How to open a photo from a Xiaomi phone on your computer: all ways 2026

Transferring photos from Xiaomi phone to computer seems like a simple task – until you encounter typical problems: the phone is not defined as a drive, MIUI It asks for permissions, and Windows requires drivers, and even if you plug in a smartphone with a cable, it can show you an empty folder. DCIM Or ignore the device altogether. In this article, we'll look at all the current ways of transmitting photos, from the classical to the traditional. USB to cloud services, and solve common errors related to settings MIUI and drivers.

Features of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO — coating MIUI, For example, when you first connect to a PC, the system can automatically choose Charging mode instead of File Transfer. 12 Redmi Note 11) use protocol MTP, Which doesn’t always work well with Windows. 10/11. We tested all methods on current versions. MIUI (including MIUI 14/15) We have created solutions from basic to alternatives.

If you need to copy a photo urgently, start with the section "Connection by USB» — This is the fastest way to do it when you set up the right setup. For a regular backup, you better set up your cloud sync (section 4), and if the cable breaks, use wireless transmission (section 3 — FAQ Answering frequent questions, including driver and invisible files.

1. Connection through USB: step-by-step

The most reliable way to transfer photos is cable USB Type-C (or Micro-USB for older models), but even here there are nuances: Xiaomi can block file access by default, and Windows can not recognize the device.

Check the quality of the cable first: cheap wires often only support charging, not data transfer. Original cables from Xiaomi (for example, from the Redmi Note 12 Pro kit)+) They're usually stable. Also make sure the port is stable. USB on the computer is good - try to connect another device (flash drive or mouse).

• 🔌 Connect your phone to your PC with the original cable. Use the port. USB 3.0 (blue) for maximum speed.
• 📱 On the phone screen will appear a notification Charging through USB. Tap it and select File Transfer (or File Manager in older versions). MIUI).
• 🖥️ On your computer, open This computer (or My computer in Windows 7). Your Xiaomi should appear as a removable drive (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro).
• 📁 Go to the Internal Storage folder → DCIM → Camera (or Pictures for screenshots) - this is where all the photos taken on the phone are stored.

If the phone is not displayed in the conductor, perform a diagnosis:

1. On your phone, go to Settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI and tap 7 times on the item Version MIUI, to activate the Developer Mode.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect the phone again and select File Transfer mode.

⚠️ Note: If you have connected the folder DCIM empty, check if the files are hidden. In Windows Explorer, click View → Also make sure that the photos are stored on internal memory, not on a map. SD (Check the settings of the phone camera).

Use the original Xiaomi cable

Enable the "File Transfer" mode on the phone

Check the USB 3.0 port on your PC

Update the drivers MTP (If Windows does not recognize the device)

Disable the blockers (antivirus, firewall) for 5 minutes-->

2. Solving driver problems MTP Windows

Error “Device” MTP not identified" or code 0xE8000003 Device Manager is a common problem when connecting Xiaomi to a PC, due to the absence or conflict of Media Transfer Protocol drivers (MTP). The problem is solved manually or automatically.

First, try rebooting both devices: turn off your phone, restart your computer, and reconnect. If it doesn't work, follow the instructions:

• 🖱️ Press Win. + X and select Device Manager.
• 🔍 Find Portable Devices or Other Devices in your Xiaomi (may be displayed as MTP or with a yellow exclamation mark).
• 🔄 Right-click. → Update the driver → Search for drivers on this computer.
• 📋 Select the driver from the list of already installed → MTP-device (manufacturer - Microsoft).

If the standard driver does not work, download the official Xiaomi driver package from the site mi.com (Drivers section). POCO You may need a separate package – look for it. poco.in/support.

⚠️ Note: On laptops with Windows 11 sometimes helps to roll back the driver MTP Up to version 10.0.22000.1. To do this, select Properties in Device Manager → Driver. → Also temporarily disable the antivirus (such as Avast or Kaspersky) as they can block access to the phone's file system.

Po Po Po USB-cable

Through the Cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud)

By Wi-Fi (FTP, AirDroid)

Through the memory card.

Another option-->

3. Wireless transmission of photo: Wi-Fi and FTP

If the cable is not available, or USB-The port is broken, you can transfer the photo over the local Wi-Fi network. MIUI Or third-party applications like AirDroid, and the main advantage of the method is that there are no wires, and the disadvantage is that the transmission speed is lower than the speed of the system. USB (particularly RAW-photo).

