How to format a flash drive on a Xiaomi smartphone: all the ways and nuances

Formatting a flash drive on Xiaomi smartphones is a challenge that every user faces when it comes to clearing a drive of viruses, changing the file system or simply preparing it for a new use. Unlike computers where the process takes a couple of clicks, Android devices have their own nuances: the limitations of MIUI, the features of working with FAT32, exFAT and NTFS, and the risks of data loss if you do not do the right thing.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current formatting methods, from standard MIUI 14/15 tools to hidden functions through ADB and third-party apps. You’ll learn how to choose the best file system for your flash drive (especially if it exceeds 32 GB), what to do if your smartphone doesn’t see the drive after formatting, and how to recover deleted files. And also unique techniques for models with a USB-C connector and OTG support, which are not documented in the official instructions of Xiaomi.

Why you might need to format a flash drive on Xiaomi

At first glance, cleaning the drive seems like a trivial task, but in practice, users of Redmi, POCO and Xiaomi face a number of problems:

• 🔄 Change of file system: FAT32 It doesn’t support files larger than 4GB, and exFAT may not be readable on older devices.
• 🦠 Viruses and malware: Flash drives often become malware carriers, especially if connected to public computers.
• 🔧 Reading errors: Messages like “Drive is corrupted” or “File system not recognized” require a complete overwriting.
• 📱 Incompatibility with MIUI: Some flash drives (especially high-capacity ones) are not defined without prior formatting.

Also, after upgrading to MIUI 15, many users noticed that the system automatically mounts external drives in read-only mode, which is due to Xiaomi's security policies, but the problem can be solved with the right formatting.

⚠️ Note: If the flash drive has been used on Mac or Linux, its file system may be in format APFS or Ext4. Xiaomi smartphones do not support these formats – the drive will have to be reformatted into FAT32/exFAT computer.

Preparing for Formatting: What to Do in Advance

Before you start cleaning, follow a few critical steps:

1. Save important data: Format deletes everything without the option to cancel. Move files to your computer, to the cloud (Mi Cloud, Google Drive), or to another drive.
2. Check the capacity of the flash drive: For drives up to 32 GB, FAT32 is optimal, over - exFAT. NTFS on Android works only with root rights.
3. Charge your smartphone: The process can take up to 10-15 minutes, and a power interruption will damage the drive.
4. Use the original. OTG-Adapter: Cheap adapters often cause connection errors.

If the flash drive is not detected, try:

• 🔌 Connect it through another. OTG-cable.
• 📵 Reboot your smartphone with a connected drive.
• 🧹 Clear the port USB from dust (relevant to Redmi Note 12 and POCO X5, wherein the connector is not protected from contamination).

Method 1: Formatting with standard MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use built-in MIUI tools, which is suitable for most flash drives up to 128 GB and does not require the installation of additional applications.

Instructions:

1. Connect the flash drive through OTG-Adapter, wait for the notification «USB-drive-in».
2. Open Files (File Manager application from Xiaomi)
3. Go to section. USB-storage device (or external storage).
4. Tap the three-point menu (⋮) → Settings → Format.
5. Select the file system: FAT32 - for compatibility with all devices (maximum file size - 4 GB). exFAT - for flash drives from 64 GB (supports files up to 16 EB).

Confirm the action, wait for the completion (the progress bar will appear on the screen).

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI (For example, Global ROM For Redmi 10, there may be no formatting option. In this case, use method 3 or 4.

Save data from the flash drive|Charge your phone at least 50 times%|Use the original OTG-adapter|Check the visibility of the flash drive in File Manager-->

Method 2: Formatting via computer (for complex cases)

If standard MIUI tools fail (for example, a flash drive is defined as an “unknown device” or has read errors), connect it to Windows or Mac and format through them.

For Windows 10/11:

1. Connect the flash drive to the PC.
2. Open This Computer → Right Click on Drive → Format.
3. Select: File system: FAT32 (up to 32 GB) or exFAT (up above). Cluster size: 4,096 bytes (optimum for most cases).

Start.

For macOS:

Diskutil list # Find the flash drive ID (e.g., disk2)


diskutil eraseDisk FAT32 MYFLASH MBRFormat /dev/disk2

Replace disk2 with your ID and FAT32 with exFAT if needed.

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If the flash drive is not determined on Xiaomi after formatting on your PC, try disabling the "Safe Retrieval" option in the USB settings on your phone. Go to Settings → Connected Devices → USB → Disable Secure Retrieval

Method 3: Use of third-party applications (for advanced users)

If the built-in MIUI tools don't fit, install one of the specialized applications that support more file systems and offer additional features (e.g. bug checkers).

The best formatting applications:

• 📌 USB OTG Helper is a simple interface, exFAT support and NTFS (only reading the last one).
• 🛠️ AOMEI Partition Assistant – allows you to divide the flash drive into partitions (useful for Xiaomi Pad 6 with support for external drives).
• 🔍 SD Card Formatter (from) SD Association – optimized for microSD, but works with USB-accumulator.

Example of formatting with USB OTG Helper:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Connect the flash drive, open the application.
3. Select the drive → Format.
4. Specify the file system and confirm the action.

⚠️ Note: Apps like Paragon NTFS & HFS+ pledge NTFS Android, but in practice, they often cause errors when writing.

Method 4: Formatting through ADB (for power users)

If the flash drive is defined by the system but is not formatted by standard methods, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires the inclusion of USB debugging and is suitable for Xiaomi models on pure firmware (MIUI EU, Pixel Experience).

Instructions:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap 7 times on the MIUI version.
2. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your smartphone to your PC, open the command line and type: adb shell sm list-disks sm partition disk:179,64 private (replace 179.64 with your flash drive ID from the sm list-disks command).
4. Format the section: mkfs.exfat /dev/block/sda1 (or mkfs.vfat for FAT32).

This method is useful if the flash drive is stuck in read-only mode or the system does not recognize it, but it requires knowledge of the command line and can lead to loss of data on the smartphone itself if you do not act correctly.

💡

Formatting via ADB is the only way to unlock flash drives that MIUI defines as “damaged” and prevents them from formatting with standard methods.

What to do if the flash drive is not formatted

Sometimes the process ends up with the error: "Failure to format," "Drive is written secure," or "File system is not supported." Let's look at the solutions for each situation:

• 🔒 Write protection: Check the physical switch on the flash drive (relevant to older models). Open Diskpart on PC and type: attributes disk clear readonly
• 🚫 I/O error: Try formatting on another device. Use the utility HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool (Even works with damaged drives).
• ⚠️ Low-level errors: Use Victoria or HDD Low Level Format Tool for complete erasure and re-marking. If the flash drive is older than 5 years, it may be physically worn out - replace it.

For flash drives SanDisk and Kingston often helps proprietary software:

• 🔧 SanDisk RescuePRO – Recovering damaged sectors.
• 🔧 Kingston Format Utility – Optimized for the Drives of this brand.

Data recovery after formatting

If you formatted a flash drive by mistake, don't write new files to it, it will reduce the chances of recovery.

To restore the smartphone Xiaomi suitable DiskDigger (available in Google Play).

1. Install the application, grant root rights (if any).
2. Select a flash drive in the list of drives.
3. Run a full scan (may take several hours).
4. Save the recovered files to internal memory or the cloud.

⚠️ Note: Recovered files may be fragmented (especially videos and archives) and check their integrity before use.

FAQ: Frequent questions about formatting flash drives on Xiaomi