How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi Mi: all the ways from MIUI 12 to HyperOS

Taking a screenshot on Xiaomi Mi smartphones seems like a simple task — until you encounter unusual situations. For example, how to take a screenshot if the power button is not working? Or how to capture the entire scrollable page? In this article, we will examine not only the basic methods, but also the little-known features of MIUI and HyperOS, which will simplify the work with screenshots.

Xiaomi’s official documentation often doesn’t mention alternative ways to take screenshots, such as through ADB or voice commands. We’ve tested all the methods on models from Mi 8 to Mi 14, so the instructions are relevant for all versions of the firmware, and we’ll focus on the challenges that users face after upgrading to HyperOS, the new shell that replaced MIUI.

1. Classical method: button combination

The most reliable and versatile method is the use of hardware buttons, which works on all Xiaomi Mi models, regardless of the firmware version or the state of the touch screen.

1. Open the screen that you want to capture.
2. At the same time, press the power button (on/off) and the volume reduction button.
3. Hold them for 1-2 seconds until you hear the characteristic shutter sound or see an animation of the screenshot.

On models with touch buttons (e.g. Mi Mix 2S), the combination remains the same, but the pressing should be clearer.

• 🔄 Check if the buttons are locked in the settings (Settings) → Special facilities → Power button).
• ⚡ Make sure your phone has enough charge (less than 5% can block some features).
• 📱 Restart the device – sometimes system failures interfere with the correct operation of the buttons.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra and Mi 11 Pro, when holding the buttons for more than 3 seconds, an emergency menu call can work.

2. Three-finger gesture for quick screenshot

The three-finger screenshot feature was introduced in MIUI 9 and saved in HyperOS, which allows you to take a screenshot by swiping it from top to bottom with three fingers at the same time, a method that is convenient when you hold your phone with one hand and press buttons with the other.

To activate the gesture:

1. Go to Settings → Additional functions → Gestures.
2. Find the item "Screenshot with three fingers" and turn on the switch.
3. (Optional) Set the gesture direction – the default is downward movement, but you can choose up or left/right.

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Instant Access – No need to search for buttons.
• 🎯 It works even with the hardware keys off.
• 🔄 You can adjust the direction of the gesture to yourself.

Disadvantages:

• 👎 Sometimes it works accidentally when scrolling pages.
• 🔧 Some models (e.g. Mi 9) SE) It requires a perfectly synchronized touch.

3. Screenshot with voice assistant

If you have Google Assistant on or XiaoAI on, you can take voice screenshots, which is useful when your hands are busy or your buttons are broken.

For Google Assistant:

1. Activate the assistant with the phrase “OK, Google” or holding the Home button.
2. Say, “Take a screenshot” or “Photograph the screen.”

For XiaoAI (Chinese version):

1. Hold the home button or say “” (for Chinese firmware).
2. Say “(screenshot)” or “(screenshot)”.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi’s global firmware, voice commands for screenshots can be disabled by default.To activate them, go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → XiaoAI and enable permission to "Use over other windows».

Warnings:

• 🔇 The voice method does not work in the "Do not disturb" mode».
• 🌐 On some models (e.g., Mi). A3 With pure Android, only Google Assistant is available.
• 🔒 In applications with limited rights (banks, messengers), the voice screenshot can be blocked.

4. Advanced features: long screenshot and editing

MIUI and HyperOS support advanced screenshot options that many users don’t use.

4.1 Long (scrollable) screenshot

If you want to capture an entire web page, chat or document that doesn’t fit on a single screen:

1. Take a regular screenshot of any of the described methods.
2. Immediately after the thumbnail appears in the lower right corner, click on it.
3. In the editor that opens, tap the “Scroll” icon (two arrows down).
4. Wait until the system automatically scrolls the page and connects the pictures.

Limitations:

• 📄 It doesn’t work in some apps (e.g. Instagram, TikTok).
• 🔄 Maximum length – up to 10 screens (depending on model).

Quick editing and exchange

After creating the screenshot, a toolbar with options appears:

• ✏️ Edit – cropping, drawing, adding text.
• 📤 Share – instant sending to messengers or the cloud.
• 🔍 Text recognition – extracting text from a screen (requires Google Lens or MIUI Text Recognition).
• 📁 Save to... - Select a folder to save (by default) DCIM/Screenshots).

Automatic Save to the Cloud

To automatically sync your screenshots with the Mi Cloud:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Enable the option “Sync Screenshots”.
3. Specify which file types to save (e.g., PNG only or JPEG only).

5. Alternative methods: ADB and third-party applications

If standard methods do not work (for example, due to a break in buttons or a firmware failure), you can use ADB or specialized utilities.

5.1 Screenshot via ADB

This will require:

• 🖥️ Computer installed ADB (Android Debug Bridge).
• 🔌 USB-cable.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → Tap 7 times, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Commands for creating a screenshot:

adb devices # Checking the connection


adb shell screencap -p /sdcard/screen.png # Creating a screenshot




adb pull /sdcard/screen.png # Copying on PC

Advantages of the method:

• 🛠️ It works even when the screen is locked (if debugging is allowed).
• 📊 Allows you to take high-resolution screenshots (for example, 4K on Mi 11 Ultra).

Third-party annexes

If you need advanced features (screen video recording, annotations, cloud storage), consider:

• 📸 Screenshot Easy – Support for gestures and timer.
• 🎥 AZ Screen Recorder - screenshots + screen-recording.
• ☁️ Screen Master – Automatic download in Google Drive.

⚠️ Note: Screenshot apps require Screen Capture permission (Settings) → Annexes → Special access → Screen capture. Without it, they won't work. On Xiaomi Mi with HyperOS, some utilities may conflict with system services - test them before using them.

💡

If after installing a third-party screenshot app, system gestures stop working, go to Settings → System → Gestures and reset your gesture settings to factory gestures. This will return the three-finger function.

6. Solving screenshot problems

Sometimes screenshots are not created or saved with artifacts. Let's look at typical problems and their solutions:

6.1 Screenshot not saved

Possible causes and ways of correction:

• 📁 Place in memory occupied – clear the cache or transfer files to SD-map.
• 🔧 System application failure – go to Settings → Annexes → All applications → Screenshots and clear the data.
• 🔒 Application restrictions – some banking programs (e.g. SberBank Online) block screenshots. ADB.

6.2 The screenshot is black.

This is a common problem when trying to take a picture in:

• 🎮 Cheat-protected games (e.g, PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact).
• 📺 Annexes with DRM-Protection (Netflix, Disney)+).
• 🔐 Incognito mode in the browser.

Decisions:

• 📷 Use an external camera (take a screen photo with another phone).
• 🖥️ Connect your phone to your PC and take a screenshot via scrcpy (a program to manage Android from your computer).

The editing panel has disappeared.

If the toolbar does not appear after the screenshot is created:

1. Check if the animation is disabled in Settings → About Phone → Additional → Windows animation.
2. Update the Screenshots system app via Play Market or App Gallery.
3. Reset the settings of the Settings application → Apps → Screenshots → Storage → Reset.

💡

If screenshots stopped working after upgrading to HyperOS, try rolling back the Screenshots version of the system application via ADB: adb shell pm install -r -d /path/to/old/apk. The official APKs of previous versions can be found on the XDA Developers or 4PDA forums.

7 Where screenshots are stored and how to manage them

By default, all screenshots on Xiaomi Mi are saved in the folder:

/storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots/

or (on some firmware):

/storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Screenshots/

To change the place of conservation:

1. Open the gallery and find any screenshot.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → «Information».
3. Select “Change the Save Place” and specify a new folder.

Management advice:

• 🗑️ Clean Screenshots folder regularly – it can take several gigabytes.
• 🔍 Use the search in the Gallery for the keyword “screenshot” for quick access.
• ☁️ Set up automatic backup in Google Photos or Mi Cloud.

On HyperOS models, screenshots are saved as WEBP instead of PNG by default, saving up to 40% of the space. To return PNG, turn off the option of “Images Optimization” in the gallery settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about screenshots on Xiaomi Mi