The easiest way is built-in FTP-server MIUI:

1. Connect your phone and computer to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. On the phone, open the Explorer (or Files) → FTP (tab).
3. Tap Launch - the address of the form ftp://192.168.x.x:xxxx will appear.
4. Open this computer on your computer. → Plug the address into the address bar and press Enter.
5. Enter the login / password (by default - anonymous without a password or data from the phone).

To speed up the transfer, use FileZilla or WinSCP, which supports multithreaded downloading. Alternatively, the AirDroid app:

• 📲 Install AirDroid from Google Play.
• 🌐 Sign up and log in to your phone and computer account (web.airdroid.com).
• 📎 In the Files section, select the folder DCIM And download the right photos.

⚠️ Note: When transferring over Wi-Fi, do not use public networks (for example, in a cafe or airport) - this is not safe: FTP-server MIUI It's very energy-consuming. For long-term transmission, connect your phone to charge.

4. Cloud services: Google Photos, Mi Cloud and Yandex.Disk

For automatic backup photos, the best option is cloud storage. Xiaomi offers its own Mi Cloud service, but it is limited to 5 GB of free space. Alternatives are Google Photos (15 GB) or Yandex.Disk (10 GB), the advantage of the method: photos are synchronized automatically and can be opened from any device.

Setting up Google Photos (recommended for most users):

• 📱 Install Google Photos from Google Play.
• 🔒 Sign in to your Google account (if not, create one).
• ☁️ In the application settings, enable Backup and Synchronization.
• 📁 Choose High Quality (unlimited storage) or Original Quality (placed in Google Drive).
• 🖥️ On your computer, open photos.google.com and download the necessary photos.

For Mi Cloud (if you prefer the Xiaomi ecosystem):

1. On the phone go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Enable Gallery Sync and select folders for backup.
3. On your computer, open i.mi.com, log in to your account and download photos from the Gallery section.

💡

If you are taking pictures in a format RAW (For example, on Xiaomi 13 Ultra, choose a cloud that supports original quality. RAW When choosing the option "High quality", so for professional images it is better to use Mi Cloud or Yandex.Disk.

5. Transfer the photo through a microSD card

If your Xiaomi supports microSD cards (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO X3 Pro, you can transfer the photo through the adapter:

• 🔌 USB-port of the phone malfunction;
• 📱 The phone's locked. USB (For example, in corporate devices);
• 💾 You want to make a backup without connecting to a PC.

Instructions:

1. Insert a microSD card into your phone (if it is not already installed).
2. Open the gallery. → Choose a photo → More. → Copy.
3. Insert the card into the adapter and connect to the computer through the card reader.
4. Copy files from the card to the PC.

If the card is not determined on the PC:

• 🔄 Restart your computer with a connected card.
• 🛠️ Check the card reader on another device (it may be broken).
• 🗑️ Format the map in FAT32 or exFAT (Warning: All data will be deleted!).

⚠️ Note: MicroSD cards have a limited record life. If you copy/delete photos often, use class cards. A2 (SanDisk Extreme – optimized for frequent operations.

💡

A memory card is the most reliable way to transfer if USB-The port is damaged, but the read/write speed depends on the class of card. 4K-Photo and video selection UHS-I U3 higher.

6. Alternative methods: email, messengers and cable OTG

If none of the above methods are suitable, use alternatives, which are less convenient for mass transmission, but will help in emergency situations.

📧 Emailing

Suitable for sending a small number of photos (up to 25 MB in one letter for Gmail).

1. Open the gallery on your phone, select a photo → Share. → Email.
2. Please provide your email address and send a letter.
3. Open your email and download the attachments.

💬 Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp)

Telegram can send up to 2 GB per file (up to 100 MB on WhatsApp).

• 📱 In Telegram on your phone create a chat Save messages.
• 📎 Send the photo as a file (not as an image) to maintain the original quality.
• 🖥️ On your computer, open web.telegram.org and download files.

🔗 Cable OTG + flash-drive

If you have OTG-Adapter (e.g. Xiaomi) USB-C to USB-A), You can copy the photo to a flash drive, and then connect it to a PC:

1. Connect the flash drive to the phone via OTG.
2. In the Guide MIUI Copy the photo into a folder on a flash drive.
3. Remove the flash drive and connect to the computer.

Important: when copying through OTG The flash drive should be formatted in FAT32 Or exFAT. NTFS Not supported by most Xiaomi smartphones.

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even with the right connection, there can be unforeseen problems, and we've collected common bugs and ways to fix them.

If none of the solutions worked, try resetting the settings. USB phone-on:

1. Go to Settings → System → Resetting settings.
2. Select Settings Reset. USB (version MIUI This item is called Resetting Network Settings).
3. Connect your phone to the PC again.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions