How to remove a flash drive from a Xiaomi phone: 3 proven ways + frequent

Flash drives have become an integral part of modern Xiaomi smartphones, especially when internal memory is not enough for photos, videos or applications. But many users face the problem: how to properly remove the flash drive from the phone so as not to lose data and damage the drive itself? Unlike computers that have a Safe Retrieval feature, on Android devices this process is often questionable.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to extract the flash drive from Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi Note 12 models, POCO X5, Mi 11 and others, take into account the features of the work with the OTG-And if you have adapters and microSD cards, and you have a warning against common errors that can cause malfunctions, and if your phone doesn't see the flash drive after it's removed, or if it says, "Device is unrecognizable," you'll find a solution here.

1. Preparation for extraction: why you can not just pull the flash drive

Many users mistakenly believe that the flash drive can be removed from the Xiaomi phone at any time, like headphones or a charging cable, but this can lead to data loss or even failure of the drive. MIUI (or pure Android on some models) caches files and can write data to a flash drive in the background, even if you don’t interact directly with it.

The main risks in case of incorrect extraction:

• 🔴 File system damage – if you remove the flash drive during writing, the file table can be destroyed and the drive will no longer be identified.
• 🔴 Loss of unsaved data – for example, if you shot a video on a flash drive, and it is not yet closed by the system.
• 🔴 Application malfunctions – if programs use a flash drive to store temporary files.

This problem is especially relevant for users who connect flash drives through OTG-Adapter: In this case, the phone perceives the drive as an external device, and interruption of communication can lead to I/O errors.

⚠️ Note: If your Xiaomi is notifying you, “Preparation is in progress” SD-"card" or "drive check," the flash drive extraction at this point is guaranteed to fail. Wait until the process is complete (usually takes 1-3 minutes).

2. Method 1: Standard safe extraction through settings MIUI

The most reliable method is to use the built-in disabling function of the drive, which is suitable for internal microSD cards (installed in the slot) and external flash drives connected via a device. OTG.

Instructions for MIUI 12/13/14:

1. Open the Settings. → Memory (or Settings) → Storage on some firmware).
2. Scroll down to the Portable Drive section (for OTG) or SD-card (for microSD).
3. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Disable or Remove.
4. Wait for the “Safely Removable Device” notification (usually 5-10 seconds).

If no item Disconnect:

• 📱 On some models (e.g. Redmi) 9A) You need to go to Settings. → Additionally. → Memory. → SD-map → Extract.
• 🔌 For OTG-The flash drive path may look like Settings → Connected devices → [The name of the flash drive] → Shut down.

Close all applications that work with files on a flash drive

Make sure that there is no copying or writing of data.

Check notifications for processes with SD-card

Turn off the flash drive through the settings MIUI-->

Once you've turned it off, you can physically remove the drive from the menu. OTG-Adapter, first disconnect it from the phone and then remove the flash drive.

Internal microSD card

External USB-flash-drive OTG

Both options

I don't use flash drives.-->

Method 2: Quickly extract through the notification panel

If you need to remove the flash drive urgently, and you don't have time to dig through the settings, you can use the notification panel. OTG-flash drives and some models with microSD (depending on version) MIUI).

Step-by-step:

1. Swipe your finger down to open the notification panel.
2. Find a notification with your flash drive name (for example, "USB-drive connected" or "SD-map").
3. Click on the notification and the menu will open with the option to Disable or Remove.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the message of safe extraction.

If no notice is given:

• 🔄 Try to connect and disable the flash drive again - the notification should appear.
• 📵 On some firmware (e.g, MIUI 12.5. POCO F3) notice SD-The card is disabled by default. Include them in Settings → Notifications → System notifications.

⚠️ Note: If you extracted the flash drive through the notification, but the phone still "sees" it (for example, an empty drive is displayed in the file manager), do not physically pull it out.

💡

If the flash drive notification goes missing too quickly, turn on the developer mode and increase the time to display notifications in Settings. → For developers → Time of withholding of notifications.

4. Method 3: Forced extraction (only as a last resort!)

Sometimes the flash drive freezes in the system, and the standard methods don't work, and in this case you can use a forced shutdown, but there are risks. OTG-MicroSD and flash drives that don’t respond to commands.

How to proceed:

1. Close all applications that may use the flash drive (gallery, music players, file managers).
2. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
3. Find the Warehouse app (or Files) and click Stop.
4. Back to Settings → Memory and try to disable the flash drive in the standard way.
5. If it does not help, carefully remove the flash drive, avoiding sudden movements.

For OTG-adapter:

• 🔌 Unplug the adapter from the phone without removing the flash drive from it.
• 📱 Reboot Xiaomi and check if there are no “ghost” drives left in the system in Settings → Memory.

⚠️ Warning: If the flash drive is no longer detectable on any device after forced extraction, don't format it right away. Try connecting it to your PC and using utilities like TestDisk or Recuva to recover data.

5. Features of extraction for different Xiaomi models

The process may vary depending on the phone model and version. MIUI. Below are the key nuances for popular devices.

For smartphones with a hybrid slot (microSD) + second-second SIM):

• 📱 Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4/X5: Before removing the microSD, disable the mobile data on the second SIM, In some cases, the slot is blocked when the Internet connection is active.
• 🔄 On the Mi 11 Lite and Mi 10T After the card is removed, it may be necessary to restart to display the memory correctly.

For flagships with OTG:

• 📱 Xiaomi 13/14, Mix Fold 2/3: support USB 3.1, therefore OTG-The flash drives are removed faster. Use the notification to turn off.
• ⚡ On Black Shark 5 when connected OTG Lag may appear - wait for the full load of the drive before extraction.

For budget models:

• 💰 Redmi A1/A2, POCO C50: There is no quick retrieval function through notifications. Use Settings only → Memory.
• 🛠️ On the Redmi. 9C/10C After removing the microSD, the path to internal memory may be reset in some applications (for example, in Google Photos).

6. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Even experienced users sometimes make mistakes when working with flash drives on Xiaomi, and here are the most common ones and ways to prevent them.

Error 1: Extracting data during recording

If you copy files to or from a flash drive, and also write video / photo directly to the drive, interruption of the process is almost guaranteed to lead to data loss. MIUI It does not always show the copying process in the notifications, so:

• 📁 Before extracting, open Files (application from Xiaomi) and check if there are any active operations in the Latest section.
• 🎥 If you are shooting a video on a flash drive, first stop recording in the Camera app.

Error 2: Using incompatible file systems

Flash drives formatted in NTFS or exFAT, can work unstable on some Xiaomi models (especially budget — FAT32 (But with a 4GB file size limit, for flash drives over 32GB:

• 🖥️ Format the drive on your PC in exFAT (via Disk Management in Windows).
• 📱 On your phone, use the app. SD Card Formatter (available on Google Play).

Mistake 3: Ignoring the "hangs" of the flash drive

If the phone is thinking long when you plug in a flash drive or if it gives you a Read Drive error, don't try to extract it by force.

• 🔋 Lack of nutrition (relevant to the OTG On budget models, connect the phone to the charger.
• 🛠️ File system damage. Connect the flash drive to your PC and perform a check through chkdsk (Team: chkdsk E: /f, where E: is the letter of your disk).

💡

If the flash drive after being removed from Xiaomi doesn’t work on other devices, first check it for viruses (especially if connected to public PCs).

7 What to do if the flash drive is not removed or the phone does not see it

Sometimes the flash drive gets stuck in the system, and none of the ways help. So let's look at the algorithm for this.

Step 1: Reboot your phone

In 70% of cases, a simple reboot solves the problem.

• 🔄 Does the flash drive appear in Settings? → Memory.
• 📁 Do you see files in the application Files.

Step 2: Cleaning the app cache

If the flash drive is identified but not removed:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Storage, Files and Media, then click Clear Cache.
3. Try to remove the flash drive in the standard way.

Step 3: Resetting the storage settings

If previous methods have not worked:

1. Go to Settings → System → Resetting settings.
2. Select Reset Application Settings (does not delete data!).
3. After the reboot, try to remove the flash drive.

Step 4: Hardware inspection

If the flash drive is not removed and not determined:

• 🔌 For OTG: Try another adapter or cable.
• 📱 For microSD: carefully remove the card with tweezers (do not use metal objects!).
• 🛠️ If the slot is damaged, contact the service center. Xiaomi with a guarantee of repair will cost 1-3 thousand rubles.

⚠️ Warning: If after removing the flash drive, the phone stops seeing internal memory or gives an error "Memory damaged", do not panic. This may be a mounting failure. Restart the device in Safe Mode (press the power button). → "Restart in Safe Mode) and check the storage.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions