How to transfer photos from one Xiaomi phone to another

Changing your smartphone is always stressful, not only with getting used to a new interface, but also having to move gigabytes of personal data. Xiaomi ecosystem owners are in a better position as the company has developed powerful built-in tools for migration. If you bought a new Redmi or Black Shark flagship, you don't have to look for third-party apps that often contain ads and viruses.

There are several proven methods of synchronizing the media library, each with its own advantages depending on the amount of data and the speed of the Internet connection: you can use direct Wi-Fi connection between devices, cloud services or even a physical connection to the computer. It is important to choose a method that preserves the original quality of the images and folder structure, which is critical for those who are actively photographing.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways of transferring files, from the automatic Mi Mover tool to manual copying via USB. We will also discuss data security issues and explain why some methods can be faster than others.

Using the Mi Mover app for quick migration

The most efficient and quickest way is to use the branded Mi Mover utility, which is pre-installed on all of the brand’s modern smartphones, which creates a direct local Wi-Fi network between two devices, allowing data to be transmitted at high speeds without using Internet traffic.

To get started, open the app on both devices. On the new phone, select Recipient and on the old one, Sender. QR-You can find the code or find the device in the list of available networks. Once you set up the connection, you'll see the data selection screen.

In the category selection menu, make sure to tick Images or Gallery. A key advantage of this method is that the app transfers not only the files themselves, but also metadata, such as the shooting date and geolocation, which means that the photos will be sorted chronologically correctly in the Google Photos app or the standard gallery of the new phone.

⚠️ Warning: Do not leave the Mi Mover app or turn off your phone screens during the process, otherwise the connection may break and the procedure will have to start again.

If you have a lot of photos, it can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. The speed depends on the number of files and the power of the Wi-Fi modules in your smartphones. Try to keep the devices close together for a stable signal.

Synchronization through the cloud service Mi Cloud

The second popular method is the Mi Cloud cloud storage, which is ideal if you already have a Xiaomi account and a stable Wi-Fi connection, and allows you not only to copy files, but also to back them up from any device, including your computer.

On your old smartphone, go to your account settings and select gallery sync. Make sure you select Original quality if you don't want to lose the detail of your images. Once you've finished uploading to the server, log in to the same account on the new device.

When you log in to your account on your new phone, turn on sync. Photos will start loading in the background. This is convenient because you can use the phone as soon as you download. However, the speed of the process depends on the bandwidth of your Internet channel.

Using the cloud also makes it easy to manage space, so you can delete photos from your old device after checking for them in the cloud, freeing up space, especially when you move to a model with less internal memory.

Transfer via Google Photos and Google Account

Google's ecosystem is the standard for Android, and ignoring its capabilities would be a mistake. Google Photos automatically backs up your photos if it's activated. When you first set up a new phone, just type in your Gmail address.

All the photos uploaded to the Google cloud will instantly appear in the gallery of the new device, and it's transparent to the user, and the main condition is that there's Internet access, and if there's a thousand photos, it can take a long time to download them on the old phone.

It is important to check the download quality settings in the app. The default mode may be “Save space”, which compresses images. For professionals or those who print photos, you should choose the “Original” mode, which occupies space in the storage of Google One.

Once you've made sure that all the photos are displayed on the new device, you can easily format or sell the old one, and this is a good way to be versatile, because it's not a brand of the phone, but an account provider.

Manual copying via USB and computer

The most reliable, albeit more time-consuming, method is to use the computer as an intermediary, which is independent of the speed of the Internet and allows you to visually control the copying process. USB-cable and PC with Windows or macOS operating system.

Connect your old phone to your computer and select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the notifications. Open the explorer, find the DCIM folder, and inside it is Camera, and that's where the main pictures are stored.

Copy the Camera folder to your computer's hard drive. Then plug in the new phone, go to the same directory, and paste the copied files. The computer may ask if you're copying the duplicates, if you're copying the data partially -- be careful when you answer.

In the case of USB-It is important to use original or quality wire. Cheap cables can only support charging and do not transmit data, which will lead to a connection error. USB properly.

💡

Use USB 3.0 ports on your computer (usually blue) for maximum speed copying large amounts of data, especially if you are transferring video to 4K.

Transfer files via Bluetooth and ShareMe

If you don’t have a computer at hand and a Wi-Fi router is not available, you can use the classic Bluetooth or ShareMe (formerly Mi Drop) application. Bluetooth is suitable for transferring several dozen photos, but it is too slow for gigabytes of data.

ShareMe works on the Wi-Fi Direct principle, creating a communication channel between phones. It is often faster than Bluetooth, but inferior in speed to native Mi Mover.It allows you to transfer files not only between Xiaomi phones, but also to devices of other brands, including iPhone and Samsung.

To get started, install the app on both devices (if it's not built in), click "Send", select photos and wait for the recipient to be found, and confirm the request for files on the receiving device.

⚠️ Note: When transmitting via Bluetooth or third-party applications over Wi-Fi Direct, make sure that the receiving device has enough free memory, otherwise the process will be interrupted halfway.

This is a good way to quickly transfer a couple of pictures to a friend or to a new phone that is not yet fully configured, and is not recommended for full library migration due to low speed and lack of automatic sorting.

Solution and Optimization Advice

During the transfer process, users often encounter errors such as connection interruption or file corruption. Most often, the problem lies in energy saving. MIUI or HyperOS can aggressively kill background processes to save battery.

Before starting a large-scale operation, go to the battery settings and set “No Limits” mode for Mi Mover, Google Photos or Explorer applications, which will prevent data from turning off if the screen goes out.

💡

Disabling the power saving mode and locking the screen for the transmission time is the key to successfully completing the process without errors.

It's also worth checking the file format. If you've been shooting with a professional RAW camera, make sure the new device supports this format, or convert them to JPEG in advance. Some older models may not display previews of such files.

After a successful transfer, take your time to reset your old phone. Spend a couple of days with your new device to make sure all albums, hidden folders and videos are opened correctly. Only after complete verification can you start cleaning the old gadget.