How to connect Xiaomi Redmi 4X to your computer: all ways + error solving

Xiaomi Redmi 4X — One of the most popular budget smartphones 2017 However, many owners have problems when trying to connect it to a computer: the device is not detected, files are not transferred or an error appears «USB-This article will discuss all the current ways to connect Redmi. 4X Windows-only 7/10/11 MacOS and solve common errors.

Feature of the Redmi model 4X (codename santoni - in its firmware MIUI, It's a default system that blocks some data protocols, and it also allows you to work with the data. ADB or Fastboot requires special drivers. We will consider as standard methods (via the USB-cables, and alternatives – over Wi-Fi or using cloud services.

Important: If you’re connecting Redmi 4X for the first time, the system can request permission to debug over USB – don’t ignore this window! Without confirmation, many features (such as accessing internal memory) won’t work.

1. Preparing the smartphone for connection

Before you connect the Redmi 4X to your computer, follow a few steps on the phone itself, which will save you 90% of the device definition problems.

First, check the regimen. USB-Connection. Default. MIUI It sets up a Charge Only mode that blocks data transmission to change it:

1. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable.
2. Swipe down the notification panel.
3. Tap on the notification “Charging via USB”.
4. Select the file transfer (MTP) or photo transfer (PTP) mode.

Second, activate USB debugging (required for ADB and some programs like Mi PC Suite):

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. 7 times tap on the item "Version" MIUI», to enable the developer mode.
3. Return to the main settings menu and open “More → For Developers”.
4. Activate the “Debugging by USB” switch.

⚠️ Warning: If after connecting to the PC on the phone screen appeared window "Allow debugging by USB?» keyed RSA, Make sure you click "Allow" and check "Always Allow from this computer." ADB-Teams and some programs (such as Xiaomi Flash Tool) will not work.

Third, check the cable and the USB port. Redmi 4X supports USB 2.0 Type-C, but many cheap cables only transmit power, not data.

• 🔌 Use the original cable from the set.
• 🖥️ Connect to the back port USB on the PC (they are more powerful than the front ones).
• 🔄 Turn the cable over – sometimes the contacts oxidize on one side.

2. Connection via USB (MTP/PTP)

The most common way is to use the Media Transfer Protocol (MTP), which allows you to transfer files between Redmi 4X and your computer as if it were a flash drive.

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect your phone to your PC with a cable.
2. On your phone, select File Transfer (MTP) (see Section 1).
3. On your computer, open "This Computer" (Win + E).
4. In the Devices and Disks section, the Redmi 4X device should appear.

If the device is not displayed:

• 🔄 Restart your phone and PC.
• 🔧 Update the drivers (see section 4).
• 📱 Try a different connection mode (for example, PTP photo).

MacOS will require additional software, as Apple does not support MTP out of the box.

• Android File Transfer (official solution from Google)
• Commander One or HandShaker (alternatives with advanced features)

⚠️ Note: On macOS Catalina and the newer Android File Transfer may not work due to problems with disk access resolution. → Protection and security → Confidentiality.

Enable MTP/PTP mode on your phone | Activate debugging over USB|Use the original cable |Update drivers on PC (if necessary)

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Connection via ADB (for developers)

The Android Debug Bridge (ADB) protocol allows you to control Redmi 4X from your computer via the command line, which is necessary for installing custom firmware, debugging applications or recovering data.

To connect to ADB:

1. Install Platform Tools (download from the official website).
2. Unpack the archive in the folder C:\platform-tools.
3. Connect your phone to your PC in File Transfer mode and allow debugging.
4. Open the command line (Win + R → enter cmd).
5. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices If the device is determined, you will see its serial number.

Typical errors and decisions:

If ADB can’t see the device, but MTP works, try manually specifying the protocol:

adb usb

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To avoid entering adb before each command, go to the platform-tools folder via the command line: cd C:\platform-tools. Or add a path to the folder to the PATH environment variable.

4.Installation of drivers for Xiaomi Redmi 4X

A common cause of connectivity issues is the absence or incorrect drivers. Windows doesn’t always automatically install them for Xiaomi devices, especially if other Android smartphones have previously connected.

Methods of installing drivers:

1. Automatically via Device Manager: Connect your phone to your PC. Open Device Manager (Win + X → Device Manager). Find a device with an exclamation mark (usually under "Other Devices" or "Portable Devices"). Right-click → "Update Driver" → "Automatic Search".
2. Manually via Mi PC Suite: Download Mi PC Suite from the official website. Install the program - it will automatically install the desired drivers.
3. Universal. ADB-Drivers: Download USB Google Driver. Unpack and install through Device Manager (select “Install from Disk” and specify the path to the driver folder).

If the drivers are installed, but the device is defined as “Android” without a model, try:

• 🔄 Reinstall drivers with the removal of old.
• 📥 Download specialized drivers for santoni (see forums) 4PDA or XDA Developers).
• 🔧 Disable driver signatures in Windows (to do this, when booting the system, hold Shift) + F8 and select “Deactivate Mandatory Driver Signature Verification»).

5. Alternative ways of connecting

If USB-Connection is not working or the cable is damaged, use alternative methods.

5.1 Wi-Fi connection (without cable)

To transfer files without wire, use:

• 🌐 FTP-server: Install on the phone FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer, Enable FTP-server and connect via file manager on PC (e.g. FileZilla).
• 📲 AirDroid: The program creates a web interface to manage files through the browser.
• 🖥️ ADB via Wi-Fi: Adb tcpip 5555 adb connect [IP-phone]:5555 (IP You can find out in Settings → The phone. → Status).

5.2. Cloud services

For fast file transfer, you can:

• ☁️ Mi Cloud (built-in in) MIUI, 5GB free of charge).
• 📁 Google Drive or Yandex.Disk (convenient for backups).
• 🔗 Send Anywhere or Pushbullet (file transfer via link).

Memory card (if there is a slot)

If your phone supports MicroSD:

1. Remove the card from Redmi 4X.
2. Put it in the card reader on the PC.
3. Copy the files directly.

⚠️ Note: When using cloud services, keep in mind that MIUI It can block the download of certain types of files (for example, APK) To remove the restriction, go to Settings. → Annexes → Special rights → Installation from unknown sources and allow installation for the desired browser.

6. Solving common errors

Even after you've set it up properly, you can have problems.

Critical feature of Redmi 4X: If you use custom firmware (like LineageOS), standard Xiaomi drivers may not work. ADB-Drivers or drivers for your firmware.

If none of these methods worked, try:

• 🔄 Reset network settings on your phone (Settings) → System system → Reset → Resetting network settings).
• 📱 Update MIUI Up to the latest version (sometimes bugs are fixed in new builds).
• 🖥️ Check PC for viruses – some malware is blocked USB-connection.

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If the phone is defined as “Portable Device” but the files are not copied, try turning off “File Transfer Optimization” in the MIUI settings: Settings → Additional → For Developers → Disable MIUI Optimization.

FAQ: Frequent questions