How to download photos from your computer on Xiaomi: all ways in 5 minutes

Transferring photos from your computer to your Xiaomi smartphone is a challenge that every user faces. Whether you want to make room on your PC, share fresh snapshots with friends or just back up, the transfer process should be fast and reliable. Fortunately, owners of Xiaomi devices (whether it’s Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or flagship Xiaomi 14) have at least 5 proven ways to solve this problem – from classic USB connection to modern cloud services.

In this article, we'll go through each method in detail, from preparing devices to solving possible problems, and you'll learn which is the fastest, which is the most versatile, and which is best if you don't have a cable at hand, and we'll also uncover the hidden MIUI settings that will speed up data transfer, and we'll warn you against common mistakes that may cause files to fail to copy or lose quality, starting with the most reliable option, USB transmission.

1. Transfer of the photo through USB-cable: step-by-step instruction

Connecting your smartphone to your computer via cable is the most stable way, especially if you need to transfer a large number of high-resolution photos, but even here there are nuances, from choosing the connection mode to MIUI settings that can block access to files.

Here's what you're gonna need:

• 🔌 Original. USB-cable (better from the kit, as cheap analogues may not support data transmission)
• 🖥️ Windows computer 10/11, macOS or Linux (configured the same way)
• 📱 Xiaomi smartphone with unlocked screen (important for confirming connection)

Now, follow the instructions:

1. Connect your smartphone to your computer with a cable. On the Xiaomi screen, a charging notification will appear via USB — tap it.
2. In the Use USB menu, select File Transfer (or FTP if you need to transfer over the network). On some models (Redmi 10 and older), this option may be called File Manager (MTP).
3. The computer will open a conductor window with the folders of the smartphone. Go to the Internal Drive → DCIM → Camera (or another folder where photos are saved).
4. Copy photos from the folder on your PC to the desired directory Xiaomi (for example, in Pictures). To speed up, use the Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V hotkeys.

Original cable (not charging) connected

On the smartphone, access to files is allowed (settings → additional parameters → developer parameters → debugging over USB)

ADB drivers are installed on the PC (if Windows does not recognize the device)

Smartphone memory is not filled (leave at least 10% of free space)

-->

If your computer can’t see your smartphone, try:

• 🔄 Reconnect the cable (sometimes changing the port helps) USB).
• 🔧 Enable Developer Mode on Xiaomi: Go to Settings → About the phone and 7 times tap on the version MIUI. Then go back to Settings. → Additionally. → For developers and activate debugging by USB.

💡

If the transfer is too slow, turn off the function on the smartphone Charging Optimization in the battery settings – it can limit the speed USB-connection.

2. Wireless transmission via Mi Drop (Wi-Fi Direct)

If you don’t have a cable on hand or want to avoid unnecessary wires, use the built-in Mi Drop feature (formerly Mi Share), a proprietary solution from Xiaomi that works on Wi-Fi Direct technology and allows you to transfer files at speeds up to 20 MB / s – faster than via Bluetooth.

Advantages of the method:

• 🚀 Speed is faster than Bluetooth (up to 10 times).
• 🔒 There are no limits on file sizes (unlike messengers).
• 🌐 It works without the Internet (creates a local network between devices).

How to use Mi Drop:

1. On your Xiaomi smartphone, open the Mi Drop app (if not, download from Google Play).
2. Click Send, select photos and tap Next.
3. On your computer, open your browser and go to the address ftp://[IP-Your smartphone address (it will appear in Mi Drop after you select files).
4. Download photos on your PC or, conversely, upload them from computer to phone through the web interface.

Limitations of the method:

• ⚠️ In some models (POCO M3 Mi Drop may not support PC transmission – only between smartphones.
• ⚠️ Speed depends on the Wi-Fi standard: Wi-Fi 6 (Xiaomi 13) transmission is faster than Wi-Fi 4 (Redmi). 9A).

3. Cloud services: Google Photos vs Mi Cloud

If you need to back up your photos, not just migrate them, then cloud services are the perfect solution. Xiaomi offers two basic solutions: the Mi Cloud proprietary cloud and the integrated Google Photos, and let's take a look at the pros and cons of each.

