How to transfer data from Xiaomi to your computer: everything from USB to the cloud

Transferring data from Xiaomi to your computer is a challenge that every user will eventually face. Whether you want to free up your device's memory, back up important files, or just edit your big screen photos, there are many options for transferring data, but which one to choose so that the process can go quickly, safely and without loss of quality?

In this article, we will look at all the current ways to transfer data from Xiaomi to a PC, from the classic USB connection to modern wireless technologies, learn how to avoid common mistakes (for example, why your computer does not see your phone as a drive), which programs will speed up the process, and how to automate backup. And also compare the transfer speed of each method and determine which one is suitable for your tasks.

1. Data transfer through USB-cable: a classic and reliable method

Connecting a smartphone to a computer through USB-And cable is still the most versatile and fastest way to transfer files, and even if you have slow Internet or you don't have Wi-Fi, you always have the cable at hand, but to make it work smoothly, you need to configure both devices correctly.

On modern Xiaomi smartphones (starting with MIUI 12), the first time you connect to a PC, you will be asked to choose a data mode. The options are usually three: Charge, File Transfer (MTP) and Photo Transfer (PTP). To fully access the phone’s memory, select MTP. If you do not, the computer will see the device only as a charger.

• ⚡ Transmission speed: up to 480 Mbit/s (USB 2.0) or 5–10 Gbps (USB 3.0/Type-C). In practice — 20–50 MB/s for photo and video.
• 🔌 Type of cable: original USB-Type-C (for new models) or microUSB (for old ones). Use the cable from the kit - cheap analogues can limit speed.
• 🛠️ Drivers: usually set up automatically when you first connect. If your PC can't see your phone, download Mi PC Suite.

Once connected, open This Computer (Windows) or Finder (macOS) and a new device (e.g. Redmi Note) will appear there. 12). Next, you can simply drag and drop files or use hot keys: Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V (Windows or Cmd+C/Cmd+V (For large amounts of data (such as WhatsApp backup), it is better to use archiving in the Internet. ZIP.

⚠️ If the phone starts to discharge, not charge, check the cable or port USB Some of them are on a computer. USB-The ports on the front panel of the system unit do not provide enough power to charge.

Use the original cable |Select MTP mode on your phone |Unlock the Xiaomi |Switch off "Debugging over USB" (if not needed) |Check drivers on PC-->

2 Wireless transmission over Wi-Fi: no cables and restrictions

If you're tired of getting tangled up in wires, Wi-Fi data transfer is a great alternative, and it's especially convenient for sharing files regularly -- like when you're taking a photo on a Xiaomi 13 Ultra and want to save your pictures on a PC right away.

The easiest way is to use the built-in Wi-Fi File Transfer feature to MIUI:

1. Open the Files app on your phone.
2. Select the desired files, click Share → Send over Wi-Fi.
3. On your computer, open your browser and enter the address that will appear on your phone screen (e.g. 192.168.1.100:8080).
4. Download files directly in the browser.

• 📶 Speed: 5-15 MB/s (depending on the router). on Wi-Fi 6 can reach 20-30 MB/s.
• 🔒 Security: Transmission is over a local network, but it is better not to use public Wi-Fi.
• 📱 Limitations: Not all file formats are supported (e.g.,.miui system backups).

It is suitable for more advanced users. FTP-a server through applications such as Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer. They allow you to configure permanent access to your phone files through ftp://-And if you want to automate backup, look at Resilio Sync or Syncthing, which syncs folders between devices in the background.

3. Cloud Services: Backup and Access from Any Device

Cloud storage is ideal if you need to not only transfer data to your PC, but also have access to it from multiple devices. Xiaomi is closely integrated with the Mi Cloud, but also supports Google Drive, OneDrive and Yandex.Disk. The main advantage is automation: you can set up autoload photos and videos immediately after shooting.

To upload files to the cloud directly from your phone:

1. Open the Files → Mi Cloud (or other cloud) application.
2. Select files and click Download.
3. On your computer, log in to the same account via a browser or desktop application.
4. Download the files to the right folder.

Important: when uploading photos to Google Photos in the "High Quality" mode (free) the originals are compressed to a resolution of 16 MP. To maintain the original quality, choose the option "Original Quality" (requires a fee for space over 15 GB).

⚠️ Note: If you delete files from your phone before they are uploaded to the cloud (e.g., with a weak internet), they may be lost. Check sync status in your cloud service settings.

4.Mi PC Suite: Xiaomi's Official Solution for Full Backup

For those who want to migrate to the PC not only media files, but also messages, contacts, applications and system settings, Xiaomi has developed the Mi PC Suite utility. It is the official software that allows you to create full backups of your smartphone, update firmware and manage files through a user-friendly interface.

To benefit from the programme:

1. Download Mi PC Suite from the official website (Windows 7/10/11) is supported.
2. Connect your phone via USB and allow debugging (in the developer settings).
3. In the main menu of the program, select Backup.
4. Check the data for copying (for example, Gallery, Notes, Call Logs).
5. Click Create a backup and wait until it is completed.

• 💾 What can be saved: SMS, MMS, call log, applications (including data), Wi-Fi settings, wallpaper.
• ⚙️ Recovery: Backup can be deployed to another Xiaomi phone (even a different model).
• ❌ Limitations: Does not work with encrypted data (e.g. Mi Account passwords).

One of the key advantages of the Mi PC Suite is the ability to update the firmware manually if the update does not come through the air. For example, for the Redmi Note 10 Pro, you can download the full firmware package (.zip) and install it through the program without risking loss of data.

5. Data transfer via Bluetooth: Slowly but without internet

If you don't have a cable and your Wi-Fi is off, you have Bluetooth, which is a method that can transfer small files (up to 50MB) like a few photos or a document, but it's not as fast as it needs to be, but it doesn't require any additional software.

Instructions for Windows:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone (Settings → Connections → Bluetooth).
2. On PC, open Settings → Devices → Bluetooth and add a new device.
3. Confirm the pairing on both devices.
4. On your phone, select files, click Share → Bluetooth and select your PC.
5. Accept the file on your computer (usually saved to the Downloads folder).

• 🐢 Speed: 1–3 MB/s (Bluetooth 4.0–5.0) For video in 4K It's too slow.
• 🔋 Energy consumption: lower than Wi-Fi but higher than standby.
• 📁 Restrictions: You can’t transfer folders – only individual files.

⚠️ Note: When transmitted via Bluetooth, Cyrillic file names may be displayed in cracosyabra.

1. Reboot both devices.

2. Remove previously saved pairings in Bluetooth settings.

3. Update Bluetooth drivers on PC via Device Manager.-->

Alternative methods: OTG, SD-map and email

Sometimes standard methods are not available, such as a broken USB port or no Wi-Fi access, and alternative solutions can help:

• 📱 OTG-Adapter: If your Xiaomi supports OTG, You can connect a flash drive or an external one. SSD Directly to the phone, copy files to it, then paste it into the computer. USB flash drives (up to 100 MB/s for USB 3.0).
• 💾 SD-card: if there is a memory card slot in the phone (e.g. in Redmi) 9A), Transfer the files to it, then extract and paste it into a PC card reader, convenient for large volumes (video, backups).
• ✉️ Email or messengers: you can send 1-2 files to yourself by mail or via Telegram (limit 2 GB per file.
• 🌐 Web services: WeTransfer or Filemail allows you to download up to 2 GB for free and send a download link.

For owners of Xiaomi with support for NFS or SMB (for example, POCO F4), there is another option - to configure a network drive.

1. Install Mixplorer or FX File Explorer on your phone.
2. Enable in the application settings SMB-server.
3. On PC, connect to the network disk at the address \\IP_phone/folder.

7 How to transfer specific types of data: photos, contacts, messages

Not all files are equally easily transferred, for example, photos can be simply copied via USB, but WhatsApp messages or Mi Notes require special actions.

Photos and videos

The simplest case is:

• USB: DCIM or Pictures folder.
• Through Google Photos: Enable autoload in the app settings.
• For RAW-Use Lightroom Mobile to sync with Adobe Cloud.

Contacts and SMS

For the transfer of contacts:

• Export them to.vcf via Contacts → Settings → Import/Export.
• Or sync with your Google Account (Settings → Accounts → Google → Contact Sync).

SMS Backup & Restore (saves to.xml) is suitable for SMS.

Annexes and their data

To transfer application data (for example, save in games):

• Use the built-in backup function in Mi Cloud (Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup).
• For individual applications (such as WhatsApp), create a local backup in the messenger settings, then copy the msgstore.db.crypt14 file to your PC.

💡

To transfer WhatsApp data to a new phone, first copy the WhatsApp folder from internal memory to your PC, then restore it to the new device before installing the messenger.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability from Xiaomi to PC