How to transfer a photo to a memory card in Xiaomi smartphones: 5 working ways

Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi and POCO lines) often come with limited internal memory, especially in budget models. When photos and videos occupy all the free space, the logical solution is to transfer them to a microSD card. However, in MIUI, this process is not always intuitive: the system can hide options or offer non-obvious ways.

In this article, we will analyze all the current ways of transferring photos to SD-maps in Xiaomi phones, including auto-saving new shots, manually transferring through file manager, and even circumventing restrictions MIUI For models without a card slot, we will focus on the typical errors (for example, why the card is not displayed) and the nuances of working with formats. FAT32/exFAT.

Important: instructions are valid for MIUI 12, 13 and 14 (including global and Chinese firmware versions).If your phone is released before 2019, some menu items may differ - see FAQ section.

1.Preparation: Checking the memory card and phone settings

Before transferring files, make sure that the memory card is correctly installed and recognized by the system. Insert the microSD into a slot (or an adapter for hybrid models where the second slot is combined with the SIM) and check:

• 🔍 Open the Settings. → The phone. → Memory (or Warehouse) should show a line here "SD-map showing the free space.
• 📁 Run the Files app (the folder icon on your desktop). In the Device section, check for the folder. SD Card or External Storage.
• ⚙️ If the card is not visible, restart the phone or re-embed it. In rare cases, formatting helps (data will be deleted!).

Pay attention to the file system format of the card:

• 💾 FAT32 — Compatible with all devices, but limits the size of a single file to 4GB (video issues) 4K).
• 💾 ExFAT – supports files up to 16 EB, but may not read on older PCs or cameras.

⚠️ Note: If you plan to port files larger than 4GB (e.g., video in resolution) 4K), The card must be formatted in exFAT. MIUI formatting is available in Settings → Memory. → SD-map → Formatted as internal (data will be erased!).

2. Method 1: Automatically save new photos to a memory card

The easiest method is to set up the camera so that all new pictures are immediately saved to the camera. SD-This will eliminate the need for manual transfer in the future:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Touch the badge. ⚙️ (Settings) in the upper corner.
3. Select the location (or the location in the global firmware).
4. Indicate "SD-map and confirm the choice.

After that, all photos and videos will be saved to the memory card by default. Limit: in some models (for example, the Redmi Note 10 Pro), the option is only available for photos, and the video continues to be stored in internal memory.

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If the option "Save Place" is missing, update the Camera app via Play Market or GetApps. In older versions of MIUI, this item may have been hidden in the Additional section.

3. Method 2: Manual transfer through the application "Files"

If you want to transfer your existing photos from internal memory to a map, use the standard Xiaomi file manager:

1. Open the Files app (Folder icon).
2. Go to Images or DCIM → Camera (camera photos are stored here).
3. Press and hold your finger on any file to activate the selection mode. Mark the desired photo/video.
4. In the bottom panel, tap "More" (⋮) →"Move it".
5. Choose. SD-map → destination folder (e.g, DCIM/Camera) → "Move it".

To speed up the process, you can use the packet mode:

• 📂 In the section DCIM/Camera Click "Select All" (the tick icon in the upper right corner).
• 🔄 Use the filter by file type (photo/video) through the Sort button.
• ⚡ For large volumes (100)+ Connect your phone to charge – transfer can take 5-10 minutes.

Check the vacant space on SD-map|Connect your phone to charge.|Close the background applications (especially the camera)|Create a backup of important files

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⚠️ Note: If there is an error "Not enough space" on the map, there are free gigabytes, check the file system format. FAT32 does not support files >4 GB – you will have to reformat the card to exFAT (data will be deleted!).

Method 3: Transfer over PC (for large volumes)

If there's not enough space on the phone, even for temporary files, and you need to carry hundreds of gigabytes, it's more convenient to use a computer. USB-cable and follow instructions:

1. On the phone in the notification curtain, select the File Transfer (or MTP) connection mode.
2. On a PC, open "This Computer" and the phone will appear as a removable disk.
3. Go to the Internal Storage → DCIM → Camera folder (camera photo here) or Pictures (downloaded images).
4. Copy files on the PC, then paste them into the folder on the SD-map (e.g., map, SD Card → DCIM → Camera).

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ High speed (USB 3.0 faster than file manager transfer).
• 🔄 You can clean internal memory at the same time by deleting files after copying.
• 📂 Easy to sort (for example, create folders by year: 2023_Vacation, 2026_Family).

To speed up, use file managers like Total Commander or Far Manager, which support multithreaded copying. If your PC can't see your phone, update your drivers. MTP Or try another one. USB-cable (preferably original from Xiaomi).

5. Method 4: Use of Third-Party Applications

If the standard MIUI file manager is unstable (e.g., it freezes when transferring large files), install alternative applications:

Example of transfer via Solid Explorer:

1. Open the app and give access to the memory.
2. In the left panel, select Internal Storage → DCIM, in the right panel – SD Card.
3. Hold your finger on the files in the left panel, then drag them to the right.
4. Confirm the transfer (not copying!).

⚠️ Note: Some applications (e.g. Files by Google) copy files by default rather than moving them. After transfer, check if the originals are still in internal memory and manually delete them to make room.

Method 5: Transfer over cloud storage (if no memory card)

If your Xiaomi doesn’t support memory cards (such as the Xiaomi 11T Pro or POCO F4 GT), the alternative is to upload the photos to the cloud and then download them to another medium.

• ☁️ Google Photos – 15 GB free, automatic sorting by date.
• ☁️ Mi Cloud – 5 GB from Xiaomi, integration with MIUI.
• ☁️ Yandex Disk – 10 GB free, convenient for users from Russia.

Instructions for Google Photos:

1. Install an app from the Play Market.
2. Enable "Backup and Synchronization" in the settings.
3. Choose High Quality (unlimited storage) or Original (from a 15GB quota).
4. After downloading, download the photo to your PC or other device via the web version.

Important: when using "High quality" photos are compressed to a resolution of 16 MP, and videos - up to 1080p. To maintain the original quality, choose "Original", but watch for free space in your Google account.

7.Typical errors and their solutions

When transferring the photo to SD-Xiaomi users often face problems. Consider the most common:

If the photos disappeared from the phone after transfer, but did not appear on the map, check:

• 🔍.trash or Recycle Bin folder on SD-card (some file managers send files to the bin).
• 📁 Hidden folders (enable the display of hidden files in the file manager settings).
• 🔄 Cash Gallery: Clear the Gallery app data in Settings → Annexes.

FAQ: Frequent questions about transferring photos to Xiaomi