Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones are equipped with powerful cameras that can create high-resolution images that quickly occupy the internal memory of the device. Sooner or later, each user faces the need to make room or simply save valuable footage on a more reliable medium.
There are many ways to do this, from traditional cable connection to wireless technology that doesn't require physical contact, and the specific method depends on the speed of the Internet, the availability of the available available information. USB-cable and volume of data transmitted. In this guide, we will discuss all the current options in detail so that you can choose the most convenient for your situation.
Before you start transferring, make sure that both devices are charged and ready to go, as the process of copying a large amount of data can take time.Incorrectly turning off the cable while writing files can cause them to damage or malfunction the file system of the smartphone.
The fastest and most reliable way to transfer a large amount of data is to use a standardized data transfer system. USB-This method does not require an Internet connection and provides maximum copy speed limited only by the capabilities of the ports of your computer and phone. To start work, you need to physically connect the devices, inserting one end of the cable into the smartphone connector, and the other in the free one. USB-port.
Once connected, the phone will go into charging mode by default, so to access files, you need to change the USB settings. Lower the notification curtain with a swipe from top to bottom and find the message "Charge via USB" or similar. Click on it to reveal the list of available modes, and select File Transfer (sometimes denoted as MTP).
⚠️ Note: If your computer doesn’t see your phone after selecting a transmission mode, try replacing the cable with an original or known serviceable one, as many cheap cables only support charging without data transfer.
On your computer screen, open "My Computer" or "This Computer," where your smartphone's name should appear on the device list. Double-click on the device icon will open the root folder where you want to find the DCIM directory, and inside it is the Camera folder where all the pictures taken on the main camera are stored.
☑️ Pre-copying check
Once you select the photos you want, just copy them and paste them into any folder on your computer's hard drive, and when you copy thousands of files, it can take a few minutes, and you can't interrupt the operation at that point.
Xiaomi smartphone owners often have additional synchronization capabilities through the company ecosystem, making it easier to work with media files.Mi Cloud allows you to automatically upload photos to the cloud storage, from where they can be downloaded to your computer via a browser at any time.
To activate the feature, open your phone's settings, go to "Mi Account" and select "Mi Cloud." Make sure the Gallery Sync slider is activated, and wait until the initial photo upload is complete, which can take time depending on the Internet speed.
Free cloud limits
To download photos on your PC, go to the official cloud service site from any browser, log in to your Mi Account and select the photo section. You can select individual photos or entire albums and click the download button, after which the archive is saved on your computer.
Alternatives to the corporate cloud can serve as third-party services such as Google Photos or Yandex.Disk, which also have convenient web interfaces for content management, the principle of their work is similar: set up autosynchronization on the phone and download through the browser on the computer.
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Use the “Storage Cleanup” feature in Google Photos or Mi Cloud after a successful PC download to remove copies from your phone and free up space by leaving files only in the cloud.
Wireless data transmission over a local Wi-Fi network is a great choice if the cable is lost and the Internet speed is not enough for the cloud. To implement this method, both devices must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network, which will ensure high speed transmission without using mobile operator traffic.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to use MIUI-built functionality or third-party file manager applications that support FTP or SMB protocols, such as the MI Drop app (or its analogues like Send Anywhere) to create an access point through which a computer sees the phone as a network folder.
- 📡 Open the Explorer app on your phone and select the Network or Access tab. LAN».
- 🔌 Click the “Start” or “Create” button to generate the phone. FTP-address (e.g,, ftp://192.168.1.5:2121).
- 💻 Enter this address in the address bar of any folder on your computer or browser.
- 📂 After confirming access on the smartphone screen, you will get full access to the device’s file system.
This is convenient because it doesn't require drivers to be installed on your computer, and the transfer speed is limited only by the power of your router, so you can drag and drop photos directly into folders on your hard drive, just like a regular flash drive.
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FTP/Wi-Fi is ideal for regular photo resets without finding cables, but requires a stable Wi-Fi signal.
There are a number of specialized smartphone management software that provide advanced functionality compared to the standard Windows Explorer.The official Mi PC Suite was once popular, but now it is often not supported by new models, so it is better to pay attention to universal solutions.
AirDroid or MyPhoneExplorer allows you not only to transfer files, but also to manage contacts, messages and take screenshots directly from your computer. QR-code.
| Programme | Type of connection | Speed. | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Explorer | USB cable | Maximum | Low. |
| Mi Cloud / Web | Internet | Depends on the network. | Low. |
| AirDroid | Wi-Fi / Internet | Tall. | Medium |
| Bluetooth | Radio channel | Very low. | Low. |
Using specialized software is justified if you plan to regularly back up data or control your phone remotely. For a one-time transfer of hundreds of photos, installing additional software may be redundant.
Sometimes when you connect your smartphone to your computer, you're faced with a situation where the device is charging, but the files aren't displayed. Most often, the problem is USB mode, which is the default "Charge Only" position, and the reason may be the missing MTP drivers on the Windows operating system.
To correct the situation, try connecting the cable to another. USB-If the phone is defined as an “Unknown Device”, you may need to install a universal Android driver via Device Manager».
In rare cases, blocking an antivirus or firewall can prevent you from connecting to your phone over the network.Check your security settings and add an exception for your file manager or smartphone.
If neither method works, check the physical state of the charging connector on the phone: dust ingress or contact oxidation can disrupt data transmission, leaving the charging function working.
In addition to basic methods, there are alternatives that can help in an emergency, such as Bluetooth transmission is suitable for multiple shots, but extremely slow for large volumes, and you can also use a card reader if you have a MicroSD card installed on your smartphone.
To retrieve the memory card, turn off the phone, take out the tray with a paper clip, insert the card into the adapter and connect it to the computer. This is the most direct way that works even if the phone is discharged or not turned on, the main thing is the health of the card itself.
⚠️ Warning: Never remove a memory card or phone at the time of data recording, this is guaranteed to result in loss of information and possible damage to the file system.
Another option is to use Telegram or WhatsApp (the “Document” function), sending a photo to your favorites and downloading it to your PC via the desktop version of the messenger, and the quality of the images can be slightly compressed if you do not choose the option of sending as a file.