How to transfer photos from Xiaomi to your computer via USB: a detailed guide

Transfer photos from Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO computer USB-cable seems like a simple task — until you encounter problems like “phone is not detected”, “folders do not open” or “files are not copied”. In practice, the process can be complicated by the settings of the smartphone, the lack of drivers on the PC or the features of the firmware. MIUI. In this article, we will analyze all the nuances: from choosing the right connection mode to solving typical errors.

Feature of Xiaomi devices – flexible control system USB-It's a connection that sometimes gets confusing, like newer versions. MIUI 14/15 The default mode may be Charging, not File Transfer. Also, Windows does not automatically install drivers for Xiaomi, which leads to device recognition problems. We will look at solutions for all these cases, as well as alternative transfer methods if you want to use the device. USB-connection is down.

1. Preparing Xiaomi phone for connection

Before you connect your smartphone to your computer, you need to configure several settings on the device itself, which will eliminate most recognition problems.

Step 1. Unlock the screen. Xiaomi won't display a request for a choice of connection mode if the screen is locked. Connect the cable, unlock the phone and wait for notifications USB-linkage.

Step 2. Select file transfer mode. When you first connect, the notification curtain will show a message "USB for file transfer."

• 📁 File transfer (MTP) — Standard mode for copying photos, videos and documents.
• 🔌 Charging - charging only, files are not available.
• 📱 Transmission of photo (PTP) — Alternative protocols, sometimes more stable MTP.
• 🔄 MIDI or USB-Modem - not suitable for file transfer.

If the notification does not appear, check the developer settings (about them below) or reconnect the cable.

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On some Xiaomi models (such as the Redmi Note 12), MTP can automatically shut down after 10 minutes of inactivity. To avoid this, activate the debugging option on USB and Do not turn off data transfer in the developer settings.

2. Set up a computer to recognize Xiaomi

Even if the phone is properly configured, the computer may not see it, most often due to a lack of drivers or conflict with other devices.

For Windows:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC and wait for the driver installation attempts.
2. If the notification “Device not recognized”, open the Device Manager (Win + X → Device Manager).
3. Find a device with a yellow exclamation point (usually under “Other Devices” or “Portable Devices”).
4. Right-click → Update the driver → Search for drivers on this computer → Select from the list of available drivers.
5. Choose. MTP-Device or Portable Device (unless you have an exact name for Xiaomi).

For macOS/Linux: Drivers are usually installed automatically, but additional software may be required:

• 🍎 On your Mac, install Android File Transfer (the official application from Google).
• 🐧 On Linux, check for mtp-tools and gvfs-mtp packages (installe via terminal: sudo apt install mtp-tools gvfs-mtp).

3. Step-by-step instruction: transfer of photos via USB

Now that both the phone and the computer are ready, let's get to the transmission itself.

Phone screen unlocked|The regime is chosen MTP/PTP notice|Cable connected to USB-port 3.0 (blue-jack)|On the PC installed drivers for Xiaomi-->

Step 1: Connect Xiaomi to your computer with the original cable (cheap cables may not support data transfer). Use the USB 3.0 port (usually blue) for maximum speed.

Step 2. On the phone in the notification curtain, tap on the message "USB for file transfer" and select MTP (or PTP if MTP does not work).

Step 3: On the computer:

• 🪟 Windows: Open This PC – The phone should appear as a removable drive (e.g. Redmi Note 11).
• 🍎 Mac: Launch Android File Transfer – a window with phone files will open.
• 🐧 Linux: The phone will appear in the file manager (Nautilus, Dolphin, etc.) under Devices».

Step 4: Go to DCIM → Camera (camera photos are stored here) or Pictures (downloaded images) and select the files you want and copy them to your computer (Ctrl + C → Ctrl + V or drag and drop).

4. Solving typical transmission problems

If the photo is not copied or the phone is not identified, use these tips:

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi starts to run out instead of charging after connecting, check the cable for damage. Cheap cables often don't support simultaneous data transfer and charging.

5. Alternative ways to transfer photos (if USB does not work)

If USB connection still fails, use one of these methods:

1. via Wi-Fi (MIUI + Windows/macOS)

• 📶 On the phone, open Settings. → Connection and sharing → File transfer.
• 🖥️ On the computer, enter the address specified on the phone screen in the browser (for example, ftp://192.168.1.100:8888).
• 🔑 Enter the password (will appear on the Xiaomi screen) and copy the files.

2. via Mi Cloud or Google Photos

• ☁️ Upload your photo to Mi Cloud (Settings) → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery).
• 💻 On your computer, log in to Mi Cloud and download files.
• 📷 Alternative: Google Photos (automatic synchronization via the app).

3. With the help of messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp)

• 📎 Send your photo to Telegram (without compression) or WhatsApp.
• 🖥️ On your computer, open the web version of the messenger (web.telegram.org) and download files.

⚠️ Note: When sent via messengers, photos can be compressed (especially on WhatsApp). For original quality, use Telegram (File mode instead of Photos»).

6 Developer Settings: Hidden USB Features

If standard methods don’t help, activate the developer mode and change the additional settings:

How to turn on the developer mode:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the item MIUI version (the message will appear "You became a developer").
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.

Useful options for USB:

• 🔧 Debugging by USB — Turn it on if you plan to use it. ADB.
• 🔄 Configuration USB By default, select File Transfer (MTP).
• 🚫 Disable permissions USB — Reset your settings if you have previously made errors.

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Turning on USB debugging may be required to work with ADB, but increases the phone's vulnerability.

7. Process optimization: how to speed up transfer

Copying hundreds of photos via USB can take a long time.

1.Use USB 3.0 and quality cable

The transfer speed over USB 3.0 (blue port) is 10 times faster than over USB 2.0. Check the cable - it should support USB 3.1 Gen 1 (usually marked as "SuperSpeed").

2. Archive the photo before copying

If you need to transfer many files, archive them on your phone (for example, through ES Explorer or ZArchiver), and then copy one archive.

3. Disable sync with the cloud

If your phone is automatically uploading photos to Google Photos or Mi Cloud, turn it off while you copy it. Background synchronization slows down USB transmission.

4.Reboot your phone before connecting

On some Xiaomi models (such as the POCO X3 or Redmi 9), the USB cache may conflict with the new connection.

FAQ: Frequent questions about transferring photos from Xiaomi