How to open a flash drive on a Xiaomi Redmi phone: from OTG to wireless transmission

Are you trying to transfer files from a flash drive to a Xiaomi Redmi, but your phone stubbornly can't see the drive? Or have you connected a USB drive through an adapter and the system gives you an error "Device is not supported"? The problem is familiar to many owners of this series of smartphones - despite the versatility of the USB-C port, not all Redmi models work equally well with external media. In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to connect the flash drive, including bypassing the limitations of MIUI, choosing the right file system format and even wireless alternatives.

It’s important to understand that successful USB drive reading depends not only on the phone model (e.g. Redmi Note 12 or Redmi 10C), but also on the type of drive (USB 2.0/3.0, memory capacity), file system (FAT32, exFAT, NTFS) and even MIUI firmware. We tested all methods on current versions of the system (including MIUI 14 and HyperOS) and collected checklists to diagnose problems. If your Redmi refuses to see the flash drive, do not rush to blame the phone: 80% of the problem is solved by setting the drive itself.

1. Compatibility Check: Which USB flash drive your Redmi supports

Before you plug in the drive, make sure it's physically compatible with your smartphone.Most Redmi models (starting with Redmi 9 and later) support the USB OTG (On-The-Go) standard, but there are nuances:

• 🔌 Port port USB-C: All modern Redmi (for example, Redmi Note 11 Pro, Redmi 12) are equipped with a connector. USB Type-C, which supports OTG. Older models (up to Redmi 8) can have a Micro USB – they need an adapter.
• 💾 Theoretically supported drives up to 2 TB, but in practice with flash drives ≥128GB often causes problems due to file system (more on this below).
• ⚡ Power: Some external hard drives (HDD/SSD) Redmi may not have enough power to run them - in this case, the externally powered hub will help.

To check the support for OTG on your model, use one of the following methods:

1. Look at the phone characteristics on the official Xiaomi website (section "Interfaces").
2. Install the USB OTG Checker app from Google Play to show if your Redmi supports the technology.
3. Connect the flash drive through the adapter and look at the notification: if a message appears «USB-plug-in», OTG work.

2. Connecting the flash drive through OTG-Adapter: step-by-step instructions

The most reliable way to open a flash drive on Xiaomi Redmi is to use it. OTG-You're gonna need an adapter:

• 🔗 adapter USB-C → USB-A (For modern Redmi or Micro-USB → USB-A (old-model).
• 💽 File system flash drive FAT32 exFAT (NTFS unsupported!).
• 📱 Phone with function enabled OTG (default-activated).

Follow the instructions:

1. Connect. OTG-phone-coupler.
2. Put the flash drive in the adapter. A notification will appear on the screen «USB-plug-in».
3. Swipe down the notification bar and tap on the message. The MIUI Explorer with the contents of the drive will open.
4. If the notification does not appear, open the Files → USB section.

What to do if the flash drive does not open?

• ❌ No notification: Try another adapter (cheap Chinese adapters often don't work) and check if the phone port is contaminated.
• ❌ The flash drive is determined, but the files are not displayed: The problem is the file system. reformat the drive to FAT32 (guideline).
• ❌ The phone says, "Device not supported": "Perhaps the flash drive requires too much power. Try plugging it in through a powered hub.

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If you often work with flash drives, buy them. OTG-adapter with a connector for microSD memory cards - so you can connect both flash drives and memory cards at the same time.

3. Formatting a flash drive into the correct file system

MIUI doesn't support NTFS file system, which is the most common reason why the flash drive doesn't open on Xiaomi Redmi. If your drive is formatted in NTFS, the phone won't see it, so the solution is to reformat the flash drive to FAT32 or exFAT.

How to do this:

1. Connect the flash drive to your computer (Windows/macOS/Linux).
2. Open Explorer (or Disk Utility on Mac) and find your drive.
3. Right-click. → Format.
4. Select File System: FAT32 – compatible with all devices, but does not support >4GB files. exFAT supports large files, but may not be readable on older devices.

Start.

Attention! Formatting removes all the data from the flash drive, so if it has important files on it, copy them to your computer first.

⚠️ Warning: Some flash drives (especially cheap Chinese ones) may lie about their volume. FAT32 phone still does not see the drive, check its real volume program H2testw (Windows or F3 (macOS/Linux).

4.Wireless USB Connection: An Alternative to OTG

If you don't. OTG-The adapter or flash drive is not defined, you can transfer files over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. This method works even on older Redmi models (for example, Redmi 7 or Redmi). 8A).

Option 1: Through a router (local area network)

• 📡 Connect your phone and computer to the same Wi-Fi network.
• 💻 Insert the flash drive into your computer and share it on the network: Windows: right click on the flash drive → Properties → Access. → Sharing. macOS: System settings → Public access → enable file sharing.
• 📱 On the phone, open the Files app → Network → find a shared flash drive.

Option 2: Through the cloud

• ☁️ Upload files from the flash drive to Google Drive, Mi Cloud or Yandex Drive.
• 📲 On your phone, open the cloud service application and download files.

Option 3: via Bluetooth (for small files)

• 🔵 Connect the flash drive to your computer and send files to your phone via Bluetooth.
• 📱 On Redmi, turn Bluetooth on in Settings → Connect and accept files.

5.Error Solving: The flash drive is connected but not opened

If Xiaomi Redmi sees a flash drive (notification appears) but cannot open its contents, the reasons may be as follows:

Instructions for unlocking access (if MIUI blocks the flash drive):

1. Put the flash drive on the phone.
2. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
3. Find the Files application (or Explorer).
4. Select Permissions → turn on Storage and USB.
5. Restart your phone and try to open the flash drive again.

⚠️ Note: If the USB stick was previously used on Android devices with root rights, it could be encrypted, in which case Redmi will not be able to read it without decrypting it on the original device.

6. Alternative methods: card readers and cloud services

If the OTG doesn’t work or you need to plug in flash drives often, consider these options:

• 📷 Cartridge with OTG: Devices like SanDisk MobileMate allow you to connect microSD and SD-It's convenient if you're working with the camera photos.
• 🌐 Cloud flash drives: Services like Yandex Drive or Google Drive allow you to mount the cloud as a local drive.
• 🔌 USB-Power Hub: If you are working with external hard drives (HDD/SSD), The power hub will solve the problem of lack of energy.

Example of setting up a cloud flash drive:

1. Install the Yandex Drive or Google Drive app.
2. Upload files from the flash drive to the cloud via your computer.
3. On the phone, open the application and download the necessary files to local storage.

For professionals, if you need to work with flash drives often, consider buying a Wi-Fi flash drive (like SanDisk Connect), which creates its own access point, and files are available wirelessly through the air.

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If you often transfer large files (video, disk images), prefer exFAT over FAT32 – this will eliminate the restriction on file size of 4 GB.

FAQ: Frequent questions about connecting flash drive to Xiaomi Redmi