How to quickly send photos from Xiaomi to your computer: all ways 2026

Why is the standard method through USB It's not always working.

Transfer photos from Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO It seems like a trivial task to get a computer to plug in the cable, copy the files, do it. But in practice, users face unexpected problems: the phone is not defined as a drive, MIUI It asks you to unlock access, and Windows requires drivers. MIUI and default settings.

For example, in new versions MIUI 14/15 The default mode is only charging when connected by USB. And if you use a low-quality cable (especially from a set of budget models), the transmission speed can drop to a low level. 1-2 Another trap – Xiaomi sometimes blocks access to the folder DCIM through MTP-protocol, if the phone is enabled the function Protection of personal data.

In this article, we will analyze 7 working ways to transfer photos, taking into account all the nuances MIUI, You'll learn which method is the fastest (spoiler: it's not a problem). USB), How to transfer files without cable, and what to do if the computer can’t see the phone.

Method 1: Transmission through USB-cable (MTP-regime)

The classic method that works on all Xiaomi models – from Redmi Note 4X Xiaomi 14 Ultra, but to avoid mistakes, follow the exact sequence:

Connect the cable to your phone and PC. Use the original cable or certified cable. USB-C/USB-A (For older models, micro-USB).
On the phone will appear a notification Charge via USB – tap it.
Select File Transfer Mode (MTP). If this item is not - turn on the debugging by USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (tap 7 times) → Additional settings → Developer parameters.
On your computer, open this computer (Windows) or Finder (Mac). The phone should appear as a removable disk.

If the telephone is not identified:

🔌 Check the cable -- cheap cables often only support charging, but not data.
🔄 Reboot both devices. Sometimes resetting helps. USB-Configuration: Turn off the cable, select in the notification curtain USB-drive, then reconnect.
🖥️ On Windows, update drivers: Device Manager → Portable devices → [Your Xiaomi] → Update the driver.

I'm using the original cable.|Regime on. MTP|Debugging by USB activated (if necessary)|I tried to reset the devices.-->

⚠️ Note: On MacOS to access Xiaomi files via MTP Android File Transfer is required without this program, you won’t see the phone.

Method 2: Wireless transmission over Wi-Fi (Mi Drop, FTP)

If the cable is not on hand or broken, Wi-Fi is the most convenient way. Xiaomi offers two built-in tools: Mi Drop (for transfer between devices) and FTP-server (for access from PC.

Option A: Mi Drop (only for Xiaomi phones) → Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO)

The Mi Drop app is pre-installed on all phones with MIUI. It allows you to send files between Xiaomi devices over a local network without the Internet:

Open Mi Drop on the sender phone.
Select photos. → press Send.
On the second Xiaomi phone, open Mi Drop and accept the files.

Cons: It doesn't work directly with the PC. Use Option B to transfer to the computer.

Option B: FTP-server (for transmission to PC)/Mac)

This is a universal method that turns your Xiaomi into a network drive:

Connect your phone and computer to the same Wi-Fi network.
On the phone, open the Explorer. → FTP (or settings → Connection and sharing → FTP-server).
Launch the server and copy the address of the view ftp://192.168.x.x:xxxx.
On PC, open either Windows or Finder (Mac) and paste the address in the address bar.

Method	Speed.	Internet is required	It works with a PC.
Mi Drop	~10 MB/s	No (local area network)	❌ No.
FTP-server	~5-15 MB/s	No (local area network)	✅ Yes.
USB (MTP)	~2-40 MB/s	❌ No.	✅ Yes.

Po Po Po USB-cable|Wi-Fi (FTP/Mi Drop)|Cloud services (Google Drive)|Messengers (Telegram)|Other-->

Method 3: Cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud, Yandex.Disk)

If you need to transfer photos to another computer or save a backup, cloud services are the best choice. Xiaomi is integrated with Mi Cloud, but we recommend Google Photos due to the lack of quality restrictions (when compressed).

Instructions for Google Photos:

Install Google Photos on your phone.
Enable Backup and Synchronization in the application settings.
Choose High Quality (unlimited storage) or Original Quality (accounted for by Google Drive quota).
On your computer, open photos.google.com and download the photos you need.

Advantages:

🌍 Access from any device.
🔍 Automatic sorting by date/place.
📱 Low traffic consumption (with high quality).

Disadvantages:

⚠️ At Original Quality, it takes up space in Google Drive (15GB free).
⏳ Loading a large number of photos can take hours.

💡

If you need to immediately free up space on your phone, Google Photos has the function Free up space – it will remove from the device already uploaded to the cloud photos.

Method 4: Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber)

The easiest, but not the most reliable way is to send a photo to your messenger. 10-20 I'm not going to take pictures, but I'm not going to take them to mass broadcast:

Telegram (without loss of quality)

Unlike WhatsApp, Telegram does not compress photos when sending them through Save Messages:

Open the chat Messages to yourself in Telegram.
Press the paperclip. → Gallery and select a photo.
Send them as Files (not as photos) to avoid compression.
On your computer, open web.telegram.org and download files.

WhatsApp (with restrictions)

WhatsApp compresses the photo to 1600×1200 px, but convenient for fast transmission:

📱 Send a photo to yourself or a group with a computer version of WhatsApp.
💻 Download them via web.whatsapp.com.

⚠️ In Viber and WhatsApp photos are compressed to 80-90% For professional images, use Telegram or cloud services.

Method 5: Special Applications (Xender, Snapdrop, AirDroid)

If the built-in methods are not satisfied, third-party applications offer advanced features: transfer without size restrictions, cross-platform and high speed.-3:

1. Xender (up to 40MB/s)

A popular application for transferring files between any devices:

Install Xender on your phone.
Open the application and select Send. → photo.
On your computer go to web.xender.com and scan. QR-phonecode.

2. Snapdrop (without installation)

Web service for transferring files over a local network:

Open on your phone and PC site snapdrop.net.
The devices will automatically detect each other.
Drag the photo from your phone to your computer icon.

3. AirDroid (Remote Access)

Allows you to manage your phone files from a PC:

📱 Install AirDroid.
💻 Register at web.airdroid.com.
🔗 Connect devices through your account or QR-code.

Annex	Max, speed.	Installation on PC required	It works without the internet.
Xender	~40MB/s	❌ No (web version)	✅ Yes.
Snapdrop	~10-20 MB/s	❌ No.	✅ Yes.
AirDroid	~5-15 MB/s	✅ Yes (client)	❌ No (requires an account)

Method 6: Memory card (for models with microSD support)

If your Xiaomi supports memory cards (such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro or the Redmi Note 10 Pro) POCO X3 Pro, the most reliable way is to extract the microSD and insert it into the computer through a card reader:

🚀 Highest transmission speed up to 90 MB/s per UHS-II card).
🛡️ No risk of loss of quality or connection failures.
🔄 You can use the card as a backup copy.

Step-by-step:

Transfer the photo to a folder on the memory card (for example, /storage/XXXX-XXXX/DCIM/Camera).
Remove the card from the phone (pre-mounted in the storage settings).
Put it in the card reader.
Copy the files to the hard drive.

⚠️ Note: Do not remove the memory card while transferring files - this may damage the file system. Always use the Safe Retrieval feature on Windows or Extract on Mac.

Method 7: Email and Archiving (for small packets)

If you need to send it before 100 photo (total volume up to 25-50 MB), you can use email, which is convenient for transferring to another computer, where you can't install programs.

How to send:

Select a photo in the gallery Xiaomi → Share. → Email.
Please provide your email address.
If there are many files, archive them in ZIP: Use the Conductor → Select the photo → Squeeze.
Download the letter with the attachment on the computer.

Limitations:

📧 Gmail accepts investments up to 25 MB, Yandex Mail up to 30 MB.
⏱️ Archiving and shipping can take time.
🔒 Not suitable for confidential photos (risk of leakage).

How to reduce the size of the photo before sending by email?

In the gallery Xiaomi, select a photo → Edit → Resize. Or use applications like Photo & Picture Resizer for batch compression.

Comparison of all methods: which one to choose?

The choice of method depends on the number of photos, the availability of cable / Internet and speed requirements.

🏆 Maximum speed: Memory card (90 MB/s) or USB 3.0 (40 MB/s).
🌐 Remote transmission: Google Photos or Telegram.
🔌 No cable: FTP-server.
📱 Between Xiaomi Phones: Mi Drop.
💼 For backup: Mi Cloud or Yandex.Disk.

If you need to transfer thousands of photos (for example, after a vacation), the optimal algorithm is:

Copy the photo to a memory card (if there is a slot).
Use it. USB 3.0 + original cable for transmission to PC.
Make a backup in Google Photos (in case of data loss).

💡

For professional photographers, the best choice is a memory card. + USB 3.0. for ordinary users, cloud services or FTP Wi-Fi.

FAQ: Frequent questions and errors

🔹 Why your computer can’t see Xiaomi USB?

The reasons may be as follows: 🔌 Unoriginal cable (try another one). 📱 The phone does not have a file transfer mode (MTP). 🖥️ There are no drivers on PC (download Mi). PC Suite). 🔄 Antivirus conflict (temporarily disable protection) Solution: Reboot both devices, turn on Debugging USB Try another port. USB.

🔹 How to transfer photos from Xiaomi to Mac?

On MacOS to access Xiaomi files via USB: Install Android File Transfer. Connect your phone in mode MTP. Open the program and it will show the phone files. Alternative: use it. FTP-server.

🔹 Can I transfer photos over Bluetooth?

Technically yes, but it is inefficient: ⏳ Speed: ~0.5-1 MB/s (in) 20-50 slowly USB). 📶 File size restriction (usually up to) 10-50 MB). 🔋 High battery consumption. Use Bluetooth only for 1-2 emergency photographs.

🔹 Why Google Photos Are Losing Quality?

If you have selected High Quality Mode, Google Photos compresses images to 16MP resolution (enough for most cases).To maintain original quality: Open Google Photos → Settings → Backup and sync. Choose Original Quality. note that this will be factored into the Google Drive limit (15GB free).

🔹 How to transfer photos from a damaged screen Xiaomi?

If the screen does not respond to touch, but the phone turns on: 🔌 Connect your phone to the PC by USB and use ADB (skills). 🔄 If you have synced with Mi Cloud or Google Photos enabled, download a photo from the cloud. 📱 For supported models OTG Put your mouse in the adapter and control it. If the screen is completely black, contact the service center to extract the data.