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

You just got back from vacation, took hundreds of cool photos on your Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 or Poco X5 Pro, now do you want to save them on your computer? Or do you just need to free up your memory on your phone by transferring all the photos to your PC? Don't worry, it's easier than it seems! Even if you've never connected your smartphone to your computer before, our instructions will help you do it without errors.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to transfer photos from Xiaomi to your computer, from classic cable connection to cloud services and wireless technologies. MIUI (Xiaomi firmware and common novice errors, you'll learn which is the fastest, which is the most reliable, and how to avoid loss of image quality.

It doesn’t matter if you’re using Windows. 10/11 Or macOS, the instructions are universal, and if something goes wrong, there's a section at the end of this article that addresses the most common problems!

1. Method. №1: Transfer of photo by USB-cable (the most reliable cable)

Connecting your phone to your computer via cable is a basic method that works on 100% of Xiaomi devices, it does not require internet, does not compress photos and is suitable for transferring large amounts of data (for example, 10 devices).+ GB photos).

You'll need:

• ⚡ Original. USB-cable (or high-quality analogue with data support). Charging cables often do not fit!
• 💻 Windows computer 7/10/11 macOS (configured the same way).
• 📱 Xiaomi phone with unlocked screen (important!).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your phone to your computer with a cable. Use the port. USB 3.0 (usually blue) for maximum speed.
2. The phone will have a notification on it, "Charge via USB."
3. Select File Transfer Mode (or File Manager in older versions of MIUI).
4. If you don't, open a Explorer window with your phone's folders, open "This Computer" (Windows) or "Finder" (macOS) and find a Xiaomi device.
5. Go to the folder. DCIM → Camera (all photos taken on camera are stored here). → Screenshots.
6. Select the desired photo (you can press Ctrl)+A to select everything) and drag them to any folder on your computer.

The cable supports data transfer (not just charging)

The phone has a screen unlocked.

Xiaomi’s File Transfer Mode is enabled

Drivers are installed on the computer (usually installed automatically)

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The transfer speed depends on the USB version:

• USB 2.0 — before 480 Mbit/s (~60 MB/s. Suitable for 100-200 photo.
• USB 3.0/3.1 — before 5-10 Gbps (~600 MB/s. 10 GB photo 2-3 minute.

⚠️ Warning: If the computer can't see the phone, try: Change the cable (frequently!) Reboot the phone and PC. Enable "Debugging by USB" In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Tap 7 times according to version, then return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers).

2. Method. №2 Wireless transmission via Mi Drop (without cables)

Mi Drop is a proprietary application from Xiaomi that allows you to transfer files between devices over Wi-Fi Direct. The speed is lower than over cable, but you do not need to connect anything!

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 It works without the Internet (creates a local network).
• 📱 Supports transfer between Xiaomi and any computer (Windows/macOS/Linux).
• 📂 You can send whole folders with photos.

How to use Mi Drop:

1. Install the Mi Drop app on your phone (if it’s not by default, download from Google Play).
2. Open Mi Drop and press "Send".
3. Select the photos you want to transfer (you can choose several by holding your finger on the screen).
4. Click "Next" and select "Computer".
5. On your computer, open your browser and enter the address that is shown on the phone screen (e.g. 192.168.43.1:8080).
6. Download the photo on PC through the web interface.

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If Mi Drop can't find the computer, check that both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If there's no network, turn on the hotspot on the phone and connect the PC to it.

The speed of transmission via Mi Drop is usually 2-5 MB/s is enough for that. 50-100 photo 1-2 For larger volumes, you'd better use cable.

⚠️ Note: Some antiviruses (e.g. Kaspersky) may block the connection to Mi Drop. Disable protection or add an address to exceptions during transfer.

3. Method. №3: Cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud, Yandex.Disk)

If you need to not only transfer photos to your computer, but also have access to them from any device, cloud services are ideal. They automatically sync photos and allow you to download them in their original quality.

Compare the popular services for Xiaomi:

Instructions for Google Photos (recommended!):

1. Install the Google Photos app from the Play Market.
2. Open the app and log in to your Google account.
3. Click on the avatar → “Photo settings” → “Backup”.
4. Enable Backup and Sync and select Original Quality (where the location permits).
5. Wait for the photo to be uploaded to the cloud (you can monitor the progress in notifications).
6. On your computer, open photos.google.com, select a photo and click "Download".

If you are using Mi Cloud, go to Settings. → Accounts. → Mi Cloud on your phone and turn on Gallery sync. Then download the photo via i.mi.com web version.

