Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often face the need to free up internal storage. Modern cameras take high-resolution images that take up a significant amount of memory, and the only sure solution is to transfer media files to a more capacious medium. There are several effective methods to quickly and safely copy archives of images on a PC or laptop without loss of quality.
The choice of a particular method depends on your current conditions: availability at hand. USB-Wireless cables, Wi-Fi connectivity stability, or the desire to use cloud services. Wired is traditionally considered the fastest option for transferring large amounts of data, whereas wireless methods are convenient for regular backup of small batches of images. In this article, we will discuss each algorithm of actions in detail so that you can choose the best one for yourself.
It is worth considering that the shell MIUI or the new HyperOS has its own features in file system management and access rights. MIUI/HyperOS when connected USB They activate Charge Only, which hides files from the computer, and this is a security measure that you need to consider when you first connect.
Preparing the device and computer for synchronization
Before you start the active phase of data transmission, you need to make sure that both devices are ready to communicate. USB-cable, preferably original or certified, capable of transmitting data rather than just charging. Cheap cables from PowerBank kits often lack the necessary contacts to transmit information.
On the computer side, you should also do a pre-check. Make sure there is free space on the hard drive where your photos will be stored. If you use the Windows operating system, the system will automatically try to find and install drivers for your Xiaomi when you first connect.
Special attention should be paid to the state of the smartphone connector. The accumulation of dust or pile in the USB Type-C or Micro-USB port can prevent tight contact, which will lead to permanent breaks of the connection during copying.
Classical method: transmission through USB-cable
The most reliable and fast way to copy gigabytes of photos is to use a cable connection, which requires no internet connection and works even with a dead battery if the phone is connected to a PC. Once the cable is connected to your computer and smartphone, unlock the screen of your mobile device.
At the top of the screen, a connection type notification will appear. By default, it can be indicated "Charge Only." Click on this notification to open the USB mode selection menu. You need to select File Transfer or File Transfer / Android Auto. Without this step, the computer will not see the phone's internal memory.
Once you select the mode, a new removable disk or device will appear on your computer screen in the "My Computer" section, open it, go to the Internal shared storage folder, and then find the DCIM directory, and this is where the Camera folder stores all the pictures you took.
⚠️ Attention: Never take out USB-cable at the time of active file writing or immediately after copying is completed without first completing work with the device in Windows.
You can use hotkeys to speed things up, select the right photos, press Ctrl+C to copy, go to the folder on your computer, and press Ctrl+V to paste. When you work with thousands of files, it can take a few minutes, and interruption is undesirable.
What to do if your computer can’t see your phone?
If after connecting and selecting the file transfer mode, the computer does not respond, try another one. USB-port (preferably behind the system unit) may also require driver installation MTP From the official Microsoft website or update drivers through Device Manager. Using the Mi Cloud cloud service, Xiaomi Ecosystem offers a built-in tool for data synchronization - Mi Cloud. This service allows you to automatically upload photos to the cloud, where they can be easily downloaded to your computer through a browser, which is ideal for those who want to have a backup without the use of cables. To activate the function, go to Settings of your smartphone, select your Mi Account and click on Mi Cloud. In the Gallery section, enable synchronization. Now all new images will be automatically sent to the company's servers if you have a Wi-Fi connection. To pick up a photo on your computer, open any browser and go to i.mi.com. Sign in using the same account as your phone. In the cloud interface, select Gallery, tick the images you want, and click the download button. Files will be saved in original or optimized format, depending on your settings. 📸 Automatic uploading of new photos immediately after shooting ☁️ Access to the archive from any device through the browser 🔒 Encryption of data during transmission and storage 🗑️ It is worth remembering the limits of free storage. Usually Xiaomi provides 5 GB of free space, which may not be enough for a full archive of high-resolution photos. You will either have to remove old images from the cloud or pay for a subscription. An alternative to the home cloud is Google’s service, which is pre-installed on all Google Play-certified smartphones. Google Photos has a powerful sorting and search algorithm, and offers free (som) or paid (originally) storage. Set up the app on your phone by enabling Autoupload and Sync in your account settings. Once you’ve finished uploading all your photos to Google, you can open photos.google.com on your computer. There’s a convenient interface for highlighting and downloading an album, even finding your own data speed, or even using a high-speed photo search method. There are other cloud solutions, such as Yandex.Disk, Dropbox or OneDrive, and the principle of their operation is similar: installing the application on Xiaomi, setting up the autoload folder. DCIM/Camera And access to files through a web interface or desktop client on a PC. Wireless transmission over Wi-Fi and FTP If the cable is lost and the Internet is slow, local network technology comes to the rescue. MIUI built-in FTP-The computer and phone must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. To run, open the standard File Manager app. In the side menu or in the Categories section, find Remote or Network Access. Select "Run" FTP-"server" and specify the root folder (usually internal memory) when you run the screen will appear address, for example, ftp://192.168.1.55:2121. Type this address into the address bar of "My Computer" or any file manager on Windows, and the system will perceive the phone as a network folder, and you can copy, delete and move files at the same speed as your Wi-Fi router, usually this is a network folder. 5–10 MB/s: Transfer speed is Necessary Internet Convenience USB Cable High (up to) 40 MB/s) No Requires Mi Cloud / Google Cable Depends on network speed Yes Automated FTP / Wi-Fi Average (5-10 MB/s) No (locally) No wires ShareMe/Mi Drop High No Need an app on PC Another popular option is to use transistor applications like ShareMe (formerly Mi Drop) or Send Anywhere. They create a direct access point or use a direct access point. QR-The computer will need to open a web page, scan the code with the phone and start transmitting. 💡For maximum Wi-Fi speed, use 5GHz. If your router is dual-band, make sure that both your phone and computer are connected to a 5GHz network, not 2.4GHz. Solving driver and connection problems Sometimes the data transfer process is overshadowed by technical failures. The most common problem is that the computer can't see the phone or see it as an unknown device. MTP (Media Transfer Protocol. Without this protocol, you can't share media files. If Windows Device Manager displays a device with a yellow exclamation point, you need to update the drivers. You can do this automatically through Windows Update Center or manually by downloading the package. MTP USB Device Driver. In some cases, it helps to roll back the driver to the standard. Problems can also arise from antivirus software or firewall that blocks new devices from connecting. Try temporarily disabling protection or adding the device to the exception list. ⚠️ Note: When installing drivers from unverified sources, there is a risk of malware infection of the computer. Use only official Microsoft resources or the smartphone manufacturer's website. If nothing helps, turn on the Debugging by Debugging mode on your phone. USB». To do this, go to the Settings. → About the phone and 7 times click on the build number (MIUI Version. In the Developer menu, activate the desired item, which can trigger the system to reconnect. 💡90% of Connection Problems Are Solved by Replacement USB-cable to a qualitative analogue or switching the mode of operation USB In the notification curtain from Charging to File Transfer. Frequently asked questions (FAQ) Why do photos open with a black screen after copying to a computer? This could mean that the file was not fully copied (communication break) or the source in the phone's memory is damaged. HEIC, Try opening a photo in another viewer, like IrfanView or the standard Photos app. Can you transfer photos over Bluetooth? Technically, it's possible, but it's not recommended for large amounts of data. Bluetooth transmission speed is very low (about 0.1-0.3 MB/s), transferring one album of 100 photos can take several hours. Use this method only for 1-2 shots if other methods are not available. How to copy a photo if the phone screen is broken? If the sensor does not work, but the image is, and you previously allowed debugging over USB, you can use programs to manage your smartphone from a PC (for example, Scrcpy). If the screen is black and the sensor does not respond, and debugging is not enabled, it is almost impossible to copy data without changing the screen or accessing the service, since the phone will only charge. Where are the photos stored on the computer with Xiaomi? By default, browsers and programs save files to the Downloads folder in the user profile (for example, if you choose to copy the data from the future navigation by copying via the Mi destination). In the free tariff and basic settings, Mi Cloud can use optimization to save space. To maintain the original quality (Full Resolution), you need to select the "Original" or "Original quality" option in the gallery synchronization settings, if your tariff allows.