Contents
- MIUI built-in facilities
- Recording through Google Play Games
- Top-3 Screencasting Apps
- Can I record a screen without root?
- Common errors and fixes
- How to reduce the weight of recorded video
- Frequent questions
Screen recording on Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 may be necessary to create guides, streams, save gameplay or show bugs. But the standard settings MIUI is not always obvious: somewhere the function is hidden in the depths of the menu, and somewhere requires activation through the developer Settings. In this article, we will analyze all the working methods โ from built-in tools to third-party applications โ and also reveal nuances that are not written in the official instructions.
Important: Recording capabilities vary by MIUI version and regional firmware, for example, in the global version of Redmi Note 9 (codenamed Mercury), the screencast feature may not be in the Quick Settings menu, but it can be easily returned through editing the notification bar.
1. MIUI built-in tools: where to look and how to turn on
Xiaomi smartphones based on MIUI 12+ have built-in screen recording function, but its location varies. On Redmi Note 9 with firmware for Russia/Europe, the screencast button is missing by default from the notification curtain.
- Open the notification bar and click on the Edit icon (pencil).
- Find in the list of inactive tiles "Screen Recording"** (icon with a mug and a dot).
- Drag it to the active area (top of the screen).
- Press "Done"**.
Now the button will appear in quick settings. When you first start, the system will ask permissions to record sound and display on top of other windows โ be sure to confirm them.
Add a button to the notification curtain
Grant all permissions to the "Screen Record" application
Disable battery optimization for recording service
Check the vacant space (minimum 1 GB)
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Nuances of embedded recording:
- ๐ค Microphone: By default, only system sound is recorded. To add a voice, click on the microphone icon after recording begins.
- โ๏ธ Quality settings: resolution is fixed (720p or 1080p depending on the model), but bitrate can be changed to Settings โ Additional โ Screen recording.
- โฑ๏ธ Time limit: maximum duration is 30 minutes (on some firmware 10 minutes). After automatic stops, the video is saved to Gallery โ Albums โ Screen recordings.
โ ๏ธ Warning: If the recording button disappears after rebooting, reset the notification bar settings to Settings โ Notifications โ Additional settings โ Reset the control panel. This will return all tiles to factory settings.
2. Recording through Google Play Games: for gamers
If you want to record gameplay, the best option is to use the built-in Google Play Game tool, which supports high-bitrate recording (up to 12 Mbps) and allows you to stream videos to YouTube directly from your smartphone.
Instructions:
- Install the Google Play Games app (unless preinstalled).
- Open the game you want to record.
- Open the notification bar and click on the Play Games icon** (gamepad icon).
- Select "Record Gameplay"** and set the settings: ๐ฎ Quality: 720p or 1080p (1080p is not available on all devices). ๐ Sound: game/game only + microphone. ๐ฑ Show touch: useful for tutorials.
"Start."
Google Play Games records MP4 video with H.264 codec, which provides good quality with minimal losses. However, on the Redmi Note 9 with 4 GB of RAM, you can lag in heavy games (for example, Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile) when writing in 1080p.
| Parameter | MIUI Screen Recorder | Google Play Games |
|---|---|---|
| Max, permission. | 1080p (depending on firmware) | 1080p (on most devices) |
| Bitreit | 4-8 Mbps | 8-12 Mbps |
| Time limit | 10.30 minutes | 1 hour. |
| Recording the microphone | Yes (manually) | Yes (automatically) |
| Streaming support | No. | Yes (on YouTube) |
โ ๏ธ Warning: If the game does not appear in the list available for recording, check if the Google Play Game option is enabled in the app settings (Settings โ Apps โ All Apps โ Play Games โ Permissions). Also make sure the game is installed from the official store, not via APK.
3 Top-3 Screencasting Apps: When Built-in Functions Are Not Enough
If standard tools donโt work (e.g., you need to record a screen longer than 30 minutes or with an external microphone), use third-party programs. We tested dozens of apps and selected the three most stable ones for the Redmi Note 9:
1. AZ Screen Recorder
Pros:
- ๐ฅ Recording in 1080p/60 FPS (on Redmi Note 9 is only realistically achieved by 30 FPS.
- ๐ค Support for external microphones (e.g., Boya BY-M1).
- โฑ There is no time limit for recording.
- ๐ผ The ability to draw on screen while recording.
Cons:
- ๐ฑ On MIUI may require disabling MIUI Optimization in the developer settings.
