Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a shortage of internal memory, as modern cameras shoot in high resolution, creating large files. Moving media to a more powerful media is not just a way to free up space, but a necessary measure to back up valuable images. The MIUI operating system or the new HyperOS has several built-in mechanisms for synchronization with the PC, which makes the process as flexible as possible.
There are wired and wireless methods, each with its own advantages depending on the speed of the Internet and the availability of cable at hand. We will look at all the current options, from classic USB connection to using cloud services, so you can choose the most convenient for yourself. Below is a detailed guide that will help you quickly and safely transfer the archive of photos.
Preparation of the device and cable for connection
Before you start transferring data, make sure that your smartphone is unlocked and the screen is active. USB Type-C, which came bundled with the device, because cheap analogues can only support charging without data transfer, and the computer must have a driver to work with. MTP-devices, although in modern versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11 they are installed automatically.
When you first connect your phone to your PC, the system may ask for permission to access data. A pop-up will appear on your smartphone screen where you need to select USB mode. By default, Charge Only mode is activated, which will prevent the computer from seeing files. You need to tap on the notification and switch to File Transfer or MTP.
⚠️ Note: If your computer makes a connection sound, but the phone folder doesn’t appear in My Computer, try replacing it. USB-cable or plug the cord into another port, preferably USB 3.0 (blue) on the back of the system unit.
Check the status of the charging connector on the smartphone itself. The presence of dust or pile can prevent the contacts from contacting tightly, making data transmission intermittent or impossible. Carefully clean the port before starting the procedure, if necessary.
Method 1: Classical connection through USB-cable
This is the fastest and most reliable method to copy large amounts of data in a short time. Once you have selected File Transfer mode on your smartphone screen, open a Explorer (My computer/This computer) on your computer. In the list of devices, you will see an icon of your Xiaomi.
When you go to your device, find the DCIM folder and inside it is the Camera folder. This is where all the photos and videos taken on the main camera are stored by default. Select the files or entire folders you want, click the right mouse button and select Copy, and then paste them into the desired directory on your PC hard drive.
☑️ Copying algorithm by USB
If you use third-party apps to shoot, they can create their own folders at the root of internal memory. For example, screenshots are often in the Pictures/Screenshots folder, and downloads from instant messengers are in the MIUI/gallery/cloud or Tencent folder. Be careful when sorting so you don't miss important shots.
What to do if your computer can’t see your phone?
Method 2: Using the Mi Cloud Service
Xiaomi’s ecosystem offers its own cloud service, Mi Cloud, which allows you to sync the gallery between devices. To use this method, you will need a Mi Account account. Go to your phone’s settings, select the “Mi Account” section, and activate the Gallery Sync.
Once the photos are uploaded to the cloud, you can access them from any computer via a web browser. Go to the official i.mi.com website, log in under your account, and go to the Gallery section, from here you can download individual photos or entire albums to your hard drive.
The main advantage of the method is that there is no need for a physical connection, but it is worth considering that only 5 GB of space is available for free, so large archives will have to subscribe or clean the cloud regularly.
| Parameter | USB Cable | Mi Cloud | Google Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed. | Tall. | Depends on the Internet. | Depends on the Internet. |
| We need the Internet. | No. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Free limit | No (depending on the disc) | 5GB | 15GB |
| Difficulty | Low. | Medium | Low. |
Method 3: Google Photos and Google Drive
Since most Xiaomi smartphones run on Android, Google’s services are integrated into the default system.The Google Photos app automatically backs up your images in high quality (with some compression) or in the original if you have a Google One subscription.
To download a photo on a PC, just open photos.google.com in your browser. You can select several photos, press the Shift + D key combination for download, and the browser will form a ZIP archive. This is a convenient way to selectively save pictures without wires.
You can also use Google Drive, and you can upload your albums through the app on your phone, and then you can open the drive on your computer and download the files, and the good thing about this is that the files are stored in a structured way, and you can decide what to upload to the cloud.
⚠️ Attention: When using cloud services, keep an eye on the download quality. Google Photos often defaults to Save Space mode, which reduces the resolution of your images. To save the original, select Source Quality».
Wireless transmission over Wi-Fi and FTP
Built-in file manager MIUI (or "Conductor" in HyperOS) has a remote control function: Open the Explorer app, click on the menu (three bars) and select Access from PC or «FTP». The phone will create a view address ftp://192.168.1.XX:XXXX.
Type this address into the address bar of the conductor on your computer, and the folders of your smartphone will open as a network drive. The transfer speed depends on the quality of your router, but this is a great way to avoid tinkering with wires. You can drag files directly into folders on your PC.
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For maximum wireless speeds, make sure that both your computer and phone are connected to a 5GHz network, not a congested 2.4GHz network.
The alternative is the Mi program. PC Suite (official or modified versions), which allows you to manage files, make backups and broadcast the screen. FTP-The server is often a simpler and faster solution.
Specialized software: Mi PC Suite and third-party utilities
The official Mi PC Suite program was once the main tool, but it is now little updated and may not support new Xiaomi and Redmi models.However, for older models (for example, the Mi 4 series, Mi 5), it remains relevant for creating full system backups.
For modern devices, it is better to use universal managers, such as Total Commander with ADB plugin or Android File Transfer. These programs provide a more convenient interface for navigating the file system than the standard Windows Explorer, and allow you to see hidden system folders.
If you plan to work with files regularly, install Send Anywhere or use the Surrounding Sharing feature (formerly Mi Drop), which allows you to transfer files over Wi-Fi Direct at high speed without using the Internet, simply by scanning. QR-computer-code.
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For one-time large amounts of data (more than 10 GB), always use USB-cable, as wireless methods can be unstable and slow.
Solving and optimizing the process
Sometimes the copying process can be interrupted by the phone going to sleep, so to avoid this, go to the screen settings and increase the time before the shutdown, or turn on the “Do not turn off the screen” mode in the developer menu, which ensures that the connection does not break in the middle of the boot.
Also worth checking is file formatting. If you copy your photos in HEIC (high efficiency), older versions of Windows may not open them. In Xiaomi's camera settings, you can switch the format to a more compatible JPEG, which will save you from display problems on your PC.
Regularly cleaning the gallery of duplicates and screenshots before transferring will save you time. Use the built-in Cleanup tools in the Security app to remove similar photos and make room before archiving.