How to open a flash drive on the Xiaomi TV set-top box: all ways and solutions to problems

External connection USB-The main device for the Xiaomi Mi Box, Mi TV Stick or Mi Box S seems like a simple task – but in practice, users are faced with read errors, no file displays, or the system completely ignores the device. The problem is often not the console itself, but the wrong file system format, incompatible disk partitioning or firmware limitations. In this article, we will examine all the working methods for connecting a flash drive, from basic configuration to solving rare failures.

It is important to understand: Xiaomi uses a modified version of Android TV, where external drives are not as widely supported as on regular Android smartphones, for example, the consoles do not recognize the file system. NTFS without additional manipulation, and some models require forced mounting through ADB. We tested all methods on the latest firmware in 2026 – from Mi Box 4K before TV Stick 4K — And they only selected the working solutions.

1. Which flash drives are supported by Xiaomi TV set-top boxes

Not every one. USB-The flash drive will work correctly with Xiaomi TV Box. The manufacturer officially claims support for drives up to 256 GB, but in practice, the restrictions depend on the model and version of the firmware:

• 🔹 Connection interface: only USB 2.0/3.0 Type-A (for Mi) TV Stick will need to be needed. OTG-Adapters don't support consoles. USB-C directly.
• 🔹 File system: optimally — FAT32 exFAT. NTFS It is only recognized on some root-right firmware.
• 🔹 Power: High-power flash drives (e.g. Samsung) T7 Shield) may not be defined – use a passive externally powered hub.
• 🔹 Partitions: The console only sees the first main partition. If the flash drive is broken into several volumes, the rest will not be available.

Among the proven models that work consistently with Xiaomi:

⚠️ Note: Hardware-encrypted flash drives (such as SanDisk SecureAccess) will not be recognized by the console.

Preparation of the flash drive: formatting and marking

If Xiaomi can't see the flash drive, 90% of the time, the problem is the wrong file system.

Step 1: Check the current format

Connect the flash drive to the computer (Windows/macOS/Linux) And check her file system:

• 🖥️ Windows: Open This Computer → right-click → Properties.
• 🍎 macOS: Launch Disk Utility → select the drive → tab Information.
• 🐧 Linux: Enter the lsblk command -f terminally.

Step 2: Formatting in FAT32 exFAT

For maximum compatibility, we recommend FAT32 (but with a 4GB file size limit) or exFAT (no restrictions, but may require firmware updates).

Save important data from the drive|Connect the flash drive to the PC|Choose the format FAT32 (file-wise <4 GB or exFAT|Call it Latin (for example, XIAOMI_MEDIA)|Safely remove the device-->

On Windows:

1. Open this computer. → right-click → Format.
2. Choose. FAT32 exFAT.
3. Specify the tome mark (e.g, XIAOMI_MEDIA).
4. Click Start and wait until it is completed.

On macOS, use the Disk utility with the same settings. For Linux, the command will be:

sudo mkfs.vfat -n XIAOMI_MEDIA /dev/sdX1

sdX1

⚠️ Attention: If the flash drive is volume >64 GB, standard formatting in FAT32 You can use GUIFormat or Rufus to bypass the restriction.

3. Connecting a flash drive to a Xiaomi TV set-top box

Once you've prepared the drive, plug it into the console, depending on the model.

For the Mi Box S/Mi Box 4K (full-size USB-port)

1. Put the flash drive in the port. USB back-bar.
2. Wait for the notice "USB-device connected" (appears in the upper right corner of the screen).
3. Open the File Manager (the Explorer icon in the application menu).

For Mi. TV Stick (no) USB-port)

It will. OTG-adapter (e.g, UGREEN USB-C to USB-A). Connection:

1. Put it in. OTG-port-adapter USB-C prefix.
2. Connect the flash drive to the adapter.
3. Use a power source with current ≥1A (for example, the original power supply from Xiaomi), otherwise the flash drive may not be determined.

If the console does not respond to the connection:

• 🔌 Restart the device (press the button). OK + Menu on remote for 5 seconds).
• 🔄 Try another one. USB-port (if any) or OTG-adapter.
• 📱 Check the flash drive on another device (PC, smartphone).

💡

If the prefix is Mi TV Stick doesn't see the flash drive through OTG, try to use USB-externally powered hub. Some adapter models don't provide enough current for the drives.

4. Access to files: file manager and media players

Once you've successfully connected, you need to open files. Xiaomi's firmware has Explorer built in, but it's limited.

Method 1: Built-in file manager

1. Open the Explorer app (the folder icon in the menu).
2. Select a section "USB-device or the name of your flash drive.
3. Navigation: buttons ↑/↓ pick-off, OK opening.

Limitations:

• ❌ No archive support (.zip/.rar).
• ❌ No hidden files (starting from a point) are displayed).
• ❌ No sorting by date/size.

Method 2: Third-party media players

For playing video / music it is more convenient to use specialized applications:

Installation:

1. Open Google Play on the console.
2. Find the right application (like VLC) and install it.
3. Launch the player. → select "Local Files" → find your flash drive.

5. Problem Solving: The flash drive won't open

If Xiaomi does not see the flash drive or gives an error, use this instruction:

Mistake: "USB-device is not supported"

Causes and solutions:

• 🔋 Insufficient power: Use an externally powered hub or the original Xiaomi power supply (5V/2A).
• 🗜️ Incompatible file system: Reformat the flash drive to FAT32/exFAT (see section 2).
• 🔌 Port problems: Connect another USB-Device (mouse/keyboard) – if it doesn’t work, the port is faulty.

Error: "Disk is not formatted"

This error occurs if:

• The flash drive is formatted in NTFS or ext4.
• The drive is damaged (check on PC with chkdsk) /f Windows).
• There are sections on the flash drive (the prefix only sees the first).

Decision:

1. Connect the flash drive to the PC and check for errors:
2. If errors are found, complete the formatting (see Section 2).

The flash drive is determined, but the files are not displayed

Possible causes:

• 📁 Files have unsupported names (Cyrillic, special characters) and rename them in Latin.
• 🔒 Files are hidden or locked (check attributes via PC).
• 🎵 Media file format is not supported (e.g..mkv with rare codecs). VLC.

⚠️ Note: If the flash drive has been previously used on Linux or macOS, it may contain service files (e.g,.DS_Store Remove them from your PC before you connect to the console.

💡

If the flash drive works on other devices, but is not determined on Xiaomi TV Box, 95% of the time, the problem is power or file system. Start your diagnosis by checking the power supply and storage format.

6. Advanced settings: mounting through ADB

If standard methods do not help, you can forcibly mount a USB drive through Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This method requires command line skills and is suitable for experienced users.

Step 1: Include debugging by USB

1. On the console, go to Settings → About the prefix → POS version.
2. Click on the "Software Version" 7 times until the "You became a developer" notification appears.
3. Go back to the Settings → For developers and turn on:

Step 2: Connecting through ADB

Download. ADB Tools for your OS:

• 🖥️ Windows: Platform Tools by Google
• 🐧 Linux: sudo apt install adb
• 🍎 macOS: brew install android-platform-tools

Connect the console to the PC by USB (or over the network if Debugging over the network is enabled and:

adb devices

If the device appears in the list, enter:

adb shell


sm list-disks

You will see a list of connected drives (for example, disk:179,To mount the flash drive:

sm mount -o rw /dev/block/vold/179:1 /storage/usb1

179:1

After mounting, check the availability of files in /storage/usb1.

7. Alternative methods of file transfer

If you connect through USB It is not possible to consider alternative methods:

Method 1: Local area network (SMB/DLNA)

Set up a shared folder on your PC and connect to it from the console:

1. On PC (Windows):

Xiaomi

• Install the X-plore or ES Conductor.
• Add network storage to the address smb://IP_your PC/Folder Name.

FAQ: Frequent questions