Transfer photos and videos from Xiaomi to your computer via USB-cable: full guide 2026

Transfer photos and video files from Xiaomi to your computer via standard USB-The cable (the one that comes with the charging kit) seems like a simple task — until you run into typical problems, so the phone is not defined as a drive, Windows requires drivers, files are copied at the speed of a dial-up modem of the 90s. In this article, we will analyze all working methods of transmission through a wire, including hidden settings. MIUI, Avoiding errors and optimizing the process for large amounts of data.

It’s important to understand that even if your Redmi, POCO or flagship Xiaomi 14 connects to your PC without problems, the transfer speed can vary by 10 times depending on the protocol chosen (MTP, PTP, USB 2.0/3.0) and system settings. We tested all options on devices with MIUI 12-14 and put together a checklist for the fastest and most stable file transfer.

If you've tried to copy photos through Windows Explorer before and you've had a device ID error, or the transfer suddenly crashes by 99%, you'll find solutions here, and for those who want to automate the process, we've added a bonus section on advanced methods (including ADB and third-party utilities).

Why is Xiaomi’s phone not visible on your computer via USB?

The most common problem when connecting Xiaomi to a PC is the lack of a device in Explorer or the status of “Driver Download” in Device Manager.

• 🔌 Hardware: cable damaged (even if it charges your phone!), faulty USB-port on PC or phone, or a hub without external power.
• 📱 Software (on the phone): the data transfer mode in the settings is disabled MIUI, Locking from the Security application or enabling the function USB-debugging OEM.
• 💻 Software (on PC): no MediaTek or Qualcomm drivers for your model, antivirus conflict (especially Avast or Kaspersky), or Windows uses an outdated protocol MTP.

🔍 How to quickly diagnose a problem? Connect your phone to another USB-port (preferably) USB 3.0 blue) and check:

1. Whether a connection notification appears on the Xiaomi screen (if not, the cable or port issue is a problem).
2. Is the device connected to Windows sound audible (if not, the PC-side problem).
3. Does the phone appear in Device Manager as a “Portable Device” or “Other Device” (if the second one needs drivers).

⚠️ Note: If you use a power bank cable or a cheap no-name cord, data transmission may not work even with a serviceable port. Xiaomi often completes phones with cables with truncated data pins (for charging only). Check the labeling on the cable: there should be a logo USB-IF Or the words "Data Sync».

Preparing Xiaomi Phone for File Transfer

Before you connect to a PC, you need to configure your phone. There are hidden parameters in MIUI that affect the stability of the transmission:

1. Unlock the screen. Windows won't be able to access files if the phone is locked with a password or fingerprint.
2. Activate Developer Mode (optional). Go to Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI and press 7 times. This will open access to the Developer Settings, where you can turn on USB-Debugging (useful for solving driver problems).
3. Select the correct transmission protocol. Once you connect the cable, the notification curtain will show you the option "USB for file transfer" - click and select:

• 📁 File transfer (MTP) — standard-of-care Windows/macOS (recommended).
• 📷 Transmission of photo (PTP) — alternatively, if MTP It doesn’t work (slower but more stable).
• 🔌 Charging only – disables data transfer.
• 🔧 USB-modem MIDI — They're not fit for our task.

💡 Advice for owners of old models (Redmi) 4/5, Mi A1): If you're an option «USB for file transfers" does not appear, check settings in Settings → Additionally. → Regime. USB (It can be hidden in the developer settings).

Step-by-step: how to transfer photos and videos to PC

Consider the universal method for all Xiaomi models (from Redmi Note 8 to Xiaomi 13 Ultra):

Check the cable for damage |

Unlock the phone screen |

Connect the cable to USB-port 3.0 (blue connector) on PC|

Select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the notification curtain |

Wait for drivers to install (if Windows requests)-->

1. Connect your phone to a PC. Use the original Xiaomi cable or a certified USB-C/USB-A with data support. Avoid USB hubs without power.
2. Select MTP mode. In the notification curtain, tap on the message “Charge via USB” → “File transfer”.
3. Open Windows Explorer. The phone should appear as a removable drive (e.g., "Redmi Note 12 Pro") in the "This Computer" section.
4. Go to the media folder. Path: Internal drive → DCIM → Camera Here are photos and videos taken by the main camera. For screenshots, check the Pictures → Screenshots folder.
5. Copy files. Select the photos/video you want (you can use Ctrl+A to select everyone) and drag and drop to a folder on your PC or press Ctrl+C → Ctrl+V.

⚡ Speed up transfer: If there are many files (for example, video in the video) 4K), Use the archive directly on your phone:

1. Install the RAR or ZArchiver app from Google Play.
2. Select the media folder → “Add to archive” → select the.zip format and maximum compression ratio.
3. Transfer one archive instead of thousands of small files (speed will increase by 3-5 times).

⚠️ Attention: Don't pull out USB-cable during video transmission 4K/8K or RAW-This can cause file damage (especially relevant for Xiaomi) 12S Ultra and 13 Pro with large image sizes. Always use the Safe Retrieval feature in Windows.

Solving Connection and Driver Problems

If the phone is undetectable or file transfer is unstable, follow these steps:

🛠️ Manually install drivers (if Windows does not recognize the device):

1. Open Device Manager (Win+X → Device Manager).
2. Find a device with a yellow exclamation point (usually under “Other Devices” or “Portable Devices”).
3. PCM → “Update driver” → “Follow the driver search on this computer.”
4. Select “Select the driver from the list» → «MTP-The device (or Android Device) → Android Composite ADB Interface»).

Alternative methods of transmission (if USB does not work)

If you cannot connect via cable, use one of these methods:

• ☁️ Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud): On the phone: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery → On PC, go to i.mi.com, log in and download files. ⚠️ Limit: Free only 5 GB, download speed depends on the Internet.
• 🌐 Google Photos: Install the Google Photos app on your phone. Enable backup: Photo → Settings → Backup and sync. On PC, open photos.google.com and download files.

Mi Drop

1. Install Mi Drop on your phone (available in the App Store MIUI).
2. Select files → «Send» → «Computer».
3. On PC, open the address specified in the application in your browser (for example, ftp://192.168.1.100:2121).

USB 3.0 port + USB-C 3.1 cable + MTP mode + file archiving.

In this case, the video transmission speed 4K can reach 80-100 MB / s (versus 5-10 MB / s at standard settings).-->

Security: How to avoid data loss during transfer

File transfer is a process where the risk of data loss is higher than usual.

• 🔒 Check file integrity: After copying, compare the sizes of the original and copied files. For video, you can use checksums (MD5).
• 📱 Do not interrupt the process: Extract the cable during the video transfer to 4K HDR (Xiaomi 13 Ultra can cause file damage without recovery.
• ☁️ Backup: Before mass deleting files from your phone, sync them with Google Photos or Mi Cloud.
• 🛡️ Use proven cables: Cheap cables can cause voltage surges, leading to read/write failures.

⚠️ Note: If you are transferring photos in format RAW (with the.dng or.arw extension, never copy them through PTP-mode - this can lead to loss of metadata (for example, white balance settings). MTP cloud-based.

FAQ: Frequent questions about transferring files from Xiaomi to PC