Owners of modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO often face overflow of internal memory due to high quality images. the cameras of flagship models such as Xiaomi 14 Pro or Redmi Note 13 create large files that quickly occupy available space.
There are many ways to solve this problem, from the classical USB-The choice of the specific method depends on the number of files processed, the availability of the Internet and the version of the shell installed. MIUI In this article we will discuss all the current options so that you can choose the most convenient for your situation.
Some methods allow you to sync your images automatically, while others require manual intervention. Understanding the differences between MTP and PTP modes will help you avoid copying errors. Let's take a closer look at each of the tools available.
Connection through USB-cable
The fastest and most reliable way to copy a large amount of data is to use it. USB-When you physically connect your smartphone to your computer, the system suggests you choose the mode of operation. USB. To transfer files, you need to activate the file transfer mode (MTP), which allows the PC to see the device's file system as an external hard drive.
Once you connect and select mode, a new device will appear on your computer screen, and you'll need to go to the Internal shared storage folder, then find the DCIM directory, and then the Camera, and that's where all the images you've taken on camera are stored, and you'll copy at a high speed, depending on the bandwidth of the cable and the USB 3.0 ports.
⚠️ Warning: If the computer can't see the phone, check the cable. Cheap cables are often just for charging and don't transmit data. Use the original wire from the kit.
In some cases, especially when working with very old Windows operating systems, it may be necessary to install drivers. However, in most situations with Windows 10 and 11, MTP drivers are installed automatically. If you are using a Mac, you will need a special Android File Transfer or OpenMTP application, since native support is limited.
☑️ Checking before connection
Using Mi Cloud Cloud Storage
Xiaomi’s ecosystem offers its own cloud service, Mi Cloud, which is deeply integrated into the system, which allows you to automatically upload photos to the cloud immediately after they are created, if the appropriate option is enabled, access files through a browser on any device or through the Mi Cloud application on another phone.
To activate sync, go to Settings, select your Mi Account and click on Mi Cloud. In the Gallery section, you need to turn on the sync switch, which ensures that even if your smartphone is lost or broken, your photos will remain safe.
5GB of free space is available to users, which may not be enough for 4K video, but it is enough for thousands of photos. There are paid subscriptions to expand the limits. The main advantage of the method is that there is no need for wires and the ability to access the archive from anywhere in the world.
What happens when the cloud overflows?
It is important to note that the quality of uploaded photos can be optimized to save space if you do not choose to store the originals. Check the quality settings in the synchronization menu if you care about detailing each pixel when viewing from a PC.
Sync through Google Photos and Google Drive
An alternative to the home cloud is Google Photos, which is pre-installed on all certified smartphones, and offers smart sorting by person, place and object, making it easier to find the right shots. Free storage in high quality (with some compression) or original format (within the Google One quota) makes this method popular.
To download photos to your computer, you just have to open photos.google.com in your browser, and you can select individual photos or entire albums and click the download button. ZIP-archive with selected images, which will be saved in the download folder on PC.
- 📸 Automatic creation of albums and collages.
- ☁️ Access photos from any device running Android or iOS.
- 🔍 Powerful image search using artificial intelligence.
- 🗑️ Free up space on your phone with a single button after downloading.
The thing about Google Photos is that deleting a photo on your phone can cause it to be removed from the cloud if sync is enabled. Be careful when cleaning the gallery if you want to keep a backup.
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Use the “Free Space” feature in the Google Photos app only after making sure that all the images are fully uploaded to the cloud and displayed on the site.
Wireless transmission over Wi-Fi (FTP and conductor)
Modern MIUI and HyperOS shells have a built-in Wi-Fi file transfer feature that doesn’t require third-party programs to be installed on your computer. The standard Explorer (or File Manager) application has a dedicated section for remote access.
To start, open Explorer, go to Remote Access tab or FTP And press Launch. The phone will tell you. IP-address, for example, ftp://192.168.1.55:2121. This address should be entered in the address bar of any folder on the computer, and then all the files of the smartphone will be available for copying over the air.
The speed of the transfer depends on the quality of your Wi-Fi router. At 5 GHz, you can achieve speeds comparable to a wired USB 2.0 connection. It's a great way to quickly transfer a few dozen photos without finding a cable.
Make sure your computer and smartphone are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If the router is configured correctly and does not block local connections between devices (AP Isolation feature), the connection will be established instantly.
Comparison of data transmission methods
The best way to do this depends on what you're doing, and if you want to move 100GB of video, the cloud is too long, the cable is perfect, and if you want to move it, you can use a messenger or a cloud for a couple of photos, and you can see a table below that helps you decide on the method.
| Method | Speed. | We need the Internet. | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| USB Cable | Tall. | No. | Low. |
| Mi Cloud | Medium | Yes. | Low. |
| Wi-Fi (FTP) | Medium/High | No (locally) | Medium |
| Bluetooth | Very low. | No. | Low. |
As you can see from the table, USB-cable remains the fastest-paced leader in large data, and wireless technology benefits in convenience and lack of wire binding, but requires a stable network.
And you can't discount the good old methods like Bluetooth, which are too slow for today's camera resolution standards, and you can only use them in emergency situations where you don't have any cable or Wi-Fi on hand.
Problem Solving and Frequently Asked Questions
Sometimes the download process may be interrupted or files may not be displayed correctly. A common problem is the HEIC format, in which some cameras shoot by default to save space. Computers running older versions of Windows may not open such files without installing additional codecs.
⚠️ WARNING: When copying large folders over Wi-Fi, don't turn off your smartphone screen.Some Xiaomi models can break the connection to save power if the device goes into sleep mode.
And people often ask why photos are duplicated, which can happen when you sync them through Google Photos and Mi Cloud, if you don't match the settings, and see if you're reuploading the images you've already saved to the cloud.
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For regular backup, it is best to set up automatic synchronization in the cloud, and for a one-time transfer of a large archive, use it USB-cable.
If you encounter an error called “Not enough space” when copying to a PC, check the external disk file system. For files larger than 4 GB, the disk must be formatted to NTFS or exFAT, as the old FAT32 format has a limit on the size of a single file.