How to copy text on Xiaomi: all ways for smartphones and tablets

Copying text on Xiaomi smartphones seems like a simple task — until you encounter non-obvious nuances. Depending on the model (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11), the firmware version (MIUI 13 or MIUI 14), and even the type of content (web page, PDF, message in the messenger), standard methods can work in different ways. For example, in some versions of MIUI, the usual (long press) does not work immediately, and in applications like Telegram or WhatsApp, additional menus appear that block the selection.

Even more challenging is the way text is displayed on images, screenshots, or secure applications (like banking), and it’s not without OCR (text recognition) or third-party utilities. In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to copy text on Xiaomi devices in 2026, including the hidden MIUI chips that not all users know, from classic highlighting to screen recognition, you’ll learn how to handle the task in any situation.

1. Standard copying of text (long press)

The basic method works in all versions of MIUI and Android, but it has nuances.

1. Find a fragment of text that you need to copy (in the browser, messenger, notes, etc.).
2. Press and hold your finger on any word until a blue marker of the discharge appears.
3. Drag markers to cover the desired fragment.
4. Click on the “Copy” button (or tap on the selected text for additional options).

⚠️ Note: In some applications (such as Instagram or TikTok), text may be blocked for copying.

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If the highlight markers don't appear, try pressing more precisely - some fonts in MIUI have small indentations between characters. Also check if the "For the Visually Impaired" mode is enabled in the special feature settings (Settings → Special Opportunities → Convenience).

On devices with MIUI 14 and later, smart highlighting is introduced, which automatically defines the boundaries of paragraphs or sentences to activate:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Language and input → Keyboard Xiaomi.
• 🔍 Enable the option “Smart text allocation»**.
• 🖱️ Now, with a long press, the system will suggest highlighting an entire word, sentence or paragraph.

2. Copying text with gestures

V MIUI There's a hidden gesture copying feature that works even where standard highlighting isn't available. AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi) K60), where accurate pressing is sometimes difficult due to curved edges.

How to copy text with a gesture:

1. Open the text that needs to be copied.
2. Swipe three fingers down the screen (the gesture should start above the text and end below).
3. The system will automatically highlight all visible text on the screen.
4. Click "Copy"** in the menu that appears.

🔹 Limitations of method:

• 🚫 Does not work in some applications with protection (banks, messengers with encryption).
• 📄 Copy only visible text on the screen (does not scroll the page automatically).
• 🔄 In some models (POCO F5, Redmi Note 11 gesture may conflict with navigation.

Copying text from images (OCR)

If the text is in a picture, screenshot or PDF, standard copying won't work, and here's the MIUI-built OCR feature, which is available on all devices with MIUI 12.5 and later, but it needs to be pre-configured.

Instructions for recognition of text from the image:

1. Open the image in the gallery or take a screenshot (Power button + Volume down).
2. Click on the Text icon in the bottom menu (or tap the text in the image and select “Recognize Text”).
3. Wait for processing (can take up to 10 seconds on large images).
4. Select the desired fragment and click "Copy"**.

⚠️ Attention: Function OCR into MIUI It only works with Latin and Cyrillic, and you will need third-party apps (like Google Lens or Microsoft Lens) to recognize characters, Arabic or other languages).

4. Copy text from protected applications

Banking applications (SberBank Online, Tinkoff), encrypted messengers (WhatsApp, Signal) and some enterprise programs block standard copying of text.

• 📸 Screenshot. + OCR: Take a screenshot of the text and recognize it through the built-in OCR (see previous section).
• 🔄 Developer Mode: Enable Debugging by USB Use the adb shell to extract text (technical skills required).
• 🖥️ Screen mirroring: Connect the device to the PC via Mi PC Suite or Scrcpy and copy text from your computer.
• 📋 Manual input: If the text is short, it is sometimes easier to rewrite it manually (such as an account number or confirmation code).

⚠️ Note: Copying data from banking applications may violate security rules, such as SberBank blocking accounts if automated data extraction is suspected. Use these methods only for legal purposes (for example, copying a card number for yourself).

Make a backup copy of the data|Check the availability of the Internet (for the OCR)|Disable two-factor authentication (if required)|Use official methods (screenshot, manual input)-->

5.Use of clipboard and text managers

MIUI has a built-in clipboard manager that stores the last 20 copied fragments, which is handy if you need to paste the text multiple times or return a accidentally deleted copy, to open the buffer history:

1. Press and hold any text field (such as in a message or browser).
2. In the menu that appears, select “Buffer”** (the icon with two documents).
3. Slip on the desired fragment for insertion.

For advanced features (synchronization between devices, categorization of notes), you can use third-party applications:

• 📋 Clipboard Manager – saves unlimited copies, supports tags.
• 🔗 Clip Stack – synchronizes the clipboard between Xiaomi and other devices.
• 🔒 Droom Clipboard – encrypts copied data (useful for passwords).

🔹 Tip: If the clipboard history is not saved, check the settings in Settings → Additionally. → buffer → Clipboard history and enable the option “Save copied text»**.

6. Copying text from web pages (extended methods)

On web pages, text is sometimes hidden behind dynamic content (JavaScript, AJAX), and standard copying doesn't work.

• 🌐 Reading Mode in the browser: In Mi Browser or Google Chrome, open the menu and select Read Mode** – this will make it easier to highlight text.
• 📄 Save the page in PDF: In Chrome, click. ⋮ → Seal. → Save how PDF, Then recognize the text through OCR.
• 🖥️ Code Inspector: In Chrome on PC, find the desired text through PCM → View the code (you need to connect Xiaomi to your computer).

To automate the process, you can use browser extensions:

• 🦊 CopyFish (for Firefox and Chrome) – recognizes text on images directly in the browser.
• 📝 Markdown Here – Copy formatted text while retaining structure.

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To copy text from dynamic sites (for example, social networks or exchanges), it is better to use read mode or save the page to PDF – this bypasses the limitations of JavaScript.

7 Problems and Errors in Copying Text

Even on new Xiaomi devices (such as Xiaomi 14 or Redmi Note 13 Pro+), users are experiencing copying bugs.

If none of these methods help, try:

1. Update MIUI to the latest version (Settings → About Phone → System Update).
2. Clear the cache of the application, which does not copy the text (Settings → Applications → Select the application → Storage → Clear the cache).
3. Reset the keyboard settings (Settings → Language and input → Xiaomi Keyboard → Resetting).

FAQ: Frequent Questions About Copying Text on Xiaomi