How to quickly throw a photo from the phone Xiaomi on the computer through USB-cable: 5 proven methods

Transfer photos from Xiaomi to your computer via USB-cable seems like a simple task, but in practice, users face a lot of nuances, from unidentified devices to hidden folders. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to transfer photos, taking into account the features of firmware. MIUI (including HyperOS, look at common bugs and give specific solutions for Redmi, Poco and Mi models.

We’ll focus on connection settings that are often overlooked: why a phone isn’t defined as a drive, how to turn on file transfer mode, and what to do if Windows requires drivers, and how to get around MIUI’s restrictions on accessing system folders (e.g. DCIM/Thumbnails) and how to speed up transferring hundreds of photos without losing quality.

The instructions in this article are relevant for all versions of MIUI (12 to 14) and HyperOS, as well as for Windows 10/11 and macOS. If you use Linux, there is a separate section at the end of this article with commands for mounting the device.

Preparing Xiaomi Phone for USB Connection

Before you connect your phone to your computer, you need to configure Xiaomi correctly, which will save you 90% of the problem with the device definition.

1. Check the cable and port. Use the original Xiaomi cable or a certified USB-Type C (for new models). Cheap cables often don't support data transfer, only charging. Also check the port on the phone - dust ingress or damaged contacts can block the connection.

2.Unlock the screen. MIUI and HyperOS require unlocking the screen to activate file transfer mode. If the phone is locked with a password or fingerprint, USB connection will be limited to charging only.

3. Enable Developer Mode (optional). Some models (e.g., Xiaomi 13 Pro or Poco F5) may require USB Debugging activation.

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version (you will receive a notification "You became a developer").
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Activate Debugging on USB.

Use the original cable|Unlock the phone screen|Check the port for pollution|Enable debugging on USB (if required)|Update MIUI last-minute-->

After preparation, you can connect the phone to your computer. If Windows gives an error "Device not recognized", go to the section "Install drivers for Xiaomi".

Installation of drivers for Xiaomi on Windows

The USB Device Unidentifiable error is 80% due to the lack of drivers. Xiaomi uses proprietary file transfer mode (MTP) drivers, which are not always automatically installed via Windows Update.

Download the official drivers from the Xiaomi website:

• 🔗 Official page MIUI (Choose a phone model → section "Drivers").
• 🔗 Alternative source (if the official website does not have drivers for your model).

After downloading:

1. Connect the phone to the PC.
2. Open Device Manager (click Win + X → select option).
3. Find a device with a yellow exclamation point (usually under Other Devices or Portable Devices).
4. Right-click → Update the driver → Search for drivers on this computer.
5. Specify the path to the downloaded driver file.

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If the driver is not installed, try disabling digital signature verification in Windows. To do this, reboot your Shift PC, select Diagnostic → Additional settings → Boot options → Reboot, then press F7 (disable the mandatory driver signature verification).

Important: Qualcomm CPU models (such as the Redmi Note 12 Pro+) may require the installation of a QDLoader HS-USB Driver. It can be found on the 4PDA or XDA Developers forums.

Selecting USB Connection Mode for Xiaomi

After connecting the cable on the screen Xiaomi will appear notification "USB for...". Here you need to choose the correct mode:

• 📁 File transfer (MTP) — standard mode for access to photos and documents. Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 📱 Transmission of photographs (PTP) — alternatively, if MTP It's not working. It's a camera that displays the phone.
• 🔋 Charging only – blocks access to files.
• 🔧 Midic (ADB) — For debugging, not suitable for transferring photos.

If the notification does not appear:

1. Swipe down the notification panel.
2. Tap on the notification "Charging via USB".
3. Select File Transfer.

MTP (File transfer)|PTP (Transmission of photographs)|ADB (Debugging)|I don't know what it is.|Another option-->

On some models (such as Xiaomi 14 or Poco X6 Pro) in HyperOS, the connection menu may look different. If standard modes don't work, try:

1. Go to Settings. → Connections and sharing → USB-connection.
2. Select Manual File Transfer.

Step-by-step: transfer photos from Xiaomi to PC

Now, let's get to the transfer process itself. Let's look at two main ways: through Windows Explorer and through MIUI File Explorer (the built-in Xiaomi app).

Method 1: Through Windows Explorer

After successfully connecting to MTP:

1. Open this computer (Win + E).
2. In the Devices and Disks section, your Xiaomi (e.g. Redmi Note 11) will appear.
3. Double click on the device → go to the folder Internal storage → DCIM → Camera (here are stored photos taken on the main camera).
4. Select the files you want and copy them (Ctrl + C) to any folder on your PC.

If the DCIM folder is empty, check:

• 📸 folder DCIM/Screenshots (screenshot).
• 📸 Pictures folder (photo from messengers).
• 📸 folder MIUI/Camera (alternative storage for some models).

Method 2: Using MIUI File Explorer

If Explorer can’t see files, use Xiaomi’s built-in file manager:

1. On the phone, open the Files app (folder icon).
2. Go to the Device. → DCIM → Camera.
3. Select a photo (long press → tick the desired files).
4. Press More. → Send. → USB-accumulator.
5. A window will open on the PC with a suggestion to save files.

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MIUI File Explorer is often more stable than the MTP-protocol, especially on older versions of Windows (7/8).

Solving typical problems when transferring photos

Even with the right settings, there can be errors, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

If Windows asks for a disk format:

⚠️ Warning: Do not agree in any way, this will result in a complete loss of data on the phone. MTP-Solution: Reboot your phone, change your cable, or use mode. PTP.

If the photos are not displayed in the DCIM folder, but take up space:

⚠️ Attention: Files may be hidden by the system. Enable the display of hidden files in Explorer (View) → Hidden elements) or use the app FX File Explorer on your phone to search for.

Transfer photos from Xiaomi to macOS

On Mac, the process is slightly different due to the peculiarities of working with MTP. By default, macOS does not support this protocol, so you will need additional software:

Method 1: Android File Transfer

1. Download the Android File Transfer utility.
2. Connect Xiaomi in MTP mode.
3. Open the utility - it will automatically display the phone files.
4. Go to DCIM → Camera and copy the photo.

Method 2: Terminal (for advanced)

If Android File Transfer is not working, use adb:

brew install android-platform-tools


adb devices




adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/ ~/Downloads/xiaomi_photos

Method 3: Xiaomi Cloud

If USB-Connection is unstable, upload photos to Mi Cloud, and then download them to Mac via the browser:

1. On the phone: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery.
2. Turn on the sync.
3. On Mac, open i.mi.com and download the photos.

Alternative ways to transfer photos without USB

If you cannot connect via cable (for example, a broken port), use alternative methods:

• 🌐 Google Photos: Automatically upload photos to the cloud and then download them to your PC. Settings: Google Photos app → Settings → Backup and synchronization.
• 📤 Send Anywhere: Wi-Fi transfer without registration. Download the app to your phone and PC, select a photo and send it to a 6-digit code.
• 🔗 Local area network (FTP): Use the app. FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer FTP-phone-server.
• 💬 Telegram: Send photos to your saved messages, then download them to your PC via the web version.

FAQ: Frequent questions about transferring photos from Xiaomi