How to quickly and safely transfer data from your Xiaomi phone to your computer

Data transfer from Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO On a PC, it seems like a simple task — until you encounter connection errors, slow speeds or suddenly "disappeared" files. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods of transfer: from the classical to the traditional. USB-cable-to-hidden functions MIUI, And we'll also tell you why sometimes the computer doesn't see the phone, and how to fix it without flashing it.

We'll focus on preserving the quality of photos and videos, because many users lose their resolution when they're sent over messengers or the cloud. MIUI to transfer files in the original resolution, including RAW-Photos from Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Redmi Note 12 Pro+. We will also discuss how to circumvent the limitations of Windows on the length of paths to files – this will save you from errors when copying large archives.

Transfer through USB-cable: the basic method with pitfalls

The most obvious way is to connect your phone to your PC via cable, but even here, there are nuances, from the choice of connection mode to the drivers that Windows stubbornly “does not want” to install automatically.

The first thing you need to do is select the right USB mode, and when you connect Xiaomi to your computer, the notification curtain will show the option “USB for file transfer.” There are several options available here:

• 📁 File transfer (MTP) — standard mode for data exchange. Suitable for Windows, macOS and Linux.
• 🖥️ Transmission of photographs (PTP) — A simple system that sometimes saves you from MTP doesn't work.
• 🔌 Charging only – blocks access to files (use if you just need to charge your phone in a public place).
• 🔧 Mid-mode – a hidden function MIUI for debugging (included through Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI, 7 times to tap).

If your computer can’t see your phone in MTP mode, check:

1. Cable – Use an original or certified USB Type-C (cheap cables often only support charging).
2. Drivers – Xiaomi may require you to install the Mi PC Suite (even if you don’t use it, drivers will install automatically).
3. USB port – try connecting to another port (especially if you use a hub).

⚠️ Note: On some models POCO (for example, POCO X5 Pro regime MTP It may be blocked due to security policy. To unlock, go to Settings. → Password and security → Lockdown and protection → Additionally. → USB-Devices and disable the “Block” option USB».

Use the original cable

Enable MTP mode in the notification curtain

Update drivers via Mi PC Suite

Try another one. USB-port

Turn off USB lock in security settings (for POCO)

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2 Wireless Wi-Fi transmission: when cables are not at hand

If you don’t have a cable or want to transfer files without a physical connection, use built-in MIUI features or third-party apps, which is especially convenient for sending large amounts of photos or videos – speeds can reach 10-15 MB/s (depending on the router).

The easiest way is to use the file transfer function in MIUI:

1. Open the Files app on your phone.
2. Select files, click Share → File Transfer.
3. Click Send and select the Computer.
4. On PC, open your browser and enter the address that will appear on your phone screen (e.g. ftp://192.168.1.100:8888).

For more stable transfer, we recommend using the LocalSend app (free, no ads, open source), which works on the principle of AirDrop, but cross-platform:

• 📱 Install LocalSend on your phone (available on Google Play or via Google Play) APK).
• 💻 Install the desktop version on PC (Windows, macOS, Linux).
• 🔗 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network.
• 📤 On your phone, select files. → Share. → LocalSend → Choose your PC from the list.

⚠️ Note: When transferring large files over Wi-Fi (>1 GB) may cause a communication breakdown. To avoid this, before transfer: Turn off your phone's power saving mode. Close background apps that consume the Internet (for example, YouTube or TikTok). Use a 5 GHz router, which reduces interference.

Po Po Po USB-cable

Wi-Fi (MIUI or LocalSend)

Google Drive (Mi Cloud) and Google Drive (Mi Drive)

Through messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp)

Another way.-->

3. Cloud Storage: Pros and Cons for Xiaomi

Cloud services are convenient for backing up or transferring files to multiple devices, but there are limitations to this method: speed depends on your Internet connection, and free rates are often limited in size (for example, 15 GB on Google Drive).

For Xiaomi owners, there are two main options:

*There is no fixed limit on the amount of Telegram, but the files are stored only in your account (not synced with other clouds).

To upload files to Mi Cloud:

1. Open your Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud
2. Enable synchronization for the desired types of data (photos, videos, contacts).
3. Go to i.mi.com and log in.
4. Select the files and download them to the computer.