Comparative table:

How to upload photos to Google Photos:

1. Open the Google Photos app on your smartphone.
2. Slip on the avatar → Photos of the library → Download from the device.
3. Select photos and confirm the download.
4. On your computer, go to photos.google.com, highlight the photo and click Download.

For Mi Cloud:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Activate the Gallery and select Download.
3. On PC, log in to i.mi.com and download files from the Gallery section.

Google Photo

Mi Cloud

Yandex Disc.

Other

I don't use clouds.-->

Important: If you delete photos from your phone after uploading to Mi Cloud, they will only stay in the cloud for 30 days – then they will be deleted automatically (unless Backup is enabled).

4. Transfer via messengers: Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber

If you only need to upload a few photos, the easiest way to use a messenger is to use it, but there are limitations to this method, from compressing images to limiting the size of files, and then we'll see which messenger is the best fit.

Comparison of opportunities:

• 📎 Telegram: No size restrictions (up to 2 GB per file), no compression, there is a PC version.
• 💬 WhatsApp: 100MB limit per file, strong compression (quality drops to 12 MP).
• 📱 Viber: 200 MB limit, medium compression (suitable for photos up to 16 MP).

How to transfer a photo via Telegram (optimum):

1. Open Telegram on your smartphone and find the Saved Messages chat.
2. Attach photos (you can choose several at once).
3. On your computer, open web.telegram.org or the desktop version, find the same chat and download files.

💡

Telegram is the only messenger that does not compress photos when transferring if their size is less than 10 MB. For large files, use the "Send as a file" function.

Warnings:

⚠️ Note: If you send photos in a regular chat (not “Messages to yourself”), they will be compressed to 1,200 pixels on the long side, even in Telegram.

⚠️ Note: in WhatsApp and Viber photos are saved in the folder WhatsApp Images or Viber Media on your smartphone – they will have to be moved manually to the Gallery.

5. Use of third-party applications: LocalSend, Snapdrop, AirDroid

If the standard methods don't work, third-party applications come to the rescue, and they offer additional features: transmission without loss of quality, broadcast history, cross-platform.-3 decision.

LocalSend (similar to AirDrop for Android):

• 🌍 It works on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
• 🔒 Transmission encryption (more secure than Wi-Fi Direct).
• 📤 There are no restrictions on file sizes.

How to use:

1. Install LocalSend on your smartphone and PC (download from github.com/localsend/localsend).
2. Open the app on both devices – they should see each other.
3. Select a photo on your smartphone, specify the PC as the recipient and confirm the transfer.

Snapdrop (web service without installation):

• 🖥️ Works through the browser (no need to download the application).
• 🔗 Supports transmission between any devices on the same network.
• ⚡ Speed depends on Wi-Fi (up to 50MB/s on Wi-Fi 6).

Instructions:

1. Open snapdrop.net on your PC and smartphone.
2. On your smartphone, select a photo and tap the PC icon on the screen.
3. Confirm receipt on the computer.

AirDroid (Extended Features):

• 📱 Remote control of a smartphone with a PC.
• 📂 File transfer, SMS, notice.
• 🔐 Registration is required (free rate is limited to 200 MB/month).

6. Memory card transmission (for models with microSD slot)

If your Xiaomi supports memory cards (Redmi Note 11, POCO M5, etc.), you can use them as an intermediate storage method, which is suitable for transferring large amounts of data (for example, transferring the entire gallery).

Step-by-step:

1. Insert a microSD card into your smartphone (if not, buy a class at least below UHS-I for speed).
2. Open the gallery, highlight the photo, click Share → Save it on. SD-map.
3. Remove the card and paste it into the computer through the card reader.
4. Copy files from the card to the PC or vice versa.

Advantages:

• 💾 No dependence on the internet or USB-connection.
• 🔄 You can use the card as a backup copy.

Disadvantages:

• ⚠️ Not all Xiaomi models support microSD (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Pro – no slot).
• ⚠️ Low-class (Class 4) cards slow down transmission.

7. Problem Solving: Why are photos not shared?

Even if you follow instructions, you can get errors, and here are the most common problems and solutions.

If none of these methods worked:

• 🔄 Restart your smartphone and computer.
• 🛠️ Update. MIUI Up to the latest version (Settings) → Updating the system).
• 📡 Check if the mode is enabled Traffic Saving in the network settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions