Transferring video from Xiaomi to your computer via USB-cable only seems to be a simple task – in practice, users face problems: the phone is not defined as a drive, folders with video are hidden, and the phone is not a device. MIUI In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to download videos from any Xiaomi models (including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11 and others, even if the standard mode MTP doesn't work.
Feature of Xiaomi smartphones – a corporate shell MIUI, which often hides media files in protected folders (e.g, DCIM/.thumbnails or MIUI/Camera). We will show you how to access these files without root rights using as standard tools. Windows/macOS, and specialized software like Mi PC suite ADB. We also discuss common mistakes (e.g, "USB-Device not identified") and how to eliminate them.
1.Phone Preparation: Enable File Transfer Mode
Before connecting to a PC, you need to configure Xiaomi to correctly transfer data. By default, the smartphone can use USB only for charging.
To activate the file transfer mode:
- 📱 Open the Settings. → Connection and sharing → USB.
- 🔄 Select File Transfer Mode (MTP) (If not, see the next paragraph).
- 🔒 Allow access to files by clicking "Allow" in the window that appears on the phone screen.
- 🔄 If MTP No menu, go to Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI and 7 times click on the version line to activate Developer Mode. → Additionally. → For developers and include "Debugging by" USB".
⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) 10C or POCO M4 Pro after updating to MIUI 14 mode mode MTP It might disappear. In this case, resetting the settings will help. USB: Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management → Three dots (menu) → Reset application settings.
If your computer can’t see your phone, check:
- 🔌 Cable: Use the original cable USB-C certified USB 2.0/3.0 (Cheap cables often only support charging).
- 🖥️ Port: Try another one USB-port on PC (preferably) USB 3.0 - usually blue).
- 🔄 Reboot: Reboot both phone and computer – this resets temporary driver errors.
2. Standard method: MTP transfer (Windows/macOS)
If the phone is defined as a media device, the video can be copied by standard OS tools.
For Windows:
- Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB.
- Open This Computer (My Computer) – The phone should appear as a removable drive (e.g. Redmi Note 12).
- Go to Internal storage → DCIM → Camera (camera videos are stored here) or Movies (for uploaded video files).
- Select the files you need and copy them to your PC hard drive (Ctrl+C → Ctrl+V).
For macOS: use the Android File Transfer app (you can download from the official website). Once you connect your phone, the program will automatically open access to the file system.
⚠️ Attention: If the folder DCIM empty, but you are sure that there is a video on the phone, check hidden directories: in Windows, turn on the display of hidden files (View) → Hidden elements), and in Android File Transfer click View → Show Hidden Files.
The transfer speed depends on the USB version:
| USB version | Max, speed. | Approximate copy time of 1 GB |
|---|---|---|
| USB 2.0 | 480 Mbps | 3-5 minutes |
| USB 3.0 | 5 Gbps | 30-50 seconds |
| USB 3.1 | 10 Gbps | 20–30 seconds |
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If videos are copied for too long, archive them in ZIP directly on your phone (use RAR or ZArchiver>), and then migrate the archive - this will speed up the process.
3. If MTP It doesn't work: we use ADB (Rootless) Tool ADB (Android Debug Bridge allows you to access the Xiaomi file system even if you are not using it. MTP It doesn't require superuser rights, but it requires drivers to be installed and debugging enabled. USB. Step. 1. Installation ADB: 🖥️ Download Platform Tools from your Android site and unpack the archive into any folder (e.g, C:\adb). 📂 Add a path to the folder to the environment variable PATH (Windows instruction manual. Step 2. Phone Connection: Enable Debugging by USB in the developer settings (see section) 1). Connect Xiaomi to PC and in the command line (Win)+R → (cmd) execute: adb devices If the device appears in the list, proceed to copy. 3. Video Copying: To copy all videos from a folder DCIM/Camera On the desktop, use the command: adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/ %USERPROFILE%\Desktop\Xiaomi_Videos To copy a specific file (for example, VID_20260515.mp4): adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/VID_20260515.mp4 %USERPROFILE%\Desktop\ ⚠️ Attention: If ADB It gives you a “permission denied” error, try the adb shell command, then su (if you have root rights), or use an alternative file path, such as, /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Camera/. Install Platform Tools|Enable debugging on USB|Connect the phone to the PC|Check the device with the adb device command|Copy files with the adb pull command-->
4. Alternative method: Mi PC Suite
Official software from Xiaomi - Mi PC Suite makes it easy to transfer media files, but has limitations: it does not support all models and may not see videos in hidden folders. ADB.
How to use:
- Download Mi PC Suite from the official website (version for Windows).
- Install the program and connect the phone in MTP mode.
- In the main window of the program, select the Files tab.
- Go to Internal Storage → DCIM → Camera or Movies.
- Select the desired videos and click "Export" by selecting the folder on the PC.
The Mi PC Suite also allows you to:
- 📁 View files by category (photo, video, music).
- 🔄 Synchronize contacts and SMS (if necessary).
- 📱 Install applications directly from the PC.
Cons of the programme:
- ❌ There is no version for macOS.
- ❌ Maybe you can't see the files in the folders. MIUI or.thumbnails.
- ❌ Sometimes you need to update drivers manually.
How to update drivers for Mi PC Suite?
5. Access to hidden folders: where Xiaomi hides video
MIUI hides some media files in system directories that are not displayed through MTP. Here's where to look:
| folder | What it keeps. | How to get access |
|---|---|---|
| MIUI/Camera | Backups of videos, thumbnails | Through ADB or file manager with root rights |
| DCIM/.thumbnails | Video sketches (sometimes full copies) | Enable the display of hidden files |
| Android/data/... | Video from apps (TikTok, Instagram) | Only through ADB or root |
| Pictures/Screenshots | Screenshots | Available via MTP |
To see these folders on PC:
- 🔍 In Windows: Open the Control Panel → Folder parameters → View and uncheck the box from "Hide protected system files".
- 🖥️ In macOS: In Android File Transfer, click View → Show Hidden Files.
- 📱 On the phone: use a file manager (e.g., file manager, FX File Explorer) with the option "Show hidden files" enabled".
Xiaomi
MIUI 13+
Gallery
Mi Cloud
ADB backup
6. Problem Solving: Phone Undetected or Copying Interrupted
If you have any errors when connecting Xiaomi to your PC, try the following steps:
Mistake: "USB-device not identified"
- 🔌 Turn off the phone and connect it to another. USB-port (preferably) USB 2.0).
- 🔄 Reinstall the driver: Open Device Manager, find Xiaomi in the list (usually under "Portable Devices"), right-click and select "Update Driver".
- 📥 Download the driver manually from Xiaomi or use DriverPack Solution.
Error: “Folder is empty” but there is a video on the phone
- 🔍 Check if files are hidden (see Section 5).
- 📁 Try another file manager on your PC (e.g. Total Commander).
- 🔄 Restart your phone to Safe Mode (hold the power button) → "Safe mode") and reconnect.
Error: Copying is 99% interrupted
- 📶 Disable the antivirus on your PC – it can block large files.
- 🔌 Use the cable. USB 3.0 and port USB 3.0 (blue connector).
- 📦 Break the video into parts (for example, by using the MX Player on your phone and copy separately.
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If neither of these works, try moving videos over the cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud) or sending them to yourself via email/Telegram, which will take longer, but it will work.