Where and how to change the location of photo saving on Xiaomi: all ways

Xiaomi smartphones by default save photos to the DCIM/Camera folder on the internal drive. But what if there is not enough memory and you want to redirect the pictures to the memory card or to the cloud?

In this article, all the working ways to change the location of photo saving on Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices. POCO (relevant MIUI 12-14) We will discuss the settings of the standard camera, file manager, and alternative options using third-party applications. MIUI working SD-This will help to avoid errors when transferring files.

Why you might not be able to change the folder for the photo

Before you get to the instructions, it’s important to understand what limitations you might face, because MIUI (Xiaomi firmware) has a number of features:

• 🔒 The lack of direct options in camera settings on some models (especially the budget Redmi series and the Redmi series). POCO).
• 📱 Limitations for SD-If the card is formatted as a portable storage, the system can block the saving of the photo directly to it.
• 🔄 Resetting settings after update MIUI — Sometimes the conservation path is strayed to factory values.
• 📁 System folders: some directories (e.g, DCIM) Protected from changes without root rights.

If your smartphone doesn't let you change your folder through standard settings, don't worry, there are workarounds in the article, for example, you can use a file manager for manual transfer or set up automatic sync with the cloud.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14 and newer at choice SD-The card as the main storage may be warned about the decline in performance, this is due to the fact that the memory chips on the cards are slower than the embedded flash memory.

Method 1: Change the save location through camera settings

The most obvious method is to use the built-in Camera app options, but availability depends on the smartphone model and MIUI version.

Instructions:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Touch the badge. ⚙️ Settings (usually in the upper right corner).
3. Scroll down and find the Save Place (or Warehouse) item.
4. Choose one of the options: 📱 Internal memory (by default) 💾 SD-map (if installed)

Confirm your choice and restart the camera.

If you don't have a Save Place in your settings, your model doesn't support this function at the software level, so move on to the following.

Make sure that SD-The card is formatted as internal memory.|

Check the free space on the selected drive |

Close all background applications that work with the camera |

Make a backup of important photos-->

Method 2: Using a file manager for manual transfer

If the camera doesn't let you choose another location, you can go a detour: set up automatic post-shoot transfers, such as the standard Xiaomi File Manager or third-party apps like Solid Explorer.

Step-by-step:

1. Open File Manager → Go to Internal Memory → DCIM → Camera.
2. Select the photo (or folder in its entirety) and click Cut.
3. Go to the target folder (for example, SD-map → Photos) and press Insert.
4. For automation: 🤖 Use Automation in Google Files (Setting up Cleanup Rules). 📁 In Solid Explorer, create a task to move files on a schedule.

⚠️ Note: When manually transferring photos through the file manager, geolocation tags and EXIF-If it's important (for example, for professional photography), use specialized programs like ExifTool.

Once a week |

Once a month |

Only when memory ends|

Never can.-->

Method 3: Configure the saving to SD-Card (if the option is not available)

On many Xiaomi devices (especially with the MIUI 13+) pick-up SD-There may be no maps in the camera settings, which is due to Google's policy on external drives, but there is a workaround to formatting the map as internal memory.

How to do this:

1. Put it in. SD-smartphone-card.
2. Go to Settings. → Memory. → SD-map.
3. Press. ⚙️ Settings → Formatting as an internal.
4. Confirm the action (all data on the map will be deleted!).
5. After formatting, restart the device.
6. Now in the camera settings will appear the option of saving on SD-map.

Cons of this method:

• 🚫 The card cannot be removed and used on other devices (it is encrypted for your smartphone).
• ⚠️ When you remove the card without properly disconnecting the data can be damaged.
• 🐢 Photo/video recording speed may drop (depending on class) SD-map).

Method 4: Save photos to the cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud)

If you don't care where the photos are physically stored, you can set up automatic upload to the cloud, which will free up space on the device and eliminate the need for manual transfer.

Configure via Google Photos:

1. Install the Google Photos app from the Play Market.
2. Open it and log in to your Google account.
3. Go to Settings → Backup and Synchronization.
4. Activate the switch and select quality: 📸 Original quality (without compression, takes place in the cloud) ☁️ High quality (free, but compressed to 16 MP)

Downloading through mobile data

Mi Cloud (cloud from Xiaomi):

• 🔗 Go to Settings. → Accounts. → Mi Cloud.
• 📷 Enable Gallery Synchronization.
• ⚠️ Note that only 5GB is free (vs. 15GB from Google).

💡

If you use Google Photos, set up the “Free Space” function – it will automatically delete the photo from the device after uploading to the cloud, leaving only thumbnails.

Method 5: Third-party cameras with a choice of a conservation path

If Xiaomi's standard camera doesn't allow you to change the folder, you can install an alternative app, and many of them support flexible storage settings.

Best options:

• 📸 Open Camera (free, open source): Allows you to select any folder on internal memory or SD-It supports formats. RAW, DNG.
• 🎥 Footage (for video and photo): Set up separate paths for photos and videos. Support 4K HDR.
• 🔍 Camera FV-5 (For professionals: Manual settings ISO, survey, white balance, keeping in TIFF or PNG.

How to set up save in Open Camera:

1. Install an app from the Play Market.
2. Open the settings → folder for the photo.
3. Manually specify the path (e.g. /storage/emulated/0/Download/MyPhotos).
4. Save the settings and take a test shot.

⚠️ Note: Some third-party cameras (e.g. Camera) FV-5) You need permission to access the storage manually. If the photos are not saved, check the permission settings in Settings → Annexes → Permits.

💡

Third-party cameras often offer more features than standard ones, but can drain the battery faster due to background activity.

Method 6: Using scripts (for advanced users)

If you're willing to go into the technical details, you can automate photo transfer with scripts, and that's good for root-right users or those who can work with ADB.

Example of a script for automatically moving photos (Termux required):

#!/bin/bash


SOURCE="/sdcard/DCIM/Camera"




DEST="/sdcard/Download/MyPhotos"




mv $SOURCE/*.jpg $DEST/




mv $SOURCE/*.png $DEST/

How it works:

1. Install Termux from the Play Market.
2. Enter the pkg install termux-api command.
3. Create a file. move_photos.sh scripted.
4. Give permission to execute: chmod +x move_photos.sh.
5. Run the script:./move_photos.sh.
6. To automate, add the task to Tasker or Automate.

MacroDroid is suitable for users without root rights - the application allows you to create macros to move files on a schedule or event (for example, when connecting to Wi-Fi).

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you change the location of your photo, you often have a problem, and here are the most common ways to solve it:

If none of these methods helped, check:

• 🔍 Updates MIUI — Additional options may appear in new versions.
• 🛠️ Developer Settings – sometimes there are hidden storage options (includes through Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — tap 7 times).
• 📱 Smartphone model – on some devices (for example, POCO F1) The path of preservation is rigidly written in the firmware.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions