How to download photos and videos from Xiaomi to your computer: all ways of 2026

Transferring photos and videos from Xiaomi to your computer is a challenge that every user faces: whether it’s freeing up memory on a smartphone, backing up important moments or preparing materials for editing, choosing the right method of data transfer will save time and nerves. In this article, we will examine all the current ways, from classic USB connection to cloud services and wireless technologies.

Xiaomi devices (including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark) feature MIUI, which sometimes makes adjustments to standard processes. For example, the first time you connect to a PC, you may need permission to transfer files, and some firmwares activate USB Charging by default. We took all these nuances into account to make the instructions work on any Xiaomi model, from the budget Redmi 12C to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

Important: if you are working with large amounts of data (for example, video in the Internet) 4K or RAW-Some methods may not be effective, and in such cases we recommend combining methods or using a wired connection for maximum speed.

Transfer through USB-cable: a classic and reliable method

Connecting your smartphone to your computer via cable is the most versatile method that works even without internet access. But Xiaomi has a feature: by default, the phone can be defined as a "charger" rather than a drive. Here's how to fix it:

First, connect Xiaomi to your PC using the original cable (or a certified USB-Type C/Micro-USB). The phone will display a notification "USB for file transfer" on its screen.

• 📁 File transfer (MTP) — Standard mode for data exchange (recommended).
• 🖥️ Image transmission (PTP) — if MTP It does not work (for example, on older versions of Windows).
• ⚡ Charging only – disables data transfer (do not select this item!).

After selecting MTP mode, the computer will open a window “This computer” (Windows) or “Files” (macOS/Linux), where your Xiaomi will appear as a removable drive.

Internal Memory → DCIM → Camera


or




SD- Map of → DCIM → Camera

⚠️ Warning: If your computer can't see your phone, check: Are you using the original cable (cheap analogues may not support data transfer) and if the Debugging mode is activated USB» In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Tap 7 times, then go back to Settings → Additionally. → Developer's licenses updated MIUI PC (you can download it on the official Xiaomi website).

Use the original Xiaomi cable

Select MTP mode in the phone notification

Check the connection to the front USB-port (rear may be the port of the port) USB 2.0)

Disable the ad blocker (it can block drivers)

Update MIUI last-minute-->

2. Wireless transmission over Wi-Fi (Mi Drop, FTP, LocalSend)

If you don’t have cable on hand or prefer wireless technology, Xiaomi offers a few built-in solutions, the easiest way is to use the proprietary Mi Drop app (formerly Mi Share), which is pre-installed on most devices with MIUI 12+.

How to transfer files via Mi Drop:

1. Open the Mi Drop app on your phone.
2. Select files (photo/video) and click “Send”.
3. On your computer, open your browser and go to the address ftp://[IP-telephone address] (it will appear in the appendix).
4. Download files through the web interface.

The alternative is to use FTP-server-side FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer:

1. Install one of the apps from Google Play.
2. Launch it. FTP-server in application settings.
3. Connect to it from your PC via File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS) by entering ftp://[IP]:[port].

Critical detail: when you transfer large files over Wi-Fi (video >1 GB), the speed may drop due to protocol limitations, in which case, break the files into archives or use USB.

3. Cloud services: Mi Cloud, Google Photos and Yandex.Disk

If you need to not only download files but also save them backup, cloud services will be the best solution. Xiaomi offers its own cloud - Mi Cloud, which is integrated into MIUI and provides 5 GB for free.

How to upload a photo to Mi Cloud and download to PC:

1. On the phone: Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery → turn on “Synchronization”.
2. Wait for the download to be completed (depending on the volume, it can take from a few minutes to hours).
3. On PC, open i.mi.com, log in and download files in the Gallery section.

Alternatives to Mi Cloud:

• ☁️ Google Photos – unlimited storage of compressed photos (up to 16 MP) and videos (up to 16 MP) 1080p). For original quality – 15 GB free.
• 💾 Yandex.Disk – 10 GB free, convenient web interface and automatic download through the application.
• 📦 Mega – 20GB free, but slower synced to Xiaomi due to restrictions MIUI.

