How to transfer photos from Xiaomi to your computer: all ways with explanations

Transfer photos from Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO It seems like a simple task on the computer - until you encounter errors like «USB-Device not recognized" or infinite sync through the cloud. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways of transferring photos, including hidden chips. MIUI 14/15, which speeds up the process in 2–3 We'll focus on driver issues, Windows limitations. 11 Alternative solutions for Mac owners.

Important: not only are the methods fast, but also secure. For example, USB Type-C transmission in MTP mode risks interruption due to unstable connection, while Mi Cloud encrypts data but limits free storage. We tested each method on Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and POCO F5 models, the results are summarized in the comparison table below.

Transfer through USB-cable: step-by-step instruction

The most common method is to connect your phone to your PC via cable, but even here, there are pitfalls: Windows may not recognize your device, and MIUI by default blocks access to files, and let's take a step-by-step look at the process.

Get the cable ready first: use the original USB Type-C (or certified USB 3.2 Gen1 for speeds up to 5Gbps). Cheap cables often only support charging, not data transfer. Connect your phone to your PC and follow these steps:

• 📱 The phone will be notified “Charge through” USB». Put it on him.
• 🔄 Select File Transfer Mode (MTP). If there is no such item, go to Settings → Connection and sharing → USB.
• 🖥️ On your computer, open this computer (My Computer). Your Xiaomi should appear as a removable drive (for example, Xiaomi Redmi Note 12).
• 📂 Go to the Internal Storage folder → DCIM → Camera (or Pictures if the photo is saved in the gallery).

If the computer can't see the phone:

⚠️ Attention: Lack of drivers MTP — frequent problem on Windows 10/11. Install the official Mi package PC Suite or drivers ADB Android Studio will require Android File Transfer on Mac.

Make sure that the cable supports data transmission

Select MTP mode on your phone

Check the installation of drivers on the PC

Unlock the Xiaomi screen during the transfer-->

2. Wireless transmission via Mi Cloud

Mi Cloud is a cloud storage from Xiaomi, integrated into MIUI. It allows you to sync photos automatically and download them to your PC via the web interface. The main plus is that you do not need a cable. Cons: a limit of 5 GB for a free account and possible synchronization delays.

How to set up:

1. On the phone go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn on the switch opposite the Gallery (or Photos in newer versions of MIUI).
3. Select Download Quality: Original (retains resolution) or High (compression up to 16 MP).
4. Wait for the synchronization to be completed (time depends on the number of photos).

To download the photo on PC:

1. Open your browser and go to i.mi.com.
2. Sign in with the same Xiaomi account as you do on your phone.
3. Select Camera album or All photos, mark the desired files and click Download.

Mi Cloud automatically compresses photos when uploaded via mobile, even if you select "Original Quality." To avoid loss of quality, connect to Wi-Fi or use the same. USB-cable.

3. Wi-Fi transmission via applications

If you don't have a cable on hand and Mi Cloud is not suitable due to space constraints, use specialized applications. We tested 3 options:

Send Anywhere is a great way to balance speed and simplicity.

1. Install the app on your phone and PC (or open the web version).
2. On the phone, select a photo, click Send and generate a 6-digit key.
3. On PC, enter this key in the Receive field.

Through USB-cable

Mi Cloud

Apps like Send Anywhere

Bluetooth or NFC

Another option-->

4.Using Bluetooth and NFC: When Justified

Bluetooth and NFC are the slowest ways, but they help if you need to transfer 1-2 photos without the Internet. The transfer speed over Bluetooth 5.0 reaches 2 MB / s, but in practice rarely exceeds 500 KB / s. NFC is even slower (up to 424 Kb / s), but convenient for instant sending thumbnails.

How to transfer photos over Bluetooth:

• 🔵 Turn on Bluetooth on your phone (Settings) → Bluetooth and PC.
• 🤝 Connect devices: on PC, select "Add device", on the phone confirm the code.
• 📷 In the gallery Xiaomi, select a photo → Share. → Bluetooth and select your computer.
• 💻 On PC, confirm the file acceptance (in Windows files are saved in Downloads).

⚠️ Note: On a Mac, to receive files over Bluetooth, you need to enable the option “Allow Bluetooth devices to detect this computer” in System Settings → Bluetooth → Otherwise, Xiaomi will not see the MacBook in the list of available devices.

For NFC (only works on chip phones like Xiaomi 13 Pro):

• 📱 Make sure that NFC enabled on both devices (Settings) → Connection and sharing → NFC).
• 🤳 Bring your phone to a tag or other device with NFC (For example, a smartphone on Android with support for Android Beam).
• 🖼️ Select a photo in the gallery and tap on the notification Touch for transfer.

💡

If Bluetooth is permanently breaking the connection, try turning off the power saving mode for the Bluetooth module in Settings → Battery → Power Mode → Settings → Energy saving for Bluetooth (disable).

5. Transfer of photos through memory card (microSD)

If your Xiaomi supports microSD cards (like the Redmi Note 11 or POCO X4 Pro), the most reliable way is to copy the photo to the card and then paste it into your computer via a card reader, which eliminates the risk of data loss when transmitted over the air or via USB.

How to transfer the photo to the map:

1. Insert microSD into your phone (if necessary, format it in Settings → Storage → Memory Card).
2. Open the Files app (MIUI) and go to Internal Memory → DCIM → Camera.
3. Select a photo, click Copy, then go to the memory card and select Insert.
4. Remove the card and paste it into the PC card reader, and the photos will be in the DCIM folder.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 No dependence on the Internet or drivers.
• 🛡️ Minimum risk of loss of quality (unlike cloud services).
• 🔋 Does not drain the battery of the phone (important for older models like Redmi) 9A).

⚠️ Note: ExFAT microSD cards (more than 32 GB) may not be readable on older Windows 7 PCs. FAT32 (But consider the 4GB file size limit).

6. Alternative methods: Email, messengers and FTP-server

If the standard methods don't work, use workarounds, which are less convenient for large volumes of photos, but they help in emergency situations.

Emailing

Suitable for 5-10 photos. In the Xiaomi gallery, select photos → Share → Email. Use services with a high investment limit, such as Gmail (up to 25 MB) or Mail.ru (up to 50 MB). For archives (for example,.zip), the limit increases to 150 MB in Gmail.

Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp)

Telegram allows you to send files up to 2 GB, WhatsApp - up to 100 MB. Minus: image compression (in WhatsApp photos are reduced to 1600 pixels on the long side).

• 📎 In Telegram, send a photo as a file (not as an image).
• 🔗 On WhatsApp, use Document instead of Gallery.

FTP-phone-side

For advanced users: turn Xiaomi into a new FTP-server using a WiFi application FTP Server, instructions:

1. Install and launch the app on your phone.
2. Connect your PC and phone to the same Wi-Fi network.
3. Enter the FTP address (e.g. ftp://192.168.1.100:2221) in Windows Explorer (Win + R → ftp://address).
4. Copy the photo from the /DCIM/Camera folder.

💡

FTP-The server is the only way to transfer photos from Xiaomi to a PC without cable and the Internet, but requires network setup and knowledge. IP-address.

Comparison of all methods: what to choose?

FAQ: Frequent Questions and Problems