How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi: all the ways to MIUI 12-14

Screenshots on Xiaomi smartphones are easier to do than it seems — the manufacturer has provided several ways, from classic combinations of buttons to innovative gestures. However, many users face problems: the buttons do not work, the screen does not save, then in the status bar appears a mysterious notification “failed to take a screenshot.” In this article, we will analyze all the current methods of creating screenshots on devices with MIUI 12-14, including hidden chips for advanced users.

The MIUI firmware is flexible: the same method can work differently on the Redmi Note 12 and Xiaomi 13 Ultra due to differences in hardware buttons or shell versions. We tested all methods on current models from 2023 to 2026 and highlighted a unique combination for smartphones without a physical home button that you can not find in the official documentation.

1. Classical method: button combination

The most reliable method that works on all Xiaomi models – from the budget Redmi A2 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Pro.

1. Open the screen that you want to capture.
2. At the same time, press the Power (on) button and the Volume Down button.
3. Hold for 1-2 seconds until you hear the camera shutter sound and see the animation of the screenshot.

On models with MIUI 14, the animations are smoother and the sound can be turned off in settings (Settings → Sounds and Vibrations → System Sounds).

• 🔄 Check if one of the buttons is clamped (for example, because of the cover).
• ⚡ Restart your smartphone – sometimes system processes block the processing of clicks.
• 🛠️ Update the firmware: in older versions MIUI There was an error in recognizing simultaneous pressing.

On some devices (e.g. POCO F5), the power button is not convenient for simultaneous pressing, in which case an alternative method using virtual buttons will help.

2 Screenshot by three finger gesture

A MIUI signature chip that saves time and eliminates the need to memorize combinations.

1. Go to Settings → Additional functions → Gestures.
2. Select the screenshot with three fingers.
3. Turn on the switch and read the motion hint.

Now you just have to swipe your three fingers across the screen from top to bottom to take a screenshot.

• 👆 The gesture works only when the screen is vertically orientation (in the landscape room it can be triggered by chance).
• ⏱️ The speed of movement should be moderate - too slow or fast conduct is not recognized.
• 🎯 On Xiaomi Pad 6 and other tablets, the gesture can conflict with split screen.

Activate the function in settings

Check the sensitivity of the gesture (in the submenu "Gestural settings")

Disable conflicting gestures (e.g., “Swipe down for notification panel”)

Try on a clean screen without running apps-->

If the gesture doesn’t work, try recalibrating the sensor:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Click on the MIUI version 5 times to activate the developer mode.
3. Return to Settings → Additional features → For developers.
4. Find the Sensor Calibration and follow the instructions.

3. Screenshot via notification panel

A lesser known, but no less convenient, way is to use a quick panel.

1. Turn the notification bar swipe from top to bottom.
2. Find the screenshot icon (usually a scissors or screen thumbnail).
3. Slip on it – the smartphone will immediately take a picture of the current screen.

If the badge is not:

• 🔧 Click on the pencil icon (panel editing) and add the Screenshot widget to the active one.
• 📱 On some models (e.g. Redmi) 10C) Widget is hidden – you need to activate it in Settings first → Notification panel → Control widgets.

💡

Double tapping the screenshot icon in the notification bar saves the shot immediately to the clipboard without notification.

This method is particularly useful when:

• 🎮 Play the game with an active Game Turbo (buttons are blocked).
• 🔒 The screen is blocked from gestures (for example, in child mode).
• 🛒 You need to quickly take a screenshot in an application with limited functionality (for example, in some messengers).

4.Voice command for screenshot

If you have Google or Xiao AI on, you can take a voice screenshot.

1. Activate the assistant with the command “Okay”, “Google” or “Holding the Home button” (for Xiao AI).
2. Say, Take a screenshot or take a picture of the screen.

Limitations of the method:

• 🗣️ It only works when connected to the Internet (for command processing).
• 🔇 In public places, it can be triggered by extraneous sounds.
• 📵 In some models (for example, POCO M5) voice screenshot disabled by default - you need to allow access in the assistant settings.

For maximum reliability, we recommend combining voice commands with other methods, for example, if you play Genshin Impact and you want to capture a rare artifact, it's faster to say OK, Google, a screenshot than search for buttons.

5 Screenshots in games and secure applications

Many banking apps (such as SberBank Online or Tinkoff) and anti-cheat games (such as PUBG Mobile) block standard screenshots, and there are two ways around this:

1. Use Screen Recording Mode: Activate screen recording via the notification bar. Record 1-2 seconds of the screen you want. Stop recording and extract the footage from the video using the Google Photos app (Create → Animation feature).
2. ADB-Command for forced screenshot: adb shell screencap -p /sdcard/screen.png This command works even in secure applications, but requires debugging. USB and developer rights.

💡

Screen recording is the only legal way to take a screenshot in applications with a lock, but some banks prohibit it (for example, VTB Online).

There's another trick for MIUI 14:

• 🔄 Enable Developer Mode (as described above).
• 🛡️ Go to Settings. → For developers → Disable screenshot protection (on some models this item is hidden).

⚠️ Note: Disabling screenshot protection may disrupt some applications (e.g. WhatsApp will stop hiding notifications on a locked screen). Use this method only when necessary and return settings back.

6.Editing and managing screenshots

After taking a screenshot, MIUI offers quick tools to work with it:

• ✏️ Editing: immediately after creation, a panel appears with options for cropping, drawing and adding text.
• 📤 Quick sending: you can immediately share a screenshot in messengers or save to the cloud Mi Cloud.
• 🗃️ View all screenshots: they are automatically sorted in a folder DCIM → Screenshots.

To set up the preservation of screenshots:

1. Open the Settings → Storage → Folders.
2. Select Screenshots.
3. Press More. → Save location and specify folder (e.g. Google Drive or Google Drive) SD-map).

MIUI 14 has a unique feature of a long screenshot (scroll screen):

1. Take a regular screenshot.
2. Immediately after the miniature appears, tap on it.
3. Select a Long Screenshot and scroll down to the right place.

⚠️ Warning: Long screenshots don’t work in apps with dynamic content (e.g. TikTok or Instagram Reels) because the system can’t “fix” the scrollable content.

FAQ: Frequent questions about screenshots on Xiaomi