Owners of Xiaomi Redmi 8 smartphones often face a situation where, after installing a memory card or updating the system, photos are no longer displayed in the standard application. This is due to enhanced security measures of the Android 10 operating system and the MIUI shell, which restrict access to external drives. The user can see an empty gallery or receive notifications about the lack of access rights, making it impossible to view media files.
The problem is solved by manually activating permissions in system settings. You don't need to be an IT expert to perform this procedure, but it is important to follow the sequence of actions. An error at one stage can lead to the system blocking access again, and the process will have to be repeated. Below we will discuss in detail the mechanism of access rights in the Android environment and provide a step-by-step algorithm for actions.
It is important to note that there is no access to SD-The card can be caused not only by software constraints, but also by physical factors, and sometimes the memory card is not read due to poor contact or damage to the file system. Before you proceed to set up permissions, make sure that the drive is properly defined by the system and displayed in the File Manager as a serviceable data storage device.
Reasons for blocking access to external storage
The main reason for the access problems is the implementation of Google’s Scoped Storage policy, which was designed to protect users’ personal data from unwanted access by third-party applications. In older versions of Android, applications had almost unlimited access to the file system, which created risks of information leakage.
The MIUI shell installed on Redmi 8 has its own power and security controls that can aggressively limit application background activity. The gallery can be blocked by the system to save battery power or due to conflicting component versions. This is especially true after major firmware updates, when old access rights settings are reset or become irrelevant.
It is also worth considering the file system of the memory card. SD-map formatted in format NTFS Or exFAT with a non-standard cluster size, the standard Android file manager may not handle read requests correctly, in which case, even with permissions, the application will not be able to display content. FAT32.
⚠️ Note: If you format your memory card as an “Adoptable Storage”, it can only be accessed from the device where the formatting was done, due to data encryption.
Understanding the causes avoids panic and misconduct, and often the problem is software-based and solved in minutes, but ignoring system warnings or trying to install third-party file managers with dubious reputations can make matters worse.
Preparing the device for setting access rights
Before you make changes to the system settings of Redmi 8, you need to perform a number of preparatory steps, this ensures that the process goes smoothly and the data on the memory card will not be damaged. First of all, make sure that the device is charged at least 30-40% so that a sudden shutdown does not interrupt the process of reconfiguring the system.
☑️ Preparing Redmi 8 for the setup
Reboot the smartphone after retrieving and re-installing the memory card, which initiates a re-scan of the drive by the Android system and updates (index) files. If after rebooting in the standard Explorer application files are visible, then the card is physically healthy and the problem lies in the access rights of the Gallery application.
Also worth checking is whether the "Energy Savings" mode is on at the time of setting up. MIUI's aggressive energy saving algorithms can block system changes or prevent media indexing services from working properly.
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Before setting up access rights, back up important photos and videos with SD-cards to your computer or cloud storage to eliminate the risk of data loss in case of possible failures.
Step-by-step: activation of permissions in MIUI
The process of granting access rights in the MIUI shell based on Android 10 has its own peculiarities. The interface may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic of actions remains the same. You will need to go to the deep settings of applications that are hidden from the average user in the standard menu.
First, open the Settings menu and find the Apps section. Select All Apps or Application Management. From the list that opens, find the standard Gallery app (or Gallery) and if you use a third-party gallery, like Google Photos or QuickPic, you should look for them.
Inside the app menu, look for Permissions, and you'll need to find the category associated with storage. In newer versions of Android, this may be called Files and Media or simply Storage, or set the switch to "Allow" or select "Allow all files to be managed" if the system allows it.
What if the item "Storage" is not on the list?
Once you change your settings, be sure to close the Gallery app completely through Task Manager and run it again. SD-If a system window appears requesting permission to access files on the drive, click "Allow».
Set up special access to files
In some cases, standard resolution is not enough and special access is required.This is true for Redmi 8 with an updated security version. The Scoped Storage mechanism requires explicit user confirmation to access the root directories of external drives.
To do this, go to Settings → Privacy Protection → Special Opportunities (or Special Access). Find Access to Files or Manage All Files. From the application list, find your Gallery and activate the switch. The system will issue a risk alert — confirm the action, as this is a routine procedure for working with media files.
| Access parameter | Standard permission | Special access | Impact on work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level of access | Media files only | Full access to the file system | High-pitched |
| Necessity | Basic viewing photo | Work with archives, 4K video | Critically. |
| Security | Tall. | Requires trust in the app | Medium |
| Reboot. | Not required | Desired. | Low. |
It's important to understand the difference between these types of access. Normal resolution allows an application to see only photos and videos. Special access allows you to edit files, move them and work with any data formats on the Internet. SD-For the full operation of the Gallery on Xiaomi often requires the second option.
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Special file access is required to correctly display albums created by other applications and to work with the functions of editing videos directly from the memory card.
Solving problems with indexing media files
Even after all permissions are granted, photos may not appear instantly, due to the Media Scanner system service, which is responsible for indexing the contents of the drive, which can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes on large memory cards (64 GB or higher).
If you're dragging on, you can try to force indexing, and then go to the storage settings and select "Clear media storage cache." Then restart the device, and when you turn on, the smartphone will start to re-scan all the connected drives and create a database for the Gallery.
- 📸 Make sure that the photo folders do not have a.nomedia file that hides the content from system applications.
- 🔄 Try renaming the photo folder to trigger a directory rescan.
- 💾 Check the free space on the internal memory of the smartphone, as the cache of thumbnails is created there.
Sometimes the problem is folder structure. If photos are scattered across multiple nested directories, MIUI may not properly process paths, and it is recommended that you store media files in standard folders, such as DCIM/Camera or Pictures, which the system scans as a priority.
Alternative solutions and third-party applications
If the standard Xiaomi Gallery continues to work incorrectly even after all the settings, it makes sense to consider alternatives. There are many media viewing apps in the Google Play store that have their own file system mechanisms and often bypass the limitations of standard shells.
One effective solution is to use file managers with built-in media viewing functionality, such as FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer, which request access via the SAF (Storage Access Framework) system interface, which ensures stable operation with external drives on any version of Android.
⚠️ Warning: When installing third-party galleries from unverified sources, be careful.Some apps may request excessive permissions, putting the privacy of your personal photos at risk.
You can also try resetting the Gallery app itself to factory settings, go to Settings → Apps → Gallery → Memory and select Clear Everything, which will delete the sorting settings and cache, but will not affect the photos on the memory card, and after the reset will need to reconfigure the display of the albums.
In extreme cases, if the problem is only observed with a specific memory card, it may have damaged sectors or is incompatible with the Redmi 8 controller. Checking the card on a computer using the chkdsk or H2testw utility will help to identify physical errors of the drive.