How to transfer all photos from one Xiaomi phone to another: the complete guide

Transferring photos between Xiaomi smartphones seems like a simple task — until you encounter hundreds of gigabytes of memories scattered across the gallery, cloud and instant messengers. Copying errors, loss of quality, slow transfer speed — these problems are familiar to many users. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to transfer photos between Xiaomi devices, from classic cable to little-known features of MIUI, and compare them in speed, security and convenience.

We will pay special attention to the nuances that are rarely written in standard instructions: how to avoid duplicate files when synchronizing through the Mi Cloud, why Bluetooth is not suitable for transferring hundreds of photos, and how to properly prepare devices so as not to lose metadata (shot date, geotags). If you move from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 13 Ultra or just want to make room on an old phone, here you will find the best solution for your task.

Preparation for the transfer: what to do before copying

Before you start the transfer, check three critical parameters on both devices, which will save time and prevent data loss:

• 📱 Version. MIUI: New smartphones (such as Xiaomi 14) can stand MIUI 15, and the old ones — MIUI 12 Some methods (e.g., Mi Mover) only work on current versions.
• 🔋 Battery charge: When transmitted over cable or Wi-Fi Direct, a discharge below 30% can interrupt the process.
• 📁 Data: If photos are more than 50 GB, exclude Bluetooth and Mi Cloud (free rate limited to 5 GB).

We also recommend that you sort the photo before transferring:

1. Open the Gallery app → Albums → All photos.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right → Sort → Select by Date or Size.
3. Remove duplicates (use the built-in Cleanup function in the Gallery or the Files by Google app).

⚠️ Note: If the old phone has Storage Optimization enabled (in Settings) → Storage, some of the photos can be stored in the cloud in compressed form. Before transferring, turn it off and wait for the originals to download.

2. Method 1: Transfer over OTG cable (fastest method)

Using an OTG cable (or USB-C to USB-C adapter) is the best option for transferring large amounts of data (20 GB or more), copy speeds reach 40-60 MB / s (10-15 times faster than Wi-Fi), and the risk of quality loss is reduced to zero.

You'll need:

• 🔌 Cable USB-C to USB-C (for new models or Micro-USB to USB-C + adapter OTG (for old Redmi).
• 📱 Two Xiaomi smartphones (one of them should support the mode) USB-Host, that is, being a "lead" device).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the cable to both phones, and the new device will display a "USB connected" notification, and click on it.
2. Select File Transfer (or MTP) mode.
3. On your new phone, open Explorer (or Files by Google) → find the DCIM or Pictures folder on your old device.
4. Select the photos you want (long tap → tick) → click Copy → select a folder on your new phone (for example, Internal Storage → DCIM → Camera).

Check the compatibility of the connectors (USB-C/Micro-USB)

Enable debugging over USB (if required)

Free up space on your new phone (at least +10% of the photo volume)

Turn off the power saving on both devices-->

If the files are not copied:

• 🔄 Reconnect the cable (sometimes changing the port helps).
• 🔧 On your old phone, go to Settings. → Additionally. → For developers and enable debugging by USB.
• 📵 Try another cable, cheap cable. OTG-Adapters often do not support data transmission.

⚠️ Warning: Do not remove the cable while copying! on some models (Poco) F3, Redmi Note 11 may cause file system damage to folder DCIM. Wait for the process to be completed and extracted safely.

3. Method 2: Mi Mover – built-in solution from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s official application for migrating data between devices to MIUI, which automatically transfers not only photos, but also contacts, messages, applications, but only works on smartphones with MIUI 9 and later.

Pros of the method:

• 🔄 Stores folder structure and metadata (date of shooting, geotags).
• 🚀 Speed. ~15-20 MB/s (faster than Bluetooth, but slower than cable).
• 📱 Supports a transfer between Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco.

How to use:

1. Install Mi Mover from Google Play (if it is not on the system).
2. On both phones, open the app → select I am new (on new) and I am old (on old).
3. Scan it. QR-code from the new phone old (or connect via Hotspot).
4. Select Photos and Videos → Click Transfer.

