How to copy data from Xiaomi to your computer: all the ways of 2026

Data transfer from Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO On a computer, it seems like a simple task โ€“ until you encounter connection errors, no drivers, or unexpected limitations. MIUI. In 2026, the manufacturer tightened the security policy, and the standard regime MTP (Media Transfer Protocol can run unstable, especially on Windows 11.This article covers all current copying methods from the classic version of the standard version of the Internet. USB-cable to cloud services and wireless protocols, taking into account the features of the latest firmware versions.

We tested each method on devices with MIUI 14/15 (including Xiaomi 13T, Redmi Note 12 and POCO F5) and identified key nuances: why the computer canโ€™t see the phone via USB, how to circumvent the restriction on transferring system files, and what alternative programs speed up the process. If you need to transfer photos in original quality, archives with documentation or application backups, here you will find working solutions without losing data.

1. USB Connection: Basic Method and Typical Errors

The most obvious way is to connect Xiaomi to a PC via a USB-Type C cable (or Micro-USB for older models), but even here, users face problems: the phone is not defined as a drive, files are not copied or the transfer speed drops to a low level. 1-2 MB/s. The reasons lie in the settings MIUI and Windows drivers.

To avoid mistakes, follow the following steps:

  • ๐Ÿ”Œ Use the original cable from the kit โ€“ cheap counterparts often do not support data transfer (only charging).
  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ On the phone when connecting, select File Transfer mode (MTP) notice USB for....
  • ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ On Windows PC, install the Mi driver PC Suite (download from the official website) if the system does not recognize the device.
  • ๐Ÿ”„ If files are not displayed, reboot both devices and reconnect.

Critical detail: on devices with MIUI 15+, the first time you connect to a new PC, you need to unlock access through Settings โ†’ Connected devices โ†’ Allow access to data. Without this, even the original cable will not work.

Use the original cable |Unlock the phone screen |Select MTP mode in the notification |Install Mi PC Suite (if necessary) |Check access settings in MIUI-->

2. Wireless transmission over Wi-Fi (without cable)

If USB-The ports are busy or the cable is lost, data can be transmitted over the local network:

  • ๐ŸŒ FTP-server (built-in MIUI) โ€” It allows you to connect to your phone as a network disk.
  • ๐Ÿ“ค Mi Share (formerly Mi Drop) โ€“ a proprietary solution for transferring files between Xiaomi devices and PCs.
  • ๐Ÿ”— Local area networking via applications like Feem or Send Anywhere.

The most stable option โ€” FTP-server:

  1. Open the Conductor. โ†’ Mi File Manager on the phone.
  2. Go to the FTP section (Network tab).
  3. Click Start Server and write down the address of the view ftp://192.168.x.x:xxxx.
  4. On a PC, open Windows Explorer, enter the address in the address bar and connect (login and password are data from the phone).

Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) transfer speeds up to 10-15 MB/s, which is enough for transferring photos and documents, but not for video in 4K. For larger files, it is better to use USB 3.0.

USB-cable|Wi-Fi (FTP/Mi Share)|Cloud services (Google Drive, Mi Cloud)|Another option-->

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

Cloud storage is convenient for backup, but has limitations:

ServiceFree volumeMax. File size.Loading speedFeatures
Mi Cloud5GB2GB~5MB/sAutomatic photo sync, but only for Xiaomi devices
Google Drive15GB5 TB~10 MB/sIntegration with Google Photos, but Image Compression
Yandex.Disk.10GB50GB~8MB/sThere are no restrictions on file types, but slower abroad
Mega20GBโ€”~12 MB/sEncryption of data, but security suspicions

For data transfer:

  1. Upload files to the cloud through the app on your phone.
  2. Open the web version of the service on your PC and download files.

Important: Mi Cloud automatically compresses photos to 12 MP, unless you turn off the option in the sync settings. For original quality, use Google Photos in Source Quality mode (but this eats up the disk quota).

How to turn off photo compression in Mi Cloud?
Go to Settings โ†’ Mi Cloud โ†’ Sync photos and select Original quality. note that this will quickly exhaust the free 5 GB.

4. Use of third-party programs (AirDroid, Snapdrop, Feem)

If the built-in methods do not work, the software of third developers will help.-3 decision:

1. AirDroid (Android + PC):

  • โœ… Transfer of files without USB over Wi-Fi or mobile network.
  • โœ… Remote access to notifications and SMS.
  • โŒ Limit 200 MB/month in the free version.

Instructions: Install the app on your phone, sign up, log in to the web version on your PC (web.airdroid.com) and drag and drop files.