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If you need to transfer files in original quality, in Google Photos, open Settings → Backup and Sync → Download quality before downloading and select “Original Quality” (free up to 15 GB).

4. Hidden MIUI functions for accelerated transmission

There are little-known tools in MIUI firmware that allow data to be transferred faster than standard methods, such as the Quick Transfer mode (available on Xiaomi 12/13/14 and Redmi Note 11/12) using optimized protocols for file sharing between Xiaomi devices and PCs.

How to turn on "Quick Transmission":

1. Connect your phone to your PC via USB in MTP mode.
2. On your phone, open Settings → Connection and Sharing → Quick Transfer.
3. Activate the switch and follow the instructions on the screen.

This mode speeds up transmission by 30-50% due to:

• 🔄 Optimizing the exchange buffer.
• 📶 Prioritization USB-junction.
• 🗃️ Automatic Metadata Compression (does not affect the files themselves).

Another useful feature is Developer Mode for transferring files over ADB, which is useful if the standard methods do not work:

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

This team will copy the folder. DCIM (with photo and video) from the phone to the specified directory on the PC. ADB:

1. Turn on Developer Mode (7 times tap the MIUI version in your phone settings).
2. Activate Debugging by USB in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Download ADB Tools on your PC and connect your phone.

5. Data transfer from damaged or blocked Xiaomi

If the phone doesn't turn on, lock on, or respond to touch, standard methods won't work.

• 🔧 Recovery mode – allows you to copy data from internal memory to SD-card (if the phone supports it).
• 💻 Fastboot – to extract data via PC (requires an unlocked bootloader).
• 🔄 Cloud backup – if sync with Mi Cloud was previously enabled.

To extract data through Fastboot:

1. Install the Mi Flash Tool on your PC.
2. Connect the phone to the PC, holding Volume Down + Power (to log in to Fastboot).
3. In the command line, execute: fastboot devices If the device is determined, use the command to create a backup: fastboot pull /data/media/0/ C:\Xiaomi_Recovery\

⚠️ Attention: Data extraction via Fastboot can result in complete loss of information if you interrupt the process. Before you start, make sure that: The phone battery is at least 50% charged. The cable is securely connected (better use the original one). There is enough space on the PC (Xiaomi internal memory can take up 50-128 GB).

6.Transmission optimization: how to avoid errors and loss of quality

Even if you choose the mode of transfer, you can have problems ranging from a connection break to broken files.

• 📸 Photo and video: When you send files via WhatsApp (Viber), you compress them. To maintain quality, use: Google Photos in Original Quality mode. Telegram (send files as Documents, not as Photos). USB or LocalSend.
• 📁 Large files (>4GB: Phone file system (FAT32) It may not support files larger than 4GB. Solutions: Break the file into parts using 7-Zip Or WinRAR. format the flash drive to exFAT or NTFS (If you copy it to an external storage device).
• 🔄 Transfer Interrupt: If the copying process is 99% over, try: Disable the antivirus on your PC (sometimes it blocks large files). Use another file manager (e.g. Total Commander instead of the standard Windows Explorer).

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For transmission RAW-Photos from Xiaomi (extension.dng) always use USB LocalSend – Cloud services often convert them to.jpg with loss of quality.

7. Alternative methods: when nothing works

If none of these methods worked, try:

• 📡 FTP-server on the phone: applications like FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer is now available FTP-server directly to Xiaomi. Connect to it via Windows Explorer (enter) ftp://IP-address phone in the address bar).
• 🔌 OTG-adapter: USB-Port on the phone damaged, but Type-C works, connect the flash drive through OTG And copy the data to it, and then paste the flash drive into the PC.
• 🖥️ Virtual machine: If Xiaomi drivers aren’t installed on Windows, try connecting your phone to a Linux virtual machine (like Ubuntu) – there’s support for it. MTP often works out of the box».

For FTP-server-side FX File Explorer:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open the side menu. → Remote manager. → FTP-server.
3. Press Start and record. IP-port.
4. On PC, open Explorer → This computer → Add network placement and enter data to connect.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer from Xiaomi to PC