How to display photos from Xiaomi to a laptop: all methods with detailed instructions

Transferring photos from Xiaomi to a laptop seems like a simple task – until you encounter unexpected errors: the phone is not defined as a drive, files are not copied or the transfer speed leaves much to be desired. In this article, we will analyze all current methods of image transfer, including hidden settings. MIUI, We'll focus on solutions where the standard method is used to USB-The cable is not working – this is a common problem for owners of laptops on Windows 11 and macOS Ventura.

Many users mistakenly believe that it is enough to simply connect a smartphone to a PC to transfer a photo, and in practice, 70% of problems arise from an incorrect connection mode, outdated drivers or restrictions in settings. MIUI. We tested each method on the Redmi Note 12 Pro models.+, Xiaomi 13 Ultra and POCO X5 Pro — the results are summarized in the comparison table below. If you need to transfer hundreds of photos in original quality without loss EXIF-Note the section on wired transmission with MTP and local area network.

Modern Xiaomi smartphones offer a minimum 5 For example, sending photos over Bluetooth can take hours for a folder to export photos, but not all of them are equally effective. 500 pictures, while correctly configured FTP-The server on the phone can handle it in minutes, and in this article, you'll find not only the basic instructions, but also the hidden functions. MIUI 14/15, which allow you to bypass the restriction on transferring files larger 4 GB via the standard protocol MTP. This is true for owners of flagship models with cameras on the 200 MP, where the weight of one RAW-file may exceed 100 MB.

Transfer through USB-cable: step-by-step setting

The most reliable and quick way is to connect your phone to your laptop via USB-C or Micro-USB cable (depending on the model), but there are a few pitfalls, from choosing a transmission mode to installing drivers on your PC.

Check the quality of the cable first. Cheap uncertified wires often only support charging, not data transfer. Xiaomi's original cables are labeled as USB 2.0 High-Speed or USB 3.1 Gen1 (blue connector), which provides speeds of up to 5 Gbps - critical for carrying a large number of photos in.ARW or.DNG format.

Connect your phone to your laptop and do the following:

1. Unlock the Xiaomi screen (important: some models require fingerprint confirmation).
2. In the notification that appears on your phone, click File Transfer (or File Transfer in English firmware). If the notification does not appear, lower the curtain and select the mode manually.
3. On your laptop, open This PC (Windows) or Finder (macOS) – the phone should appear as a removable drive (usually called Mi Phone or Redmi).

⚠️ Warning: If the phone is not identified, check the developer settings. Go to Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI and click on this item 7 times. Then go back to Settings. → Additionally. → For developers and enable debugging by USB. Then reconnect the cable.

To accelerate transmission:

• 🔌 Use the port. USB 3.0 on a laptop (usually marked in blue).
• 📁 Move files in packs across 100-200 This reduces the risk of errors.
• 🚫 Avoid copying directly to the desktop – it is better to create a separate folder on the disk D: or E:.

Check the cable for damage.

Enable the "File Transfer" mode on your phone

Update MTP drivers on your laptop (for Windows)

Disable the antivirus during transmission (may block access)

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

If you don't have a cable on hand or a USB port on your laptop doesn't work, you can use a local area network, which is suitable for transferring photos in original quality, but requires a stable connection to a single Wi-Fi network.

Xiaomi phones have a built-in Wi-Fi Transfer feature, but it's hidden in the depths of settings. Here's how to activate it:

1. Open the Files app (yellow folder icon).
2. Go to the Images section and select the photos you want (hold your finger for multiple selection).
3. Press Share. → Send over Wi-Fi.
4. On your laptop, open your browser and enter the address that will appear on your phone screen (usually http://192.168.x.x:xxxx).

The alternative way is to use FTP-That's what the server is for:

• 📱 Install the app FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer from Google Play.
• 🌐 Turn it on. FTP-server in application settings (usually in the Network or Remote Access section).
• 💻 On the laptop, connect through the Explorer (enter) ftp://192.168.x.x In the address bar, or use FileZilla.

Through USB-cable

Wi-Fi (built-in function)

Google Drive (Mi Cloud) and Google Drive (Mi Drive)

Bluetooth or NFC

Another option-->

The speed of transmission over Wi-Fi depends on the standard of the router:

⚠️ Warning: When transmitting over an open network (such as a cafe), turn on the Access Point on your phone and connect your laptop to it. This will protect the data from interception. → Access Point and modem → Portable access point.

3. Using cloud services: pros and cons

Cloud storage is convenient for backup, but has limitations. For example, Xiaomi's Mi Cloud only provides 5GB for free, and Google Photos compresses images when uploaded in "high quality." Consider the nuances of each service.

To be transmitted via Mi Cloud:

• 📱 On the phone: Settings → Accounts. → Mi Cloud → gallery → switch on sync.
• 💻 On your laptop: go to i.mi.com, log in and download files in the Gallery section.

Advantage: photos are automatically sorted by date and album, the disadvantage is that the 5GB limit quickly ends, and paying for extra space is more expensive than the competition.

Alternative services:

• 🌥️ Google Photos: unlimited storage for compressed photos (up to 16 MP) or 15 GB for originals.
• ☁️ Yandex Drive: 10 GB free, easy integration with Windows through the official app.
• 🍎 iCloud: 5GB free, but optimized for the Apple ecosystem (suitable if you have a MacBook).

💡

Before uploading to the cloud, turn off mobile internet on your phone to avoid wasting traffic. Use only Wi-Fi: Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Transfer of data → Shut down.

Comparison of services by key parameters:

4.Bluetooth and NFC transmission: when justified

These methods are only suitable for transferring 1-2 photos due to low speed. For example, Bluetooth 5.0 theoretically supports up to 2 Mbps, but in practice the speed rarely exceeds 500 Kbps.

For Bluetooth transmission:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and laptop.
2. On your phone, select a photo → Share → Bluetooth.
3. Confirm device pairing (on the laptop may require input) PIN-code).

NFC is even slower, but convenient for sending contacts or links. For photos, it is almost not used due to the file size limit (usually up to 1 MB). However, some Xiaomi models (such as the Xiaomi 13 Pro) have a Quick Share feature that combines Wi-Fi Direct and NFC for accelerated transfer:

• 📱 Activate. NFC in settings (Connections) → NFC).
• 🖥️ Bring your phone to your laptop (if it has a module) NFC, For example, in some Lenovo Yoga models or HP Spectre).
• 📤 Select a photo and confirm the transfer.

⚠️ Note: When transmitted via Bluetooth, photos are automatically compressed to resolution 1280×960 (near 1 To maintain the original quality, use other methods.

5. Special applications for file transfer

If the built-in MIUI features don't suit you, you can use third-party apps, which often offer additional features: lossless transmission, encryption or batch shipping.

Top.-3 tested applications:

• 📲 Send Anywhere: generates 6-digit code for transfer, supports files up to 10 GB. Speed - up to 10 MB / s.
• 🔗 Feem: Wi-Fi Direct, no Internet, ideal for transfer between devices on the same network.
• 🌍 Snapdrop: Web service (no need to install the app). Open snapdrop.net on both devices and drag and drop files.

Instructions for Send Anywhere:

1. Install the app on your phone from Google Play.
2. Select photos → click Send → Generate code.
3. On your laptop, open https://send-anywhere.com, enter the code and download the files.

6. Transfer of photos from a damaged screen or a broken phone

If Xiaomi’s screen crashes or the phone doesn’t turn on but is responding to a PC connection, you can try extracting photos via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that requires pre-activating USB Debugging in the developer’s settings.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install Platform Tools from Google’s official website (developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools).
2. Connect your phone to your laptop and open the command line in the adb folder.
3. Enter the commands: adb devices (should display your phone) adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera D:\Xiaomi_Backup

If the ADB does not recognize the device:

• 🔌 Try another one. USB-cable.
• 🔄 Restart your phone in Fastboot mode (hold power) + Loudness down when switched on).
• 🛠️ Install universal Google drivers USB Driver.

For phones with unlocked bootloader, you can use TWRP Recovery:

• 📱 Boot in. TWRP (hold on to food + Loudness up).
• 🖥️ Connect your phone to your PC and select Mount → Enable MTP.
• 📁 Copy files through Explorer as from a regular flash drive.

💡

If the phone doesn't turn on completely but is responding to charging, try removing the memory card (if you have one) and connecting it to your laptop via a card reader. Photos are usually stored in the DCIM\Camera or Pictures folder.

7.Photo optimization before transfer

Before you're going to take hundreds of photos, it makes sense to optimize them to save space on your laptop and speed up the process. MIUI has built-in tools for that.

How to reduce the size of photos without losing quality:

• 📷 In the Gallery app, select photos → Edit → Cut and turn → Change the size.
• 🖼️ Use Export mode in JPG instead PNG — The difference in size can be as high as 50%.
• 🗑️ Remove duplicates using the Files by Google app (Cleanup section) → Duplicate).

For batch processing, it is convenient to use Lightroom Mobile:

1. Import photos to the app.
2. Choose all → Export → Specify 80-90% quality (this will reduce weight by 30-40% with no apparent loss of quality).
3. Save it to a new folder and transfer it to your laptop.

Comparison of formats:

FAQ: Frequent Questions and Solutions