Flash drives on Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi and POCO lines) often become a dump for photos, videos and documents. Over time, they get littered with garbage, and the file system can get corrupted, causing read errors. Clearing a flash drive through a phone is a simple process, but with nuances: from choosing the right file system (FAT32, exFAT or NTFS) to the risk of data loss when formatted incorrectly.
In this article, we will discuss 5 ways to clean up: from standard formatting through Settings to using third-party applications and even recovering deleted files. Particular attention will be paid to the Xiaomi model with a hybrid slot under the SIM + microSD (for example, Redmi Note 11 Pro+), where the flash drive can “disappear” after updating the MIUI. You will also learn why sometimes the phone does not see the formatted drive and how to fix it without a computer.
1. Standard formatting through Xiaomi settings
The safest method is to use built-in MIUI tools, which are suitable for flash drives up to 64 GB (optimally formatted in FAT32) and do not require root rights. Importantly, copy the data to another medium before cleaning!
Instructions:
- 📱 Open the Files app (Folder icon on the desktop).
- 🔍 Go to the Device section → Select your flash drive (usually marked as SD-card).
- ⚙️ Click on three dots in the upper right corner → Storage settings → Format.
- ⚠️ Confirm the action by selecting the file system (for cards up to 32 GB — FAT32, above - exFAT).
⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO X3 Pro) after formatting in NTFS The flash drive may not be detected, in which case repeat the procedure by selecting exFAT.
The formatting speed depends on the class of the flash drive (for example, Class 10 will clear in 1-2 minutes, and UHS-I in 30-40 seconds). If the process “hangs” longer than 10 minutes, remove the card and try again.
Copyed all important files | Battery charge > 30% | Flash drive not physically damaged | Selected the correct file system-->
2. Formatting through “Recovery Mode”
If the flash drive is not formatted through Files or the phone can’t see it, try using Recovery Mode, which will work even on “bricks” (faulty devices), but you need to be careful: wrong actions can lead to a reset of the phone’s settings.
Step-by-step:
- Turn off your smartphone.
- Press the Power button + Volume up until the MI logo appears.
- From the Recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset → Wipe SD Card (use volume buttons for navigation, power for confirmation).
- After cleaning, restart the phone (Reboot).
⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI 14 for Xiaomi 13) Wipe item SD The card may not be available. In this case, use the method. №3 or №4.
The advantage of the method is that it is cleaned at a low level, which helps with file system failures. The disadvantage is that there is no format choice (usually FAT32 is used by default).
Through the Files appendix"|In Recovery Mode|With the help of a PC|Third-party annexes-->
3. Use of third-party applications (SD Maid, Files by Google)
Standard MIUI tools don't always do deep cleaning, such as removing hidden files (.thumbdata,.nomedia) or app cache.
- 🧹 SD Maid – removes garbage, duplicates and temporary files (requires root for full scanning).
- 📂 Files by Google – a free tool with the function “Clean up” (recognizes unnecessary files by category).
- 🔍 A1 SD Bench – tests the speed of the flash drive and finds broken sectors.
Example of cleaning through Files by Google:
- Install the app from Google Play.
- Open the Cleanup section → select the flash drive.
- Click Free Space and confirm that unnecessary files are deleted.
To remove hidden files manually:
- Connect the flash drive to the PC (via OTG-card-reader).
- Enable the display of hidden files in Windows Explorer (View → Hidden Items).
- Delete the folders.android_secure,.Data and files with the.tmp extension.
What to do if the app does not see the flash drive?
4. Low-level cleaning via PC (for power users)
If the flash drive is damaged or infected with viruses, standard methods may not help, in which case use low-level formatting utilities on your computer:
| Utility. | Supported FSs | Features |
|---|---|---|
| SD Formatter | FAT32, exFAT | The official tool from the SD Association is suitable for memory cards up to 2TB. |
| HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool | FAT32, NTFS | It formats even “unreadable” drives, but does not support exFAT. |
| DiskPart (built into Windows) | FAT32, NTFS, exFAT | Commands: Diskpart list disk select disk X (where X is the flash drive number) clean create partition primary format fs=fat32 quick |
Important: When using DiskPart, be careful with selecting a disk – an error will lead to cleaning another drive!
After low-level cleaning:
- 🔄 Reconnect the flash drive to the phone.
- 📲 If Xiaomi doesn’t see it, restart the device or check your settings. → Warehouse → Storage settings → SD-map.
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If the flash drive is defined as “damaged,” try formatting it into FAT32 with a cluster size of 4096 bytes (in SD Formatter, this is called Allocation unit size), which often solves compatibility problems with MIUI.
5. Data recovery after cleaning
If you formatted the flash drive by mistake, the chances of returning files depend on:
- ⏳ The time you have to clean up (the faster you act, the better).
- 🔄 The type of formatting (quick) leaves more chances than the full formatting).
- 📱 USB flash drive models (SanDisk Ultra is easier to recover than no-name cards).
Recovery programmes:
- 🛠️ Recuva (Windows) – Free, supports photos and documents.
- 📱 DiskDigger (Android) – works without root, but with limitations.
- 💻 EaseUS Data Recovery – paid, but with a high percentage of successful recovery.
Instructions for DiskDigger:
- Install the app from Google Play.
- Choose Basic scan (without root) or Full scan (with root).
- Mark the file types (e.g. JPG, MP4) and start the scan.
- Save the recovered files to your phone’s internal memory or cloud.
⚠️ Note: Do not save recovered files to the same flash drive - this will overwrite data and reduce the chances of success. Use internal memory Xiaomi or cloud services (Google Drive, Mi Cloud).
6. Frequent errors and their solutions
Even after cleaning properly, the flash drive may not work properly, and let's look at the typical problems and ways to fix them:
| Mistake. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| SD-The card is damaged. Try formatting it. | Damage to the file system or broken sectors. | Format it through the PC with the SD Formatter utility with the Overwrite format option. |
| The flash drive is not defined after formatting in NTFS. | MIUI does not support NTFS without root. | Reformat to exFAT or use the Paragon NTFS & HFS+ app (requires root). |
| The phone is writing SD-map pulled out unexpectedly. | Bad contact in the slot or a damaged card. | Blow the slot with compressed air or try another flash drive, and if the problem persists, bring the phone to the service. |
If neither of these methods worked, check the flash drive on another device, and it may be the drive itself, and use H2testw (Windows) to test it, and it will find broken sectors and fakes (e.g., 8GB flash drives sold as 128GB).
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On Xiaomi smartphones with a hybrid slot (SIM)+microSD after updating MIUI Solution: Reboot your phone or manually mount the map through Settings → Warehouse → SD-map → Mount.