Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a situation where, after installing a memory card or updating the MIUI system, the built-in Gallery stops displaying photos and videos saved on an external drive.This is due to changes in Android's security policy, which requires explicit permission for applications to access the file system.
The problem can be manifested in many ways, from the complete absence of folders with media files to the inability to delete or move pictures through the standard interface. SD Card to protect user data from malware.
The solution lies in manually activating special rights through the access control system menu, and you will need to perform several consecutive actions to ensure that the Gallery regains full control over the image and video files.
Reasons for blocking access to external storage
Starting with certain versions of Android, Google implemented the Scoped Storage mechanism, which restricts applications from accessing a shared file system. Previously, programs could freely scan the entire drive, but now each application must request access to specific directories.
On Xiaomi smartphones with a shell MIUI or a new HyperOS, this feature works particularly strictly. If you upgraded the firmware or reinstalled the Gallery app, system permissions could reset to default values that do not include work with the Gallery app. SD-card.
Also, the reason may be the incorrect formatting of the drive when you first install it, if you choose to use the card as internal memory, access to it will be reserved exclusively for the system and the specific user, making the files invisible to other programs.
⚠️ Note: If you format your card as “Inner Memory”, transferring files to another phone without reset may not be possible due to data encryption.
It's important to distinguish between software failure and physical malfunction, and if the phone doesn't see the card in the storage settings at all, it's not the access rights that are the problem, but the contact or the drive itself, and then setting the Gallery rights won't help.
Basic setting of rights through the system menu
The first and most important step is to give the Gallery app special system resolution, which, unlike the usual photo rights, requires a deeper level of file system integration.
To start, open your device’s settings and go to the Apps section. Find the standard Gallery (or Gallery) app on the list. If you have a third-party gallery installed from Google or another manufacturer, the action will be similar, but the app name will differ.
Inside the app menu, look for App Permissions or Rights, and here you need to make sure that you have Photos and Videos and Files and Media permissions activated, but this is often not enough to work fully with an external drive.
☑️ Verification of basic rights
The key is to find a hidden menu or an optional switch, and on some versions of MIUI, you have to click three dots in the corner of the screen and select "Special Rights" or "Special Permissions," which is where you can access the system files.
Using the special options menu
If the standard path didn't work, you should use a feature menu that users often ignore. This is where the switch is, which allows the Gallery to read the directory structure on the site. SD-map.
Go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Special Features. In the list that opens, find the file access section. On different versions of the firmware, it can be called Access to Data or File Access.
In the application list, find the Gallery and activate the access switch, and the system can issue a warning that the application will access all files on the device, which is a standard procedure for working with external drives.
What to do if the item is not on the menu?
Once activated, you must completely close the Gallery app through Task Manager and restart it, and only after the forced reboot of the process, Android will apply new security configurations.
Manual access confirmation at first launch
Often, the system asks for permission the moment you try to open a folder on the memory card, and if the Gallery sees a blank screen instead of photos, try to go to the viewing mode of the albums or folders.
When you try to log into the DCIM or Pictures directory on an external drive, a system window may appear at the bottom with a "Use this folder" or Select Folder button, which is a request to confirm access to a specific directory.
You have to click on the confirmation button, and then in the next window, agree to grant permission to access the contents of the folder, and without that, the app will only see the folder headers, not the contents.
| User action | System response | Required outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Attempting to open a folder on SD | Emergence of a systemic dialogue | Press "OK" or "Allow" |
| Selection of root folder | Requesting full access | Confirming access to all files |
| Moving files | Checking of record rights | Successful copying without errors |
| Media removal | Verification of removal rights | Files disappear from the vault |
If the request window doesn't appear, it may have been accidentally closed earlier, in which case cleaning the application data will help, which will force the system to request the initial settings again at the next run.
Problems after MIUI update and HyperOS update
Updating the operating system is the most common trigger for resetting access settings, and new versions of HyperOS and MIUI 14 have more stringent security protocols that can block previously running applications.
Once you update your firmware, recheck all of the above points. Often, the menu rights are formally "Allowed," but actual access to the ext4 or FAT32 file system is blocked at the kernel level.
You should also pay attention to the work of third-party file managers. If you see photos through the standard File Explorer, and the Gallery does not, then the problem is solely in the cache or rights of the Gallery application itself, and not in the memory card.
⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to install third-party plugins to unlock rights without root rights, this may violate the integrity of the security system Xiaomi.
In some cases, removing updates to the Gallery app itself through the application management menu helps, which will roll the program back to the factory version, which is guaranteed to be compatible with the current version of Android.
💡
Use the Clear Cache feature in the Gallery app settings before you delete data. This is a safe way to update your media index without losing settings.
Alternative methods of viewing media files
If the standard Gallery stubbornly refuses to work with your memory card, alternative solutions can be used.Installing a third-party application such as Google Photos or Simple Gallery often solves the problem automatically.
Third-party applications request permissions more forcefully and easily for the user when they first run, and they use standard Android APIs to scan the media library, bypassing some proprietary shell bugs.
You can also use a built-in file manager. Go to the DCIM → Camera folder on the memory card through the explorer and open the photo you want. The system will prompt you to choose the application to view, and you can assign the Gallery by default.
This “forced opening” method sometimes helps to reset the internal lock flag for a particular file type, and after a few such openings, the Gallery can begin to display thumbnails correctly.
Diagnostics and check of card performance
Before you blame software limitations, make sure the drive itself is in good working order. SD cards have a limited overwriting resource and can go into read-only mode when worn out.
Try to remove the card and paste it into your computer, and if the PC can't write files to the card, or needs formatting, then the problem is hardware in nature and not solved by setting up the rights on the phone.
Check the speed of the map. High-resolution (4K) video requires U3 or V30 cards. If the map is too slow, the Gallery may not be able to create thumbnails and display content correctly.
💡
If the memory card does not work on other devices or PCs, no settings rights to Xiaomi will not help – you need to replace the drive.