How to format a flash drive on a Xiaomi phone: 3 working ways

Formatting a flash drive via a Xiaomi smartphone is a procedure that every user faces when they need to quickly clear the drive or change its file system. Unlike a computer where a couple of clicks are enough to do this, the process on the phone has nuances, from the limitations of MIUI to the peculiarities of working with different types of file system. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods of formatting, from standard tools to hidden functions that are not written in the official instructions.

It’s important to understand that not all flash drives are equally compatible with Xiaomi. For example, drives larger than 128 GB often require an exFAT format that some older phone models don’t support. And if you use the flash drive as internal memory (Adoptable Storage feature), standard formatting can cause the system to crash. We’ll show you how to avoid typical errors and choose the best method for your task.

Why you can’t format a flash drive on Xiaomi

Before we get to the instructions, we'll look at the main reasons why the phone refuses to format the drive, and most often, one of three things is the problem:

• 🔹 Incompatible file system: The flash drive is formatted into NTFS or HFS+, which MIUI The phone will see the drive, but it won't be able to reformat it.
• 🔹 Hardware restrictions: Cheap flash drives without support OTG Or with non-standard controllers, you may not be able to detect them, especially for Redmi Note models. 8/9 older.
• 🔹 Write protection: Some flash drives (such as SanDisk Ultra) have a physical lock switch.

Another common situation is when the phone offers to format the flash drive as internal memory (Adoptable Storage), but after confirmation it gives an error, this is due to the fact that the MIUI checks the speed of the drive: if it is below 10 MB / s, the system will refuse to format, in which case only replacing the flash drive with a faster one (Class A1 or A2) will help.

⚠️ Note: If the flash drive was previously used as internal memory on another Xiaomi phone, it can not be formatted simply through standard means. → Memory, otherwise the system will block access.

Method 1: Standard formatting via MIUI

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI tools. It is suitable for most situations when you need to quickly clear the flash drive or change the file system to FAT32 (maximum file size is 4 GB).

1. Connect the flash drive to the phone through OTG-Adapter (or directly if the model supports the USB-C adaptless).
2. Open the Files app (the folder icon on the desktop).
3. In the Device section, find your flash drive (usually displayed as USB-storage-storage).
4. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Settings → Format.
5. Confirm the action, wait for the process to be completed (usually takes 1-3 minutes).

If you don't have Format option on the list, your flash drive is already formatted in FAT32 or exFAT, and the system sees no reason to format again. In this case, try Method 2 or 3.

Save important data from the flash drive|Check the physical lock switch|Make sure the flash drive is identified in the Memory menu"|Charge your phone at least 30 times%-->

Method 2: Formatting through memory settings

This method is suitable if the flash drive is defined by the system but not displayed in the Files app, and it also allows you to select a file system (FAT32 or exFAT) if the phone supports both:

1. Go to Settings. → Memory.
2. Find the Portable Drive section (or USB-drive-by.
3. Select Format → specify the desired file system (if available).
4. Confirm the action and wait until it's done. The phone can reboot.

On Xiaomi models with MIUI 14 and later, when selecting exFAT, the system automatically checks the compatibility of the flash drive with ReadyBoost function. If the test fails, the phone will prompt you to leave FAT32.

⚠️ Note: If after formatting through Settings → The memory of the flash drive has ceased to be determined, try to connect it to a computer and perform low-level formatting using the utility. SD Formatter.This often helps with controller failures.

Method 3: Formatting via computer (if the phone refuses)

If none of the previous methods worked, the only option left is to connect the flash drive to the PC.

• 🔹 256 GB flash drive+, which MIUI refuses to format.
• 🔹 Drives with a corrupted file system (the phone can see them, but can not clean them).
• 🔹 Situations where you need to establish NTFS file-work >4GB.

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect the flash drive to the computer through the card reader.
2. Open This Computer, Find Your Drive, Right-Click → Format.
3. Select the file system: FAT32 for compatibility with all devices (but a file size limit); exFAT for flash drives >64 GB (optimum for Xiaomi); NTFS only if you need file support >4 GB (but you will have to install additional drivers on the phone).

Start.

For macOS, use the Disk Utility (select GUID schema and exFAT format). After formatting on your PC, the flash drive should be defined normally on Xiaomi, if it is working.

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If the flash drive is not formatted on either your phone or PC, try flashing the controller using the Flash Drive Information Extractor utility. The instructions are on the 4PDA forum in the theme of your flash drive model.

How to format a flash drive as an internal memory (Adoptable Storage)

Adoptable Storage allows you to use the flash drive as part of the phone’s internal memory, which is convenient if built-in storage is not enough, but there are nuances:

• 🔹 The flash drive will be encrypted and will not be read on other devices.
• 🔹 After extraction, some applications may stop working.
• 🔹 The speed of the flash drive should be no lower than Class 10 (better). UHS-I).

Instructions:

1. Put the flash drive on the phone.
2. Go to Settings → Memory → Portable storage.
3. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner → Settings → Format as an internal drive.
4. Confirm action. The phone will restart and start the process (may take up to 10 minutes).

If the option to format as an internal drive is inactive, then:

• 🔹 The flash drive is too slow (check the speed class).
• 🔹 The drive has already been formatted as internal on another phone (you need to reset it via PC).
• 🔹 Adoptable Storage is disabled in the phone (relevant for some regions).

⚠️ Attention: Once the flash drive is formatted as internal memory, it can't be simply removed and formatted back. First, you need to transfer all the data back to the internal memory of the phone through Settings. → Memory. → Transfer data and then disable the drive in the same menu.

Solving Common Formatting Errors

Even when following the instructions, Xiaomi users often encounter errors, and we will analyze the most common ways to correct them:

If none of these things work, it's worth checking the USB drive for authenticity. Cheap fakes (especially "Chinese" drives with AliExpress) often have understated real capacity. You can check this with the H2testw utility on your PC.

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Before buying a flash drive for Xiaomi, check its compatibility with the Adoptable Storage function. The best choice is models labeled A1 or A2 (for example, SanDisk Ultra A1 or Samsung EVO Plus).

How to choose a flash drive for Xiaomi: compatibility tips

Not all flash drives work equally well with Xiaomi phones, and here are the key selection criteria:

• 🔹 Volume: Up to 32 GB - enough FAT32. 64–128GB – ExFAT support is needed (check the phone’s specs). 256GB+ — ExFAT is the only model, but not all Xiaomi models format them correctly.
• 🔹 Speed: For normal files, class 10 or U1. For Adoptable Storage - Class A1/A2 (speed >1500 IOPS).
• 🔹 Brand: Better to choose proven brands — SanDisk, Samsung, Kingston, Transcend. Cheap no-name flash drives often have compatibility issues.

If you plan to use a flash drive to record 4K video or work with large files (such as backups), look for models that support UHS-II (such as the SanDisk Extreme Pro).

FAQ: Frequent questions about formatting flash drives on Xiaomi