Owners of modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO often face the need to capture what is happening on the display, it can be a difficult level in the game, a bug in the interface or just a funny moment in correspondence. Standard functionality of the shell MIUI or the new HyperOS provides powerful tools for screencasting, but many users do not know how to activate the recording of sound.
By default, the system often offers to record only video without audio or sound exclusively from the microphone, which leads to the recording of extraneous noises. To get a clean sound and high-quality picture, you need to adjust the settings correctly before shooting. In this article, we will discuss all the nuances of the built-in dictaphone screen.
Screen recording functionality is built deep into system security and optimization services, which means you won’t need third-party apps from the Google Play store, and in some cases, they may even conflict with system restrictions on accessing the audio stream.
Launching the standard Screenshots app
The first step is to activate the system utility. Unlike some other manufacturers, Xiaomi does not always display the write button on the notification bar by default. Most often, a combination of buttons or a search through the menu. The fastest way is to simultaneously press down the volume and power.
However, if you want a video instead of a static image, don't release the buttons immediately after the screenshot menu appears or select the extended menu option. In some versions of the firmware, clicking this combination will give you a floating window with a choice of action. If you prefer to control through the interface, find the Screenshots app in the Tools folder.
It's important to understand the difference between modes of operation. A simple tap can take a photo, so it often requires a swipe down the menu or a long retention to run the video mode. Once the function is activated, a semi-transparent control panel will appear on the screen that allows you to control the shooting process in real time.
- 📱 Press the Volume and Power buttons at the same time to call the menu.
- 🎥 Select the video camera icon in the menu that appears or swipe down.
- ⚙️ Wait for the floating recording control panel to appear.
- 🔍 Alternative path: find the Screenshots app through search or in the Tools folder.
It’s worth noting that different versions of Android (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) may have slightly different interfaces. If the standard combination doesn’t work, check the settings for special features, where the switch to call the screenshot menu is sometimes hidden.
⚠️ Note: If the control panel does not appear after clicking the buttons, check in the settings whether the screenshots creation function in the "Additional settings" or "Special features" section is disabled».
Setting up the sound source: Microphone or System
The most critical moment for most users is the choice of audio source. When you start a recording, the system can by default choose No Sound or Microphone mode. To record audio from a game, YouTube videos or system notifications, you need to switch to an internal source.
The recording control panel, which hangs over all the windows, has a microphone icon, and you click on it, you cycle modes, you need to get the system sound mode activated, in which case the device will record the internal audio stream in high quality without extraneous noise.
If you're recording a commentary video that you want to hear your voice, you can choose Microphone mode, which will record everything that's happening around your phone, including the sounds from the speakers, but the quality may be lower because of the acoustic system.
There is an important nuance for owners of older versions of MIUI. On Android 9 and below, recording of internal sound could be blocked at the system level for third-party applications, but the standard Xiaomi utility usually bypasses this limitation. If there is no sound, make sure that at the time of recording, other audio applications that can intercept focus are not running at the time of recording.
- 🔇 Click on the microphone icon on the floating panel.
- 🔊 Select System Sound mode for clean recording of audio from apps.
- 🎙️ Select Microphone mode to record voice comments.
- 🚫 “No Sound” mode completely shuts down the audio track.
⚠️ Warning: When selecting a Microphone source, make sure nothing covers the bottom of the smartphone, otherwise the recording will be deaf or intermittent.
Floating control panel interface
When you successfully run a recording, you get a compact control panel on the screen, and it's designed to take up the minimum amount of space, but allow access to all the important functions, and you don't want to ignore the elements, because that's where you're going to get your quality and duration settings.
At the top of the panel, you usually have a recording timer and status indicator. Below are the control buttons: pause, stop and camera switch. The pause function is especially useful if you need to eliminate unnecessary moments without interrupting the file, for example, during an incoming call or a pop-up notification.
The camera switch button, which allows you to turn on the front camera in real time and record your face in a small window over the main image, is the perfect tool for creating video reactions to gameplay or content.