The Mi Mover can freeze during the preparation phase if there is not enough space on the old phone.

1. Clear the app cache (Settings → Applications → Mi Mover → Storage → Clear the cache).
2. Reboot both devices.
3. Reconnect by selecting only photos (without other data).

💡

If Mi Mover doesn’t see the device, check if Wi-Fi Direct is enabled on both phones (Settings → Wi-Fi → Additional → Wi-Fi Direct).

Method 3: Mi Cloud (for small volume)

Mi Cloud is a convenient way to sync photos if you have a stable Internet and the data volume does not exceed 5 GB (free rate), Suitable for backup before resetting your phone or transferring selected photos.

How to transfer photos through Mi Cloud:

1. On your old phone: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery → Enable Synchronization.
2. Wait for the photo to be uploaded (progress is displayed in notifications).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account → turn on gallery sync.
4. Photos will appear in the folder Mi Cloud in the Gallery app.

Limitations of the method:

• ☁️ Free only 5 GB (extra space costs from 100 GB) ₽/month).
• 🐢 Slow download/download speed (especially on mobile).
• 📅 Photos are synchronized with a delay (up to 24 hours with a poor connection).

⚠️ Warning: If you delete photos from your old phone before they load into the Mi Cloud, they will be permanently lost!

5. Method 4: Wi-Fi transmission (without cables and cloud)

If you don’t have an OTG cable and Mi Cloud is not suitable due to a space limit, use a local Wi-Fi network, and applications like Send Anywhere, Xender or the built-in Quick Transfer to MIUI feature will do.

Instructions for Send Anywhere (recommended):

1. Install Send Anywhere on both phones from Google Play.
2. On your old phone, select Send → Photo → Tag files → Tap Send.
3. Select the method to connect to the device (by QR-code or enter a 6-digit code).
4. On the new phone, scan the QR or enter the code → wait for the transfer to complete.

Pros and cons of the method:

If the transmission is interrupted:

• 🔄 Reconnect to Wi-Fi (it is better to use the hotspot on one of the phones).
• 📴 Close background apps that consume traffic (such as YouTube or Telegram).
• 🔧 In Send Anywhere settings, reduce the number of files that are simultaneously transferred (Settings option) → Transmission speed).

💡

For maximum speed, create a Wi-Fi hotspot on a new phone and connect the old one to it, which will eliminate the router's impact on connection stability.

6. Method 5: Bluetooth (only for single files)

Bluetooth is the slowest and most unreliable way, but it helps when there is nothing else at hand, transfer speeds rarely exceed 1-2 MB / s, and with a large amount of data, the connection can break.

When to use:

• 📸 To transfer 10-20 photos (for example, documents or screenshots).
• 🔌 If there is no cable and there is no internet.
• 📱 Between Old Models (Redmi) 4A, Mi A1), Where there is no Mi Mover.

How to move:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on both phones (Settings → Bluetooth).
2. On your old phone, open the Gallery, select a photo → Share → Bluetooth.
3. Select a new device from the list → confirm reception on a new phone.

⚠️ Note: When transmitting via Bluetooth, metadata (date of shooting, geotagged) and possible deterioration of quality (compression) are lost!

7. Alternative methods: computer, memory card, instant messengers

If none of the above methods are suitable, consider these options:

• 💻 Using a computer: Connect your old phone to your PC → You can copy the photo to a folder on the disk. → You can move the files back. Plus: secure, suitable for large volumes.
• 📁 Through the memory card: Transfer the photo to SD-a card on an old phone. Put the card in a new phone. → Copy files into internal memory.

Plus.

Minus.

Xiaomi

Xiaomi 13 Pro

Through messengers

Telegram

WhatsApp

1. Send a photo to yourself in Telegram Saved Messages (without limit on volume).
2. Download them to your new phone.

Important: Photos from iPhones often have a HEIC format that doesn't open on Xiaomi. Convert them to JPG via Google Photos or Lightroom.

Remove the memory card.

Contact the service.

EDL-regime

Important: Don’t try to sew your phone yourself – it can lead to complete data loss!