How to copy a photo from a Xiaomi phone: all ways from the gallery to a PC, flash drive or other smartphone

Whether you want to free up your device’s memory, back up or just share pictures with friends, porting data from a standard MIUI gallery is enough. However, not all methods are equally convenient: some require additional cables, others only work on a stable Internet, and still others can cause errors due to the features of the firmware.

In this article, we will analyze all the current methods of copying photos from Xiaomi, Redmi and smartphones. POCO (including models MIUI 14/15 You'll learn how to transfer pictures to your computer (Windows/Mac), External drive, other phone, or cloud, with security and speed in mind. MIUI, They are the ones who make things easier, but many don’t know.

Before you start, check:

• 📱 Version. MIUI: The paths of the menu may differ MIUI 12-15 HyperOS.
• 🔌 Type of connection: USB-The cable must support data transmission (not all charging cables are suitable!).
• 💾 Free space: there should be enough memory on the target device for copied files.

1. copying the photo to the computer through USB-cable

The most reliable and quick way is to connect Xiaomi to a PC or laptop using the original cable, but there are pitfalls here: starting with MIUI 12, charging only mode can be enabled by default, which blocks access to files.

To copy the photo:

1. Connect your phone to your computer using USB-cable.
2. On the screen Xiaomi will appear notification Charge via USB – tap it.
3. Select File Transfer (MTP) or Photo (PTP) (the latter is suitable for Mac).
4. Open the conductor (Win + E) on your computer and the phone will appear as a removable disk.
5. Go to Internal Storage → DCIM → Camera (or Screenshots if you need screenshots).
6. Copy files to the desired directory on the PC (for example, to the desktop).

⚠️ Note: If your computer can’t see your phone, check it:

• 🔌 Cable: Try another one (preferably original from Xiaomi).
• 🔄 Regime. USB: Sometimes it helps to switch between MTP and PTP.
• 🛠️ Drivers: Windows may require Mi installation PC Suite.

Check the cable for damage.

Activate file transfer mode on the phone

Unlock the Xiaomi screen (otherwise access will be restricted)

Turn it off. VPN/Firewall on PCs (they can block the connection)-->

On a Mac, you may need to install Android File Transfer to access files. If photos don't show up, try rebooting both devices.

2. transfer the photo to a flash drive or SD-map

If your Xiaomi has a memory card slot (like the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or POCO X5 Pro), you can copy the photo directly to it, a method that is convenient for backup without a computer.

Instructions:

1. Put it in. SD-map OTG-flash drive to your phone (use an adapter if necessary).
2. Open the Files app (folder icon).
3. Go to the Inner Memory → DCIM → Camera.
4. Select the photos you want (clasp your finger on one file, then mark the rest).
5. Click Copy (or Cut if you want to delete the originals).
6. Go back to the root directory, select yours. SD-map and press Insert.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Mi) 11 Ultra) SD-The card is formatted as internal memory, and it can take longer to transfer files. Also, consider that cheap flash drives often have a low write speed. 1000 photo may stretch over 10-15 minute.

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If the phone doesn’t see the flash drive through OTG, try formatting it into FAT32 (via your computer) or checking the adapter for performance.

To speed up the process, you can use a file manager from third-party developers, such as File Manager +. It supports batch copying and shows the transfer speed.

3. Transfer of photos over Wi-Fi (without cables)

If you're not on hand USB-You can copy a photo from Xiaomi wirelessly, which is slower but convenient for transferring a small number of pictures. 50-100 piece).

Transmission options over Wi-Fi:

• 🌐 Through the browser: use the built-in feature Transfer Files in the Files application.
• 📲 Application Managers: Send Anywhere, Xender or ShareMe (from Xiaomi).
• ☁️ Cloud services: upload photos to Google Photos, Mi Cloud or Yandex.Disk.

Let’s look at the first method (the built-in MIUI function):

1. Open the Files app → select a photo in the DCIM folder.
2. Press Share. → Pass the files.
3. Select Send (on the phone) and Receive (on the computer).
4. Scan it. QR-code from the PC screen or connect to the specified address (for example, ftp://192.168.1.100:1234).
5. Download files through your browser.

The transmission speed depends on the power of the router:

Po Po Po USB-cable|Through the Cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud)|Wi-Fi (Send Anywhere, Xender)|On the flash drive./SD-map|Another way.-->

4. Synchronization with cloud services

Cloud storage is the best option for automatic photo backup. Xiaomi supports integration with Mi Cloud, Google Photos and other services. The main advantage is that photos are available from any device, and the originals can be deleted from the phone, freeing up memory.

Setting up Google Photos (recommended for users with a Google account):

1. Install the Google Photos app.
2. Open it and log in to your Google account.
3. Slip on the avatar → Photo settings → Backup and synchronization.
4. Activate the switch and select High Quality (free) or Original Quality (counted in the Google Drive quota).
5. Wait for the download to be completed (time depends on the number of photos and Internet speed).

To access the photo from the computer:

• Go to photos.google.com.
• Select the desired pictures and click Download (they are archived in ZIP).
• Unclose the file to the PC.

⚠️ Note: When using Mi Cloud, keep in mind that the free rate is limited to 5 GB, and for Google Photos from June 1, 2021, High quality is also included in the quota (previously unlimited.

5. Transfer of the photo to another phone (Android/iPhone)

If you need to transfer a photo from Xiaomi to another smartphone, it is most convenient to use specialized applications or built-in MIUI functions.

Methods of transmission:

• 📱 Mi Share (built-in) MIUI): It works between Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO internetless.
• 🔄 Nearby Share (Google): for transfer to any Android smartphone.
• 🍎 AirDrop (iPhone): Send Anywhere or Snapdrop.

Instructions for Mi Share:

1. On both phones, activate Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
2. On Xiaomi, open a gallery, highlight a photo and tap Share → Mi Share.
3. On the second phone, select Accept files in the notification.
4. Confirm the transmission on both devices.

For iPhone transmission:

1. Install Send Anywhere on both phones.
2. Select a photo on Xiaomi → Share → Send Anywhere
3. Click Send and copy the 6-digit code.
4. On the iPhone, enter this code in the app and confirm acceptance.

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Mi Share only works between Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO devices. Use Nearby Share or third-party apps to transfer to other brands.

6 Copying hidden and protected photos

MIUI has a hidden album feature that hides photos from prying eyes, but you can't copy them in the standard way, you have to make them visible first.

How to copy hidden photos:

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Slip on the three points in the upper right corner → Settings.
3. Select Hidden Albums and enter your password (if set).
4. Select the desired photo → Share → Select the copying method (USB, cloud, etc.).

If the photo is protected by the application password:

• Use Mi PC Suite (install on your PC and connect your phone via USB).
• In the program, go to Files → Internal Memory →.hidden (hidden folder).
• Copy the files to the computer.

Important: The.hidden folder is not visible in the standard Windows Explorer – turn on the display of hidden files in the view settings.

7. Solving errors when copying photos

When you transfer photos from Xiaomi, you can have typical problems. Here's how to fix them:

If you fail to copy the file, try:

• Reboot both devices.
• Copy files one by one (possibly one of them is corrupted).
• Use a different file manager (e.g. Solid Explorer).

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If photos don't open after copying, check their extension. Sometimes MIUI saves pictures in.heic format, which is not supported by older versions of Windows. Use the HEIF extension or convert to JPG through the gallery.

FAQ: Frequent questions