How to transfer photos from one Android to Xiaomi: all ways from Mi Drop to cloud services

Porting photos between Xiaomi smartphones and other Android devices seems like a simple task — until you face restrictions on speed, compatibility or data volume, POCO Mi or Mi are often faced with a situation where standard methods like Bluetooth are too slow and cloud services limit free space.

We tested 7 current methods – from Xiaomi branded solutions (Mi Drop, Quick Share) to universal tools (Google Photos, FTP-Special attention was paid to the nuances: why Mi Drop can not see the device, how to circumvent the restriction of Google Photos on compression, and why USB-OTG Sometimes it's faster than Wi-Fi Direct (.HEIC,.RAW) Can cause problems during transmission and how to convert them directly on the smartphone.

If you need to move a few gigabytes of photos while maintaining original quality, you can use a method speed comparison table. A1) Add a separate section with workarounds to eliminate common errors like "unable to connect" or "files not displayed".

1. Branded method: Mi Drop (fast and without the Internet)

Mi Drop is a built-in solution from Xiaomi that uses Wi-Fi Direct to transfer files between devices without a network connection. Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO, It can also work with other Android devices (provided Wi-Fi Direct is supported).

Transfer speeds reach 10-15 MB/s (depending on the model), which is 3-5 times faster than Bluetooth, the main advantage is the absence of volume restrictions and the preservation of the original quality of photos (including the original quality of the photos.RAW and.HEIC). But there are nuances:

• 📱 Both devices must have the latest version of the Mi Drop app installed (you can download it from the Mi App Store or Google Play).
• 🔄 If devices can’t see each other, check if Wi-Fi Direct is enabled in the settings (Settings) → Connections → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi Direct).
• 🔋 Make sure both smartphones have enough charge (the 10GB photo transfer process can take up to 20 minutes and consume up to 15% of the battery).
• 🚫 Some Samsung or Huawei models block Mi Drop as an “unsafe app” – in which case, use alternative methods.

Step-by-step:

1. Open Mi Drop on both devices.
2. On the sender smartphone, select "Send files", on the receiving one - "Receive files".
3. Select photos (possibly in a package) and confirm the transfer.
4. Wait for completion – don’t lock the screen or switch to other apps.

⚠️ Note: If the transmission is interrupted by 90-99%, try to disable the Adaptive Battery in the settings (Settings) → Battery → Battery mode.This feature sometimes forcibly closes Mi Drop to save energy.

2. Quick Share (Mi Drop alternative for new models)

Starting with MIUI 14 and Android 13, Xiaomi has integrated support for Quick Share, Google’s analogue of Nearby Share, but with improved transfer speeds.This method is suitable for transferring photos between Xiaomi and other Android devices (including Samsung, Google Pixel).

Advantages:

• 🔗 It works without the Internet (using Wi-Fi Direct). + Bluetooth for initialization).
• 📁 Supports folder transfer in its entirety (unlike Mi Drop, where you need to select files one by one).
• 🔒 Encryption of data during transmission.

How to use:

1. Activate Quick Share in Settings → Connections → Quick Share.
2. On the sender device, select photos in the gallery, click "Share" → "Quick Share".
3. Select the target device from the list (it should be visible and unlocked).
4. Confirm receipt on the second smartphone.

Enable Quick Share in the settings of both devices

Unlock both smartphones

- Disable the power saving mode

- Make sure there is enough memory on the receiving device-->

3. Cloud services: Google Photos vs Mi Cloud

If you have slow Wi-Fi Direct or you can't use cable, cloud services are a lifeline, but there are pitfalls for each of them:

Google Photos:

• ✅ Automatic synchronization (photos are uploaded in the background).
• ✅ Free 15 GB (shared with Google Drive).
• ⚠️ Compression of photos when selecting the option "High quality" (resolution is reduced to 16 MP, even if the original 48 MP).
• 🔄 To avoid compression, choose "Original Quality" (but it is counted in the limit of 15 GB).

Mi Cloud:

• ✅ 5GB free (can be expanded to 200GB for a fee).
• ✅ No automatic compression (photos are saved in original resolution).
• ❌ Slower Google Photos when downloading/downloading.
• 📱 Available only for Xiaomi devices (other Android works via web version).

Step-by-step instructions for Google Photos:

1. Install Google Photos on both devices.
2. On the sender smartphone, turn on autoload: Settings → Backup and synchronization.
3. Wait for the download to be completed (can be tracked in the "Photos" section" → "Library" → "Devices").
4. On the second smartphone, log in to the same Google account and download photos.

⚠️ Note: If photos in Google Photos are blurred, check the download quality settings. To return the originals, go to Settings → Storage management → Restore the originals (available within 60 days of downloading).

4. USB-cable OTG: quickest

Transfer of photos through USB-cable OTG-The adapter remains the most reliable and fastest method, especially if we are talking about tens of gigabytes. USB), And the risk of data loss is minimal:

What you need:

• 🔌 USB-C — USB-C cable (for new Xiaomi models) or USB-A — USB-C + OTG-adapter (for older ones).
• 📂 On the sender smartphone, photos should be stored in a folder DCIM Pictures (otherwise they may not see the second smartphone).
• 🔋 Charging at least 30% (when transferring a large volume, the smartphone can discharge).

Instructions:

1. Connect your smartphones with a cable. There's a notification on the screen "USB-connection".
2. Select File Transfer Mode (MTP).
3. On the second smartphone, open Explorer (or Mi File Manager) and find the folder with photos.
4. Copy files to the right location (e.g., Internal Storage) → DCIM).

If the smartphone does not recognize the connection:

• Check the cable (some cheap cables only support charging, not data transmission).
• Update. MIUI Up to the latest version (older versions have bugs with the MTP).
• Reboot both devices.

💡

If photos don't show up in the gallery after copying, update the media base: open Explorer, find a folder with photos, create any file (for example, temp.txt), then delete it. This will force the index of media files to be updated.

5. FTP-server: for advanced users

If you need to transfer photos without loss of quality and with the ability to selectively download, customize FTP-So, the best solution for a server on a smartphone is this one, and it takes a little bit longer to prepare, but it gives you complete control over the process.

What you need:

• 📱 Annex FTP Server (e.g., Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer).
• 🌐 Both devices must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
• 🔐 Login and password for access (set in the settings) FTP).

Instructions:

1. Install Solid Explorer on the sender smartphone.
2. Open the side menu. → FTP-server → "Launch".
3. Remember the address (for example, ftp://192.168.1.10:2221), login.
4. On the second smartphone, open the Explorer → "Connect to FTP" → enter.
5. Copy the photos you want.

Transmission speed FTP It's 5-10 MB/s (depending on the router), and the main advantage is the ability to interrupt and resume transmission, as well as selectively download files.

⚠️ Please note: Do not use public Wi-Fi networks (such as in cafes) for the purpose of FTP-Transmissions: data is transmitted without encryption and can be intercepted by attackers.

💡

FTP-The server is the only method that allows you to transfer photos with the storage of all metadata (EXIF), including geotags and camera settings.

6.Bluetooth: When there are no other options

Bluetooth is the slowest but most versatile method, and should only be used to transfer a few photos (up to 50MB) when other methods are not available, speeds rarely exceed 1-2MB/s, and errors are possible when transferring large numbers of files.

How to speed up the process:

• 📎 Send photos to the archive (.ZIP): Select files in the Explorer → "Squeeze".
• 🔄 Use Bluetooth 5.0 (available on Xiaomi starting with Redmi Note 7).
• 📵 Disable other Bluetooth devices (earphones, fitness bracelets) to reduce interference.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on both devices.
2. Then, put them together (input the same one). PIN-code, if required).
3. In the gallery, select photos → "Share" → "Bluetooth".
4. Select the target device and confirm acceptance.

If the transmission is suspended:

• Reboot Bluetooth (turn off/on in settings).
• Reduce the number of files simultaneously transferred (optimally, 5-10 pieces).
• Check if the transmission is blocked by the energy saving mode.

7.Transfer photos from old Xiaomi models (Redmi) 4X, Mi A1 etc.)

Owners of devices on MIUI 9-11 or Android 7-8 may encounter problems using modern transmission methods:

Problem 1: Mi Drop doesn't see the device

• 🔧 Update Mi Drop to the latest version via the Mi App Store (Google Play may have an outdated version).
• 📡 Enable Wi-Fi Direct manually: Settings → Wi-Fi → Additionally. → Wi-Fi Direct.
• 🔄 Reboot both devices.

Problem 2: USB-cable is not defined

• 🔌 Try another cable (preferably original from Xiaomi).
• 🖥️ Turn on the debugging. USB: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times) → Developer settings → Debugging by USB.
• 📱 Older models may require a choice of Mass Storage mode instead of MTP (Available via Engineer Mode, code ##3646633##).

Problem 3: Google Photos Are Not Synced

• 📶 Check if background data transfer is enabled for Google Photos: Settings → Annexes → Google Photo → Data data → Background gear.
• 🔋 Disable battery optimization for the app.
• 🗃️ If photos don’t load, try manually adding a folder with them in your backup settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo transfer