Modern smartphones Xiaomi and Redmi allow you to take screenshots with a single click, but often the resulting image contains unnecessary information: system strings, unnecessary interface elements or simply redundant background. Users often look for a way to quickly fram an image immediately after it is created to send a neat result to the messenger or save to the archive.
MIUI and the new HyperOS have a powerful graphics editor built in that activates automatically, so you don't have to look for third-party apps to resize a picture or cut out a piece of it, but it takes a few seconds to know where the buttons are.
In this article, we will take a closer look at all available pruning techniques, from standard tools to hidden gallery features, and learn how to use smart framing, work with proportions, and keep the result as high as possible without losing detail.
Quick cropping immediately after taking a screenshot
The fastest way to change the boundaries of an image is within the first few seconds of taking a screenshot, and once you hear the characteristic shutter sound, you get a thumbnail of the image at the top of the display, and that's the key to instant editing.
Don't wait for the notification to disappear. Click on the picture that appears, and the system immediately opens the built-in editor. Here you don't have to wander around the menu - the cropping tools are in a prominent place. Click on the Image Image icon (usually looks like two intersecting corners) to activate the frame.
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If you did not have time to click on the thumbnail and it disappeared, do not worry: open the notification about the screenshot in the curtain and click the "Edit" button right there.
By moving your fingers around the corners of the frame, you can select any area of the screen, and the system allows you to move the allocated area freely, changing its size and position, and after you're happy with the result, click the confirmation box, and then Save.
- 📱 Click on the screenshot thumbnail in the top left corner immediately after creating.
- ✂️ Select the "Cadrize" tool in the lower editor menu.
- 🖐 Select the desired area by moving the corners of the frame with your finger.
- 💾 Click Save to replace the original or create a copy.
It is important to note that this method often replaces the original image with a new version, and if you need to save the source, you should use the Save as a Copy feature, which is available in the optional editor menu.
Editing saved screenshots through the Gallery
If you missed the time to edit quickly, or you need to edit an old screenshot, the standard Gallery app comes to the rescue. It's a full-fledged media tool built into the MIUI shell. Open the app and find the Screenshots album.
Select the image you want and click the Edit button (three slider icon or magic wand icon). In the menu that opens, select the Cut section. It's much more functional than in the fast editor, and you can not only resize, but also align the horizon if the picture was skewed.
⚠️ Note: When re-saving the edited JPG-Image quality may be slightly reduced by compression. For screenshots containing text, it is better to use the format PNG, If the editor chooses the format of the save.
In gallery mode, proportions are also available. If you need to prepare an image for a story or a social media post, choose preset formats like 1:1, 4:3 or 16:9. This will automatically adjust the frame to the desired standards, which saves time for manual adjustment.
After making all the changes, the system will suggest saving the result. Pay attention to the three-dot button or the menu More - there is often an option to Save as, which allows you to leave the original intact and write the cropped version with a new file.
Use of the built-in image editor MIUI
The built-in editor in Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones is not just a picture clipper, but a powerful graphics harvester that allows you not only to resize, but also to apply filters, draw over a screenshot or blur sensitive data.
To access advanced features, open a screenshot and click Change. In the bottom menu, scroll right to the end, and there you will find markup and text tools, which is especially useful if you are taking a screenshot of correspondence or instructions where you want to emphasize something or hide it.
One of the most useful features is magical framing (or smart cropping). The shell's artificial intelligence analyzes the contents of the screen and suggests that it trims the image to the boundaries of the main object, removing empty fields. This doesn't always work perfectly, but in most cases with text documents, the result is excellent.
- 🎨 The Drawing Tool allows you to highlight an important color marker.
- 🌫 The function "Blurring" will hide personal data (card numbers, phones).
- 📐 The “Rule of Thirds” grid will help to perfectly center the object of pruning.
- ↩️ The Reset button will return all changes to the original state.
The Hidden Opportunities of the Editor
Remember, all the changes in the editor are nonlinear. You can crop the image several times, then rotate it, then add the text. The action history is stored in the current editing session, allowing you to roll back a few steps.
Processing long screenshots (scrolling)
Xiaomi smartphone owners often use a long screenshot (or scrolling) feature to capture an entire web page or long correspondence, and cropping images has its own specificity, as they can reach a few thousand pixels in height.
When opening such a file in the editor, the framing frame may behave strangely, "run away" or react poorly to touch, in which case it is recommended to first zoom in (two fingers pinched) to see the entire picture, and only then start to highlight the area.
Often, it is necessary to cut only the middle fragment from a long "sheet"; standard tools allow this, but sometimes it is more convenient to first rotate the image 90 degrees, make a horizontal trimming (which will become vertical after the orientation returns), and then turn back.
⚠️ Warning: Trimming very long screenshots may require more RAM. If the editor is slow or crashes, try first to reduce the resolution of the image in the quality settings before cropping.
It's also useful to use the rectification tool to work with these files. Long screenshots often fall vertically when scrolling, and perspective correction will help make the lines of text strictly parallel to the edges of the screen.
Configuring the parameters of preservation and quality
The quality of the final image depends on the system settings. The default balance between the quality and the size of the file is in the MIUI and HyperOS shells. However, for screenshots containing fine text or graphics, it is important to keep as much detail as possible.
Check the settings for the save format. Usually, screenshots are saved in a PNG format that uses lossless compression. This is ideal for later cropping, because the clarity of the text will not suffer. The JPG format can create artifacts around letters under strong compression.
| Parameter | Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| File format | Type of image compression | Use PNG for text |
| Permission | Number of pixels | Leave the native (without reducing) |
| Orientation | Status of the staff | Maintain the initial or 90° rotation |
| Metadata | EXIF data | Delete before dispatch |
Metadata is also worth mentioning: When cropping and saving a screenshot, the system can save the date of creation, the phone model, and even geolocation. Before sending a screenshot, unauthorized people are advised to delete this data through the "Properties" or "Information" menu in the gallery.
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Using the PNG format ensures that when repeatedly cropped and saved, the text on the screenshot will remain clear and will not “float”.
Frequent problems and their solution
Despite the system's cleverness, users may encounter difficulties, and one of the common problems is a failure to save. If the Save button is inactive or the boot indicator is rotating after trimming, check the available space in the device's memory.
Another problem is the distortion of proportions. When you cut it by hand, it's easy to accidentally stretch the image into circles with ovals. To avoid this, always use a ratio binding (an aspect ratio icon) that captures the ratio of width to height.
- ❌ Saving error: Check if your phone memory is full.
- 🔲 Distortion: Use fixed aspect ratios.
- 📉 Low quality: Make sure that there are no cost savings in camera and screen settings.
- 🔄 Editor Failure: Clear the Gallery app cache in the settings.
If the built-in editor doesn't work properly after you upgrade, try resetting it. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Gallery → Memory → Clean. This won't delete your photos, but will return factory values to the editor's settings.
☑️ Pre-conservation checks
Using third-party applications for complex processing
Xiaomi has enough regular funds for 95% of tasks, but sometimes requires a professional approach. If you need to trim a screenshot over a complex outline (for example, cut out an object of irregular shape) or apply batch processing, you should turn to third-party solutions.
Popular apps like Snapseed or Photoshop Express integrate perfectly, and once installed, they appear in the Open with a screenshot selection list in the gallery, allowing them to use their powerful smart highlighting and retouching algorithms.
However, for simple trimming, third-party applications can be redundant: they take longer to launch and often contain ads. Use them only when standard MIUI functionality really doesn't work.