How to quickly transfer photos from Google Photos to your computer from Xiaomi Redmi phone: all working ways

Transferring photos from Xiaomi Redmi to your computer via Google Photos seems like a simple task — until you encounter nuances. Users often lose hours searching for a working method because standard instructions do not take into account the features of the firmware. MIUI, restriction USB-This article will not just list the ways, but will help you choose the best one based on your Redmi model (be it Note 12 Pro).+ or Redmi 10C), Data and even Internet connection speeds.

We tested all the current methods on devices with MIUI 14 And HyperOS to detect pitfalls, like why you connect to a computer. USB computer doesn't see the folder DCIM/Google Photos? Or how to get around the restriction on downloading large numbers of photos through the web? Answers below, with step-by-step screenshots and alternatives for each case.

Spoiler: The fastest way for Redmi with 64GB of memory is a combination USB-It's a cable and a local folder called Google Photos, but it doesn't work on all firmware. And if you have a Redmi Note 11 with HyperOS, you'd better set up automatic sync with Google Drive right away -- that's what we're talking about in the cloud services section.

1.Phone Preparation: Why Can't Your Computer See Photos from Google Photos?

Before the penos check out three key points on Xiaomi Redmi:

1. Sync enabled: Open the Google Photos app, tap on the avatar → Photo settings → Backup and sync. If the switch is grey, turn it on and wait until the download is complete (the cloud icon at the top should disappear).
2. Local copies saved: Google Photos deletes originals from the device by default after backup. To return them, go to Settings → Free up space and click Restore (if the option is active).
3. USB-debugging MTP: on MIUI You're often confused by your connection settings. → Connection and sharing → USB, What is the selected mode of file transfer (MTP).

⚠️ Note: If you are using Redmi with HyperOS (e.g. Redmi) 13C), If you connect to your PC, you might get a notification, "Allow data?" Don't click "Cancel" -- that will block access to your folders for 24 hours. You'd better choose "Allow always" so you don't have to repeat the procedure every time you connect.

Another common problem is hidden folders. Google Photos stores the originals in:

/storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Google Photos/


/storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Google Photos/

But MIUI 14+ These directories can be hidden, so you can see them:

1. Connect the phone to the PC.
2. In Windows Explorer, enter the address bar \\?\ (without quotation marks) and press Enter.
3. A full list of folders will be opened, including hidden ones.

Method 1: Transfer of the USB-cable (the fastest for large volumes)

This method is suitable if you have more than 500 photos or weak Internet. on Xiaomi Redmi with Snapdragon chipset (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro).+) speed USB 3.0 reaches 40MB/s, which is 5-10 times faster than cloud downloads.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Redmi to your computer with the original cable (cheap cables often limit speeds to the speed limit). USB 2.0).
2. On the phone in the notification panel, select File Transfer (if it does not appear, check it out). USB-port to PC or try another cable).
3. Open this computer on your computer. → Find a Redmi device (usually displayed as Xiaomi...).
4. Go to the folder: Internal drive → DCIM → Google Photos or Internal Storage → Pictures → Google Photos
5. Copy files to your computer (we recommend creating a separate folder, for example, Redmi_Backup_2026).

⚠️ Attention: Redmi with MIUI 13 or below may work protection MIUI Optimization, which blocks access to files through USB. To turn it off:

1. Activate Developer Mode (7 times tap the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone).
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For Developers and disable MIUI Optimization.
3. Reboot the phone.

Use the original Xiaomi cable

Enable the File Transfer Mode (MTP)

Check out DCIM and Pictures folders

Turn off optimization MIUI (if you can't see the files)

Create a backup folder on the PC-->

3. Method 2: Download via the web version of Google Photos (without cable)

If USB-The cable is not available or you prefer the wireless method, use the web interface Google Photos. This method is universal for all Redmi models, but has limitations:

• 🔹 Maximum 500 photos per download (if you try to download more, the archive is not created).
• 🔹 Quality compression: High-resolution originals can be reduced to 16 MP.
• 🔹 Long wait: processing of the archive takes from 10 minutes to several hours.

How to download a photo through the browser:

1. Open photos.google.com on your computer and log in under the same account as Redmi.
2. Select the photos you want: To highlight the range: press Shift and click on the first and last photo. For individual files, hold Ctrl (or Cmd on a Mac) and click on thumbnails.

Download

"Your archive is ready."

photos.zip

7-Zip

WinRAR

💡 If you want to download all photos without a limit of 500 pieces, use Google Takeout:

1. Go to takeout.google.com.
2. Uncheck all boxes except Google Photos.
3. Choose the archive format (.zip or.tgz) and the maximum size (up to 50 GB).
4. Click Create Export and wait for the link letter (may take up to 24 hours).

