How to transfer photos from your old phone to the new Xiaomi: all the ways 2026

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always a joyful event, but many users face the same problem: how to transfer precious photos from an old device without losing a single shot? This is especially true for owners of Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or flagship Mi 14, where the amount of internal memory can limit freedom of action. In this article, we will examine all the current ways – from the Mi Mover brand solution to cloud services and physical media.

It is important to understand that the choice of method depends on several factors: the volume of photos (500 pictures or 50,000?), the speed of the Internet connection, the availability of additional devices (computer, flash drive) and even the model of your old phone. For example, migrating from iPhone to Xiaomi will require different actions than migrating between two Android devices.We took into account all the nuances and collected instructions that will work even if you have an outdated Xiaomi model from 2018-2020 with limited features. MIUI.

Before you start, check two key points: 1) The new Xiaomi should have enough free space (photos in original quality take ~3-5 MB each). 2 The old phone should be charged at least 50% - some methods (for example, transmission over Wi-Fi) actively consume battery.

1. Branded way: Mi Mover (the fastest for Android → Xiaomi)

Mi Mover is a built-in app from Xiaomi that automatically transfers data between devices over a direct Wi-Fi connection, which is ideal if both phones run on Android (including Samsung, Huawei, Realme), but is not suitable for iPhone.

How it works:

1. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select the “Data Portability” option (if the phone is already configured, find the Mi Mover app in the menu).
2. On your old phone, install Mi Mover from Google Play (for non-Xiaomi devices).
3. Scan it. QR-code from a new phone or choose a manual Wi-Fi connection.
4. Select the category “Photos and videos” and start the transfer.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔹 Without loss of quality – files are copied in the original resolution.
• 🔹 Without the Internet, the transmission is on the local network.
• 🔹 Keeps the folder structure (for example, DCIM/Camera remain unchanged).

⚠️ Note: If the old phone is installed MIUI version below 12, Mi Mover may not support porting some formats (e.g,.HEIC In this case, use the method. №3 (cloud) or №4 (computer).

Charging both phones > 50%|Shut down. VPN both-device|Connect to a Wi-Fi network (if you have a Wi-Fi connection) QR-code doesn't work)|Free up space on the new Xiaomi (minimum) +10% of the volume of the photo)

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2.Move from iPhone to Xiaomi (via iCloud or PC)

iPhone owners face additional challenges due to Apple’s closed ecosystem, and the most reliable way to use iCloud as a stash, but it requires stable internet and free space in the cloud (only 5GB is available for free).

Step-by-step instructions for iCloud:

1. On iPhone, go to Settings → [Your name] → iCloud → Photos and turn on “iCloud Photos.”
2. Wait for the synchronization to be completed (check in Photos → Albums → All photos).
3. On Xiaomi, open your browser and go to iCloud.com, log in.
4. Select photos → “Download” (cloud icon with a down arrow).

Alternatively, direct transmission via computer:

• 🖥️ Connect your iPhone to your PC/Mac, Open the Explorer (Windows) or Photo (Mac).
• 📁 Copy the Internal folder Storage/DCIM work-table.
• 🔌 Connect Xiaomi and transfer files to the Pictures folder or DCIM.

iPhone (iOS)|Samsung|Huawei/Honor|Another Android|No old phone-->

3. Cloud services: Google Photos, Mi Cloud, Yandex Drive

Cloud storage is convenient if you have slow Internet or no computer at hand, the main advantage is automatic synchronization: photos are uploaded to the server from an old phone and downloaded to a new one.

Google Photos (recommended for most users):

• 📸 Freely stores photos in “high quality” (compression up to 16 MP) or original quality (considered to be 15 GB of the total limit of Google).
• 🔄 Automatic synchronization when connecting to Wi-Fi.
• ⚠️ Xiaomi can duplicate photos if sync with Mi Cloud is enabled.

Mi Cloud (branded cloud Xiaomi):

• ☁️ 5GB free, integrated into Xiaomi Gallery.
• 🔒 Encrypts data when transferring, but servers are located in China (may be slower for European users).
• 📱 Supports automatic booting only on devices with MIUI.

