How to transfer photos from Xiaomi to your computer: 5 ways for beginners

Why is it so difficult to transfer photos from Xiaomi to PC?

You just got back from vacation, took hundreds of cool shots on your Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 or more. POCO X5 Pro, and now you want to save them on your computer, or you just need to free up your phone's memory by moving old photos, and it would seem that it could be easier to plug in. USB-But in practice, users are faced with a lot of nuances: the phone is not defined as a drive, Windows asks for drivers, and the phone is not defined as a drive. MIUI shows an empty folder DCIM.

The problem is that smartphone makers (including Xiaomi) are constantly changing connection protocols, and operating systems (Windows) are changing. 10/11, macOS) updates the rules for external devices, the same thing that worked a year ago on Mi. 9, It might not work on Redmi. 13C because of the new versions MIUI. Many people forget the simple things: USB-The cable must support data transmission (not all charging cables can do this!).

In this article, we will analyze 5 proven ways to transfer photos from Xiaomi to PC – from the classic version of the smartphone. USB-Each method is illustrated with screenshots and provides unique tips for correcting common errors that you won't find in standard instructions. MTP Windows shows you an empty folder, or how to get around the restriction MIUI access to files through USB.

Method 1: Transfer through USB-cable (classical method)

This is the most obvious way, but it often doesn't work properly because of the phone's settings or the drivers on the PC, so let's take a step-by-step approach to avoid the typical mistakes.

You'll need:

• 🔌 Original. USB-Powerbank charging cables (or certified data-enabled cables) are often not suitable for the cable!
• 🖥️ Windows computer 7/10/11 Mac OS (MacOS may require additional software).
• 📱 Xiaomi smartphone with unlocked screen (important for confirming connection).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your phone to your PC with a cable. On the Xiaomi screen, a USB Charge notification will appear — tap it.
2. Select File Transfer (MTP) mode. If this is not available, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → USB and enable File Transfer.
3. The PC will open a conductor window with the phone folder. Go to the Internal Drive → DCIM → Camera (or Pictures for screenshots).
4. Select the photos you need (you can click Ctrl+A to select everyone) and drag them to the folder on your computer.

The cable supports data transfer (try another one).

The phone is enabled MTP (not Charging Only)

Xiaomi drivers are installed on the PC (download from [official website](https://new.c.mi.com/global/miuidownload/index))

USB port on PC works (try another port)

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If the DCIM folder is empty, but there is a photo on the phone:

• 🔍 Check if the files are hidden. MIUI Go to the gallery. → Albums. → Settings (⚙) → Show hidden files.
• 📁 Maybe the photos aren't saved in a standard folder. → Information → Look the way to the file.
• 🔄 Restart your phone and PC – sometimes it solves the cache problem MTP.

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If Windows is constantly requesting drivers for Xiaomi, download the Mi PC Suite utility from the official website. It will automatically install all the necessary components and offer an alternative way to manage files.

Method 2: Wi-Fi transmission (without cables)

If you do not have a suitable cable, or USB-The port on the PC doesn't work, you can transfer photos wirelessly, which is slower, but it's convenient for a lot of files.

This is what I'd like:

• 🌐 Built-in function MIUI Wi-Fi transmission (available on most models).
• 📲 Third-party applications: Send Anywhere, Xender, or LocalSend (open source).
• 🖥️ Services like Snapdrop (works through a browser without installation).

Instructions for the built-in MIUI function:

1. On the phone, open the Gallery, highlight the photo (press one photo with your finger → mark the rest).
2. Tap Share → Wi-Fi transmission (or Send to the device in new versions of MIUI).
3. On PC, open your browser and enter the address that is shown on the phone screen (e.g. ftp://192.168.1.100:1234).
4. Download files via a web interface or connect as a network drive (in Windows: This computer → Connect network drive).

USB-cable|Wi-Fi/Bluetooth|Cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud)|Apps like Send Anywhere|Another way.-->

⚠️ Note: When transmitting via Wi-Fi MIUI The connection may be interrupted if the phone goes to sleep. Before you start the transfer, turn off the settings. → Display. → Sleeping mode or setting the value of Never.

Method 3: Using cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud)

Cloud storage is convenient if you not only need to transfer photos to your PC, but also have access to them from different devices.

Pros:

• 🔄 Automatic synchronization (you can configure autoboot).
• 🌍 Access to photos from any device.
• 🛡️ Backup (photos will not be lost when your phone breaks).

Cons:

• 📉 Quality compression (in free Google Photos rates).
• 💾 Restricted space (15GB in Google Photos, 5GB in Mi Cloud).
• 🔒 Risk of data leakage (if the account is hacked).

How to transfer photos via Google Photos:

1. Install the Google Photos app from the Play Market.
2. Open the application → tap on the avatar → Photo on the device → turn on Backup and Synchronization.
3. Choose quality (Original or High). Attention: High compresses photos up to 16 MP!
4. On PC, open photos.google.com, highlight the photo and click Download.

For Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud):

1. On the phone: Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery → turn on synchronization.
2. On PC: Go to i.mi.com, log in and download the photo manually.

⚠️ Note: In Mi Cloud, photos are stored in a compressed form (even if the settings indicate "Original Quality.

Method 4: Applications for fast transfer (Send Anywhere, Xender)

Third-party applications often save when standard methods fail: They use direct Wi-Fi (P2P) transmission, which is faster than uploading to the cloud.

Send Anywhere is one of the most reliable solutions:

• 🚀 Transfer speeds up to 10 MB/s (depending on the router).
• 🔗 There is no limit to file size (unlike Bluetooth).
• 🔒 Encryption of data during transmission.

Instructions:

1. Install Send Anywhere on your phone and PC (or open the web version at send-anywhere.com).
2. On your phone, select a photo → Send → Generate a key (6 digits).
3. On PC, enter this key in the Receive field.
4. Confirm the transfer on the phone - the files will start to download.

💡

Send Anywhere doesn’t require an internet connection — devices communicate directly over a local area network, making it safer than cloud services.

Alternatives:

• 📱 Xender – supports transfer between Android, iOS and PC, but shows ads.
• 🌐 LocalSend – open source without restrictions, works through the browser.
• 🔄 Feem – creates a local network for transferring files without the Internet.

Method 5: Transfer through a memory card (if any)

If your Xiaomi supports microSD cards, this is the easiest way to transfer photos.

How to check if the photo is saved to the map:

1. Open the camera. → Settings (⚙) → Warehouse.
2. If you select a memory card, all new photos are saved there.
3. If you select Internal Memory, transfer existing photos manually: open the Gallery → Select photos → Move → Memory Map.

How to transfer a photo from the card to the PC:

• 🔌 Remove the card from your phone and paste it into the card reader on your PC (or use a microSD adapter).→USB).
• 📁 Open the map in the conductor, go to the folder DCIM → Camera.
• 🖱️ Copy files into the desired folder on the computer.

⚠️ Warning: Do not remove the memory card from your phone while recording photos or videos - this can damage files. Always use the Safe Retrieval function in the video. MIUI (Settings → Warehouse → Extract SD-map).

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If your Xiaomi doesn’t support memory cards, but you have an old smartphone with a microSD, you can temporarily paste the card there, transfer the photo via USB, and then read it on your PC.

Frequent mistakes and how to fix them

Even with the instructions, users are faced with problems, and here are the most common solutions.

If none of the methods work:

• 🔄 Reboot your phone and PC – This Solves 30% of Connection Problems.
• 📱 Check if the developer mode is enabled on Xiaomi → Debugging by USB (sometimes gets in the way MTP).
• 🖥️ On PC, disable the antivirus (it can block access to phone files).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions