Today’s Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO smartphones have powerful multimedia tools that not only create content with a camera, but also capture what’s happening on the display. Device owners often wonder how to capture video from the screen of Xiaomi’s phone to capture gameplay, create a tutorial, or save an important message. The built-in Screenshots feature (as the system calls the capture tool) solves this problem without the need to install third-party apps.
This feature is available on all current versions of the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS, starting with Android 10 and up.You don’t have to search for hidden engineering menus or connect the gadget to your computer via ADB. The system provides a native, optimized coding algorithm that minimally loads the processor and does not overheat the device during long recording.
However, standard settings may not be flexible enough for advanced users, such as changing the resolution, bitrate or sound source, and in this article we will discuss all the nuances of working with the built-in voice recorder, as well as alternative methods for those who require specific functions.
Starting the built-in screen dictaphone
The easiest and fastest way to start recording is to use the standard control menu. On most Xiaomi models, the control center is called by swipe down from the upper right corner (or from the upper edge if classic style is enabled).
If you don't see this icon right away, it may be hidden in the second menu page or removed by the user. To return it, click on the edit button (usually a pencil icon or three dots in the corner of the menu) and drag the screen recorder slider into the active zone. This action will add a quick access button to the main control screen.
An alternative method of starting is relevant for older versions of firmware or if shortcuts fail. Go to Settings, select Additional Features and find Screen Record, where you can not only start the process, but also adjust the sound quality and resolution settings before shooting.
Customization of quality and sound parameters
Before you start shooting, it is critical to set the settings correctly to ensure the result meets your expectations. By default, the system can choose low resolution to save space, which will result in a blurred image. Click on the gear in the recording menu or go to Settings → Additional Features → Screen Record.
Special attention is given to the Sound section. There are three modes available: Microphone (records external sounds and your voice), System Sound (records what is heard in headphones or speakers), and Turned off. To record gameplay or YouTube videos, choose system sound, and for comments, microphone.
⚠️ Note: System audio recording may not be available in some applications (e.g. Netflix or banking programs) due to digital content protection policies DRM. In such cases, you will receive video without audio.
The resolution and frame rate are also customized in this menu. For social networks (Instagram, TikTok) 1080p and 30 fps are enough. If you plan to mount a video for YouTube in 4K, set the maximum values available to your display. Remember that high settings significantly increase the file size.
☑️ Checking settings before recording
Use of third-party applications for recording
While Xiaomi’s built-in tools are effective, they have limitations, such as not being able to draw on a screen in real time or add a webcam. There are specialized Google Play apps like XRecorder, AZ Screen Recorder or Mobizen for such tasks.
Third-party software often provides more flexible bitrate and codec settings. You can choose.mkv over standard.mp4, which allows you to save video in better quality at a smaller size. In addition, many programs have a built-in editor that allows you to crop the video immediately after you stop recording.
When you install these applications, MIUI or HyperOS can ask for a lot of permissions, you'll need to give access over other windows to see the control buttons on top of the games, and permission to access the files, and without these permissions, the program won't be able to capture the image correctly.
Why can third-party apps slow down?
Comparison of recording methods: table of possibilities
To make it easier for you to choose the right method, we have prepared a comparison table that will help you understand when to use a standard tool and when to use third-party software.
| Parameter | Xiaomi's built-in record | Third-party annexes | Recording via PC (ADB/Scrcpy) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video quality | High (up to 1080p/4K) | Depends on the setting (up to 4K) | Maximum (no compression) |
| Recording of system sound | Yes (on Android 10+) | Yes. | Yes. |
| On-screen drawing | No. | Often | No. |
| Impact on the battery | Minimum | Medium/High | Low (phone charges) |
| Advertising | No. | Often present. | No. |
And you can see from the table that for most household tasks, Xiaomi's built-in functionality is more than enough: it's stable, it's ad-free, it's integrated into the system, but you can use customized solutions to create professional content with graphics overlay or streaming.
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To record long lessons, use flight mode so that the incoming call does not interrupt the shooting and spoil the audio track.
Where are the records stored and how to find them
Once the video recording process is complete, the file is automatically stored in the device's memory. By default, all screenshots and video recordings of the screen enter the gallery. Open the Gallery app and go to the Screenshots album, where the videos will be sorted by date of creation.
If you prefer a file manager, the path to files is usually: Internal Memory → DCIM → Screenshots. In some versions of the firmware, the folder may simply be called Screenshots at the root of internal memory. Files have the.mp4 extension and name corresponding to the date and time of writing.
The amount of space occupied depends on the selected quality settings. A minute of recording in 1080p resolution can weigh from 50 to 150 MB. It is recommended to periodically clean this album or transfer important videos to the cloud storage so as not to overflow the system partition.
⚠️ Warning: When cleaning memory through the standard "Security" tool, be careful. Automatic cleaning can delete old screenshots and screen recordings if they are older than a predetermined period (for example, 30 days).
Solution (Frequent problems)
Users sometimes find themselves in a situation where a recording starts but stops after a few seconds, or the video turns black, most often due to content protection, and apps like Netflix, Disney+, or bank customers block screen capture at the Android security level.
Another common problem is that there's no sound in the video, so make sure you pick the right sound source when you start recording, and if you're talking to the microphone, the video will be silent, and also check if the microphone is covered with a cover or a hand.
If the recording is slowing down or the phone is heating up, lower the resolution. Writing in 4K on mid-range processors (like the Snapdragon 600 series) can cause overheating. In such cases, switch to 1080p and 30 frames per second.
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The black screen when recording protected content is not a phone bug, but a working DRM protection that cannot be circumvented by standard methods.
Expanded HyperOS capabilities
In the newest HyperOS shell, which replaces MIUI, recording functionality has been expanded, allowing you to record in a floating window, allowing you to control the process without overlapping the main content, and improved the noise reduction algorithm when recording through the microphone.
The new system allocates resources smarter, and if you run a heavy game, the screen recording will automatically lower its CPU requirements so as not to cause "freeze" in gameplay, and this is achieved by dynamically changing the bitrate in real time.
To activate all the features of the new system, make sure your device is updated to the latest version of the software. → The phone. → Version. MIUI/HyperOS. Click on the system logo several times to check for updates.