☑️ Checking before recording starts
If the control panel interferes with the view in the game, it can be dragged to any corner of the screen or rolled into a minimalist strip, but you can not completely hide it, as it is done for security reasons, so that the user always knows that the recording is going on.
- ⏱️ The timer shows the duration of the current video.
- ⏸️ The pause button allows you to temporarily stop the timer and record actions.
- 📹 Camera switch adds image from frontal to corner of screen.
- ⬇️ Swipe on the panel can hide additional settings.
Hidden quality settings and permissions
Many users don’t realize that the standard Screenshots app has a hidden settings menu, accessible through the long-awaited click on the app icon in the menu or through the gear on the recordbar itself (depending on the firmware version), where you can change the bitrate and frame rate.
By default, the system can choose automatic settings, which are not always optimal. To record dynamic games, it is recommended to set a frame rate of 60 fps if your screen supports such a hertz, which will make the movement smooth, but increase the final file size.
The recording resolution is also adjustable.You can choose to record in the native screen resolution or lower it to 720p or 1080p to save space. Bitrate (coding quality) is better kept high to avoid compression artifacts in dark scenes.
| Parameter | Recommendation for games | Recommendation for | Impact on size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permission | Native / 1080p | 720p / 1080p | High. |
| Frequency of personnel | 60 fps | 30 fps | Average. |
| Bitreit | High (12+ Mbps) | Medium (6-8 Mbps) | Critical. |
| Codec | H.264 (compatibility) | H.265 (Savings) | Low. |
What's a bitrate?
Keep in mind that maximum-quality recording (4K or high bitrate) puts a heavy strain on the processor, in which case the phone can heat up and the system can force the screen to lower brightness or frame rate to prevent overheating.
Where to look for saved videos and how to edit them
Once the recording is complete, the file is automatically saved to the gallery, usually for such files, a separate album is created called Screen Recorder or Screen Records, which allows you to avoid mixing screencasts with personal photos and videos from trips.
Xiaomi's built-in gallery editor allows you to do basic processing right after you record it, you can cut the beginning and end, apply a filter, or even add music, but for serious editing, you'd better use specialized applications like CapCut or InShot.
Files are also duplicated in the file manager. The path to them is standard for Android: internal memory, folder. DCIM, then-folder screen_recorder. Knowing this path, you can quickly transfer the file to your computer via USB-cable without having to open the gallery.
- 📂 Open the Gallery app and find the Screen Records album».
- ✂️ Use the built-in editor to trim the excess.
- 📁 In the file manager path: DCIM/screen_recorder.
- 📤 Share the file directly from the gallery via messengers.
⚠️ Note: When trying to send a long video via messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) without compression, make sure that the File mode is selected, otherwise the quality will be greatly degraded by compression algorithms.
Solution: Why there is no sound or recording is interrupted
One of the most common problems is that there's no sound in the finished file, despite the right settings. DRM-Applications like Netflix, Disney,+, Banking apps and some streaming services block screen recording at the system level in order to protect copyright, in which case you will get a black image or video without sound.
Another reason for recording interruption is the aggressive MIUI power saving system, and if the phone decides that the Screenshots app is consuming too much resources, it can forcibly shut down the process, and to avoid that, you go to the battery settings and set the app mode to "No restrictions."
It can also stop when you call in, and it's a routine behavior of the system to prioritize voice communication, and it can also be interrupted by a lack of space on the internal drive, so keep an eye out for the space available.
💡
If recording is frequently interrupted, turn on Do Not Disturb mode before shooting, which will prevent interruptions from notifications and calls that can take the focus off the app.
In some cases, cleaning the cache of the Screenshots app helps. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Screenshots → Clear the cache. This will not delete your records, but will reset possible configuration errors of the utility itself.
- 🛡️ DRM-protection blocks entry in banking applications and streaming.
- 🔋 Check the battery settings for the Screenshots app».
- 💾 Keep an eye on the disk space during long sessions.
- 📞 An incoming call always takes priority and will stop the recording.
💡
Aggressive energy saving is the main enemy of long-term screen recording. Be sure to set up the Screenshots app to work without restrictions in the background.