Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi, POCO and Mi line) have become an integral part of our lives – they store thousands of photos, from family photos to work documents. But when memory runs out or you urgently need to vacate space, the question arises: how quickly and safely to download photos from a Xiaomi phone to a computer, flash drive or to the cloud?
We’ll look at 5 proven methods, from classic USB connectivity to modern wireless solutions, and focus on the nuances of different MIUI versions (12 to 14), and how to avoid common errors, such as loss of quality during transmission or connection problems. If you’re using the Xiaomi 13 Pro with HyperOS or the old Redmi 4X model, the instructions are suitable for everyone.
Important: Before you start, check if there is enough space on the target device. For example, 100 HEIF photos (standard for new Xiaomi) can take up to 500 MB, and 4K videos can take up several gigabytes. Use Settings → Storage to estimate the amount of data.
1. Transfer of photos from Xiaomi to the computer via USB-cable
The most reliable and quick way is to connect your phone to a PC or laptop via a USB Type-C cable (or Micro-USB for older models), which works even without the Internet and is suitable for transferring large amounts of data (for example, several thousand photos at a time).
Here is a step-by-step guide for Windows 10/11 and macOS:
- 🔌 Connect your phone to your computer with the original cable (cheap analogues may not transmit data).
- 📱 On the screen Xiaomi will appear notification “Charging through” USB" — tap him.
- 🔄 Select File Transfer Mode (or File Manager in older versions) MIUI).
- 🖥️ On the computer will open a window conductor with the folder Internal Storage → DCIM → Camera (photos are stored here).
- 📁 Copy the desired files to any folder on the PC (for example, to the desktop).
⚠️ Note: If your computer can’t see your phone, check it:
⚠️ Note: On some models POCO (for example, POCO F5) The default mode is Charge Only. To change it, unlock the screen and select Hand-over from the notification curtain. Also make sure that the PC has Mi drivers installed. PC Suite (you can download it on the official website).
Disable Charge Only mode in USB| Settings Use the original cable |Unlock the phone screen | Check for drivers on PC |Select File Transfer mode-->
MacOS may require additional software, such as Android File Transfer, which will automatically open up Xiaomi files after installation.
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If the transmission is too slow, try connecting the cable to a USB 3.0 port (usually blue) or using a hub with high speed support.
2. Wireless transmission via Mi Share (formerly Mi Drop)
If you don’t have a cable, use the built-in Mi Share (formerly Mi Drop) feature, a wireless protocol from Xiaomi that works on the principle of Wi-Fi Direct and allows you to transfer files between devices without the Internet, speeds up to 10-15 MB / s, enough to transfer hundreds of photos in a couple of minutes.
How to use Mi Share:
- Open the Gallery on Xiaomi and select a photo (press your finger for multiple selections).
- Press "Share" → "Mi Share".
- On a second device (such as another phone or PC with Mi PC Suite), turn on Mi Share in the notification curtain.
- Select the target device from the list and confirm the transfer.
🔹 Pros: no cable, works without the Internet, supports large files.
🔸 Cons: on PC requires Mi PC Suite, speed depends on the phone model.
3. Synchronization with cloud services: Google Photos vs Mi Cloud
Cloud storage is ideal for automatic backup and photo access from any device. Xiaomi offers two main solutions: Google Photos (universal) and Mi Cloud (branded from Xiaomi).
| Criteria | Google Photo | Mi Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Free seat | 15 GB (shared with Gmail and Disk) | 5GB (only for Xiaomi) |
| Photo quality | Original (considered to be in quota) or High (compression, not counted) | Original (without compression) |
| Loading speed | Depends on the Internet. | Faster in China, in Russia, it can slow down |
| Access to PC | photos.google.com | i.mi.com (requires authorization) |
📌 How to set up Google Photos:
- Install the app from Google Play (if removed).
- Open Google Photos → Profile → Backup settings.
- Enable "Backup and Synchronization".
- Choose “Original Quality” (if quality is important) or “High” (to save space).
⚠️ Note: If you choose High Quality, the photos will be compressed to 16 MP resolution (even if the original is 48 or 108 MP!
How to download all photos from Google Photos on PC?
📌 How to use Mi Cloud:
Xiaomi's proprietary cloud is integrated into MIUI by default. To enable synchronization:
- Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
- Turn on "Gallery Synchronization."
- Select “Download only over Wi-Fi” to avoid wasting mobile traffic.
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Mi Cloud automatically syncs only photos from the DCIM/Camera folder, and screenshots and downloads from instant messengers will have to be downloaded manually.
4. Transfer of the photo to another phone (Android/iPhone)
If you want to transfer a photo from Xiaomi to another smartphone (for example, iPhone or Samsung), there are several ways:
- 📲 Through Bluetooth: Suitable for 10-20 Photos, but slowly (speed) ~1 Turn on Bluetooth on both devices, select photos in the Xiaomi gallery → "Share" → Bluetooth.
- 🌐 Wi-Fi Direct: Use applications like Send Anywhere or Xender, which create a temporary access point and transfer files at speeds up to 20 MB/s.
- 🔗 Upload a photo to Google Drive or Dropbox, generate a link and send it to the second phone.
🔹 For iPhone: Install the Move to iOS app on Xiaomi (from Apple) that will transfer not only photos, but also contacts, messages!
🔸 For Android: Use Mi Mover (built-in) MIUI). Run it on both phones, select “I am the sender” on Xiaomi and “I am the receiver” on the second device.
5. Alternative methods: SD-map, OTG email
If standard methods don’t work, consider these options:
- 📁 SD-Card: Transfer the photo to a memory card (if the phone supports microSD), then paste it to another device. POCO X3 NFC.
- 🔌 OTG-Adapter: Connect the flash drive through USB OTG (You need a Type-C adapter. → USB-A). Photos can be copied directly to the storage device.
- ✉️ Email: Send yourself an attachment letter (suitable for 1-2 Photos, because the size limit is usually 25 MB).
- 📡 FTP-Server: Install an application on Xiaomi FTP Server (such as Solid Explorer), connect to it from your PC over a local network.
⚠️ Attention: When in use SD-Check the map format: FAT32 Does not support files larger than 4GB (relevant for video). For larger files, format the card in exFAT or NTFS (But remember, some phones don't read. NTFS).
6.How to download photos from Xiaomi if the phone does not turn on
If your smartphone doesn’t respond to the power button or is stuck on the MIUI logo, try these methods:
- Recovery Mode: Turn off your phone (press Power + Volume up for 10 seconds). Keep Power + Volume up until the Recovery menu appears. Connect your phone to your PC and a photo folder will appear in the conductor (not on all models).
- ADB-For advanced commands: Adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera C:\Xiaomi_Photos This team will copy the photo to a folder. Xiaomi_Photos on disk C: -- you need to run it. ADB-Drivers and Included Debugging USB (If the phone is turned on at least once).
- Cloud (if synced): Log in to Mi Cloud or Google Photos from another device – there may be backups.
🔧 If nothing works: Contact a service center. wizards can extract data directly from the memory chip (a service called "Chip-off"), but it is expensive (from 5 000 USD). ₽) It does not guarantee 100% recovery.