Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face the need to move images to another location, which may be due to the desire to free up interior space or back up important moments. The MIUI operating system and the new HyperOS have several effective mechanisms for doing this.
The copying process depends on where you plan to move your data, whether it's on your computer, in the cloud, or just another folder inside your phone. Understanding the differences between moving and copying will help you avoid accidentally losing information. Below, we'll look at all the current media practices.
Modern shells from the Chinese manufacturer offer flexible file management tools. You can use a standard conductor, built-in gallery functions or third-party synchronization applications. Each method has its advantages depending on the amount of data and the speed of the Internet connection.
Using Built-in Conductor to Copy Inside Your Phone
The fastest way to organize your file system is to use the standard Explorer tool, which is pre-installed on all the brand devices and has enough functionality for basic operations, and to get started, you need to open an application that usually has a yellow or blue folder icon.
When you start the app, go to the section where you store images, which is usually the DCIM folder, and inside it is the Camera directory, and this is where you save your images on the main and front cameras by default, select the files you want with a long press, and then you will see an action menu at the bottom of the screen.
Click Copy or Move. It's important not to confuse these functions: copying will create a duplicate file in a new place, leaving the original, and moving will change the path to the file. Select the target directory, such as the Favorites folder you created or the Downloads section, and confirm the operation.
- 📁 Open the Explorer app and go to internal memory.
- 📂 Find the file. DCIM and select the necessary images.
- ✂️ Click "Copy" in the lower menu and specify a new folder.
- ✅ Check for files in the new location.
⚠️ Note: When moving large amounts of data (over 1000 photos), the process can take several minutes.Do not close the Explorer application until the operation is completed to avoid corruption of files.
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Use the Sort function in Explorer to quickly find a photo by creation date or file size before copying.
Transferring photos to the computer through USB-cable
For large archives or professional image processing, the most convenient way to use a wired connection to a PC is to provide the maximum data transfer speed and does not depend on the quality of the wireless network. Connect your smartphone to your computer using the original USB Type-C or Micro-USB cable.
Once the devices are connected, a charge mode notification will appear on the phone screen. Click on it and select the USB File Transfer (MTP) mode. The computer will recognize the device as an external drive, and a new drive will appear on Windows or macOS.
Open the disk that appears via "My Computer" or "Finder." Find the folder with images, usually located on the path of Internal Storage/DCIM/Camera. Select the files you want, click the right mouse button and select "Copy", and then paste them into the folder on the computer's hard drive.
The typical path to photo is /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Camera/If the computer can’t see the phone, try replacing the cable or switching. USB-Sometimes you need to install drivers, although in modern Windows operating systems 10/11 They're set automatically. Make sure the phone screen is unlocked while you're connected.
- 🔌 Connect your smartphone to your PC with a high-quality cable.
- 📲 Select the "File Transfer" mode in the notification curtain.
- 💻 Copy files through the standard computer OS interface.
- 🔒 Securely remove the device after copying is completed.
| Parameter | USB 2.0 | USB 3.0/3.1 | Wi-Fi transmission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed. | up to 480 Mbps | up to 5 Gbps | router-dependent |
| Stability | Tall. | Very high. | Medium |
| Charging. | Yes. | Yes. | No. |
| Convenience | Requires cable. | Requires cable. | No wires. |
Automatic sync with Google Photos and the Cloud
Cloud technology makes it easy to forget about manual copying. Google Photos is pre-installed on most Xiaomi devices and offers unlimited or limited original storage. To activate, open the app, log in to your account and turn on Autoboot and Sync.
Once this option is enabled, all new images will automatically upload to the cloud when connected to Wi-Fi, and you can access them from any device just by logging in to your account, which is the perfect way to back up in case your smartphone is lost or broken.
In addition to the Google ecosystem, MIUI devices have their own Mi Cloud, which is integrated into the gallery and allows you to sync albums, contacts and notes, free storage is limited, but it is enough for critical documents.
⚠️ Note: When using cloud services, keep an eye on the amount of free space. Storage overflow will stop new photos from syncing, and they may not be saved when resetting settings.
To manage your sync settings, go to the app settings section, where you can select the quality of the photos you download ("Saving space" or "Original") and specify whether to use the mobile network for downloading. It is recommended to leave the download only over Wi-Fi, so as not to waste traffic.
- ☁️ Open Google Photos and log in to your account.
- 🔄 Activate the "Outload" switch in the settings.
- 📶 Select the connection condition (wi-fi only or mobile network).
- 🗑️ Use the "Free Space" function to delete local copies.
Wireless transmission via Mi Drop and Bluetooth
When cable is not available and Internet speed is poor, direct wireless technologies come to the rescue. Mi Drop (or ShareMe in global versions) allows you to transfer files between Xiaomi smartphones and other Android devices, as well as to your computer without installing additional software.
The principle of operation is based on the creation of a local Wi-Fi hotspot. The transfer speed is much faster than that of classic Bluetooth, and can reach tens of megabytes per second. To start working, open the application on both devices and click "Send" or "Receive".
Select files in the gallery, click the Share button, and find the device gadget available on the list, confirm the connection on the receiving device, and the files will be copied to the MiDrop folder in the recipient's internal memory.
Bluetooth remains relevant for sending single, low-resolution images or contacts, a method that doesn't require internet or apps, but it works slowly: turn on Bluetooth in the notification curtain, pair devices, and send photos through the standard menu.
- 📡 Launch the Mi Drop (ShareMe) app on both devices.
- 🔍 Find the target device in the list of available.
- 📤 Select a photo and confirm the transfer.
- ⏳ Wait for the process to end without turning off the screens.
Copying into Hidden Folders and Albums
There's a convenient feature in MIUI that hides private photos from prying eyes, so you can create a Hidden Album that's protected by a password, a pattern lock, or a fingerprint, and it's not really copying in the classical sense, but moving files to a secure area.
To use this feature, open the Gallery and go to the Albums section. Pull the album list down until the lock icon appears. The system will suggest you set up protection if it is not already set up. Once you enter the password, a hidden folder will open where you can move selected photos.
Files placed in a hidden album disappear from the shared feed and are not displayed in preview when you unlock the screen, access to them is possible only through the procedure described above, an effective way to protect sensitive data without installing third-party encryption applications.
You can also manually create folders with a name that starts with a dot (like.private). In standard Explorer, these folders are often hidden by default, but you can see them by enabling the display of hidden files in the Explorer settings. If you put a photo in there, you hide them from random viewing.
- 🔒 Open the Gallery and pull the album screen down.
- 🔑 Set a password or use biometrics to log in.
- 📂 Move selected photos to the hidden album that appears.
- 👁️ Make sure that the photos are gone from public access.
⚠️ Warning: Don't forget the password from the hidden album! Password reset is only possible through the Mi Account account associated with the device.
Solving and optimizing storage
The process of working with the gallery users can face various technical difficulties. Often the question arises why photos take up so much space. Modern cameras shoot in high resolution, and one shot can weigh 5-10 MB. Accumulated in a year archive can take up tens of gigabytes.
If the system writes “Not enough memory” when trying to copy, clear the cache of the Gallery application. To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Gallery → Memory → Clear the cache. This will not delete your photos, but will remove temporary files that slow down.
Another common problem is duplicate images, which can come from synchronization failures or resaves from messengers, and use built-in cleaning tools or third-party utilities to find and delete identical files to make room.
Check the Recycle Bin folder in the gallery regularly. Deleted photos are stored there for 30 days, continuing to occupy space. Cleaning the Recycle Bin is a quick way to get a few hundred megabytes of free space instantly.