Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face overflowing internal memory due to the large number of high-resolution images. Modern cameras create files of huge size, and a standard 64 or 128 gigabytes may not be enough even for a month of active shooting. Moving the archive to an external drive is not just a way to free up space, but a necessary security measure to save valuable footage in the event of loss or breakage of the gadget.
There are many methods of copying data, from classical USB-The choice of the specific method depends on your priorities: speed of transmission, convenience or no wires. In this article, we will discuss all the options available in detail so that you can choose the most suitable for your situation.
We’ll look at both the Android operating system and MIUI shell, and third-party solutions that are often even more effective than built-in tools, and learn to quickly free up space and back up your photos without losing quality.
Connection through USB-cable: the classical method
The fastest and most reliable way to transfer large amounts of data is through the use of USB-This is a cable that came with a smartphone, and it doesn't require an Internet connection, and it allows you to copy the fastest speed, which is critical when you're transferring gigabytes of photos.
Once connected, a charging mode notification will appear on the smartphone screen, you need to click on it and select USB mode. You should find File Transfer or MTP on the menu. This mode allows the computer to see the phone's file system as an external hard drive.
⚠️ Warning: If the computer can't see the phone, try replacing the cable. Cheap cables are often only for charging and have no internal contacts to transmit data, making it impossible to connect to the PC.
On your computer, open "My Computer" or "This Computer." You'll see your smartphone in the list of devices. Go to the Internal shared storage folder, then look for the DCIM directory and then the Camera, and that's where all the images are stored. Select the files you want and copy them to your hard drive.
☑️ Connection check USB
Using Mi Cloud Cloud Storage
Xiaomi’s ecosystem offers its own Mi Cloud storage, which is deeply integrated into the system, allowing you to automatically sync the gallery with the server, providing access to photos from any device with Internet access.
To activate sync, go to your phone's settings, select Mi Account and then Cloud. Find Gallery and turn on the sync switch, and then all new images will automatically upload to the cloud when you connect to Wi-Fi.
To access photos from your computer, open your browser and go to i.mi.com. Sign in using the same account as your phone. In the web version, select the Photos section and download the desired images or entire albums to your PC hard drive.
Free storage limits
Transfer of files over FTP through Explorer
Unique shell function MIUI — built-in FTP-The server is in the standard Explorer app, and this is perfect if you don't have a handy one. USB-It's a cable, but both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and it allows you to work with your phone files directly through My Computer without installing any additional software.
Open the Explorer app on your smartphone. Click on the menu (three bars) or go to the Tools tab. Find FTP or Remote Control and click Launch. The system will give you an address, such as ftp://192.168.1.5:2121.
Type this address into the address bar of any folder on your computer. The phone's file system will open. Find a folder of photos, highlight them, and drag them to your desktop or another PC folder. The speed of transfer depends on the power of your router.
| Parameter | USB Cable | Wi-Fi (FTP) | Cloud. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed. | High (up to 40 MB/s) | Medium (depending on router) | Low (depending on the internet) |
| I need a cable. | Yes. | No. | No. |
| We need the Internet. | No. | No (wi-fi only) | Yes. |
| Convenience | Requires physical contact | Wireless. | Automatic. |
Third-party apps: AirDroid and Send Anywhere
If built-in tools seem inconvenient, specialized applications come to the rescue. AirDroid is one of the leaders in this category, providing a powerful web interface for managing your phone. The app allows you not only to transfer photos, but also to manage contacts, messages and notifications.
Install the app on your phone and sign up. On your computer, open your browser and go to the address listed in the app, or download the Windows client. QR-code you will have access to the file system.
Another popular option is Send Anywhere, which has the advantage of being able to transfer files between devices on different networks through a unique 6-digit code, which is convenient if you need to send a photo to a friend or colleague's computer.
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When using wireless transmission methods, make sure that the smartphone screen does not go out during the process. Go to the screen settings and increase the time before going to sleep so that the connection does not break in the middle of the file.
Work with the Mi PC Suite program
The official Mi PC Suite is designed to manage Xiaomi smartphone content from a computer. Although support for new models in the latest versions of the program is limited, for many devices it is still a working tool for creating full backups.
Download and install the program from the official website. Connect your phone with a cable and select the mode Transfer Photo or similar item in the debugging menu. The program scans the device and displays media files in a convenient interface.
Unlike simple copying through Explorer, Mi PC Suite can structure data by date and album, which makes it easier to sort the archive, but it can run unstable on Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems.
⚠️ Note: Official support for Mi PC Suite for new smartphone models is terminated. If the program can't see your device, don't try to install old versions of drivers by force - better use the method USB-accumulator FTP.
Solution: Computer cannot see photos
Often, users are faced with a situation where the phone is connected, MTP mode is selected, but the folders are empty or hidden. This can be due to access rights or locking the screen. Make sure that during the connection, the smartphone screen is unlocked and you have confirmed permission to access the data.
Another common problem is the lack of MTP USB Device drivers on Windows, so go to Device Manager, find an unknown device or device with an exclamation point, right-click and select Update Driver -> Automatic Search.
If the photos are missing after transfer, check the integrity of the file system. Sometimes when the cable is suddenly turned off, files are marked as hidden. In Windows Explorer, turn on the display of hidden elements through the View tab.
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The most stable result when working with large archives of photos always gives a direct wired connection, as it eliminates the risks of interruption of communication and provides maximum speed of writing to the disk.