How to throw photos from Xiaomi on the computer: all ways with pros and cons

Transferring photos from Xiaomi to your computer seems like a simple task — until you encounter connection errors, slow transfer speeds or protocol incompatibility.In 2026, users of Redmi Note 12 smartphones will have a smartphone, POCO X5 Xiaomi 13 has at least 5 working ways of transfer, but each of them has nuances: from the need to configure MTP-mode to limitations of cloud services on the amount of data.

This article will not just list the methods, but will help you choose the best option depending on your situation. For example, if you want to throw 200 photos in 2 minutes, USB 3.0 will do with the File Manager → File Transfer setting. And if the cable is lost, but there is access to Wi-Fi, you should use Mi Share or Google Photos (but it is important to consider the limit of 15 GB of free storage). We will also analyze common errors, for example, why the computer does not see Xiaomi as a removable disk, and what to do if the photos are transmitted in low resolution.

Transfer through USB-cable: step-by-step instructions with settings

The most reliable and quickest way is to connect via cable, but it requires the right setup of the data mode, and most problems arise from the fact that the smartphone is connected by default as a charger, not as a drive.

Here's how to avoid mistakes:

• 🔌 Use the original Xiaomi cable or certified cable USB-C/USB-A Data-enabled cables (cheap cables often only work for charging).
• 📱 On the phone after connecting to the PC, unlock the screen and select File Transfer mode (MTP) plug-in.
• 🖥️ On a Windows computer, wait for the driver installation (if you connect for the first time) - it can take up to 1-2 minutes.
• 🔍 If your PC can’t see your phone, check your settings. → Additionally. → Developer parameters → Configuration USB (If there is no item, activate the developer mode by pressing the Version 7 times. MIUI phone).

Once you have successfully connected, open this computer (Windows) or Finder (macOS) and the Xiaomi device will appear there. Photos are usually stored in the DCIM → Camera or Pictures folder. The transfer speed depends on the USB version:

⚠️ Note: If your phone doesn’t show up when connecting to macOS, install Android File Transfer. Windows 11 sometimes requires manual driver installation through Device Manager (update the driver for the exclamation marker device).

Original cable connected|Phone screen unlocked|The regime is chosen MTP notice|Drivers are installed on the PC-->

2. Wireless transmission via Mi Share (formerly Mi Drop)

If you don't have a cable at hand and you don't have many photos (up to 50-100 pieces), it's convenient to use the built-in Mi Share app. It works on the Wi-Fi Direct protocol and does not require an Internet connection. The main advantage is that there are no restrictions on file size (unlike Bluetooth), and the speed reaches 10-15 MB / s.

Instructions:

1. On your phone, open Mi Share (if the app is not available, download it from Google Play or App Gallery).
2. Select Send → Mark the photo → Click Next.
3. On your computer, open your browser and go to the address http://192.168.49.1 (or scan QR-phone-screen).
4. Confirm receipt of files on the PC – download will begin automatically.

Mi Share supports transfer between Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO and Windows/macOS/Linux computers.

• 📶 Speed depends on the version of Wi-Fi on the phone: Xiaomi 13 Pro (Wi-Fi) 6E) It is 3 times faster than Redmi. 10A (Wi-Fi 4).
• 🔋 Transfer of large files (RAW, video 4K) discharges the battery by 10-15% per session.
• 🚫 In some models (POCO M4 Pro) Mi Share may not see the computer - in this case use alternatives like Snapdrop.

3. Cloud services: Google Photos vs Mi Cloud vs Yandex.Disk

Cloud storage is convenient for regular backup or transfer of photos to multiple devices, but each service has limitations:

How to upload photos to the cloud:

1. For Google Photos: Open the app → Photos → Select photos → Save to the cloud.
2. For Mi Cloud: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery → Synchronization.
3. For Yandex.Disk: install the application → Download → Select a photo.

Important: When uploading to Google Photos in High Quality mode, photos are compressed to 16 MP, and videos are compressed to 1080p. To maintain original quality, choose the option “Original Quality” (but it takes place in your 15 GB).

⚠️ Note: If you are using Mi Cloud, make sure your phone has Wi-Fi Download option in sync settings, otherwise photos will be uploaded via the mobile Internet, which will lead to a lot of traffic.

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Before mass uploading to the cloud, sort your photos by folder (e.g., Vacation 2026, Documents) to make it easier to search on your computer after downloading.

4. Bluetooth Transfer: When Justified

Bluetooth is the slowest method, but it helps if other methods are not available. Transfer speeds usually do not exceed 1-2 MB / s, and on older models (Redmi 8) can fall to 500 KB / s. Use it only for 1-2 photos or small files.

How do I tell you?

1. On your phone: open the Gallery → select a photo → Share → Bluetooth.
2. On your computer: turn on Bluetooth (in Windows via Settings → Devices, on macOS – in the menu bar).
3. Confirm the pairing of devices and accept the file.

Limitations:

• 🐢 Speed 10-20 times lower than the speed of USB or wifi.
• 📵 Windows may have trouble accepting files – if your computer can’t see your phone, update your Bluetooth drivers.
• 🔋 Transmission drains battery by 5-7% in 10 minutes.

5.Use of FTP-servers on Xiaomi (for advanced users)

If you need to send a large amount of photos (for example, 500)+ snapshot RAW) and USB-cable is not available, you can start FTP-This method requires minimal technical skills, but provides speeds of up to 30 to 50 MB/s over the LAN.

Instructions:

1. Install the FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer app from Google Play.
2. Open the app. → Network → FTP-server → Launch.
3. Remember the server address (e.g. ftp://192.168.1.10:2221) and the login details.
4. On your computer, open Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS) → enter FTP-address → Enter the login/password.

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Speed is limited only to your Wi-Fi (on Xiaomi 13 with Wi-Fi) 6E You can get up to 80 MB/s).
• 📁 You can transfer entire folders without compression.
• 🔒 There are no file size restrictions (unlike cloud services).

⚠️ Attention: Do not use FTP-server in public networks (cafes, airports) - the data transmitted is not encrypted. For security, connect only to trusted Wi-Fi networks or use the data. SFTP (if the application supports).

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FTP-Xiaomi server is the best choice for transferring large amounts of photos without loss of quality, but requires stable Wi-Fi and basic knowledge of network protocols.

6. Alternative methods: email, messengers, memory card

If standard methods don’t work, consider these options:

• 📧 Email: Suitable for 5-10 photos (typically 25MB attachment limit) Use an archiver (e.g. ZArchiver) to compress the folder of the photo before sending it.
• 💬 Messengers: Telegram: 2GB limit per file, but you can send folders as archives. WhatsApp: compresses photos to 16 MP and videos to 1080p.
• 📁 Memory card: If your phone has a microSD slot, remove it and paste it into your computer through a card reader. This is the most reliable way for Xiaomi to support memory expansion (for example, the Redmi Note 12 Pro).+).

Warnings:

• On WhatsApp and Viber, photos are compressed to 1200px on the long side, which is unacceptable for professional shots.
• When using Telegram on your computer, download files through the official application - in the web version, the speed is limited.
• ExFAT memory cards may not be readable on older Windows 7 PCs, in which case format it into FAT32 (but with a 4GB file size limit).

Comparison of all methods: which one to choose?

FAQ: Frequent Questions and Problems