Xiaomi’s “Name is too long” error: causes and 5 working ways to fix it

The “file name is too long” error on Xiaomi smartphones is a common problem that users encounter when trying to copy, rename or delete files through MIUI Explorer or third-party file managers. Most often it occurs when working with deep-seated folders, archives or files with long names in Cyrillic. Unlike Windows, where a similar error is associated with a path limit of 260 characters, on MIUI the reason lies in the features of the F2FS/EXT4 file system and Xiaomi’s security policies.

In this article, we'll discuss why the system blocks operations with long names even if they appear short visually, and how to get around the restriction without root rights. Spoiler: 80 percent of the time, the problem is solved through ADB or name encoding changes. But there are simpler methods, which are discussed below.

Why Xiaomi is blocking long file names

At first glance, the error seems absurd: you try to rename a file called the Travel Document to Thailand 2026.pdf (only 30 characters), and the system issues a warning, because MIUI takes into account not only the visible name, but also:

• 📁 Complete path to the file (including all parent folders) such as path /storage/emulated/0/Download/Projects/Client Ivanov/Contract/2026/... It can exceed the limit even with a short file name.
• 🌐 Symbols encoding. Cyrillic symbols in UTF-8 It takes 2 bytes instead of 1 (as in the ASCII), So the name Hello.txt for the system "weighs" like Privet.txt + 6 extra bytes.
• 🔒 Limitations MIUI. In some versions of firmware (especially on the Redmi Note) 8/9 and POCO X3) artificially lowered the limit to 128 byte.

Critical detail: an error can occur even if the total length of the path and name in the characters does not exceed 100 characters - due to hidden service symbols (for example, in the names of folders with spaces or special characters).

Another nuance: the problem is more common when connecting a smartphone to a PC via MTP (Media Transfer Protocol). Windows “sees” the Xiaomi file system as FAT32, where the path limit is 255 characters, but in fact MIUI uses F2FS with different rules.

Method 1: Rename through MIUI Explorer (without PC)

If an error occurs when you try to copy or rename a file directly on your smartphone, try circumventing the restriction through the standard MIUI Explorer:

1. Open Explorer and find the problem file.
2. Press and hold it, then select Rename.
3. Shorten the name to 20–30 symbols using only Latin and numerals (e.g, doc_2026.pdf instead of the document about trip to Thailand.pdf).
4. If the name is already short, try removing spaces and special characters (replace them with ).

🔹 Why does it work: MIUI The Latin alphabet takes up less space, so even a visually longer name in English can "get into" the limit.

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If the file is in a deep nested folder (e.g. Download/Work/Projects/2026/...), move it to the root directory first (/storage/emulated/0/) and then rename it.

Method 2: Using ADB to circumvent restrictions

If renaming through Explorer doesn’t help, connect to your smartphone via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that works even for files that aren’t visible in a standard Explorer.

Step 1. Enable debugging over USB:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 7 times on the MIUI version to activate Developer Mode.
3. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.

Step 2. Connect via ADB:

1. Download Platform Tools for Windows/macOS/Linux.
2. Connect your smartphone to your PC and enter in the terminal: adb shell ls /storage/emulated/0/Way/k/folder/ (replace the path with the current one).
3. To rename a file, use the command: mv /storage/emulated/0/old name.txt /storage/emulated/0/new name.txt

Install Platform Tools|Enable debugging on USB|Connect your smartphone to your PC|Check the visibility of the device by the adb device command-->

⚠️ Note: If the path to the file contains spaces or Cyrillic, wrap it in quote marks:

mv"/storage/emulated/0/My documents/file.txt"/storage/emulated/0/doc.txt"

The ADB interprets the gap as a separator of arguments.

Method 3: File Managers with Built-in FTP-server

Standard Conductor MIUI It has strict limitations, but third-party applications (for example, Solid Explorer or Solid Explorer). FX File Explorer allows you to bypass them through the built-in FTP-server.

Instructions:

1. Install Solid Explorer from Google Play.
2. Open the side menu and select FTP-server.
3. Connect to the address. ftp://localhost:2221 (or listed in the annex) through any FTP-client on PC (for example, FileZilla).
4. Rename or move the file via FTP – MIUI restrictions will not apply.

🔹 Plus the method: FTP It ignores the encoding of names, so Cyrillic characters don't increase the weight of the path. USB.

Method 4: Archiving and unpacking with name change

If the file is in the archive (.zip,.rar) and is not retrieved because of the “long” name, use the workaround:

1. Copy the archive on a PC.
2. Open it via 7-Zip or WinRAR and extract the contents to a short path folder (e.g., C:\temp\).
3. Rename the problem files to PC (use Latin).
4. Archive them back and transfer them to your smartphone.

⚠️ Note: If the archive is password protected, MIUI It can block the extraction even after the renaming. ADB (method 2) for extraction directly on the device:

unzip /storage/emulated/0/archive.zip -d /storage/emulated/0/temp/

Method 5: Resetting the MIUI Explorer settings

In rare cases, the error is associated with Explorer cache or damage to the media database to reset settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find a Explorer (or Files) and select a Warehouse.
3. Click Clear the cache and Clear the data.
4. Reboot your smartphone.

If the problem persists, check the integrity of the file system through ADB:

adb shell df -h

Look for rows with F2FS or EXT4 – if 0 is displayed in the Available column, partition repair may be required (see spoiler below).

Table: Comparison of methods for correcting an error

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For files in the root directory (/storage/emulated/0/), it is usually enough to rename through Explorer. For nested folders and archives, it is more reliable to use ADB or FTP.

Frequent Questions (FAQ)