How to download photos from Xiaomi phone to your computer: 5 ways for kettles

Have you taken hundreds of cool photos on your Xiaomi but don’t know how to quickly and safely transfer them to your computer? Don’t worry – it’s easier than it seems! Even if you’ve never connected a smartphone to a PC before, our guide will help you understand the process behind the phone. 5-10 minute.

In this article, we will look at all the current ways of transferring photos: from the classical connection to the USB-And the cables are all about cloud services and wireless technology, and each method is sorted out in detail, and it's all about the specifics of the technology. MIUI — You will learn how to avoid common errors, what settings to check before starting, and which method will be the fastest for your case.

Important: all instructions are universal and suitable for any Xiaomi, Redmi and other models. POCO — From the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. Even if you have an old model on Android 9, you will find here a working option!

1. Preparation of Xiaomi phone for photo transfer

Before you download photos, you need to properly configure the smartphone itself. This will take no more than a minute, but will eliminate most of the problems with connection.

Check the regimen first. USB-By default, Xiaomi can only use the cable to charge, not to transfer data:

1. Connect your phone to your computer through USB-cable (it is better to use the original cable from the set).
2. The phone will have a notification on it, "Charge via USB."
3. Select File Transfer (or Transfer Photos on New Versions) MIUI).
4. If there is no such notification, open Settings → Connected devices → USB and select the desired mode.

Also make sure that the computer has drivers installed for Xiaomi. 10/11 automatically installs them when you first connect, but if the phone is not detected:

• 🔹 Download the official drivers from the Xiaomi website (section "Tools").
• 🔹 Or use the universal package Mi. PC Suite – it will automatically install everything you need.
• 🔹 MacOS will require additional Android File Transfer software.

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If your computer can’t see your phone, try another one. USB-port (preferably) USB 3.0 blue) or reboot both devices.

2. Method 1: Transfer of photo through USB-cable (the most reliable cable)

It's the classic and fastest method that works even without the Internet, and it's good for sending lots of photos (hundreds or thousands of pictures).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable (required to use a cable that supports data transfer, not just charging!).
2. On your phone, select File Transfer Mode (as described in the previous section).
3. The computer will open a conductor window with the phone folders. If that doesn't happen, open this computer and find the Xiaomi device in the list.
4. Go to the Internal Storage folder → DCIM → Camera (all photos taken with the main camera are stored here).
5. Select the necessary photos (you can use Ctrl)+A to select all) and copy them to your computer (right-hand button) → Copy, then paste in the desired folder).

Transfer speed depends on the version USB-port:

• 🔌 USB 2.0 (port): ~5-10 MB/s (slow for a large number of photos)
• 🔌 USB 3.0 (blue-port): ~50-100 MB/s (optimum)
• 🔌 USB-C 3.1: up to 500 MB/s (fastest option)

Make sure the cable supports data transmission |

Select the "File Transfer" mode on the phone|

Check the free space on the PC disk|

Close unnecessary programs on your computer to speed up the process-->

⚠️ Note: If you connect Xiaomi to your computer for the first time, you may be asked to unlock the device. PIN-code you use to unlock the screen.

Method 2: Transfer photos via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

If you don't have a cable on hand or you often move photos between devices, Mi Cloud is a great solution, which requires an Internet connection, but allows you to access photos from any computer.

How to set up synchronization:

1. On the phone, open Settings. → Accounts and synchronization → Mi Cloud.
2. Sign in to your Xiaomi account (or create a new one if you don’t have one).
3. Activate the slider next to the Gallery (or Photos in new versions) MIUI).
4. Wait for the synchronization to be completed (time depends on the number of photos and Internet speed).

You can now download the photo to your computer:

1. Open your browser on your PC and go to i.mi.com.
2. Log in to the same Xiaomi account as on your phone.
3. Go to the Gallery or Photos section.
4. Select the necessary pictures and click Download (photos are archived in the ZIP-file).

