How to name a folder in a Xiaomi phone: a complete guide with examples

Name a folder on a Xiaomi smartphone seems like a simple task — until you encounter errors like “Incorrect Name” or the disappearance of files after renaming. MIUI (There are nuances that are not covered in standard instructions, from character restrictions to hidden rules for system folders.This article will help avoid typical errors and optimize file storage on Redmi devices, POCO mi.

We'll look at not only basic naming rules, but also little-known chips, like how to create a folder with an emoji in the title or why some characters (*, /,:) are blocked by the system (SD-map, OTG-And Mi Cloud, where the rules may be different, if you've ever lost access to files after renaming them, or if you've been sent a "Folder not found," here's an explanation and a solution.

Basic rules for naming folders in MIUI

Xiaomi’s file system is based on FAT32/exFAT (for external storage) and F2FS/EXT4 (It's for internal memory, which puts a lot of restrictions on folder names:

• 🔹 Maximum length of name: 255 symbols (including paths) for example, if the folder is in /storage/emulated/0/Download/My files/..., the remaining space for the name is reduced.
• 🔹 Prohibited symbols: \ /: *? " < > |. This will cause an error called “Incorrect file name».
• 🔹 Register Dependence: Folder and folder are different names (important for scripts and terminals).
• 🔹 Gaps and tabs: Allowed, but may cause problems when connecting to a PC MTP.

Feature MIUI: It automatically replaces the forbidden characters with the emphasis ( ). For example, if you try to name the folder My: Photos, it becomes My Photos. SD-map OTG The replacement may not work and the folder will not be created.

By date (2026_05_Vacation)|Subject by subject (Work, Personal)|Random names|I'm using emojis.|I never change my name.-->

Another nuance is the encoding of names. MIUI default UTF-8, When connecting to Windows through MTP You may have problems with Cyrillic (characters are displayed as???). Solution: rename folders directly on your phone, not via your PC.

How to Rename a Folder through a Standard File Manager

The easiest way is to use the built-in File Manager from Xiaomi.

1. Open the Files app (yellow folder icon).
2. Go to the Device section or SD-card (if the folder is on an external drive).
3. Find the folder you want and hold your finger for 1-2 seconds until the context menu appears.
4. Choose Rename, enter a new name and click OK.

If the option to rename is inactive:

• ⚠️ The folder can be system (for example, Android, MIUI). They can't be renamed.
• ⚠️ The file system on the drive is damaged. SD-PC-card error.
• ⚠️ You don't have enough licenses. Try using a Root Explorer (requires unlocking the bootloader).

Check the free space on the disk|Make sure the folder is not open in other applications|Close the cloud sync (Mi Cloud, Google Drive)|Make a backup of important files-->

Important: if the folder syncs with Mi Cloud, renaming may interrupt the file upload process, in which case it is better to first disable sync in the Xiaomi account settings.

Hidden symbols and emojis in folder names

MIUI It allows you to use emojis and some special characters in folder names, but with reservations:

• ✅ Permitted: 📁, 🖼️, 🎵, ⭐, ✔️ and other standard Unicode emojis.
• ❌ Prohibited: control symbols (\n, \t), non-printable signs.
• ⚠️ Caution: Emojis may not display correctly when connected to Mac or Linux.

Examples of correct names with emoji:

• 📸 Photo:2026
• 🎮 Games Android
• 💼 Work Documents

To put an emoji in the folder name:

1. When renaming, click on the name entry field.
2. Call the keyboard and switch to the section with the emoji (smiley face icon).
3. Select the desired symbol and complete the renaming.

Hidden characters (such as a space at the beginning of a name) can cause folder display problems in some applications. To avoid this, use visible separators:, - or..

Features of working with SD-maps and OTG-accumulator

When working with external drives (microSD, flash drives through the OTG) Name rules are tightening:

If you rename the folder to SD-map FAT32, avoid:

• 📛 Names longer than 120 characters (although the system allows 255 characters, FAT32 latent).
• 🔤 Cyrillic characters at the beginning of the name (may cause a read error on PC).
• 🔄 Frequent renaming (FAT32 It wears out faster when metadata changes).

💡

Before the purchase SD-Maps for Xiaomi format it in exFAT through the phone settings: → Warehouse → SD-map → It's internal. It'll break the constraints. FAT32, But it will make the card compatible only with Android devices.

When connected OTG-file-storage NTFS (For example, a hard drive, renaming folders can take up to 30 seconds, which is normal. Don't remove the drive until you've completed the operation!

System folders: what can and can not touch

V MIUI There are secure folders that can be renamed or deleted and can cause system failures:

• 🚫 Android contains application data.
• 🚫 MIUI — shell-file.
• 🚫 DCIM — Photo/video folder (you can delete it, but the camera will create it again).
• 🚫 Download - Standard download folder.
• 🚫.thumbdata - cache of thumbnails (hidden folder).

If you need to change the system folder name (for example, to organize files), use workarounds:

• 📂 Create a new folder with the right name and move the files there.
• 🔄 Use it. ADB (Developer rights required: adb shell mv /sdcard/Download /sdcard/My downloads.
• 🔧 Install an alternative file manager (e.g. Solid Explorer or Solid Explorer) FX File Explorer, which allows you to work with system folders.

💡

Never rename a folder. Android/obb — This will cause the installed games to crash (such as Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile) if it does, reinstall the games or restore the folder from the backup.

For power users: if you have a bootloader unlocked and Magisk installed, you can use the module MIUI Hidden Settings to access hidden system folders, but remember, wrong actions can lead to bootloop).

Problems after renaming and their solutions

Sometimes, when you rename a folder, you get errors, and let's look at the typical cases and how to fix them:

If after renaming the folder with photos they stopped showing in the gallery:

1. Open the gallery. → Settings → Folder management.
2. Click Update Media Files.
3. If it doesn’t work, restart your phone.

💡

To avoid gallery problems, don’t rename the folder. DCIM. Instead, create a new folder inside it (for example, DCIM/Vacation_2026) And move the photo there.

If the folder has become “invisible” for some apps (like WhatsApp doesn’t see the Media folder after renaming it), check:

• 🔍 Having a.nomedia file in the folder (it hides content from the media scanner).
• 📌 Access Rights: Open the folder properties in the file manager and make sure the application has read rights.

Automation: Scripts and applications for mass renaming

If you have to rename dozens of folders, the manual method is ineffective, and specialized applications and scripts will help you do this.

• 🤖 Rename Master – allows you to use templates (for example, add a prefix) 2026_ file-to-file).
• 📝 Files by Google – Built-in Mass Rename feature (available in the Cleanup section).
• 💻 Termux is for advanced users. Example of a script on Bash: for dir in /sdcard/Download/*; do mv "$dir" "${dir}_old" done

To automate via Tasker (AutoInput plugin required):

1. Create a task with the action File → Rename.
2. Specify the path to the folder and a new name with variables (for example, %DATE date).
3. Add a trigger (such as connecting to Wi-Fi or on a schedule).

💡

When you rename a file, always back it up! A script error can cause you to lose folder structure. For example, the mv* command will move all files to a higher level by mixing them with other data.

If you use Python on PC to manage Xiaomi files through ADB, Here is an example of a script to rename:

import os


import subprocess




Connection to the device



subprocess.run(["adb", "shell"])




Rename the folder



os.system('adb shell mv /sdcard/OldName /sdcard/NewName')

FAQ: Frequent questions about renaming folders to Xiaomi