How to transfer photos from Xiaomi phone to your computer: step-by-step instructions for beginners

Transferring photos from Xiaomi phone to computer seems like a simple task, but in practice many face problems: the phone is not detected through the phone. USB, files are not copied or disappear after transfer. This article will help to understand the nuances even for those who first hold a Redmi smartphone or a smartphone. POCO.

We'll look at 5 proven ways to transfer photos, from classic cable connections to wireless solutions over cloud services, each one being thoroughly disassembled to account for common user errors. For example, did you know that new Xiaomi models need to manually enable file transfer mode when you connect to a PC? or that a standard cable from the kit may not support data transfer?

The instructions are adapted for all versions MIUI (12 to 14) and runs on devices from Xiaomi Mi 8 to Redmi Note 13 Pro+. If you lost the cable or do not want to mess with the wires – in the article there are solutions for such cases.

1. Preparation of the phone before transferring the photo

Before you connect Xiaomi to your computer, follow a few simple steps that will save you 80% of the device definition problems.

First, check the cable. USB. Many users wonder why the computer can't see the phone, even though the cable is connected. POCO) Often designed for charging only and do not support data transfer. note the marking: the original Xiaomi cable must be indicated USB 2.0 Data Cable.

Second, update. MIUI In the old firmware (especially the old firmware). MIUI 11 and below) there were device recognition bugs on Windows 10/11. You can check the version in the Settings menu. → The phone. → Version. MIUI.

• 🔌 Use the original Xiaomi cable (white or black with a logo on the connector)
• 📱 Check the connector. USB-C on the phone – often there accumulates dust, interfering with contact
• 💻 Mi drivers must be installed on the computer PC Suite (you can download from the official website)
• 🔄 Reboot both devices before connecting – this resets temporary errors

⚠️ Note: If you connect Xiaomi to your computer at work, check the security policy IT-Some corporate networks block the connection of external devices through USB.

For models with USB-C (Xiaomi after all 2018 (a) the port is recommended USB 3.0 It's on a computer (usually blue) and it's going to speed up the transfer of files to the computer. 2-3 time-to-time USB 2.0.

2. Method 1: Transfer the photo through USB-cable (the most reliable cable)

It’s a classic method that works on 100% of Xiaomi devices if done right. 4X Xiaomi 14 Ultra – the same algorithm.

Connect your phone to your computer with a cable. On the Xiaomi screen, a notification will appear "Charge through" USB". Click on it and select File Transfer (or File Manager on older versions). MIUI). If this notification is not available, unlock the screen and reconnect.

The computer will open a conductor window with the phone folders, and the photos are usually stored in:

• Internal storage → DCIM → Camera (main photos)
• Internal storage → Pictures → Screenshots (screenshots)
• Internal storage → MIUI → Camera (Photo from the standard camera on some models)

Just drag and drop the files to any folder on your computer. To speed up the process, you can select all the photos (combination Ctrl).+A) and copy in one go.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi models with MIUI 14 a new feature "Personal Data Protection" appeared, which by default blocks access to some folders through USB. To disable it, go to Settings. → Confidentiality → Special access → Protection of personal data and deactivate the option.

Use the original Xiaomi cable|Enable the "File Transfer" mode on the phone|Check the connection to the port USB 3.0|Update MIUI last-minute|Install Mi. PC Suite on the computer-->

Method 2: Wireless transmission via Mi Drop (without cables)

If you don’t have a cable or prefer wireless solutions, use the built-in Mi Drop feature.This is Xiaomi’s proprietary application for transferring files between devices over Wi-Fi Direct.

The algorithm is simple:

1. On your phone, open the “Mi Drop” app (if not, download from Google Play)
2. Click "Send" and select a photo from the gallery.
3. On your computer, open your browser and go to the address ftp://[IP-Your phone address (it will appear in Mi Drop)
4. Download files as usual FTP-server

Transfer speed depends on your Wi-Fi router. on Xiaomi Router AX6000 100 photo-format JPEG pass on 2-3 On budget routers, the process can take up to 10 minute.

The main advantage of Mi Drop is the absence of restrictions on file size (unlike messengers) and the preservation of the original quality of the photo.

• 📶 Requires a stable Wi-Fi connection
• 🔋 Phone battery consumption ~15-20% hourly
• 🖥️ You need to manually enter the computer. FTP-address

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If Mi Drop can't find your computer, check if both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and some routers need to turn off the "Customer Isolation" feature in network settings.

Method 3: Transfer through Google Photos (automatic synchronization)

The most convenient way for those who take photos regularly is Google Photos automatically uploads all the images to the cloud, from where they can be downloaded to your computer at any time.

The setup takes 2 minutes:

1. Install Google Photos from Play Market
2. Open it and log in to your Google account.
3. Click on the avatar. → "Photo settings" → "Backup and synchronization"
4. Activate the switch and select quality ("Original" for saving without compression)

Now all new photos will be automatically uploaded to the cloud, so you can download them to your computer.

1. Open your browser and go to photos.google.com
2. Select the desired photo (you can choose everything for a certain date)
3. Click on three dots in the upper right corner → "Download"

Important detail: Google Photos compresses a photo when selecting the "High Quality" option, but saves the originals if "Original Quality" is selected. On Xiaomi models with 108 cameras+ MP (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Ultra) file size difference can be as high as 50%.

⚠️ Attention: Google's free cloud storage is limited to 15GB per account. If you have thousands of high-resolution photos, there may not be enough space, in which case you'd better use Mi Cloud (gives 5GB free) or transfer photos over the Internet. USB.

5. Method 4: Using a memory card (for models with a microSD slot)

If your Xiaomi supports memory cards (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro)+ or POCO X5 Pro, you can greatly simplify the process:

Most photos are saved to internal memory by default, but this can be changed:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Press the gear (settings) → "Warehouse"
3. Select "Memory Card"

After that, all new photos will be saved to microSD, and then transferred to the computer:

• Remove the memory card from the phone (pre-mount it in the settings)
• Insert into the card reader of a computer or laptop
• Copy files from the folder DCIM

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 No need to connect the phone – enough card reader (~200 rubles for AliExpress)
• 📁 You can transfer thousands of photos at once without the risk of a connection break.
• 🔋 No battery charge of the phone is consumed

Please note: the speed of reading memory cards class A1 or A2 may be lower than the transmission of USB 3.0. 4K-video RAW-Photos are better used for maps UHS-I U3 (For example, SanDisk Extreme Pro).

6. Method 5: Transfer via messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp)

The easiest, but not the most efficient way. 10-20 Photos when there is no cable and Wi-Fi at hand.

Instructions for Telegram:

1. Open the Save Messages chat (or any other chat)
2. Press the paper clip. → "gallery"
3. Choose a photo (up to 10 at a time)
4. Send without compression (in Telegram, hold your finger on the send button)

On the computer:

1. Open the web version of Telegram
2. Find the photos sent.
3. Click on the photo with the right button → "Save how..."

Limitations of the method:

• 📸 Maximum 10 photos per post in Telegram
• 📶 WhatsApp compresses photos up to 16 MP (quality is lost)
• 🕒 Transfer 100 photo ~15-20 minute
• 📵 Requires mobile internet or Wi-Fi

⚠️ Note: When you send through messengers, the metadata of the photo (date of shooting, geolocation, camera model) is lost. If it is important, use other methods.

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Messengers are convenient for transferring multiple photos in emergency cases, but are not suitable for regular backup due to file number limitations and loss of quality.

7. Problem Solving: Frequent Errors and Corrections

Even if you follow the instructions correctly, you can have problems, and here are the most common ways to solve them:

If none of these methods work, try resetting your settings. USB phone-on:

1. Go to Settings → System → Resetting settings
2. Select "Resetting settings" USB"
3. Connect your phone to your computer again

On Xiaomi models with MIUI 13/14 Sometimes it helps to disable the function "Debugging by" USB" (If it was previously enabled, find it in Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 Once on the version, then go back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers).

8. FAQ: Answers to frequent questions