Transfer photos from the old Xiaomi to the new: the full guide 2026

Changing Xiaomi’s smartphone is always exciting, especially when it comes to keeping your personal photos safe. Even if you’ve carefully archived your photos in recent years, the risk of losing something important when you move to a new device remains, according to Counterpoint Research, 68% of Xiaomi users in Russia face problems when migrating data precisely because of the wrong way of transferring.

In this article, we will discuss the 7 of current methods of transferring photos between Xiaomi devices – from branded tools like Mi Mover to universal cloud solutions. You will learn what is the fastest way (hint: this is not Google Photos), how to avoid loss of quality when transferring RAW- files, and why you can not just copy the folder DCIM to a new phone. And also a unique life hack for owners of models with a Snapdragon ZXQPH0003QXXX Gen ZXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX4000 chip, which accelerates the transfer of ZXQQQKKKKKKH000000000000000000.

Whether you’re switching from the Redmi Note 11 to the Xiaomi 14 Ultra or from the POCO X3 to the Redmi K70 Pro, you’ll find the best solution for your situation.

1.Preparation for transfer: what to do before the beginning

Before you rush to throw over gigabytes of photos, follow 4 critical steps that will save you hours of time:

• 🔋 Charge both phones to a minimum of 50%.Transfer data via Mi Mover or cable consumes up to 20% charge per hour on flagship models (Xiaomi 13T Pro, Redmi K60).If the battery runs out during the process, files may become corrupted.
• 📁 Clean the DCIM folder of garbage. Delete screenshots, duplicates, and app cache (e.g. from Viber or Telegram). Use the built-in Files → Categories → Images → Size Sort.
• 🔒 Turn off screen lock (PIN/pattern lock) on both devices. This is a requirement for Mi Mover and Google Photos to be seamlessly transmitted.
• 🌐 Connect to a single Wi-Fi network (if you use wireless methods). For Xiaomi models with HyperOS (2026), Wi-Fi 6E transfer speeds reach 1.2 Gbps — that's faster than USB 2.0!

Special attention should be paid to RAW- files (extensions.dng,.arw). They take up in 5-10 times more space than JPEG, and may not be transferred through standard tools, for them it is better to use Mi Cloud or physical cable.

⚠️ Warning: If your old phone has data encryption enabled (Settings → Additional → Encryption), some transfer methods (e.g., via memory card) won't work. In this case, use Mi Mover or the cloud.

2. Method 1: Mi Mover – Xiaomi’s proprietary tool

Mi Mover is a built-in data migration app that Xiaomi is developing specifically for its devices, which supports porting not only photos, but also contacts, messages, notes, and even some of the system’s settings, the main advantage being the preservation of folder structure (unlike Google Photos, which dumps everything into one pile).

How to use:

1. Open Mi Mover on both phones (if not, download it from Google Play or App Gallery).
2. On the old phone, choose I am the sender, on the new phone, I am the receiver.
3. Scan it. QR-code from the new phone old (or connect via Wi-Fi Direct).
4. In the Photo and Video section, tick the desired folders (only DCIM/Camera is selected by default).
5. Click Move and wait until completion. On HyperOS models, the process is displayed as a percentage and estimated time.

The transmission speed depends on the Wi-Fi generation:

If the transmission is 99 percent down, don't interrupt the process, which is a known bug in Mi Mover versions below 4.5. Wait 10 to 15 minutes and the progress will be complete.

Shut down. VPN both phones|Close background applications (especially messengers)|Use chargers during transfer|Check the space available on the new phone (you need to check it). +10% of the volume of the photo)-->

3 Method 2: Transfer over a USB cable (OTG)

If you don't have time to wait for Wi-Fi transmission or if you have more than 50GB of photo, a physical cable is the most reliable option.

• 🔌 USB-C is USB-C cable (for newer models) or USB-A is USB-C (for older models).
• 📱 Adapter OTG (if the new phone does not have a port USB-A).
• 🖥️ Computer (optional, but speeds up the process for large volumes)

Instructions for direct connection (without PC):

1. Connect the old phone to the new one via cable. On the old one, select File Transfer (or MTP in the developer settings).
2. On the new phone, open the Files application → USB- device.
3. Go to the DCIM folder on your old phone, select the files you want and click Copy.
4. Go back to the root directory of the new phone, create a DCIM folder (if it doesn’t exist) and paste files.

To speed up the process on models with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi K60 Ultra), activate USB 3.2 mode:

Settings → About the phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times)


Developer Settings → USB Configuration → USB 3.2

⚠️ Warning: When copying through a cable, don't remove it until it's complete, which can lead to the loss of some files. If the phone gives an error "Device is not recognized", try another cable (cheap Chinese cables often do not support data transfer).

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If you don't have a OTG- adapter, use an old charger with a USB- port. Connect the cable from the new phone to the charger and the other end to the old phone.

4. Method 3: Cloud Services (Mi Cloud vs Google Photos)

Cloud storage is convenient because it allows you to transfer photos without physical contact of devices, but each service has nuances:

Step-by-step instructions for Mi Cloud:

1. On your old phone: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery → turn on sync.
2. Wait for all photos to load (progress is displayed in the notification curtain).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account and enable gallery sync.
4. Photos will appear in the folder Mi Cloud in the Gallery app.

For Google Photos, it is important to choose the Original Quality mode (otherwise photos will shrink to 16 MP). However, keep in mind that 15 GB of free space quickly runs out - when you transfer 20 GB of photos, you will have to pay for the expansion.

5. Method 4: MicroSD Memory Card: A Simple but Risky Method

If both of your phones support memory cards (like the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or POCO X5 Pro), you can transfer photos over microSD. This is the slowest way (read/write speed is limited by the card class), but it does not require internet or cables.

Algorithm of action:

1. Put the card in the old phone.
2. Open Files → select the DCIM folder → Copy.
3. Go to the root of the memory card, create a folder (like PhotoBackup) and paste files.
4. Remove the card, paste it into a new phone, and copy the data back to DCIM.

Pay attention to the class of the card:

• 🟢 Class 10 / UHS-I — speed ~30–50 MB/s (suitable for 5–10 GB photos).
• 🟡 UHS-II is a speed of ~150–200 MB/s (optimum for 20-50 GB).
• 🔴 Class 4 or lower is the <20 MB/s (transfer 10 GB will take >1 hours).

⚠️ Warning: Never remove a memory card while copying, as this may cause damage to the file system. If the phone gives an error "Map corrupted", format it to FAT32 (via PC) before use.

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ExFAT memory cards are only supported on Android 11+ phones. On older models (Redmi 8, Mi A3), use FAT32 (max file size is 4GB).

6 Method 5: Transfer through a computer (Windows/Mac/Linux)

If you have a PC on hand, this is the method that gives you maximum control over the process.

• 🖥️ View the photo before copying.
• 🔍 Eliminate unnecessary folders (e.g., screenshots).
• 📊 See precise progress and transmission rate.

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC via USB, select File Transfer mode.
2. Open This Computer → Find a device (usually Xiaomi [model]).
3. Go to Internal Memory → DCIM and copy folders to your desktop.
4. Disable the old phone, plug in the new one and paste files into DCIM.

For Mac, you will need to install Android File Transfer (download from the official website). On Linux, the phone connects as a normal USB- device (mounted in /media).

If the PC can't see the phone:

• 🔌 Try another one. USB-port (preferably) USB 3.0 - blue).
• 🔄 Reboot your phone with a connected cable.
• 🛠️ Install Xiaomi drivers (download from the official website).

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To speed up copying to your PC, use an archiver (e.g., 7-Zip) to archive the DCIM folder to.zip, transfer the archive to a new phone and unpack it there, which will reduce the number of I/O operations and speed up the process by 30-40%.

7. Method 6: Applications for file transfer (SHAREit, Xender)

Third-party applications like SHAREit or Xender promise instantaneous transmission without the Internet, but in practice they are often disappointing.

• ✅ You don't have cable or Wi-Fi.
• ✅ The photo volume is less than 5 GB.
• ✅ Both phones support Wi-Fi Direct.

How to transfer photos through Xender:

1. Install the app on both phones.
2. On the old phone, click Send, on the new one, Receive.
3. Select a photo (you can use whole folders) and wait for the connection.
4. Confirm transmission on the new device.

Comparison of popular applications:

⚠️ Warning: Applications like SHAREit often collect data about your files (metadata photos, geolocation). If privacy is important, use Send Anywhere, which encrypts the transfer.

8. Method 7: Transfer over Bluetooth (for emergencies only)

Bluetooth is the slowest and most unreliable way, but it will help if:

• 🔋 Both phones have 10% charge.
• 📶 No internet or cable.
• 📸 We need to move 1-2 photos immediately.

How to send photos via Bluetooth:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on both phones (Settings → Connected devices).
2. Pair devices (on the new phone, click Device Search and select the old one).
3. In the gallery of the old phone highlight a photo → Share → Bluetooth → Choose a new phone.
4. Confirm acceptance on the new device.

Transfer speed over Bluetooth 5.0 (on Xiaomi 12 and later) - up to 2 MB / s.

• 📷 1 photo in 5MB — ~3 seconds.
• 📷 100 photos (500 MB) — ~4 minutes.
• 📷 1,000 photos (5 GB) — ~40 minutes.

If Bluetooth is constantly breaking, try:

• 📱 Reduce the distance between phones to 1 meter.
• 🔄 Reboot both devices.
• 🛠️ Turn off the power saving mode (Settings → Battery).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions