How to copy photos from Xiaomi phone to your computer via USB: the full guide 2026

Transfer photos from Xiaomi to your computer via USB-cable seems like a simple task – until you encounter errors like “Device not recognized” or no folder DCIM Even experienced users are sometimes lost when the smartphone stubbornly does not want to appear as a removable disk, and the system requires you to install a driver for the device. MTP (Media Transfer Protocol).

In this article, we will examine not only the basic algorithm for copying via USB, but also the unique problems Xiaomi has associated with proprietary MIUI firmware, blocking debugging over USB and automatically mounting the drive as a “charger”, you will learn how to force file transfer mode, what to do if the computer does not see the folder with the photo, and what alternative methods (including ADB and cloud services) will help in critical cases.

The material is relevant for all modern models of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO (including the Xiaomi 13/14 series, Redmi Note 12/13, POCO F5/X5) based on MIUI 14/15 and Android 13/14. Instructions tested on Windows 10/11 and macOS Ventura/Sonoma.

1. Preparing Xiaomi phone for USB connection

Before connecting a smartphone to a computer, you need to configure the parameters. USB-plug-in MIUI. By default, many Xiaomi models block data transmission through the USB for security reasons, especially if the Privacy function or Blocking has been previously enabled USB.

Follow this algorithm:

• 🔧 Open the Settings. → About the phone and 7 times click on the version MIUI, to activate the developer mode (you become a developer notification will appear»).
• 🔒 Return to the main Settings menu, select Additional → For developers and include:
• 📱 Reboot your phone – it will reset the time limit on your phone. USB-connection.

Activate Developer Mode |Enable debugging via USB|Deactivate USB lock in security settings |Reboot phone-->

⚠️ Note: If you are using Xiaomi with a locked bootloader, some debugging functions may be limited, in which case, after connecting to the PC, a request will appear to allow debugging. USB — Please confirm it by ticking the box “Always allow from this computer».

2. Choosing the right one USB-cable

About 30 percent of file transfer problems are not due to settings, but to physical limitations of the cable or port. Cheap cables often only support charging (5V/1A), but not data transfer, and USB 3.0 ports (blue connectors) on PCs can conflict with older controllers in smartphones.

Check the following:

💡 A useful tip: if you have Xiaomi with a port USB 3.1 (e.g. Xiaomi 12 Pro or Redmi) K50), But the computer doesn't recognize it, so try connecting through an externally powered hub, which will solve the problem of not having enough power to initialize the protocol. MTP.

Original from Xiaomi| Third-party USB-C (no logo)|USB 2.0 (black connector)|USB 3.0 (blue connector)|I don't know-->

3. Step-by-step instruction: copying photos via USB

Now, let's get to the main process. Follow the instructions carefully, the order of the action is important.

1. Connect your phone to your computer with the original cable. The Xiaomi screen will display a USB Charge notification.
2. Swipe down the notification bar and click on the USB message to transfer files (or Charge via USB → File Transfer).
3. A Windows or Finder (macOS) window with a folder on your phone will open on your PC. If not, check This computer (My computer is on older versions of Windows).
4. Go to Internal storage → DCIM → Camera (there are photos taken on the main camera). For screenshots, check Pictures → Screenshots.
5. Select files (Ctrl+A for everyone) and copy them to the desired folder on your PC (for example, to the desktop).

⚠️ Note: If an empty disk or folder is displayed after connecting to this computer DCIM If not, this may mean that:

• 🔄 The phone has enabled the function Hide personal files (check Settings). → Privacy).
• 🛑 folder DCIM damaged (try to open it through the file manager on your phone).
• 🖥️ There are no drivers on PCs. MTP (below).

💡

If Xiaomi doesn’t show up as a removable drive, first check the connection mode on the phone itself (MTP should be selected, not Charging Only).

4 Problem Solving: The computer can't see Xiaomi

If after connecting the phone is not detected or gives an error, act on this checklist:

🔧 Step 1: Install the drivers MTP manually (for Windows)

Windows 10/11 typically installs drivers automatically, but sometimes manual installation is required:

1. Open Device Manager (Win + X → Device Manager).
2. Find your Xiaomi portable devices or other devices (may appear as MI or Android) in the list.
3. Right-click → Update the driver → Search for drivers on this computer.
4. Select Install from the list of available drivers and specify MTP USB Device.

🔄 Step 2: Reset USB-Xiaomi-style

V MIUI there is a hidden reset function USB-configuration:

1. Go to Settings → System → Resetting settings.
2. Select Reset USB settings (or Reset Connection settings in newer versions).
3. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

🖥️ Step 3: Checking for conflicts with antivirus

Some antiviruses (such as Kaspersky or Avast) are blocked. MTP-Connect as a "suspicious device." temporarily disable protection or add Xiaomi to exceptions.

5. Alternative ways to transfer photos from Xiaomi to PC

If USB-The connection is still not working, use one of these methods:

🌐 Method 1: Cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud)

The most reliable, but requires the Internet:

1. Install Google Photos from Play Market and enable Backup.
2. On PC, open photos.google.com and download the photo.

For Mi Cloud:

1. Sign up for Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn on the gallery sync.
3. On PC, log in to i.mi.com and download files.

📡 Method 2: Wi-Fi transmission (FTP Mi Drop)

For this:

• 📲 Install the Mi Drop app (official from Xiaomi) or FX File Explorer (with support) FTP-server).
• 🖥️ On PC, open your browser and enter the address that will appear in the application (for example, ftp://192.168.1.100:2222).
• 📁 Copy files through the web interface.

🔌 Method 3: Use ADB (for advanced users)

If other methods do not work, you can extract a photo via Android Debug Bridge:

1. Install ADB on your PC (download Google’s Platform Tools).
2. Connect the phone in debugging mode via USB.
3. Open the command line in the ADB folder and do:

adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera C:\Users\ Your name\Desktop\Xiaomi_Photos

This will copy all the photos from the Camera folder to the desktop.

Process Optimization: How to Speed Up Copying

Transferring thousands of photos over USB can take hours if you don't streamline the process.

• 🚀 Use it. USB 3.0: Blue ports on PC and cable USB 3.1 Type-C increases speed to 50-80 MB/s (against) 5-10 MB/s USB 2.0).
• 🗃️ Archive before copying: Create on the phone ZIP-file-box DCIM (apps RAR Or ZArchiver, then copy one file.
• 🔄 Disable Sync: Before copying, disable Google Photos and Mi Cloud – they can block files.
• 🛑 Close the extra programs: Antiviruses and torrent clients take up bandwidth USB.

⚠️ Note: If you copy the photo to an external HDD/SSD, connected to the PC, make sure that the disk is formatted in NTFS or exFAT. File system. FAT32 No longer supports files 4 GB, which will lead to an error when copying video in high resolution.

7 Security: How to protect photos when transferring

Transferring personal photos over USB or the cloud is risky.

• 🔐 Encrypt sensitive files: Archive photos in the file before copying ZIP password-wise (use) 7-Zip WinRAR).
• 🦠 Check for viruses: After transfer, scan the folder on your PC with an antivirus (for example, Malwarebytes).
• 🚫 Avoid public PCs: Don't connect Xiaomi to computers in internet cafes or hotels - there may be keyloggers.
• 🔄 Delete temporary files: After copying, clean the folder %TEMP% on PC (press Win) + R, enter %temp% and delete everything).

💡 Useful tip: If you move photos often, create a separate user with limited rights on your PC specifically for these operations, which will protect your data if malware accidentally penetrates your phone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about transferring photos from Xiaomi