4. Method. №4: Bluetooth transmission (for a small number of photos)

Bluetooth is not the fastest way, but it will help if there is no cable or Wi-Fi at hand. 10-20 Small photo size (for example, screenshots or photographs of documents).

How to transfer photos over Bluetooth:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone (Settings) → Connections → Bluetooth) and on a computer.
2. Make your phone “Visible to All” (in Bluetooth settings).
3. On your computer, find the Xiaomi device in the list of available and connect to it (you may need to enter a confirmation code).
4. On the phone, open the Gallery, select a photo and click "Share" → "Bluetooth".
5. Select your computer from the list of devices.
6. On your PC, confirm the file acceptance (usually the Downloads or Bluetooth Exchange Folder folder).

Transmission speed over Bluetooth:

• Bluetooth 4.0 — ~1-2 MB/s (5-10 minute-by-minute).
• Bluetooth 5.0 — ~2-3 MB/s (up to) 15 minute-by-minute).

⚠️ Warning: Windows 11 sometimes has trouble receiving files over Bluetooth. If photos are not transmitted: Update Bluetooth drivers via Device Manager. Try turning Bluetooth off and back on both devices. Use alternative methods (e.g. Mi Drop).

5. Method. №5: Use of a memory card if the phone supports)

If your Xiaomi is equipped with a microSD slot (for example, Redmi Note 10 Pro or Poco) X3 Pro, you can transfer photos through a memory card, which is convenient if you take pictures often and want to have a backup.

Step-by-step:

1. Insert a microSD card into your phone (if it is not already installed).
2. Open the Gallery, select a photo and click "Share" → "Save to a memory card" (or "copy" if you need to duplicate).
3. Remove the card from the phone (pre-mount it in Settings) → Warehouse).
4. Insert the card into your computer via a card reader (or microSD adapter) → SD).
5. Copy the photo from the map to the computer.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 It does not require an internet or computer connection.
• 📁 You can store a photo on the map as a backup.
• ⚡ Faster than Bluetooth or Mi Drop transmission.

Important: If you use a memory card as the main storage for photos, set up the camera to save pictures on the camera. SD. To do this, open the chamber. → Settings → "Place of Save" and select "Memory Map".

Po Po Po USB-cable

Through Mi Drop or analogues

Cloud services (Google Photos, Yandex.Disk)

Bluetooth

Memory map

Another way.-->

6.Typical errors and how to fix them

Even when you follow the instructions, sometimes you have problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions.

If none of these methods work, try:

• 🔄 Restart your phone and computer.
• 🔌 Use the other USB-port (preferably) USB 3.0).
• 📱 Update MIUI Up to the latest version (Settings) → Updating the system).
• 💻 Install drivers for Xiaomi manually (download from the official website).

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If the phone is still not determined, check if the "Charge Only" mode is turned on in the developer settings (Settings) → Additionally. → For developers → Configuration USB).

7. How to maintain the quality of the photo during transfer

Many users complain that after the transfer of the photo lose quality, this is due to:

• 📱 Compression in cloud services (unless "Original Quality" is selected").
• 🔌 Use of slow protocols (e.g. Bluetooth).
• 🖼️ Format conversions (e.g, HEIC into JPG).

How to avoid quality loss:

• 🔹 In the transmission of USB Mi Drop photos remain in original resolution.
• 🔹 In Google Photos, choose “Original Quality” (not “High Quality” which compresses the photo).
• 🔹 If the phone saves the photo in format HEIC (Relevant for new Xiaomi models, use the program HEIC to JPG lossless.
• 🔹 Before transfer, check the resolution of the photo: open the file properties on your computer and make sure it matches the original (for example, the file is the same as the original, 4032×3024 for 12-MP camera).

If you are transferring a photo for printing or professional processing, use only USB-cable or memory card – they guarantee 100% preservation of original quality.

8. Alternative programs for the transfer of photos

If standard methods don't work, you can use third-party programs, and they often offer additional features, such as automatic sorting or backup.

Top.-3 Programs for transferring photos from Xiaomi to PC:

Instructions for AirDroid (recommended!):

1. Install AirDroid on your phone from Play Market.
2. Sign up or sign in via Google/Facebook.
3. On your computer, open web.airdroid.com and scan. QR-phonecode.
4. In the "Files" section, select "Gallery" and download the necessary photos.

Snapdrop is even simpler.

1. Open snapdrop.net on your phone and computer (in the same browser).
2. The devices will automatically detect each other.
3. Drag the photo from your phone to your computer icon.

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The side of the program is convenient, but it is better to use official methods to transfer confidential photos (USB, Mi Drop – they are more reliable in terms of security.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions