How to transfer data from Xiaomi phone to computer: all the ways 2026

Why Standard Methods Don't Always Work

Are you trying to copy photos from the Redmi Note 12 to a laptop, but your computer can't see your phone? Or is it taking hours to transfer over USB because of thousands of small files? The problem is familiar to most Xiaomi owners - despite the abundance of features in MIUI, data transfer often turns into a puzzle.

The fact is that MTP (through which the phone connects as a media device) has speed and stability limitations, especially on Windows 10/11. Alternative methods, such as Wi-Fi Direct or Mi Cloud, require customization and are not always obvious. In this article, we will discuss 7 working methods, including little-known MIUI chips, which will speed up the process by 3-5 times.

Important: If you use Xiaomi with an unlocked bootloader or custom firmware, some methods (such as Mi Share) may not work properly — USB-debugging or cloud services.

1. The classical method: USB-cable (MTP)

The most common method that works on all models is from Redmi 9A to Xiaomi 14 Ultra. However, there are pitfalls here: Windows does not always correctly recognize the device, and transfer speeds can drop to 2-5 MB / s.

To avoid problems:

• 🔌 Use the original cable from the kit – cheap counterparts often do not support high-speed mode USB 3.0.
• 🖥️ Connect the cable to USB-port 3.0 (usually blue) on your computer.
• 📱 On your phone, select File Transfer Mode (not Charging or Photo Camera").
• 🔄 If your computer can’t see your phone, upgrade to MediaTek drivers (for Helio processors) or Qualcomm drivers (for Snapdragon).

If the transmission is too slow, try the alternative protocol:

1. Activate Developer Mode (7 times click on the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone).
2. Turn it on. USB-debugging → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Connect the phone to your PC and type in the command line: adb shell setprop persist.sys.usb.config mtp,adb This will force the MTP + ADB mode to turn on, which sometimes speeds up the transfer.

Use the original cable|Select the "File Transfer" mode"|Connect to USB 3.0|Update drivers (if necessary)|Activate USB-debugging (for acceleration)-->

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO F5) when connected through USB-C → USB-C You may need to flip the cable – not all ports support two-way data transfers.

2. Wireless transmission via Mi Share (Wi-Fi Direct)

Mi Share (formerly Xiaomi File Transfer) is a proprietary technology for file sharing between Xiaomi devices and computers, speeds up to 10-15 MB/s, but requires pre-setting.

How to use:

• 📱 On the phone, open Settings. → Connection and sharing → Mi Share.
• 🖥️ Download the official Mi Share app for Windows (check out the version for Windows) MIUI 14 need a client not lower than 2.1.0).
• 🔗 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (or activate the hotspot on your phone).
• 📤 On the phone, select files and click "Send" → Select a computer from the list.

Advantages of the method:

⚠️ Warning: If Mi Share doesn't find the computer, check if the Windows firewall or antivirus is blocking the transmission.

USB-cable|Wi-Fi (Mi Share, FTP)|Cloud services (Google Drive, Mi Cloud)|Another option-->

3. FTP-Server on the phone: for experienced users

If you need to transfer a large amount of data (for example, a backup of a.zip weighing 20)+ GB, the usual methods won't work. FTP-server MIUI.

Instructions:

1. Connect your phone and computer to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. On the phone, open the Explorer. → Network → FTP-server.
3. Start the server and write down the address of the view ftp://192.168.x.x:2221.
4. On PC, open Windows Explorer → enter the address in the address bar → enter the login / password (by default anonymous without a password).

FTP transmission speeds can reach 20-30 MB/s (depending on the router), and the main disadvantage is that there is no encryption, so do not use the method on public networks.

4. Cloud services: Mi Cloud vs Google Drive

If you don’t need instant transfer, cloud services are the most reliable option. Xiaomi offers its own Mi Cloud (5 GB for free), but it has limitations:

• 📁 Maximum size of one file – 2 GB.
• 🔄 Synchronization of photos works only in the original resolution (without compression).
• 🌍 Servers are located in China, which can slow down loading in Europe.

Alternatively, Google Drive (15GB free) or Yandex Drive (10GB) for automatic download:

1. Install the Google Photos app.
2. Enable Backup and Synchronization.
3. Choose the original quality (without compression).
4. On your computer, open drive.google.com and download the files.

Important: If you use Mi Cloud for backups, remember that when you reset your phone to factory settings, all data from the cloud will be automatically restored – this can take up to 12 hours for a large volume.

💡

To save traffic when uploading to the cloud, connect your phone to Wi-Fi and activate Data Savings mode in the Mi Cloud settings.

5. Transmission via OTG-drive (flash drive or SSD)

If you don’t have access to a computer but have an OTG adapter, you can use an external drive as an intermediary, a method that is suitable for USB OTG-enabled models (virtually all Xiaomi after 2018).

Step-by-step:

• 🔌 Connect. USB-phone-storage OTG-adapter.
• 📱 In the notification, click "Open" USB-accumulator".
• 📁 Copy files into a folder on a flash drive (for example, Xiaomi_Backup).
• 🖥️ Connect the drive to the computer and transfer the data.

Advantages:

• ⚡ Speed is limited only by the storage capacity (up to 100 MB / s per USB 3.0).
• 🔒 There is no risk of data loss when a connection is broken (unlike Wi-Fi).
• 📦 Suitable for transferring system backups (for example, TWRP).

⚠️ Note: Some exFAT flash drives may not display correctly on Xiaomi phones with MIUI 12 and below. In this case, format the drive in FAT32 (But remember the 4GB file size limit).

6 Hidden MIUI features: Quick Share and Nearby Share

MIUI 14 has Google Nearby Share, the Android analogue of AirDrop, which allows you to transfer files to a Windows 11 computer (with 22H2 update and higher) without additional programs.

How to set up:

1. On your phone, turn Nearby Share on Settings → Google → Devices and Sharing.
2. On PC, open Settings → System → Devices → Nearby Share.
3. Select the appearance of "All contacts" or "All devices".
4. On your phone, select files → Share → Nearby Share → Select your computer.

For older versions of MIUI (up to 13), Quick Share (from Samsung, but compatible with Xiaomi) is available:

• 📱 Install the Quick Share app.
• 🖥️ On PC, install a client for Windows.
• 🔗 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network.

💡

Nearby Share and Quick Share use Wi-Fi Direct + Bluetooth LE for transmission, which provides speeds of up to 20 MB/s and minimal battery consumption.

7.Alternative solutions: ADB, Termux and Python scripts

For advanced users who often work with large amounts of data, automated methods are suitable:

Method 1: ADB Pull (for technical files)

If you want to copy system files (e.g. /data/data), use ADB:

adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/ C:\Xiaomi_Backup\Photos


adb pull /sdcard/Download/ C:\Xiaomi_Backup\Downloads

Method 2: Termux + Python (for automatic synchronization)

Install Termux and do:

pkg install python


pip install http.server




cd /sdcard/DCIM




python -m http.server 8080

Then on the computer open in the browser http://[IP_phone]:8080 and download the files.

Method 3: Rclone (for cloud storage)

Configure Rclone in Termux to sync with Google Drive or S3:

rclone copy /sdcard/DCIM/ remote:Xiaomi_Backup/ --progress

⚠️ Attention: When in use ADB Termux, turn off optimization. MIUI for these applications (Settings) → Annexes → Special rights → Battery optimization, otherwise background processes may be interrupted.

FAQ: Frequent questions