Uploading photos from Xiaomi: 7 proven ways to transfer pictures

Modern Xiaomi smartphones allow you to take thousands of photos in high resolution, but sooner or later the question arises: how to free up the memory of the device without losing valuable footage? Uploading photos is the process of transferring images from your phone to another storage: the cloud, computer, external drive or even another gadget. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods, their pros and cons, and also give practical tips for optimizing the process.

It’s important to understand that the way you upload depends on several factors: data volume, internet speed, additional devices, and even your Xiaomi model. For example, the flagship Xiaomi 13 or Redmi Note 12 series support wireless transmission over Wi-Fi Direct, whereas budget models may require cable connection, and we’ll look at options for everything from automatic synchronization to manual copying over ADB.

1. Unloading through USB-cable: the classical method

The most reliable and versatile way is to connect your phone to your computer via cable, which works even when you don't have the Internet, and is suitable for sending large amounts of data (e.g., large amounts of data, RAW-file 12S Ultra).

To get started, you'll need:

• 🔌 USB Type C C Cable (original or certified)
• 💻 Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux
• 📂 Access to the phone file system (permission) MTP)

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC with a cable.
2. On the phone in the notification panel, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. On your computer, open this computer (Windows) or Finder (macOS) - the phone will appear as a removable disk.
4. Go to DCIM → Camera (or Pictures for screenshots) folder.
5. Copy files to the desired directory on the PC.

Check the integrity of the cable.|Unlock the phone screen|Turn off the "charging" mode in notifications|Create a folder on a PC for photos-->

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO F5) At the first connection, it may be necessary to unlock OEM Unlock in the developer settings. If the phone is not identified, check the drivers or try another cable.

💡

To speed up the transfer, turn off sync with the cloud for the copy time – this will reduce the load on the phone’s processor.

2. Wireless transmission over Wi-Fi (Mi Drop, LocalSend)

If the cable is not available and the Internet is slow to download to the cloud, local file transfer applications will come to the rescue. Xiaomi offers a built-in solution - Mi Drop, and also supports third-party services like LocalSend or Snapdrop.

Advantages of the method:

• 🌐 No Internet connection – it works through a local network
• 📱 Suitable for transfer between phones (e.g. Xiaomi) → iPhone)
• 🔒 Data does not go to third-party servers

How to use Mi Drop:

1. Open the Mi Drop app (pre-installed on most models).
2. Select files to transfer (JPEG, PNG, HEIC are supported).
3. Click Send and select the receiver device (should be on the same Wi-Fi network).
4. Confirm reception on the second device.

⚠️ Note: When transferring via LocalSend to Xiaomi Redmi 10C And older models may have a "Not enough memory" error, in which case close the background apps or restart the phone.

3. Cloud Storage: Google Photos vs Mi Cloud

Cloud services are convenient for automatic uploading and access to photos from any device. Xiaomi offers two main options: built-in Mi Cloud storage (5 GB free) and Google Photos (15 GB within Google Account).

Comparison of services:

• ☁️ Mi Cloud: Integration with Xiaomi Gallery, automatic synchronization, but limited space.
• 📷 Google Photos: facial recognition, search by content, but compressing the originals at a free rate.

How to set up autounloading in Google Photos:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Log in to your Google account.
3. Go to Settings → Backup and Synchronization.
4. Enable the option and select quality (Original or High).

Google Photo|Mi Cloud|Yandex Disc.|iCloud|Other-->

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi models with MIUI 14 and later, when first enabled, Mi Cloud may request confirmation via SMS, even SIM-In this case, use Wi-Fi to activate the card.

4. Unloading to an external drive (flash drive, SSD)

If you need to transfer a photo to a flash drive or external hard drive, Xiaomi supports connecting drives through the device. OTG-This is true for photographers who work with large amounts of data (for example, for example, for the adapter, RAW-Files from Xiaomi 13 Pro).

What you need:

• 🔌 OTG-adapter (Type-C) → USB-A)
• 💾 flash drive or SSD file-system FAT32/exFAT
• 📱 Supported phone OTG (All models after 2018)

Instructions:

1. Connect the adapter to the phone, and to it – the drive.
2. In the notifications will appear a message USB-drive connected.
3. Open the File Manager (e.g. Files by Google).
4. Go to the Inner Memory → DCIM.
5. Select files and click Copy → USB-accumulator.

5. Computer transmission over FTP (for advanced users)

For those who prefer flexibility and control, FTP is a good way to transfer files on the phone, which allows you to manage files on the phone as if on a server, using programs like FileZilla or Total Commander.

How to set up FTP-server:

1. Install an FTP Server application (such as Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Start the server and write down the address (e.g. ftp://192.168.1.10:2221).
3. On PC, connect through FTP-client using a login/password from the application.
4. Copy files from /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.

In the models with MIUI 13+ built-in FTP-The server may block connections due to security policy, in which case use the MiXplorer app with root mode enabled (requires unlocking the bootloader).

6. Automatic unloading through tasks (Automate, Tasker)

If you need to upload photos regularly (e.g. every night), you can automate the process with apps like Automate or Tasker, which is true for bloggers or travelers who take hundreds of pictures a day.

Example of the scenario in Automate:

• 🤖 Condition: Time = 22:00 + Wi-Fi connection
• 📤 Action: Copy files from /DCIM/ Google Drive
• 🔄 Additional: Delete files older than 30 days (optional)

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI 14 Tasker requires that you enable Special Access in the application settings. Without this, automatic unloading may be interrupted.

7. Alternative methods: Email, Telegram, AirDroid

You can use instant messengers or email to send a small number of photos (up to 50 pieces), which is not the most effective way, but it helps in emergency situations.

Options:

• ✉️ Email: Up to 25MB in Gmail).
• 📱 Telegram: bot @SaveAsBot or personal messages (limit) 2 GB per file).
• 🌍 AirDroid: Remote File Management via Browser.

How to send a photo via Telegram:

1. Open the Saved Messages chat.
2. Click Paperclip → File and select a photo.
3. For the archive, use compress (ZIP format).

💡

To transfer more than 100 photos, it is better to use the cloud or USB – messengers limit speed and can compress images.

FAQ: Frequent questions about uploading photos from Xiaomi