How to quickly throw a photo from the phone Xiaomi on the computer: all the ways 2026

Transfer photos from Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO It seems like a simple task on a computer, unless you encounter connection errors, slow speeds, or confusing settings, and many users waste hours looking for a working method, especially if the phone is not defined as a removable disk or a removable disk. MIUI It blocks data transmission. In this article, we'll look at all the current ways to transfer photos from the classical to the traditional. USB-cable to cloud services, taking into account the features of firmware MIUI 14/15 New Xiaomi models 14/13T/12S Ultra.

We'll focus on the typical problems of why a computer can't see a phone through USB, how to get around MIUI's file access restrictions, and what is the fastest way to transfer hundreds of high-resolution photos. If you've ever seen messages like "Device not recognized" or "No access to the DCIM folder," here's a solution.

Spoiler: The most reliable way for large volumes is a combination USB-cable-on-line MTP Pre-unlocking access to folders in settings MIUI. And for those who appreciate convenience, Mi Drop (the built-in Xiaomi application for Wi-Fi transmission) or cloud services like Google Photos are suitable.

Phone Preparation: Why Your Computer Can't See Files

Before you connect Xiaomi to a PC, check three key settings that block access to photos 80% of the time.Even if you use the original cable, MIUI may restrict data transfers due to security policies.

The first thing you need to do is allow debugging over USB (not to be confused with file transfer mode!), which is hidden in the developer menu, which is disabled by default, to activate it:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone.

2.Shoot 7 times on the item "Version" MIUI" (A notice will appear saying, “You have become a developer").

3. Go back to the main settings, open a new section "Additional → For developers".

4. Turn on the "Debugging over USB" switch and confirm the permission.

The second thing you need to do is to choose the right connection mode. When you connect your phone to your PC, the notification curtain will show up with the option "Charge over USB." Stick on it and select File Transfer (MTP). If this is not the option, update the MIUI or check the cable (non-original often only support charging).

The third trap is blocking access to the DCIM folder, and MIUI 14+ has the default system folders hidden to see them:

1. Open the Files app on your phone.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → "Settings".
3. Enable "Show hidden files" and "Show system folders".

Method 1: Transmission through USB-cable (the fastest method)

This method remains the most reliable for transferring large volumes of photos (for example, 500+ images in RAW format), transfer speeds over USB 3.0 reach 40-60 MB / s, which is 5-10 times faster than Wi-Fi. However, there are nuances with drivers and MIUI settings.

Step-by-step:

1. Use the original Xiaomi cable (or a certified USB-C with data support). Cheap cables often only work for charging.
2. Connect your phone to your PC. In the notification curtain, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. On your computer, open "This Computer" (Win) + The phone must appear as a removable disc (e.g., "Xiaomi Redmi Note 12"). ⚠️ Note: If the device doesn't show up, check Device Manager on PC. There should be no exclamation points in the Portable Devices section. If there are any, update the driver manually via Qualcomm (for Snapdragon processors) or MediaTek.
4. Go to Internal Storage → DCIM → Camera (or DCIM → Screenshots for screenshots).
5. Copy files on your PC (it is recommended to create a separate folder, for example, Photos with Xiaomi).

Typical errors and decisions:

• 🔌 "Device not identified" → Try another one. USB-port (preferably) USB 3.0, usually blue, or temporarily disable the antivirus.
• 📱 "The phone charges but does not transfer files" → Check the connection mode in the notification curtain (should be) MTP, Not "Only charging").
• 🔒 "No access to the folder. DCIM" → Enable the display of hidden folders in the settings of the Files application (see the section Preparing the phone").

Important for Xiaomi owners 13/14 These models use the protocol UFS 3.1/4.0, requiring USB-cable with SuperSpeed support+ (10 Standard cables from older phones will limit speeds to 480 Mbit/s.

Method 2: Wi-Fi transmission over Mi Drop (without cables)

If you don’t have a cable on hand or want to transfer a few photos quickly, the built-in Mi Drop app (formerly Mi Share) is ideal. It works on Wi-Fi Direct protocol, which provides speeds of up to 10-15 MB/s (enough for 20-30 photos per minute).

How to use Mi Drop:

1. Make sure your phone and computer are on Wi-Fi and connected to the same network.
2. On your phone, open the Mi Drop app (if not, download from Google Play).
3. Select "Send" → mark the desired photos → click "Next".
4. In the list of devices, select your computer. If it is not available, open your browser on the PC and enter the address. ftp://[IP-Phone address: (Mi Drop will show you after scanning).
5. Confirm the transmission on your phone. The photos will be saved to the download folder on your PC.

Pros and cons of the method:

To speed up the process, it is recommended to archive photos in ZIP before transferring them, for example, 100 photos in the archive will be transferred faster than individually.