- ๐ฐ The free version adds a watermark.
Download: Google Play
2. DU Recorder
Features:
- ๐ฌ Built-in video editor with clipping and music overlay functions.
- ๐ Automatically upload recordings to YouTube, Google Drive, or TikTok.
- ๐ก Support for recording without internet (important for regions with poor coverage).
Nuance: The Redmi Note 9 with MIUI 13+ may have a black screen bug while recording, so you can turn on the option โUse GPU accelerationโ** in the app settings.
3. Mobizen Screen Recorder
For whom:
- ๐ฎ Streamers who want to stream on Twitch or Facebook Gaming.
- ๐ฑ Users who need a picture-in-picture camera.
Important: Mobizen requires registration to record video for longer than 10 minutes, and it consumes more battery than its counterparts (up to 15-20% per hour of recording).
๐ก
Before installing third-party recorders, disable MIUI Optimization in Settings โ About Phone โ MIUI version (click 7 times, then return to Additional Settings โ For Developers).
4. Can you record a screen without root rights?
Yes, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 does not require root rights to record the screen either through embedded tools or through third-party applications.
- Record secure applications (e.g. banking or DRM- content on Netflix) in which case the screen will be black, the solution is to use the ADB- command to circumvent restrictions (but this requires a PC connection).
- Recording from internal sound in games if the developer has blocked this feature (for example, in Free Fire or Call of Duty Mobile). Here only the Magisk module "Audio Mod"** will help, but it requires an unlocked bootloader.
For most tasks (educational video, instant messenger recording, streaming), root is not required. If you need to record system sounds in DRM applications, try the following:
adb shell settings put global hidden_api_policy 1This command temporarily unlocks hidden Android APIs, but doesnโt work on all firmware and resets after a reboot.
How to check if your app supports sound recording?
5 Common mistakes and how to fix them
Even with the right settings, the Redmi Note 9 can crash, and letโs look at the typical problems and their solutions:
๐ด Recording ends in 5-10 minutes
Causes and fixes:
- ๐ต Battery Optimization: Turn it off for the write application in Settings โ Applications โ Battery Management โ Application Selection.
- ๐ Low charge: On MIUI, the recording automatically stops at 15% of the battery. Connect charging or activate power saving mode.
- ๐ฑ Overheating: Redmi Note 9 on a Helio processor G85 warms up with long recordings. Use a cooling stand or record in short sessions.
๐ No sound in the recorded video
Check it out.
- ๐ง Whether audio is enabled in the recording settings (in MIUI this is a separate option).
- ๐ Is no sound mode activated in the notification curtain?
- ๐ For third-party applications: Are audio recording permissions granted in Settings โ Privacy โ Permissions โ Microphone?
โซ Black screen when recording
This is a typical problem for DRM applications (Netflix, Disney+, banking software) and three solutions:
- Use an external camera (for example, a smartphone on a tripod that shoots a screen).
- Connect the Redmi Note 9 to your PC and record the screen via scrcpy or Vysor.
- Install Magisk and the Disable Flag Secure module** (requires unlocking the bootloader).
๐ก
If the recording is interrupted due to overheating, lower the resolution to 720p and close the background applications, which will reduce the load on the Helio G85 processor by 20-30%.
6. How to reduce the weight of recorded video without losing quality
Video from the Redmi Note 9 screen at 1080p weighs ~100MB/min, which quickly fills up memory.
๐น Pre-recording settings
- ๐ Reduce the resolution to 720p โ visually the difference is minimal, and the weight will decrease by 2-3 times.
- ๐ข Reduce bitrate: In AZ Screen Recorder, set 4-6 Mbps instead of the standard 8-12 Mbps.
- ๐ค Turn off microphone recording if you don't need it โ the audio track takes up to 10% of the file's volume.
โ๏ธ Optimization after recording
Use compression applications:
| Annex | Degree of compression | Loss of quality | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video Compress | 80% | Minimum | Supports batch processing |
| YouCut | 70% | Average. | Built-in editor |
| FFmpeg (via Termux) | 90% | Customizable | Requires team knowledge |
Example of command for FFmpeg (reduces bitrate to 2 Mbps without changing resolution):
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vcodec libx264 -crf 28 -preset fast -acodec aac -b:a 128k -movflags +faststart output.mp4๐ก
For maximum compression, convert video to MKV format with HEVC codec (H.265).This reduces weight by 40-50% at the same quality, but not all players support this format.