Copy files from your Redmi to a Windows PC over USB

Check the connection you are trying to make

This guide uses Google's Android-to-Windows USB workflow alongside Xiaomi's general file-transfer advice. Use the matching controls on your Redmi; MIUI and HyperOS labels can vary. Google notes that some steps require Android 14 or later. These are Windows instructions, not a Mac connection guide.

Choose a cable that supports data and fits both devices. A cable that supplies power may still be unsuitable for transferring files. I'd use my own trusted computer and begin with a file that is easy to recognise.

Select File Transfer on the phone

1. Unlock your Redmi and connect it to the Windows PC with the USB cable.

2. On the phone, tap the USB charging notification. Google's label is Charging this device via USB. Under Use USB for, select File Transfer.

3. Check the Windows file-transfer window that opens. Xiaomi's instructions also say to select file transfer on the phone before accessing its folders from the computer. If your labels differ, look for the file-transfer choice offered by your software.

Copy one file and inspect the result

I'd create a clearly named destination folder on the PC, then copy one chosen file into it. Use Copy rather than Move for this first check so the original stays on the phone. Wait until the copy completes, then open the PC copy and check its contents.

A familiar filename alone would not satisfy me. For a photograph, I'd open the image; for a document, I'd check the pages I need. Once the small transfer works, repeat with the folders or files you actually want to keep.

When finished, Google's Windows instructions say to eject the device from Windows before unplugging the cable. I'd wait for any active copy to finish first.

If the phone only charges

Check that File Transfer is selected, then try another data cable or USB port. Both Google and Xiaomi recommend testing the connection this way. Google also suggests trying the phone on another computer, or another device on that PC, to help isolate the problem.

If necessary, restart the phone and PC and check that their software is up to date. I'd record whether the phone has no USB notification, whether Windows sees it, and whether its folders open. That description is more useful to support than simply saying USB is broken.

Connecting a USB storage drive directly to a phone is a different arrangement. My Redmi A7 Pro OTG storage guide covers that specific model and task.