How to transfer photos from Xiaomi to your computer: all working ways

Transfer photos from Xiaomi, Redmi or phone POCO It seems like a simple task on a computer – until you encounter connection errors, slow transfers, or unexpected limitations. MIUI. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods of transferring photos, from the classical USB-We'll focus on the hidden settings, the cloud services and the wireless protocols. MIUI, Frequently blocking access to files, and best practices for large archives (1000)+ photo).

If you’ve ever received a “Device Unrecognized” message while connecting your smartphone to your PC, or lost hours transferring hundreds of photos over Bluetooth, this guide will help avoid typical errors. We’ve tested each method on Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Redmi Note 12 Pro models.+ and POCO F5 latest-edition MIUI — All the ways work in 2026.

Important: Not all methods are equally effective. USB 2.0 can take 10 times longer than Wi-Fi Direct, and some cloud services automatically compress images:

• 📊 Data volume: 10 photos or 50 GB of archive?
• ⚡ Speed: You need instant access or time is not critical?
• 🔒 Security: Photos contain confidential information?
• 💻 Equipment: whether there is USB-C cable, whether the PC supports Wi-Fi 6?

1. Transfer of the photo through USB-cable: step-by-step instruction

The most reliable and versatile method is to connect the phone to the computer via cable, but even here, Xiaomi users often face problems: the PC can not see the device, the folders with photos are empty, or MIUI It'll ask you to unlock. Let's take the right sequence of steps for Windows. 10/11 macOS.

The first thing to do is check the cable. Cheap or damaged wires often only support charging, but not data transfer. Xiaomi’s original cables (especially the Redmi Note 10 and later) are usually equipped with a chip. USB-C 3.1, which provides speeds up to 10 Gbps – this is 20 times faster than the current model. USB 2.0.

Follow the algorithm further:

1. Connect your phone to your computer with the original cable (preferably to the port). USB 3.0 on PC – it’s usually blue).
2. The phone will have a notification on it, "Charge via USB."
3. Select File Transfer Mode (or File Manager in older versions) MIUI). If this item is not available, go to Settings. → Connection and sharing → USB and enable "File Transfer" manually.
4. The computer will open a conductor window with folders of the phone. Photos are usually stored in: Internal drive → DCIM → Camera Internal drive → Pictures → Screenshots

If the computer can't see the phone:

• 🔌 Try another one. USB-port (better on the back of the system unit).
• 📱 Restart your phone and PC.
• 🔧 On Windows, update drivers: Device Manager → Portable devices → [Your Xiaomi] → Update the driver.
• 🛠️ Put the debugging on. USB (for experienced users: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Tap 7 times to activate the developer mode, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Mi 11 Lite) require you to unlock access via Settings when you first connect to your PC → Passwords and security → Permits → Managing permits for USB. Without it, the folders will be empty.

2. Wireless transmission over Wi-Fi (Mi Share, FTP, LocalSend)

If you don’t have a cable on hand or need to quickly throw a few photos, wireless methods will be a salvation. Xiaomi offers several built-in tools, but their effectiveness depends on the model and version. MIUI. Let’s look at three proven methods:

1. Mi Share (formerly Mi Drop) is Xiaomi’s proprietary solution for transferring files between devices. MIUI 12+ and supports speeds up to 20 MB / s (in practice, about 10 MB / s).

• 📱 On the phone: open Settings → Connection and sharing → Mi Share.
• 💻 On PC: download the official Mi Share app for Windows/macOS.
• 🔗 Select a photo in the gallery, click "Send" → "Mi Share and scan. QR-PC-screen.

2. FTP-server (for power users) - allows you to access your phone files as a network drive. Speed depends on the router (up to 50 MB / s on Wi-Fi 6).

1. Install the FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer app on your phone.
2. Launch it. FTP-server in the application (usually in the menu "Network" or "Remote access").
3. On the PC, enter the address of the view in the conductor ftp://192.168.x.x:PORT (data will be displayed in the appendix).

3. LocalSend is an open alternative to AirDrop with support for all platforms. Speeds up to 15 MB/s, there are no limits on file size.

• 📱 Install LocalSend on your phone and PC.
• 🔗 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network.
• 📤 Select a photo on your phone → "Share" → "LocalSend" → Select a PC from the list.

⚠️ Note: When transmitting over public Wi-Fi (such as in a cafe), use LocalSend with encryption or VPN. Mi Share transmits data in an open form, which allows you to intercept photos of attackers.

3. Cloud services: Google Photos vs Mi Cloud vs Telegram

Cloud storage is convenient for backing up and accessing photos from any device, but every service has pitfalls, from image compression to volume constraints, and let's take a look at the pros and cons of popular options for Xiaomi owners.

Google Photos is the easiest way to do this if you already have a Google account, and it automatically syncs photos in their original quality (up to 15GB for free), but after the limit is exhausted, it compresses new downloads.

• 📱 On your phone: install Google Photos, log in to your account and enable Backup and Sync".
• 💻 On PC: Open photos.google.com in your browser or install Backup and Sync.
• ☁️ To download photos on PC: highlight the necessary → "More" → "Exports".