⚠️ Note: When using Google Photos on Xiaomi with MIUI 14+ You may have a problem with background synchronization. To fix this, add the app to Autostart and No Limits in the battery settings.

Mi Cloud

Google Photo

Yandex.Disk.

iCloud (via iPhone)

Another option-->

4. Transfer via Bluetooth and Nearby Share (for small files)

Bluetooth is not the fastest way, but it will help if you do not have cable or Wi-Fi at hand. Xiaomi with MIUI 12+ is also available Nearby Share (analogue of AirDrop from Google), which works faster than classic Bluetooth.

How to transfer files via Bluetooth:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and PC (Windows may require “Add Device” via Settings → Devices).
2. On your phone, select files in the Gallery, click Share → Bluetooth and select your computer.
3. Confirm the file acceptance on the PC.

Nearby Share (Windows 10/11 only with official client installed):

1. Make sure your phone and PC are enabled with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
2. In the Xiaomi Gallery, select files, click Share → Nearby Share.
3. On PC, accept the incoming file through the notification.

💡

If Nearby Share doesn’t find your computer, check that your PC has the latest Windows update installed and All Networks mode enabled in the Nearby Share settings.

5. Use of a memory card (microSD) and card reader

If your Xiaomi supports microSD (like the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or POCO X5 Pro), the fastest way to transfer is to remove the card and connect it to your computer via a card reader, which is especially convenient for large amounts of data (such as drone video or action camera).

Step-by-step:

1. Turn off the phone (required!), remove the tray for SIM-maps and get the microSD.
2. Insert the card into the card reader and connect it to USB-port.
3. Open “This Computer” (Windows) or “Disks” (macOS) – the card will appear as a removable drive.
4. Copy files from the DCIM or Pictures folder.

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Maximum speed (up to 90 MB/s per UHS-II card).
• 🔋 No load on the phone battery.
• 🛡️ Minimum risk of data loss (no dependency on phone software).

⚠️ Note: Do not remove the memory card from your phone while recording files (e.g. while shooting videos) This may damage the file system. Always use the Safe Retrieval feature in Xiaomi's storage settings.

Specialized programs: Mi PC Suite and alternatives

For users who regularly sync data between Xiaomi and PC, it is convenient to use proprietary software - Mi PC Suite. It allows you not only to transfer files, but also to manage contacts, messages and backups.

How to use Mi PC Suite:

1. Download the program from the official website and install it on PC.
2. Connect your phone via USB (select MTP mode).
3. In the main menu of the program, go to the "Files" section → "Gallery".
4. Select the necessary photos / videos and click Export by selecting the folder on the PC.

Alternative programs for Xiaomi:

• 🖥️ Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools – for advanced users (requires unlocking the bootloader).
• 📲 AirDroid - wireless file management via browser.
• 🔄 Syncthing – open source software for synchronizing folders between devices.

💡

Mi PC Suite is Xiaomi’s only official PC phone management software that supports all MIUI models, but can conflict with antivirus software (add the program to exceptions).

7. Transfer automation: schedule task and scripts

If you need to regularly copy photos and videos from Xiaomi to your PC (for example, for backup or processing), you can set up automatic transfer using scripts or task scheduler.

Method 1: Windows + ADB Task Planner

1. Install ADB on your PC.
2. Connect your phone via USB and allow debugging via USB.
3. Create a script (for example, pull_photos.bat) contents: @echo off adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/ D:\Xiaomi_Backup\Photos adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/Screenshots/ D:\Xiaomi_Backup\Screenshots
4. Add a task to Windows Task Planner so that the script runs every night, for example.

Method 2: Syncthing (Cross-platform Synchronization)

1. Install Syncthing on PC and phone (available on Google Play).
2. Set up a DCIM/Camera shared folder on your phone and specify the target folder on your PC.
3. Synchronization will occur automatically when connected to a single Wi-Fi network.

Advantages of automation:

• ⏰ Time savings - no need to be remembered manually copy files.
• 🔒 Backup – files are duplicated on the PC without your involvement.
• 📊 Versionality – Some programs (e.g. Syncthing) keep a history of changes.

FAQ: Frequent questions about transferring files from Xiaomi to PC