💡

If Mi Drop can't find your computer, check if the Windows firewall is blocking incoming connections. Add an exception for ports 8080 and 8888 in the network protection settings.

Method 3: Cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud, Yandex Drive)

Cloud storage is convenient for regular backup or transfer of photos to multiple devices, but they are not suitable for everyone: speed depends on the Internet connection, and free rates are limited (for example, Google Photos gives only 15 GB per account).

Comparison of popular services:

• 📷 Google Photos: Automatic upload photo when connected to Wi-Fi. Free up to 15 GB (total limit with Gmail and Drive) Compress photo up to 16 MP (you can turn it off, but then they will take up space in the cloud).
• ☁️ Mi Cloud: 5GB free, integrated with MIUI. Automatic folder synchronization DCIM. Access only through your Xiaomi account.
• 💾 Yandex Disk: 10GB free, no photo compression. You can download it via mobile app or web version. Supports folders and albums.

Step-by-step instructions for Google Photos:

1. Install the Google Photos app from the Play Market.
2. Open the application → tap on the avatar → “Photo settings” → “Backup and synchronization”.
3. Turn on the switch and select High Quality (free) or Original Quality (counted for the 15GB limit).
4. Wait for the photo to be uploaded to the cloud (you can monitor the progress in notifications).
5. On your computer, open photos.google.com, select a photo and click "Download".

⚠️ Note: When uploading photos to Google in High Quality mode, photos with a resolution above 16 MP will be compressed to this value. If you care about original quality (for example, for printing), choose Original Quality or use Mi Cloud.

Method 4: FTP-server on the phone (for advanced users)

If you need to access all your phone files over a local network (for example, for regular synchronization), you can run it. FTP-It's a server right on Xiaomi, and it's convenient for sending large amounts of data without the cloud.

How to set up FTP-server:

1. Install an app from the Play Market "FTP Server" (e.g., Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer has a built-in FTP-server).
2. Start the server in the application. Remember or copy the address of the form ftp://192.168.x.x:2221, login and password.
3. On the computer, open "Conductor" → enter FTP-address → Enter the login/password.
4. Go to /storage/emulated/0/DCIM and copy the photo to your PC.

Advantages of the method:

• 🚀 Speed is limited only to your Wi-Fi (up to 50MB/s on Wi-Fi 6).
• 🔓 Full access to all phone files (not just photos).
• 🔄 You can set up automatic synchronization via Total Commander or WinSCP.

Disadvantages:

• ⚙️ Requires customization (not suitable for beginners).
• 🔌 Phone and PC should be on the same network.
• 🔋 Battery consumption is higher due to the constant operation of the server.

💡

FTP-Server is the best choice for regular photo backup if you have stable Wi-Fi and experience with network protocols.

Method 5: Transfer via Bluetooth (only for single files)

Bluetooth is the slowest method (speed) 1-3 MB/s), but it helps when there is no cable or Wi-Fi at hand. 1-2 photo-in-extraordinary.

Instructions:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and computer.
2. On the phone, open the Files, select the necessary photos → Share → Bluetooth.
3. Select your computer from the list of devices.
4. On PC, confirm the acceptance of files (usually they are saved to the Downloads or Bluetooth Exchange Folder folder).

⚠️ Attention: On Windows 10/11 Before the first transfer, you may need to install the Xiaomi driver for Bluetooth. MIUI (section “Drivers").

To speed up the transfer, you can reduce the size of the photo before sending. In the Xiaomi gallery, select a photo → “Edit” → “Resize” → select “Mediocre” (1-2 MB in the photo).

How to transfer photos from a damaged screen or Xiaomi

If the phone screen crashes or the sensor doesn’t respond, but the device turns on, there are three ways to save the photo:

1. USB connection with control via PC:

• Connect your phone to your computer in MTP mode (even if the screen isn’t visible, try to touch this mode in the curtain).
• Use the keyboard to navigate: Tab → Enter → arrows.
• If the phone is unlocked, the files will be available in the DCIM folder.

2. remote control via Mi PC Suite:

• Download the official Mi PC Suite utility.
• Connect your phone over USB and allow access (if the screen is partially working).
• In the program, select Files → DCIM and copy the photo.

3. Removal of the memory card (if any):

• Turn off the phone, remove the tray for SIM-map.
• If you use microSD, insert it into the card reader and connect it to the PC.
• Photos are usually stored in the DCIM → Camera folder.

⚠️ Note: If the phone doesn't turn on at all, don't try to disassemble it yourself - this can lead to data loss. Contact Xiaomi's service center to request data retrieval via the service. EDL-mode (confirmation of possession of the device is required).

FAQ: Frequent questions about transferring photos from Xiaomi to PC