2. Snapdrop (browser solution):

  • โœ… No installation required โ€“ works through snapdrop.net.
  • โœ… Supports transmission between any devices on the same network.
  • โŒ No folders, only individual files.

3. Feem (for local area network):

  • โœ… Up to 50MB/s (if the router supports Wi-Fi 6).
  • โœ… Transmission encryption.
  • โŒ You need to install the application on both devices.

โš ๏ธ Note: Apps like SHAREit and Xender were popular before, but in 2023 they were removed from Google Play for collecting user data.

5. Transfer data from blocked or broken Xiaomi

If the phone screen is not responding and the data needs to be saved, there are several ways:

A. Recovery Mode (for unlocked bootloader):

  1. Turn off the phone, press Power + Volume up to enter Recovery.
  2. Connect the device to the PC via USB.
  3. From the recovery menu, select Mount โ†’ Mount USB Storage.
  4. The files will be available as an external storage device.

BB. ADB-Teams (requires activated debugging):

adb pull /sdcard/ C:\Xiaomi_Backup\

This command will copy all the data from the internal memory to the folder. Xiaomi_Backup on disk C: Pre-installed ADB Tools and turn on Debugging by USB developer-setting.

Removal of the memory card (if there is a slot):

  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Turn off your phone and remove the microSD.
  • ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ Put it in the card reader.
  • โš ๏ธ If the card is encrypted (the option is Encrypted) SD-card MIUI), data will not be available.

โš ๏ธ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14+ and enabled Secure Storage (optional in Settings) โ†’ Passwords and security) application files (such as WhatsApp chats or Telegram) will not be able to copy without unlocking the bootloader.

Process Optimization: How to Speed Up Copying

It can take hours to transfer thousands of photos or 4K videos to speed up the process.

1. Use USB 3.0:

  • ๐Ÿ”Œ Port port USB 3.0 (blue connector) on PC + cable USB 3.1 Gen1 (speed).
  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ On the phone, turn on the Developer Mode โ†’ Debugging by USB (speed-up).

2. archive files before copying:

  • ๐Ÿ“ฆ Use Mi File Manager to create a new file ZIP-photo-file.
  • โฑ๏ธ One 2GB archive is copied faster than 500 individual files.

3. disable synchronization and antivirus:

  • ๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ Temporary shutdown of Windows Defender or Mi Cloud will speed up the transfer to the Internet 20-30%.
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Do not open other programs that consume a disk or network (torrents, games).

Direct transmission via OTG:

  • ๐Ÿ”— Put it on the phone. OTG-flash-drive adapter SSD.
  • ๐Ÿ“ Copy files directly, without PC (useful for large volumes).

๐Ÿ’ก

If you copy videos, pre-convert them to HEVC (H.265) through the Video Converter app โ€“ this will reduce the file size by 2 times without loss of quality.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability with Xiaomi

My computer can't see Xiaomi through USB. What do I do?
1. Check the cable - it must support data transfer (not all charging cables are suitable). 2. On the phone in the USB notification for... select File Transfer (MTP). 3. Install the Mi PC Suite driver or update the drivers through the Device Manager (Portable Devices section). 4. On Windows 11, turn off the Quick Start function in power options.
Can I transfer data from Xiaomi to Mac?
Yes, but for that: Install Android File Transfer (the official software from Google); use a data cable (not all USB-C cables from MacBooks fit); on your phone, allow USB debugging in the developer's settings; AirDroid or HandShaker will do wireless transmission.
How to copy WhatsApp messages from Xiaomi on PC?
Messages are stored in a folder /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases. To transfer them: Copy the file msgstore.db.crypt14 Use WhatsApp Viewer to view your archive. To back up WhatsApp, click โ‹ฎ โ†’ Settings โ†’ chat โ†’ Backup copy. โš ๏ธ Attention: Files crypt14 encrypted, without a key (which is only on your phone), you can't decrypt them. For security, back up directly to WhatsApp on Google Drive.
Why do photos with Xiaomi lose quality when copying?
Reasons: Mi Cloud compresses photos to 12 MP by default (disables in sync settings). Google Photos in High Quality mode compresses images to 16 MP. When transferring over Bluetooth or Mi Share, compression is automatically applied. Solution: use USB-connection FTP Wi-Fi for transferring originals.
Can I transfer applications (.apk) from Xiaomi to PC?
Yes, but with nuances: Use Mi File Manager or ES Explorer to access the /data/app folder (root rights required). Without root, copy only the APKs of installed applications via App Backup & Restore (from Google Play).

๐Ÿ’ก

For maximum transfer speed, use the combination: original USB 3.0 cable + MTP mode + disable cloud synchronization + archive files before copying.