Where screenshots are stored on Xiaomi phone: a complete guide to search and management

You took a screenshot on Xiaomi, but you can't find it? This problem is familiar to many smartphone users running MIUI. Unlike "clean" Android, where screenshots are saved to a standard Pictures/Screenshots folder, the manufacturer often changes the location of files depending on the version of the shell and the model of the device. In this article, we will analyze all possible ways to store screenshots, including hidden folders, cloud backups and how to change the location of the save.

Xiaomi has a feature that has duplicate folders for screenshots in different parts of memory. For example, on some devices, pictures are stored simultaneously in both DCIM/Screenshots and Pictures/Screenshots. And if you use Google Photos or Mi Cloud, files can automatically sync to the cloud, making it difficult to search, and we will detail how to check all possible storage locations, including system directories that are not displayed in the standard file manager.

Standard ways to store screenshots in MIUI

On most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, screenshots are saved by default in one of two folders:

• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots — main place for modern versions MIUI 12–14.
• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Screenshots — alternative path, often used on older models (e.g. Redmi Note) 7 or Mi 9).

To check these folders:

1. Open the Files app** (the folder icon on the desktop).
2. Go to Categories → Images or Device → Internal Memory.
3. Scroll down the list – Pictures and DCIM folders usually appear at the top.

If the folder is not listed, try manually entering the path in the address bar of the file manager (for example, Pictures/Screenshots). On some devices (for example, POCO F3), screenshots can be saved in the MIUI/ScreenShot folder, a feature of the firmware for global versions.

How to find screenshots through the gallery and cloud services

If you don't find the images in the file manager, check the Gallery and the cloud services. In MIUI, screenshots automatically fall into a separate album:

1. Open the Gallery app**.
2. Go to the Albums section (the folder icon in the bottom menu).
3. Find the album Screenshots (or Screenshots in English firmware).

If the album is empty but you are sure you took the pictures, check out:

• 🔍 Recycle bin in the gallery (files are stored there for 30 days).
• ☁️ Mi Cloud (if sync is enabled): Open Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery.
• 📱 Google Photos: Open the app and check the Screenshots folder in the Library section → Folders from the device.

On some devices (such as the Xiaomi 13 Pro), screenshots can be duplicated in the Quick Ball, a floating menu.

1. Activate Quick Ball in Settings → Special Features → Quick Ball.
2. Click on the floating circle and select Screenshots.

💡

If screenshots are missing after the MIUI update, try clearing the gallery cache: Settings → Apps → Gallery → Storage → Clear the cache.

Why screenshots don’t persist or disappear

Sometimes screenshots don't last at all or disappear after a few minutes.

On devices with MIUI 14 and later, screenshots are saved as WEBP instead of PNG by default, which can cause compatibility issues with some editors.

1. Install the Engineering Menu application** (e.g., MTK Engineering Mode for MediaTek processors).
2. Go to Hardware Testing → Display → Screenshot format.
3. Select PNG instead of WEBP.

How to change the folder of saving screenshots

If you don't like the standard file layout, you can change it with third-party apps or manually edit your settings.

• 📲 Screenshot Easy: allows you to select the save folder and file format (PNG/JPEG).
• 🔧 ADB-Teams (for experienced users):

adb shell settings put global screenshot_save_path /storage/emulated/0/Download/Screenshots

To apply the changes:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and enable USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times click on the build number).

On some firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.EU), the save path can be changed via a hidden menu:

1. Enter the dialer code ##4636##.

Create a new folder in the phone memory|Download ADB-PC drivers|Enable debugging on USB|Backup of current screenshots-->

Where to look for screenshots on popular Xiaomi models

The location of the images may vary depending on the model and version of MIUI. Below are the current data for popular devices (2022-2026):

On devices with dual storage (internal memory) + SD-The screenshots are stored by default in internal memory to transfer them to the map:

1. Open Files** and find the Screenshots folder.
2. Press Highlight All. → Move it → SD-map.
3. Create a folder shortcut on the home screen for quick access.

💡

Nana POCO-devices with global firmware screenshots can be saved in the folder POCO/Screenshots — This is not a mistake, but a feature of the brand.

How to Recover Deleted Screenshots

If you accidentally delete the images, you can try to restore them, depending on how long it has been since you deleted them:

• ⏳ Within 30 days: Check the Recycle Bin in the Gallery or Mi Cloud (if sync was enabled).
• 🔄 Up to 7 days: Use recovery apps like DiskDigger or Recuva (root rights required for deep scanning).
• ☁️ Anytime: If screenshots are synced with Google Photos, check the archive at photos.google.com.

To recover via DiskDigger:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Select Full Scan (requires root).
3. Filter the results by file type: PNG or WEBP.
4. Save the recovered files to a new folder.

If screenshots have been removed from Mi Cloud, try restoring them via the web version:

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in.
2. Open the Gallery section → Basket.
3. Select the files you need and click Restore.

💡

To increase the chances of recovery, immediately after deleting, turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data – this will prevent files from being overwritten with new data.

Hidden folders and system directories with screenshots

In some cases, screenshots are saved in hidden system folders that are not displayed in the standard file manager.

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Enable the display of hidden files in the application settings.
3. Check the following paths:

• 🔍 /data/media/0/Pictures/.thumbnails — thumbnail.
• 🔍 /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.gallery/files/Screenshots — gallery-backup.
• 🔍 /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/SS — temporary image files (on some firmware).

If you have root access, you can find all the screenshots on the device using the command:

adb shell su -c "find /storage -name '.png' -o -name '.webp' | grep -i screenshot"

This command recursively scans all memory partitions and outputs paths to all files with.png or.webp extensions, which have the word screenshot in their name.

FAQ: Frequent questions about screenshots on Xiaomi

💡

On devices with MIUI for POCO (for example, POCO X6 Pro) screenshots are saved in default format JPEG instead PNG, What's bad for quality is, to change the format, use ADB-Team: settings put global screenshot_format png.