Knuckle screenshots and Record screen fail on my HUAWEI phone/tablet

Applicable products： Tablet，Smartphone
Applicable system: EMUI 15.0, EMUI 9.0, EMUI 9.1, HarmonyOS 3.0, HarmonyOS 2.1, EMUI 10.0, EMUI 11.0, EMUI 10.1, HarmonyOS 4.0, HarmonyOS 3.1, HarmonyOS 4.3, HarmonyOS 4.2, HarmonyOS 2.0
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Knuckle screenshots and Record screen fail on my HUAWEI phone/tablet

Your phone/tablet may not support knuckle gestures, the operation was performed incorrectly, or certain system files have been deleted by mistake. To resolve the issue, perform the following:

1. Check whether your phone/device supports Knuckle screenshots/Record screen

EMUI 9.0.1 and Magic UI 2.0.1 or earlier: Open Settings and search for Smart screenshot. If no results are found, it means that your phone does not support knuckle gestures.

EMUI 9.1 and Magic UI 2.1 or later: Open Settings and search for Knuckle screenshots/Record screen. If no results are found, it means that your phone does not support knuckle gestures.

2. Make sure that you are doing knuckle gestures correctly

Pay attention to the following when doing knuckle gestures:

  • Do not use magnetic attachment or metal protective cases, which may affect hand gesture recognition, causing knuckle screenshots or screen recording failures.
  • To take a screenshot, knock twice with one knuckle. To record the screen, knock twice with two knuckles and make sure that they tap the screen at the same time.
  • Knock on the screen in the same way as you would knock on a door.
  • Make sure to knock twice quickly (with the interval not exceeding 0.25 seconds).
  • If your phone/tablet is using a leather case, knock on the screen with one hand while holding your phone/tablet firmly with the other hand.
  • Avoid taking a second screenshot immediately after the first screenshot, as the image requires time to process. Wait approximately 2 seconds after the thumbnail of the previous screenshot disappears.
  • When taking a partial screenshot, knock on the screen with a knuckle and hold until a blue dot appears, draw an enclosed area, and make sure the two ends of the blue line meet. Be sure to apply a sufficient amount of force when knocking your knuckle against the screen, similar to knocking on a door.

3. Check whether the success rate is low in the following positions

  • The lower part of the screen: The internal structure of the screen restricts the sensitivity of this area. You can apply more force when knocking in this area. The upper part of the screen is more sensitive, so it is recommended that you use knuckle gestures in this area.

  • The top and bottom of the screen: The top and bottom of the screen support a wide range of gesture operations, for example, swiping down to display Notification Panel and swiping up to display the home screen. To reduce mistouch due to knuckle gestures, the sensitivity of knuckle gestures is reduced in this area. It is recommended that you use knuckle gestures in the upper part of the screen.

4. Other cases

  • If some system files are deleted by mistake, knuckle recognition may not work properly. It is recommended that you update your phone/tablet to its latest system version and try again. Updating the system may restore the files that are deleted by mistake.
  • Check whether the game screen is displayed.
    • Go to Settings > Apps & services > AppAssistant > Game Space. If the game has been added to Game Space, knuckle gestures will not work. Please try other methods to take a screenshot or record the screen.
    • HarmonyOS 5: Hold down on the Celia navigation bar at the bottom of the screen () to access the Celia chat screen and check whether Disable knuckle gestures is enabled. If it is enabled, knuckle gestures will not work. In this case, you can tap the Screenshot/Screen Recorder button on the screen to take a screenshot or record the screen.

  • When your phone/tablet screen is covered by a thick protective film, you may need to apply more force when knocking on the screen, or remove the protective film. A thick protective film will cause the touchscreen to be less responsive.
  • If the issue persists, back up your data and take your device and proof of purchase to an authorised Huawei Customer Service Centre for assistance.
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