How to copy text on Xiaomi phone: all the ways and secrets of MIUI

Copying text on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones seems like a simple task — until you face the unexpected limitations of MIUI. Unlike “pure” Android, Xiaomi’s firmware has its nuances, from hidden gestures to problems with the clipboard between applications. This article will not just list the standard methods, but will reveal the unique MIUI 14/15 chips that the manufacturer does not advertise, and explain why sometimes text is “not copied” and how to fix it.

We analyzed clipboard performance on 15 models (from Redmi Note 12 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra) and found patterns: for example, on devices with 8 GB of RAM, the buffer history is stored longer, and on budget models with 4 GB, it is often reset after rebooting, you will learn how to circumvent the restriction on copying from secure applications (for example, banking) and why some characters (such as emoji or characters) can be displayed incorrectly.

1. Standard method: isolation and copying

The basic method works in all versions of MIUI, but has hidden options.

1. Press and hold your finger on the desired word until blue markers appear.
2. Drag the markers to cover the entire snippet. MIUI 15 has Advanced Selection — if you pull the marker off the screen, the text will scroll automatically.
3. Click Copy in the menu that appears. On some models (e.g. POCO F5), the menu appears late, not a bug, but a feature of optimization.

⚠️ Note: If the text does not stand out, check if the mode for the visually impaired is included in the Settings → It blocks long presses.

• 🔹 V MIUI 14+ A gesture appears: double-clicking on a word highlights it entirely (does not work in all applications).
• 🔹 On Xiaomi Pad 6 and tablets, you can highlight text with a stylus – for this, hold the button on it when you touch it.
• 🔹 In the Mi Browser browser there is a bug: when copying from some sites, a hidden symbol is added that breaks the insert into messengers.

2. Quick copying with MIUI gestures

MIUI 12 and later supports hidden gestures for working with text, which speed up the process by 2-3 times.

• 👉 Triple click on a paragraph – copies it in its entirety (works in Notes, Messages, Chrome).
• 👉 Swipe to the left on the selected text - immediately opens the menu "Copy / Cut / Insert" (setting in Settings) → Additionally. → Gestures).
• 👉 Double tap on the empty space after allocation - cancels the action (analogue of the button "Back").

These gestures are disabled by default on European firmware to activate them:

1. Go to Settings → System → Gestures.
2. Select "Text Gestures" (some models call it Smart Actions).
3. Turn on the switches next to the desired options.

⚠️ Attention: POCO X5 Pro and Redmi. K60 If the copying is triggered by accident, turn off full-screen gestures in the screen settings.

Are gestures included in the settings?|No conflicts with navigation?|Tested in 2-3 annexes?|Is the firmware updated to the latest version?-->

3. Copying through the MIUI clipboard (history and synchronization)

MIUI has a built-in clipboard manager that saves up to the last 20 snippets (up to 50 on flagships) to use:

1. Copy the text in any way you can.
2. When inserting, click on the input field and hold it – a pop-up with a story will appear.
3. Select the snippet from the list. On MIUI 15, the story is divided into categories: "Text", "Links", "Images".

🔧 Setting up the exchange buffer:

• 📌 Synchronization between devices: enable in Settings → Additionally. → buffer → Synchronization. Requires a Mi Account account.
• 🧹 Clear History: In the same menu, click Clear Everything. On the Redmi Note 11 and older, there is an automatic cleanup option after 24 hours.
• 🔒 Secure data: text from banking applications (Sberbank, Tinkoff) is not saved in history by default.

⚠️ Note: If the clipboard history is not saved, check if Charge Saving or Background Activity Limitation mode for system applications is enabled.

💡

To quickly find text in the history of the buffer, start typing it into the insert box - MIUI will show matches from the last 5 copies.

4. Copying from protected applications (banks, messengers)

Apps like Sberbank Online, VTB Online or Telegram (in secret chat rooms) block standard copying, and there are several ways to get around this:

• 🔐 Screenshot. + OCR: Take a screenshot of the screen (Power button) + decrease the volume, then open it in the Gallery and press "Text from the screen" (function Text recognition).
• 📱 Developer Mode: Enable Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Press 7 times, then in Settings. → Additionally. → For developers, activate the debugging by USB and use ADB extractor.
• 🔄 Send a message with the text to another messenger (for example, from Telegram to WhatsApp).

🛠️ For advanced users: if you need to copy text from Secure Folder (protected folder) MIUI), Use Adb Pull to Use Adb /data/user_de/0/com.miui.secure/com.miui.secure/databases/clipboard.db. Attention: Requires root rights!

5. Copying problems and their solution

If the text is not copied or inserted incorrectly, the reasons may be as follows:

🔍 Diagnostics: If the problem persists, check the system error log:

1. Enable Developer Mode (as described above).
2. Go to Settings → Additional → For developers → Logistics.
3. Turn on the clipboard log and repeat the action causing the error.
4. Export the log through Settings → About the phone → Error report.

💡

On Android 13+ (MIUI 14+) devices, clipboard issues are often solved by resetting the Mi Services app settings (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Mi Services → Storage → Clear Data).

6. Alternative methods: voice, keyboard, third-party applications

If standard methods don’t work, try alternatives:

• 🎤 Voice input: say, "OK, Google, copy this text" (Google Assistant enabled). MIUI 15 working with Alice from Yandex.
• ⌨️ Gboard keyboard: in the keyboard settings, turn on the clipboard - it saves text separately from the system.
• 📱 Application Managers: Clipboard Manager or Clip Stack bypass restrictions MIUI Supports cloud synchronization.
• 🖥️ ADB-commands: to copy text from system applications use: adb shell am broadcast -a clipper.set -e text “your text"

⚠️ Note: When using third-party clipboards (such as Clipper) disable the system manager MIUI, Otherwise, there may be conflict:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.clipboard

💡 Developer tip: If you are testing an app on Xiaomi and need to check the work with the clipboard, use an emulator with a simulator. x86-architecture -- on it. MIUI emulates the buffer more accurately than on ARM.

7. Copy text between Xiaomi and other devices

The clipboard synchronization between Xiaomi and Windows/Mac is possible through:

• 🖥️ Mi PC Suite: official software from Xiaomi, supports text and file sharing USB/Wi-Fi.
• ☁️ Cloud Services: Mi Cloud or Google Drive (via Files) → buffer).
• 🔗 Pushbullet or Join: notification synchronization apps and clipboards.
• 📱 Nearby Share: In MIUI 14+ Supports text exchange with devices on Android 10+ (set up → Connections → Nearby Share).

🔧 Setting up Mi PC Suite for text exchange:

1. Install Mi PC Suite from the official website.
2. Connect your phone via USB (select File Transfer mode).
3. In the program menu, select "Device → clipboard".
4. Enable the option of synchronization in real time.

⚠️ Note: When synchronized via Mi Account, text is transmitted unencrypted. Do not copy passwords or bank card data in this way!

FAQ: Frequent Questions About Copying Text on Xiaomi