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi’s proprietary cloud with 5GB for free. MIUI, but has strict limitations:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Gallery and turn on synchronization.
• 💻 Download photos via i.mi.com web interface (authentication required).
• ⚠️ Mi Cloud automatically compresses photos to resolution 2048×2048 over-limit.

Telegram is an unexpectedly effective way to transfer small archives (up to 2 GB per file), suitable for urgently sending photos without registering in the cloud.

• 📱 Create a personal chat with Saved Messages.
• 📤 Send the photo as "File" (without compression) or as "Photo" (with compression).
• 💻 Open web.telegram.org on PC and download files.

💡

To avoid compression in Google Photos, go to Settings before downloading → Backup and synchronization → Download quality and select "Original" (before 15 GB is exhausted).

4. Transfer via messengers and social networks (WhatsApp, Viber, VK)

If you need to quickly move 1-2 photos and only have a phone, messengers are a quick fix, but there are critical drawbacks to this method: image compression (up to 70% loss of quality) and size limitations. Let's look at how to minimize losses.

WhatsApp compresses the photo to 1600×1200 (max. 5 MB, but allows you to send up to 100 photo:

• 📱 Open a chat with yourself or a friend.
• 📎 Press "Clip" → "Gallery" and select a photo.
• 💻 On PC, open web.whatsapp.com and download files.

VK (VKontakte retains original quality, but limits upload of 25 photos per album:

• 📱 In the mobile app VK Create a new album (Photos" → "+").
• 🔒 Set up "I Only" access for privacy.
• 💻 Download photos from PC via vk.com/photos.

Viber compresses photos stronger than WhatsApp (up to the current version) 1280×960), but supports transmission to 200 MB per file:

• 📱 In chat, click "+" → "Photo/video".
• 📤 Select “Send as a file” to reduce compression.

⚠️ Note: Never send it through messengers RAW-Photos (with the extension.dng or.arw) – they will be converted to JPEG You can use this file for data loss. USB or clouds with original quality support (Google Photos in Original Mode").

5. Automatic synchronization of photos from PC (for advanced)

If you regularly transfer photos from Xiaomi to your computer, manual transmission will become tedious. Automation will help specialized programs and scripts. Let's consider three levels of automation, from simple solutions to professional ones.

1. Syncthing is open source software for synchronizing files between devices, running without clouds, and data is transmitted directly over the local network.

• 📱 Install Syncthing on your phone and PC.
• 🔗 Add the folder. DCIM/Camera synchronized.
• ⚙️ Set up a schedule (for example, synchronize at night).

2. Tasker + AutoTools (for Android) – allows you to create a task that will copy new photos on your PC when you connect to Wi-Fi:

• 📱 Install Tasker and AutoTools plugin.
• 🤖 Create a task with the trigger "Connect to Wi-Fi [Name network]".
• 📤 Add the "Copy Files" action from DCIM PC-only.

3. Script in Python (for programmers) – if you need a flexible solution with metadata processing:

import os


import shutil




from datetime import datetime




Paths to files



source = "/sdcard/DCIM/Camera"




dest = "C:/Users/YourName/Xiaomi_Photos"




We only copy new photos (in the last 2 days)



for file in os.listdir(source):




if file.endswith(('.jpg', '.png', '.jpeg')):




file_path = os.path.join(source, file)




file_time = datetime.fromtimestamp(os.path.getmtime(file_path))




if (datetime.now() - file_time).days <= 2:




shutil.copy2(file_path, dest)

To start the script, connect the phone to USB in the "File Transfer" mode and execute the command:

python sync_photos.py

Problems and Errors: What to Do If Photos Are Not Transmitted

Even with the right connection, Xiaomi users are faced with common mistakes: the PC can't see the phone, photos aren't copied, or the transmission suddenly stops, and let's take a look at the most common problems and their solutions.

1.The phone is plugging in, but the folders are empty

• 🔍 Check if access to files is enabled: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Files. → Permits → Memory.
• 📁 Make sure that the photos are stored in internal memory, not in the SD-card (some PCs can’t see removable drives without additional drivers).
• 🔄 Restart your phone in Safe Mode (click the power button) → "Safe Mode – This will disable third-party applications that may block access.

2. "Device not recognized" error (Windows)

• 🔧 Remove Old Drivers: Device Manager → Portable devices → [Your Xiaomi] → Remove the device.
• 🔄 Connect the phone to another USB-port (preferably) USB 3.0).
• 📥 Install official Xiaomi drivers from the site mi.com (section "Drivers").

Slow transmission by USB

• ⚡ Use a support cable USB 3.1 (usually blue).
• 📶 Connect the phone to the port USB 3.0 on the back of the system unit (front ports are often USB 2.0).
• 🔋 Turn off fast charging in phone settings: Settings → Battery → Fast charging – this sometimes speeds up data transfers.

4. Wi-Fi transmission is permanently interrupted

• 📶 Switch router to 5 GHz channel (less busy).
• 📱 Turn off the power saving mode on the phone: Settings → Battery → Energy saving regime.
• 🔄 Reduce the size of the transmission packet (in settings) FTP or Mi Share).

💡

If none of the methods work, check the developer settings: Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Configuration USB and select "File Transfer" (instead of "Charging").

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions