this is not a malfunction of the phone, but a feature of the protected content.
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If the screenshots are no longer saved, try restarting your smartphone, which will clear the cache of system processes and often solve the problem without resetting the settings.
It is also worth checking the permissions for system applications. In rare cases, a failure in the MIUI Screenshot component can lead to its malfunction, in which case cleaning the data of this system application through the Applications menu in the settings will help, but you should do this carefully, knowing that you are resetting the settings of the image creation tool itself.
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Cleaning up your memory regularly and updating your system to the latest available version is the best way to prevent screenshot problems on Redmi 6A.