Yandex Disk (relevant for users from Russia):

• 🇷🇺 10 GB free, servers in Russia (fast download / download).
• 📎 You can download folders (the structure is preserved). DCIM/100MEDIA).
• ⚠️ The app can be blocked on some Xiaomi firmware without Google Services.

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If you have a lot of photos (more than 10,000), break them into parts of 2-3 GB. This will speed up loading and reduce the risk of errors during synchronization.

4. Computer-assisted transfer (USB-memory-card)

The most versatile and reliable method is to use a PC or laptop as an intermediary, suitable for any combination of devices (including iPhone, Android, even old Nokia with a memory card), the main advantage is 100% control over files: you can sort photos, delete duplicates or convert formats before transferring.

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC via USB, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Open This Computer → Find Your Device → Go to Internal Storage/DCIM (or Pictures).
3. Copy folders with photos to the desktop (for example, create a folder). Temp_Photos).
4. Disable your old phone, connect Xiaomi and transfer files to Internal Storage/DCIM/Camera.

If you have a Mac:

• 🍎 Use Android File Transfer (official software from Google).
• 📁 For iPhone, the standard Photo app will suit (export through the File) → Export).
• ⚡ To speed up, connect your phone to the port. USB-C/Thunderbolt (speed higher than USB 2.0).

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) 9A or POCO M3) When you first connect to a PC, you need to manually allow access to files. To do this, unlock the phone screen and confirm the request "Allow access to data?»

5.Use of microSD memory card

If your Xiaomi supports memory cards (e.g. Redmi Note 11 or POCO X4 Pro, this is going to be the easiest method, and the main condition is that the old phone has to have a microSD slot or an adapter for the phone. SIM-map.

How to transfer photos:

1. Put the memory card in your old phone.
2. Open the Gallery → select photos → click Export or Copy → specify the memory card as a save location.
3. Remove the card and paste it into Xiaomi.
4. Open the files. → Find the photo folder on SD-map → Copy them into your internal memory.

Advantages of the method:

• 💾 No Internet or PC – everything is done manually.
• 🔄 You can use the card as a backup (store a duplicate photo).
• ⚡ Faster than Wi-Fi (especially for large amounts of data).

Limitations:

• ❌ Not all Xiaomi models support memory cards (for example, Mi 11 Ultra or Mi 13 Pro are devoid of slots).
• ⚠️ ExFAT cards (over 32 GB) may not be readable on older phones (you need to format them in the same format). FAT32).

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If you use a memory card as a permanent storage for photos on Xiaomi, turn on the option “Save on” SD-map in the camera settings, which will save space in the internal memory.

6. Alternative methods: Bluetooth, email, instant messengers

These methods are suitable for transferring a small number of photos (up to 100-200 pieces), they are slower and less reliable, but can help in an emergency (for example, if you do not have a cable or Wi-Fi at hand).

Bluetooth:

• 📲 Suitable for 10-20 photos (speed) ~1-2 MB/sec).
• 🔗 Turn on Bluetooth on both phones → pair the devices → Choose the photos → «Send via Bluetooth».
• ⚠️ Xiaomi may need to confirm file acceptance in the notification.

Email or messengers:

• ✉️ Gmail allows you to send up to 25 MB per letter (up to 5-10 photos in original quality).
• 💬 Telegram – up to 2 GB per file (but compressed when sent to chat).
• 📎 WhatsApp compresses photos up to 16 MP, but is convenient for fast transfer.

Local area network (FTP-server):

• 🌐 Install an application on your old phone FTP Server (e.g. WiFi) FTP Server).
• 📡 Connect Xiaomi to the created access point → open the browser → enter FTP-servers (e.g., servers, ftp://192.168.1.1:2221).
• 📥 Download photos like normal files.

7 Problems and errors in the transfer of photos

Even with the detailed instructions, users face typical errors, and we will analyze the most common and ways to solve them:

If the photos are transferred but not displayed in the gallery, follow these steps:

1. Open the Files app and check if there are files in the DCIM/Camera folder.
2. Restart your phone – sometimes the gallery doesn’t automatically update.
3. Clear the cache of the gallery: Settings → Apps → Gallery → Storage → Clear the cache.

If you have ported photos from your iPhone and they are in.HEIC format (not open on Xiaomi), install the HEIC to JPG Converter app from Google Play or use an online converter.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo transfer