How to transfer photos from Xiaomi to your computer: all working ways

Why a standard USB connection doesn’t always work

You try to connect the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5 to your computer via cable, but the photos don't show up in the explorer? This problem is familiar to many Xiaomi smartphone owners. The fact that the manufacturer by default activates only charging mode when you first connect to a new device. Moreover, since MIUI 12, the company has tightened its security policy: now for transfer of files requires explicit confirmation on the smartphone screen.

Another common reason is the lack of MTP drivers on the Windows side, especially for users who upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10/11 on top of the old system, in which cases drivers are often damaged or missing, and if you use MacOS, you will find that the system does not support MTP by default, you will need additional software.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to transfer photos from Xiaomi to your computer, including workarounds for cases where USB-The connection is failing. You'll know how to do it:

• 🔌 Set up the right mode MTP through the hidden menu of the developer
• 📲 Use the Mi Drop app for wireless transmission
• ☁️ Sync photos with Mi Cloud or Google Photos without loss of quality
• 🖥️ Install drivers manually if Windows does not recognize the device
• 🔄 Solve the problem with an “empty” explorer when files are not displayed

Method 1: Connecting via USB in MTP (Step-by-step)

This is a basic method that should work out of the box, but in practice, users are faced with nuances.

1. Use the original cable. Cheap uncertified wires often don't support data transfer, only charging. Xiaomi's original cables are labeled MDY-11-EN or MDY-12-EE.
2. Connect your smartphone to your PC. On the Xiaomi screen, you'll see a notification that says "Charge via USB."
3. In the "Use USB for" menu, select File Transfer (MTP). If this is not the case, read the section on hidden settings.
4. On your computer, open This computer (or My computer in Windows 7) and your smartphone should appear as a removable drive.

If the device is not recognized:

• 🔄 Try another one. USB-port (preferably) USB 3.0 blue).
• 🔌 Reboot both devices.
• 🛠️ Update drivers through Device Manager (see Section 4).

The original Xiaomi cable is used

USB-PC port is working (check on another device)

On the smartphone unlocked screen

MTP mode is enabled in the settings

Disabled. VPN Firewalls (they can block the connection)-->

Important for Mac owners: MacOS does not support MTP by default: Install Android File Transfer (the official software from Google) or OpenMTP (an alternative for newer versions of MacOS).

⚠️ Note: If the smartphone starts charging when you connect, but is not defined as a drive, check your settings OTG Settings menu → Connection and sharing → USB. On some models (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3) This parameter is off by default.

Method 2: Enabling Hidden MTP Mode through Developer Settings

On some MIUI firmware (especially on the Xiaomi 12/13 series), the standard USB menu does not offer a choice of MTP mode.

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version until the notification “You became a developer!” appears.
3. Return to the main settings menu and open Additional settings → Developer settings.
4. Find the default USB configuration and select File Transfer (MTP).
5. Connect your smartphone to your PC – now the MTP mode will be activated automatically.

If there is no USB configuration:

• 🔍 Check if the debugging switch is on USB same-menu.
• 📱 Update the firmware to the latest version – in old builds MIUI 11 and below this parameter may not be available.

On models with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset (such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra), additional confirmation via the Mi Unlock Tool may be required, even for file transfers.

Method 3: Wireless transmission via Mi Drop (without USB)

If the cable is damaged or you prefer wireless solutions, use the proprietary Mi Drop application. It is preinstalled on all Xiaomi smartphones and allows you to transfer files at speeds up to 10 MB / s (in practice - 3-5 MB / s depending on the router).

Instructions:

1. On your smartphone, open Mi Drop (the icon with the cloud and arrow).
2. Select Send → Photos and mark the desired pictures.
3. At the bottom of the screen, click Connect to your computer.
4. On PC, open your browser and go to the address that will appear on your smartphone screen (e.g. http://192.168.1.100:8080).
5. Download files through the web interface.

Advantages of the method:

• 🚀 No need for cables and drivers.
• 📱 It works even if it does. USB-smartphone port damaged.
• 🔒 Transfer is on the local network, without downloading to the cloud.

⚠️ Note: If Mi Drop does not find your computer, check: Both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (not to different bands). 2.4 GHz/5 GHz. On your PC, firewall or antivirus is disabled (for example, Kaspersky can block the connection). On your smartphone, Mi Drop settings enable Device Detection.

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If Mi Drop is slow, try connecting to your router via an Ethernet cable (on PC) – this will eliminate delays associated with Wi-Fi.

Method 4: Transfer via cloud services (Mi Cloud, Google Photos)

Cloud storage is convenient for backing up and accessing photos from any device. Xiaomi offers two options:

How to upload photos to Mi Cloud:

1. Open the Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn on the gallery sync.
3. Choose to upload existing photos.
4. On PC, go to i.mi.com and download the files.

For Google Photos:

• 📱 Install an application from the Play Market.
• 🔄 Enable Backup and Synchronization.
• 🖥️ On PC, open photos.google.com.

Important: When uploading to Google Photos in the “High Quality” mode (not “Original Quality”), photos are compressed to a resolution of 16 MP. For the Xiaomi 13 Pro with a 50 MP camera, this means loss of parts.

Method 5: Manually Install MTP Drivers for Windows

If Windows gives an error "Device not recognized" or "MTP-The device is not working properly, you will have to install drivers manually. Download the official package from the Xiaomi website:

1. Go to the support page of Xiaomi.
2. In the Drivers section, select Mi Phone Manager (includes MTP, ADB and Fastboot drivers).
3. Install the program and restart the PC.
4. Connect your smartphone – the system must automatically recognize the device.

If drivers are not installed:

• 🔧 Open Device Manager (Win) + X → Device Manager).
• 🔍 Find in the list Portable Devices or Other Devices of your Xiaomi (may appear as MTxxxxx).
• 🖱️ Right-click. → Update the driver → Search for drivers on this computer.
• 📁 Specify the path to the driver folder (usually) C:\Program Files (x86)\Xiaomi\MiPhone\Drivers).

For Windows 11, you may need to disable driver signature verification:

bcdedit.exe /set nointegritychecks on


bcdedit.exe /set testsigning on

After executing commands in Command Prompt (administrator), restart the PC.

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If the smartphone is still undetectable after installing the drivers, try connecting it to another PC. If the problem recurs, it is defective. USB-Port of the phone (requires repair).

Solving the problem: why photos are not displayed in the conductor

Did you connect Xiaomi to a PC, but the DCIM folder is empty or files are not copied?

If the photos are stored on a memory card but are not displayed:

• 📁 Remove the card and paste it into the PC card reader.
• 🔍 Check the file system of the map: Xiaomi formats them in exFAT, which is not readable on older Windows 7 PCs.
• 🛠️ If the card is defined as RAW, Use TestDisk to recover files.

For MacOS owners: If Android File Transfer doesn’t see a photo, try:

1. Open the terminal and execute: adb kill-server adb start-server
2. Reboot the smartphone and reconnect.

FAQ: Frequent questions about transferring photos from Xiaomi to PC