How to download video from the Xiaomi camera: all the ways for Mi Home, 360° and action cameras

Xiaomi’s camera recordings — whether they’re home-based smart cameras (Mi Home Security Camera), 360-degree models (Mi 360°) or action cameras (Mi Action Camera) — are often required to be saved to your phone or computer. However, the download process may vary depending on the device type, firmware, and even regional settings. In this article, we’ll break down all the current ways to transfer video, including hidden features of the Mi Home app, bypassing cloud storage restrictions, and direct download over the local network.

Xiaomi cameras feature a closed ecosystem where videos are saved by default to a cloud with limited access, for example, in the free version of Mi Home, users can only download the last 7 days of recordings, and for old videos, a subscription is required. We will show you how to circumvent these restrictions legally without violating the terms of use, as well as how to configure automatic unloading for the use of the system. NAS or FTP-server for advanced users.

1.Preparation: What to Know Before Downloading Video

Before you start downloading, check three key parameters:

• 📱 Mi Home version: older versions (up to 6.0) lack the direct video export feature. Update the app via Google Play or App Store.
• 🌍 Account Region: Cameras linked to Mainland servers have different download restrictions than devices on European or Russian servers.

If you use an action camera (e.g. Mi Action Camera 4K), the videos are stored on a microSD card and can be physically transferred. Smart cameras (Mi Home Security Camera 2K, Mi 360°) will require access to the cloud or LAN.

⚠️ Note: If the camera is connected to a Xiaomi account with two-factor authentication (2FA), Before downloading, disable it in the security settings, otherwise, when exporting video through Mi Home, the system may request SMS-code.

2. Method 1: Download video via the Mi Home app (official method)

The easiest way is to use the official Mi Home app, which is suitable for all smart cameras (Mi Home Security Camera 360°, Mi Home Camera 2K, etc.), but has storage time limits.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Mi Home app and select your camera.
2. Go to the Records tab (or History in English).
3. Choose the right day and time period. Videos will be displayed as a timeline.
4. Click on the desired fragment and hold your finger for 2 seconds – a menu with the option Save (or Download) will appear.
5. Select resolution (HD or SD) and confirm download.

The video will be saved to the Downloads/MiHome folder on your phone, and on iOS, files will be available in the Files app in the Mi Home section.

⚠️ Note: If the video in the app is displayed with the Mi Home watermark, it will remain when downloaded, and you can only remove it through a paid subscription or special programs (for example, VideoWatermarkRemover).

Method 2: Export video over a local area network (without the cloud)

If cloud storage is out of service or you want to download records without time constraints, use direct download over a local area network, which works for cameras connected to the same Wi-Fi as your computer or phone.

For Windows/Mac:

1. Find out. IP-The camera address in the Mi Home app (Settings section) → Network information).
2. Enter this address in the browser address bar (e.g. http://192.168.1.100).
3. Log in with the username and password from the camera (by default often) admin/blank password or specified in the instructions).
4. Go to Storage → Video Files and select the files to download.

For Android/iOS:

Use applications like File Explorer or FX File Manager to connect to the camera FTP. Address for connection: ftp://[IP-camera], port — 21.

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If the camera doesn't open IP, Check if the Windows firewall or antivirus is blocking access. IP-camera address.

4. Method 3: Transfer video from the Xiaomi action camera (Mi Action Camera)

Action Camera (Mi Action Camera) 4K, MiJia 4K) They save videos to a microSD card, so they can be transferred physically or through a microSD card. USB-But there are nuances:

• 📁 File format: Videos are recorded in.MP4 (standard.MOV (model H.265).
• 🔌 Connection: Cameras support USB Type-C, but data transfer requires a mode MTP (included in the camera settings).
• 🔄 Speed: When copying through USB 2.0 speed is limited ~30 MB/s, through USB 3.0 to ~100 MB/s.

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect the camera to the PC via USB-C cable.
2. Enable data transfer mode: on the camera go to Settings → Connection → USB-regime → File transfer.
3. A window with DCIM or MISC folders will open on the PC - the videos are in DCIM/100MEDIA.
4. Copy the files to the hard drive.

For Mac: If the camera is not recognized, install Android File Transfer (the official software from Google).

5. Method 4: Automatic unloading to NAS or FTP (for advanced)

If you want to automatically save video from the camera to network storage (NAS) or FTP-server, configure this feature in the camera firmware. This is true for Mi Home Camera models. 2K Pro, Xiaomi Smart Camera C400 newer.

Customization via Mi Home:

1. Open the camera settings in the app.
2. Go to Warehouse → Recording Settings → Network Storage.
3. Choose. FTP Enter your server data: Address: ftp://your server.ru (or local) IP) Port port: 21 Login: Your Login Password: Your Password Folder: /xiaoimi_cam/
4. Set a recording schedule (e.g. 24/7 or by movement).

Recommendations FTP-server:

• 🖥️ Use FileZilla Server (Windows) or vsftpd (Linux) to deploy.
• 🔒 Set up passive mode (PASV) steady-work.
• 📂 Create a separate folder for the camera with recording rights (chmod 777).

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Automatic unloading for FTP Reduces cloud load and allows you to store records indefinitely, but requires a stable Internet connection (at least 10 Mbps for the first time). 2K-video).

Method 5: Bypassing cloud storage restrictions (legally)

The free Mi Home account allows you to download videos only in the last 7 days. To access old recordings without a subscription, use one of the methods:

• 🔄 Time reset on the camera: if you change the date on the device (via the device) ADB Or root access, the cloud can show older records. It doesn't work on all firmware!
• 📥 Exports via Mi Home API: Use informal scripts (e.g. mi-home-bin on GitHub) to download archives. Python knowledge is required.
• 💾 Local Storage: Connect to a microSD camera (if supported) and set up a record there instead of the cloud.

Important: Xiaomi can block an account for using unofficial methods of accessing the API, we recommend backing up only for personal needs, not distributing downloaded videos.

⚠️ Note: When resetting time on camera through ADB (Adb shell date -s YYYYMMDD.HHmmss) risks disrupting synchronization with Xiaomi servers!

7. Solving Typical Video Uploading Errors

If the video is not downloaded or the process is interrupted, check these points:

If the camera produces a “Device locked” error, it may mean that:

• The account is linked to another region (e.g. China, where strict restrictions apply).
• Terms of use (e.g., too frequent requests to APIs) are violated.
• The device was reset to factory settings without decoupling from the previous owner.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)