How to transfer all photos from Android to Xiaomi Redmi: a complete guide to comparing methods

Why standard photo copying methods often don’t work on Xiaomi

Transferring photos between Android phones seems like a simple task — until you encounter the features of Xiaomi’s MIUI firmware. Many Redmi users complain that when you try to send files over Bluetooth, the transfer speed drops to 50 KB / s, and Google Photos syncs pictures in low resolution.

It’s about MIUI optimizations that limit the background activity of applications to save charge. For example, when transferring over Wi-Fi Direct, the system can force the connection to turn off after 2-3 minutes of inactivity. Besides, Redmi smartphones often block access to the DCIM folder for third-party applications via Scoped Storage (starting with Android 11), which means that even specialized file managers will not see your photos without additional permissions.

In this article, we will analyze 5 working ways to transfer photos, taking into account all the nuances of Xiaomi Redmi - from the built-in Mi Mover tool to the little-known features of Google Photos, which allow you to bypass the limitations of MIUI. You will learn what method is the fastest (spoiler: this is not Bluetooth), how to maintain the original quality of images and what to do if the smartphone "does not see" the second device.

Method 1: Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s official data migration tool

Mi Mover is a proprietary solution from Xiaomi that was originally developed to transfer data from iPhone to Redmi, but works well between Android devices, the main advantage is support for transferring not only photos, but also contacts, messages and even installed applications (if they are compatible).

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

📱 Install the Mi Mover app on both smartphones (available from Google Play and App Gallery). On Redmi, it can be pre-installed in the Tools folder.
🔄 On the old phone, select Send, on the new Redmi, Receive.
📶 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network or create an access point on Redmi (click Create a network in the Mi Mover menu).
🖼️ In the data list for transfer, tick Photos and videos and start the process.

The Mi Mover transmission speed is 10-15 MB/s (depending on the Redmi model), which is 20-30 times faster than Bluetooth.

Charge both phones at least 50% | Turn off battery saving mode in MIUI settings | Make sure Redmi has enough space (photos take up as much as on the old phone) | Close all background apps, especially instant messengers-->

💡

If Mi Mover is stuck in the connection phase, restart the app on both phones and try using a mobile hotspot instead of Wi-Fi.

Parameter	Mi Mover	Google Photo	Bluetooth
Transmission speed	10-15 MB/s	Depends on the Internet.	0,5-1 MB/s
Quality preservation	Original	Original (when set up)	Original
Limitation on volume	No.	15GB free of charge	Usually up to 1GB
Additional data	Contacts, SMS, applications	Media files only	Only selected files

⚠️ Note: On some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro), the Mi Mover may not see photos if they are stored on the Redmi. SD-Before transferring them, copy them to internal memory through the file manager.

Method 2: Google Photos – Cloud Transfers Without Loss of Quality

If you have slow internet or little space on Redmi, Google Photos may seem an uncomfortable option, but it’s the only way to automatically sort photos by date and person on a new device, and since 2023, Google has reintroduced the ability to download photos in their original quality (but with a 15GB total storage limit).

Instructions for the perenos:

On your old phone, open Google Photos and log in to your Google account.
Go to Settings → Backup and Sync and turn on the option. Select Original Quality (if it is important to save all the details of the pictures).
Wait until the download is complete (you can track the progress in notifications).
On Redmi, set up Google Photos, log in to the same account and wait for sync.
To download a photo on the device, open the album, click ⋮ → Download.

The advantage of this method is access to photos from any device and automatically create collages, animations and search by content (for example, "beach" or "cat").

What happens if you stop uploading photos to Google?

If the connection breaks, the download will resume from the same place the next time you connect to Wi-Fi. However, if you manually cancel the process, the already uploaded photos will remain in the cloud, and new ones will have to be synced again. To avoid duplicates, check the Backup folder in Google Photos before reuploading.

☁️ In the original quality 15 That's about GB. 3 000-5 000 Photo (depending on permission).
🔍 Photos uploaded in High Quality are compressed to 16 MP (even if the original is 48 MP or 108 MP).
📅 If the photos were taken a long time ago, Google Photos may not correctly determine the date of the shooting (manually corrected).

⚠️ Attention: Redmi with MIUI 14 and later Google Photos may not update the gallery automatically.To fix this, go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Google Photo → Permissions and enable AutoRun and Background Activity.

Method 3: Direct OTG cable transmission is the fastest method

If you have one on hand. OTG-adapter (or cable) USB-C to USB-C), This method allows you to transfer the photo at speed. 40-50 MB/s is faster than any wireless protocol, and the key is that both smartphones must support the wireless protocol. OTG (All Redmis since Note 5 It's a skill).

Step-by-step:

Connect. OTG-Adapter to Redmi (new phone).
Connect your old phone to an adapter via cable (for example, USB-C – MicroUSB, if the old phone has a MicroUSB connector).
Redmi will be notified USB-The device is connected. Click on it and select File Transfer (or File Manager).
Open the file manager (like Files by Google or standard Explorer on MIUI) and copy the DCIM folder from the old phone’s internal memory to Redmi.

Advantages of the method:

⚡ Maximum speed: in 3-5 faster than the Mi Mover.
🔒 No dependence on the Internet or Wi-Fi.
📁 The original folder structure is maintained (including screenshots, downloads, etc.).

Disadvantages:

🔌 Required. OTG-adapter (stands) 100-300 ruble).
📱 Some older smartphones don’t support OTG in host mode (checked through the application) USB OTG Checker).

💡

If Redmi doesn’t recognize the connected phone, try changing the cable or turning on File Transfer manually through the notification curtain on the old device.

Method 4: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct – When There’s Nothing Else

Bluetooth is the most versatile, but also the slowest way. Xiaomi Redmi is more stable than other brands, thanks to MIUI optimizations, but the speed rarely exceeds 1 MB / s. However, if you need to throw 10-20 photos, it is quite a working option.

How to speed up the process:

📎 Use Wi-Fi Direct instead of Bluetooth. 2-3 That's what I'm doing:
📦 Send photos to archives (ZIP/RAR). To do this, highlight them in the gallery, click Share → Squeeze (on) MIUI This option is available in the standard menu).
🔋 Connect both phones to charge – transferring a large amount of data drains the battery on the battery. 10-15% hourly.