How to copy text on Xiaomi: all the ways from gestures to clipboard

Copying text on Xiaomi smartphones seems like a simple task — until you face the unexpected limitations of MIUI. Unlike “pure” Android, Xiaomi’s firmware has its nuances, from non-obvious gestures to hidden clipboard features. This article covers all the current methods, from basic to advanced, including solutions for cases where standard text allocation does not work due to the features of specific applications (for example, in banking programs or games).

We will not only examine classic finger highlighting, but also alternative ways: using the Gboard keyboard, the MIUI system clipboard, gestures for devices with MIUI 14+, as well as workarounds for stubborn applications. We will pay special attention to the problems faced by owners of POCO and Black Shark - their firmware often have reduced functions compared to the main line of Redmi.

If you’ve ever tried to copy text from a secure chat, encountered a disappearing clipboard, or couldn’t highlight a snippet in a PDF, this is for you. All methods have been tested on current versions of MIUI 13/14/15 (including HyperOS) and run on models from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

1. Standard copying of text (gestures and menus)

The basic method works 90% of the time, but many Xiaomi users miss key details, such as MIUI’s two highlighting modes: “point” (for short phrases) and “extended” (for large blocks).

1. Find the text you want to copy, and hold your finger on any word for 1-2 seconds, and you'll see blue markers of selection.

2. Drag markers to cover the desired snippet. In MIUI 14+, you can use two fingers to accurately highlight words (recognizes gaps automatically).

3. Click on the toolbar that appears and select Copy (the icon of two documents).

• 📱 For high-resolution touchscreens (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T): zoom in with two fingers before highlighting - this will help you get to the right word more accurately.
• ⚡ Quick copy of the whole paragraph: tap three times on any word in the paragraph – the system will allocate the entire block automatically.
• 🔍 Is there a problem with Chinese characters? Include the option of Recognition of characters in the keyboard settings (Settings) → Additionally. → Language and input).

⚠️ Note: In some applications (such as WeChat or AliPay), standard allocation may be blocked for security reasons.

2. Copying via Gboard keyboard (for complex cases)

If standard highlighting doesn’t work (like in banking apps or games), Google’s Gboard, the keyboard preinstalled on most Xiaomi devices, will come to the rescue.

Instructions:

1. Open the Gboard keyboard in any text field (e.g., notes).

2.Slip the icon. ⚙️ (gear) → Select Text Selection (Cursor Icon).

3 Drag the cursor across the screen – it will highlight text even where it is normally blocked.

4. Click Copy in the menu that appears.

This method is especially useful for owners of the POCO F4 GT and Black Shark 5, where the manufacturer often disables standard highlighting functions in game mode. Gboard also knows how to recognize text in screenshots - after highlighting, click Copy text from an image.

Install Gboard from Google Play|Activate the "Master over Other Windows" resolution |Enable OCR in the keyboard settings |Check your Internet connection for image recognition-->

3. Alternative copying methods (for "naughty" applications)

Some apps (such as Tencent QQ, Mi Fit, or security games) block any attempts to highlight text, and one of the workarounds will help:

• 📸 Screenshot. + OCR: Take a screenshot (Power button) + Turn down the volume, then open it in Google Photos or Google Lens – the service recognizes the text and prompts you to copy it.
• 🔄 Developer Mode: Enable Debugging by USB Use adb shell input text to extract text (technical skills required).
• 🖥️ Screen mirroring: Connect your phone to your PC via Mi PC Suite or scrcpy – on a computer, text allocation often works even where the phone is locked.
• 📋 buffer MIUI: If the text still managed to copy, but it disappears – check the history of the buffer in Settings → Additionally. → buffer.

For owners of Xiaomi Pad 6 or other Xiaomi tablets, there is another trick: use multitasking mode. Split the screen into two parts (Swipe up with retention → Two rectangle icon), in one part open the source of text, in the other - notes. Then just drag the text between the windows.

4.Working with the clipboard in MIUI: hidden functions

MIUI firmware has a built-in clipboard manager, but many users are unaware of its features. For example, in MIUI 14+, the buffer can store up to 20 last items (including images), and sync them between Xiaomi devices through a Mi Account.

How to operate a buffer:

1. Copy any text in the standard way.

2. Open the MIUI Keyboard and tap the buffer icon (two squares in the top row).

3. Here you will see the copy history. Hold your finger on the item for additional options: Secure, Delete or Share.

4. To sync, turn on Settings → Additional → Clipboard → Synchronization between devices.

⚠️ Attention: If you are using POCO Launcher or third-party shells, system clipboard MIUI It may be disabled. To get it back, switch to the standard launcher in Settings. → Home screen.

On HyperOS devices (such as Xiaomi 14), the clipboard is integrated with Mi AI, which allows you not only to store text, but also automatically recognize contacts, addresses or dates in it, for example, if you copy a phone number, the system will prompt you to immediately add it to contacts or call.

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To clear the clipboard completely, go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Clipboard and click Clear Data. This is useful if you have copied sensitive information (passwords, card numbers).

5. Copying text from images (OCR in MIUI)

Image Text Recognition (OCR) has been built into MIUI since version 12, but many users don’t know how to use it effectively, and it works not only with screenshots, but also with photos of documents, signs, or even handwriting (with good handwriting).

Step-by-step:

1. Open the image in the MIUI gallery.

2. Slip the Text icon in the lower menu (or select Remove text in the context menu).

3. select the desired fragment (can be manually or automatically).

4.Click Copy or Translate (if the text is in a foreign language).

5. To improve accuracy, turn on Settings → Special features → Text recognition → Improved mode.

• 📄 To scan documents: Use Document Mode in the Camera app – it automatically straightens perspective and improves contrast for the camera. OCR.
• 🌐 Language support: MIUI recognizes 50+ Languages including Chinese, Japanese and Arabic. To add language, go to Settings → Additionally. → Text recognition → Languages OCR.
• 🔍 Recognition problems? Try cropping the image so that the text takes up at least 50% of the frame, and increase the brightness in the photo editor.

On Xiaomi Pad 6 and other Xiaomi tablets OCR It works even more efficiently because of the larger screen, like highlighting text in the PDF-file opened in Mi Reader, or even in presentations WPS Office.

6. Problem Solving: Text is not copied or disappears

If you find that text is not highlighted, not copied in full or disappears from the buffer, check these points:

For HyperOS devices (such as the Xiaomi 14 Pro), there is another common problem: the conflict between the system clipboard and third-party managers (such as Clipboard Manager) to solve it:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find a third-party buffer manager and turn off the permission for it to read the clipboard.
3. Reset the device.

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If the text disappears from the clipboard immediately after copying, the application is most likely to blame.-optimizer (For example, Mi Security. Add clipboard to the exceptions in the optimization settings.

FAQ: Frequent Questions About Copying Text on Xiaomi