Method 3: Photos transmitted over Bluetooth (for a small number of pictures)

If you just need to flip a few photos and you don't have a cable, you can use Bluetooth, which is slow, but it doesn't require Internet, and it works even on older computers.

Instructions for Windows:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone: swipe down the screen and tap the Bluetooth icon (or go to Settings). → Connections → Bluetooth).
2. On your computer, turn on Bluetooth: Start → Parameters → Devices → Bluetooth and other devices.
3. Click Add Device and select your Xiaomi from the list.
4. Confirm pairing on both devices (may require code entry).
5. On the phone, open the gallery, select a photo. → Share. → Bluetooth → Choose your computer.
6. On the PC, confirm the file acceptance.

Limitations of the method:

• 🐢 Transmission speed: ~1-2 MB/s (very slow for a large number of photos)
• 📵 Maximum file size: usually up to 50MB (large photo in the file) RAW pass over)
• 🔋 High battery consumption on the phone

5. Method 4: Wireless transmission over Wi-Fi (quickly and without cables)

For sending large numbers of photos without cable, a local Wi-Fi network is ideal. 5-10 faster than Bluetooth and does not require internet.

Option 1: Use of standard functions MIUI

1. Connect your phone and computer to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. On the phone, open Settings. → Connections → Access Point and modem → File transfer over Wi-Fi.
3. Enable the function and remember the address (for example, ftp://192.168.43.1:8888).
4. On the computer, open the conductor and enter this address in the address bar.
5. Copy the desired photos as from a regular folder.

Option 2: Applications for wireless transmission

If the standard function doesn’t work, install one of these apps:

• 📱 Xender – simple interface, speeds up to 40 MB / s
• 📱 Send Anywhere – No need to connect to a network
• 📱 Portal by Pushbullet – Transfer through QR-code

Example of Send Anywhere:

1. Install the app on your phone from Google Play.
2. Open it and select a photo to transfer.
3. Click Send and select a method (QR-code).
4. On your computer, open send-anywhere.com and enter the key.

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Wireless transmission over Wi-Fi - the best choice if you need to flip 50-500 The speed is up to the speed. 10-15 MB/s, that in 10 faster than Bluetooth.

6. Method 5: Automatic synchronization via Google Photos

If you use Google services, this method will allow you not only to transfer photos to your computer, but also to back them up, and all images will be available in original quality (if you have the right settings).

Setting up on the phone:

1. Install the Google Photos app if you don’t have one.
2. Open the app and log in to your Google account.
3. Tap the avatar. → Photo settings → Backup and synchronization.
4. Enable backup and select Original Quality (if it is important to keep maximum resolution).

How to download a photo to your computer:

1. Open your browser and go to photos.google.com.
2. Log in to the same Google account as on your phone.
3. Choose the photo you want (you can use filters by date or album).
4. Click on three dots in the upper right corner → Download.

⚠️ Note: When selecting the option High quality instead of Original Google Photos will compress images to 16 MP. This is imperceptible for viewing on the screen, but can be critical for professional processing.

An important nuance for Xiaomi owners: in some models (for example, Redmi Note) 10 pro POCO X3 Pro) Google Photos app doesn't sync folder by default DCIM/Screenshots. To enable backup of screenshots, go to Google Photos settings → Backup the device and manually select this folder.

7 How to avoid errors in the transfer of photos

Even with the simplest methods, sometimes there are problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions.

If none of these methods work, try:

• 🔄 Restart your phone and computer
• 🔌 Use the other USB-Cable (original from Xiaomi or certified quality)
• 📱 Update MIUI Up to the latest version (Settings) → The phone. → Updating the system)
• 🖥️ Check your computer for viruses (they can block device connection)

8. Which way to choose: Comparative table

To determine the best method, use this table:

* When selecting the “Original Quality” option, Google Photos space is limited to a Google account quota (15 GB free).

Frequently asked questions