4. Method 3: Sync with Google Drive (automatic backup)

If you take photos on Redmi regularly and want them to appear automatically on your computer, set up Google Photos sync with Google Drive. This method requires initial setup, but then works in the background.

How to link Google Photos and Google Drive:

1. On your computer, install the Google Backup and Sync app.
2. When you first start, select Sync with Google Drive and specify a folder on your PC to save a photo (for example, D:\Xiaomi_Photos).
3. On Redmi, open Google Photos → Settings → Backup and synchronization.
4. Activate the option Save originals on Google Drive (if not, update the app).
5. Now all new photos with Redmi will automatically appear in the specified folder on the PC.

⚠️ Attention: MIUI 14+ Google Photos may conflict with the Gallery app if photos are not synced:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Gallery and turn off Autoboot to the cloud (so that there is no duplication of processes).
3. Restart Google Photos.

Comparison of synchronization methods:

5. Method 4: Local folder Google Photos on Xiaomi (hidden feature)

Few people know, but Google Photos on Xiaomi Redmi can save local copies of all uploaded photos in a hidden folder, which allows you to bypass the limitations of the cloud and download the originals directly from your phone.

How to find and copy local copies:

1. On your phone, open Google Photos and make sure that backup is enabled.
2. Go to Settings. → If there's a Restore button, press it, it'll return the originals to the folder. DCIM.
3. Connect Redmi to your PC and find the folder: /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Google Photos/ (If it's not there, check it out. /DCIM/Google Photos/).
4. Copy files onto your computer. They'll be in their original quality, even if compressed versions are stored in the cloud.

🔧 Technical nuance: On Redmi with HyperOS (for example, Redmi) 13C) The path to the folder may be different:

/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.google.android.apps.photos/files/Pictures/

To see it, you need to enable the display of hidden and system files in Windows Explorer:

1. In the conductor, press View. → Parameters → Change folder settings.
2. Uncheck the tick to hide protected system files.
3. Check the box to show hidden files, folders and disks.

1. Open any photo in Google Photos and click "Save to Device".

2. Restart the application with cache cleaning (Settings) → Annexes → Google Photo → Clear the cache).

3. wait 10-15 minutes – sometimes local copies appear with a delay.-->

Method 5: Alternative Applications (for Advanced Users)

If standard methods don't work, try specialized utilities. We tested 3 apps that bypass the limitations. MIUI Google Photos:

Top.-3 Applications for transferring photos from Redmi to PC:

• 🖥️ AirDroid (free): Remote access to Redmi files via browser. You can download photos directly from Google Photos. Free rate limit is 200 MB/day.

How to transfer photos through Solid Explorer:

1. Install Solid Explorer with Google Play.
2. Open the app and add a new Cloud account → Select Google Drive (Google Photos connects through it).
3. Log in and find the Google Photos folder in the Disc list.
4. Select the files you need, click Copy and select Local Storage → DCIM.
5. Connect Redmi to your PC and copy the photo from your phone.

- USB-cable damaged or lost;

Google Photos blocks downloading through the web version;

- You need to transfer the photo to your PC without access to the phone (for example, remotely).-->

7. Frequent errors and how to fix them

Even if you follow the instructions, Xiaomi Redmi users face typical problems.

Error 1: The computer can't see the phone when connected USB

• 🔌 Check the cable: Use the original Xiaomi cable (cheap cables often only support charging).
• 🖥️ Update drivers: on PC, open Device Manager, find Redmi in the list (usually in the Portable Devices section), right-click → Update the driver.
• 📱 Drop it. USB-settings on the phone: go to Settings → Connection and sharing → USB and select Reset configuration USB.

Error 2: Google Photos does not have the option to “Save to your device”

• 📲 Update the app: Go to Google Play, search for Google Photos and click Update.
• 🔄 Switch your account: sometimes the option disappears when you change your Google account. log out and log in again.
• 🗑️ Clear the cache: Settings → Annexes → Google Photo → Warehouse → Clear the cache.

Error 3: Google Photo Archive is damaged or not opened

• 📦 Use a different archiver: download 7-Zip — It is better at handling Google’s large archives.
• 🔍 Check the antivirus: sometimes antivirus (such as Avast or Kaspersky) will block the unpacking.
• 🔄 Re-download: If the archive weighs 0 bytes or doesn’t unpack, request it again via Google Takeout.

🛠️ A universal solution for MIUI/HyperOS:

If none of these methods work, try the recovery mode:

1. Turn off Redmi.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. Choose Connect with MTP (control of volume buttons, confirmation - power button).
4. Connect your phone to your PC, and it will appear as a removable disk with access to all folders.

⚠️ Note: In this mode, you can not view photos through the phone gallery, but they will be available for copying on PC.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions