How to transfer a photo from Xiaomi phone to a flash drive: a detailed guide

Transferring photos from Xiaomi to an external flash drive is a task that every user sooner or later faces, and it is especially relevant for owners of smartphones with limited internal memory (for example, Redmi). 9A or POCO M3), And even if you have a flagship model like the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, backing up your photos to a removable medium is never going to be superfluous.

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways - from the classical connection through the OTG-Adapter to cloud services to help free up space on your phone. MIUI 12/13/14, But there are nuances for older devices (up to Redmi Note). 7). Also take into account the features of the file system exFAT/FAT32, which affect the maximum size of the transferred files.

If you've never connected a flash drive to Xiaomi or encountered errors like "Device not recognized," here you'll find solutions. And for power users, life hacks to speed up transfer and automatically sort photos by folder.

1.Preparation: which flash drive is right for Xiaomi

Not every flash drive is compatible with Xiaomi phones, but here are the key requirements:

• 🔌 Interface: only USB Type-C or Micro-USB (depending on the phone model). 4X/Mi A1 You'll need an adapter. OTG (worth 100–300 ₽).
• 📁 File system: FAT32 (Max file up to 4GB) or exFAT (no restrictions). NTFS!
• 🔋 Power: Some powerful flash drives (such as SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive) require additional power. If the phone can't see them, try connecting via a hub with an external source.
• 📏 Volume: 16 GB (minimum backup) 4K-Photos and videos take 64 GB or more.

🔹 How do you check compatibility? Connect the flash drive to your phone through an adapter «USB-It's connected. "" It's okay. If it's not:

⚠️ Attention: Xiaomi with MIUI 12 and later you may need to allow access to files manually. → Annexes → Permit management → USB and enable the option "Access to data».

💡 Supported flash drives USB 3.0/3.1 (Blue connectors are faster, but only on phones with a USB-C. Micro-USB speed is limited by standard USB 2.0 (before 480 Mbit/s).

2. Method 1: Transfer through a Conductor MIUI (PCless)

The easiest method is to use the built-in Explorer (the Files app from Xiaomi), which supports work with external drives without additional programs.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the flash drive to your phone via an adapter (if necessary «USB-Put it on it and select "View Files».
2. Open the Files app» (MIUI File Manager: A new drive will appear in the Local Storage section (e.g, «USB-accumulator»).
3. Go to DCIM → Camera (photos are stored here) or Pictures (screenshots and uploaded images).
4. Select files (long press) → Tick "More" (three dots) → «Copy or Move».
5. Go back to the root. USB-Create a folder (for example, “Photos with Xiaomi”) and paste files.

⚡ The speed of transmission depends on:

• 🔄 Like a flash drive: USB 2.0 - up to 30 MB/s, USB 3.0 - up to 100 MB/s.
• 📎 File format: HEIC (iPhones are being copied more slowly JPEG.
• 🔋 Battery charge: If the level is below 20%, the phone may limit performance.

Check the free space on the flash drive|Disable Battery Optimization for the Files app"|Close the background applications (especially messengers)|Use the original. OTG-adapter-->

⚠️ Note: if the flash drive is formatted in FAT32, You will not be able to copy files larger than 4GB (e.g., videos in the file). 4K). In this case, reformat it to exFAT via PC.

3. Method 2: Use of OTG-Adapter and Third-Party File Managers

Built-in Conductor MIUI It doesn't always work with flash drives. The alternative is third-party apps like Solid Explorer, FX File Explorer or Total Commander:

• 🔍 Packet renaming of the photo by date / place of shooting.
• 📂 Creation ZIP-archives right on the flash drive.
• 🔄 Background copying (does not block the phone).

How to transfer photos through Solid Explorer:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Connect the flash drive. Select the side menu «USB-storage device” (may be called /storage/usbotg).
3. Move to the /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Camera (phone).
4. Select the photo, click "Copy", then go to the flash drive and paste.

📌 Advantages of the method:

• ✅ It works even if the built-in Explorer does not see the flash drive.
• ✅ Cloud storage support (you can upload photos to Google Drive immediately).
• ✅ Customize exceptions (for example, do not copy screenshots).

Built-in Conductor MIUI|Solid Explorer|FX File Explorer|Total Commander|Other-->

🔧 If the flash drive is not detected:

1. Reconnect the adapter (sometimes changing the port helps).
2. Try another flash drive - some cheap models are not compatible with the MIUI.
3. Update the firmware: in older versions MIUI (below 11) there were bugs with OTG.

Method 3: Automatic transfer through “Backup» MIUI

Few people know, but Xiaomi has a built-in external backup feature that allows you to automatically save photos to a flash drive on a schedule or when you connect.

How to set up:

1. Open Settings → System and device → Backup.
2. Select “Local Backup» → «Set up».
3. In the “What to Reserve” section, mark “Gallery” (you can also add “Downloads” and “Documents”).
4. Click on “Storage Place” and select the connected flash drive.
5. Set a schedule (for example, “Every day at 2:00”) or select “Reserve when connected” USB».

⚙️ nuance:

• 📅 Backups are created in.miui format. To view the photos, you have to retrieve them through Explorer.
• 🔄 When you first start up, copying can take up to 30 minutes (depending on the number of photos).
• 📵 If you turn off the flash drive during the process, the data can be damaged.

⚠️ Note: Backup is not available on Android One phones (e.g. Mi) A2/Mi A3). Use the method for them. 1 or 2.

5. Method 4: Transfer through the cloud and then load on the flash drive

If you don't. OTG-The adapter or flash drive is not defined, you can use cloud services as an intermediate storage. This method is suitable for owners of Xiaomi with limited memory (for example, Redmi). 9C 32GB).

Algorithm of action:

1. Upload the photo to the cloud: 📁 Google Photos: Automatically backups all photos when connected to Wi-Fi. ☁️ Mi Cloud: Xiaomi’s built-in cloud (5GB free). 📦 Yandex Disk or Mail.ru Cloud: convenient for users from Russia.

Connect the flash drive to a PC or other phone.

Download a photo from the cloud to a flash drive through the web version of the service or desktop application.

⏱️ Speed depends on:

• 🌐 Internet speeds (for uploading to the cloud).
• 📡 Type of connection: 4G slower than Wi-Fi 5-10 times.
• 📎 Photo sizes: compressed JPEG They are loading faster than RAW.

🔹 Lifehack: Google Photos allows you to set up automatic download only when you connect to Wi-Fi. → Backup and synchronization → Backup parameters.

💡

If you need to transfer a photo from Xiaomi to a USB flash drive via a PC, but the cable is not recognized, try turning on the file transfer mode» (MTP) in the notification curtain when connected.

Method 5: Transfer over PC (for large amounts of data)

If you want to flip tens of gigabytes of photos (for example, from Xiaomi 13 Pro to a 256 GB flash drive), it is more convenient to use a computer.

• 🖼️ Professional photographers (files) RAW Weights 50 to 100 MB).
• 🎥 Videobloggers (video) 4K It takes up tens of gigabytes).
• 🔄 Users who want to sort photos before copying.

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect your phone to your PC via cable (select File Transfer Mode in Xiaomi curtain).
2. Open “This Computer” and the phone will appear as a removable drive (e.g., “Redmi Note 12”).
3. Go to the internal drive → DCIM → Camera.
4. Copy the files to the desktop, then paste them on the flash drive.

🐧 For Linux/macOS:

• Linux may require mtp-tools: sudo apt install mtp-tools
• On macOS, use Android File Transfer (the official software from Google).

⚡ How to speed up copying:

• 🔌 Use the cable. USB 3.0 (blue connector).
• 📂 Archive the photo in ZIP before the transfer (especially if there are thousands of them).
• 🔋 Connect your phone to charge – with a low battery level, the speed drops.

💡

When copying via PC, always check the integrity of files after transfer (MD5).

7. Solving problems: the flash drive is not detected or files are not copied

Even with the right connection, there can be errors.

🔧 Diagnosis of a faulty flash drive:

1. Connect it to your PC and check it in Disk Utility (macOS) or Windows Disk Utility (Windows).
2. If the flash drive is defined but not formatted, try the utility SD Formatter.
3. If not determined at all, the controller is likely to have burned (replacement is needed).

⚠️ Note: on Xiaomi phones with MIUI 14 and later may work protection against connection of "uncertified» USB-To turn it off, go to Settings. → Additionally. → For developers → Disable the check USB (You need to turn on the developer mode).

8. Additional tips: how to manage photos on Xiaomi

Transferring photos to a flash drive is only part of the task, and here's how to optimize media storage on Xiaomi:

• 🗑️ Cleanup of duplicates: use the Files by Google app or the built-in Cleanup utility in Settings → Memory.
• 📊 Sorting by album: in the Gallery app you can create smart albums by date, place or people in the photo (works on the website). MIUI 12+).
• 🔍 Search by content: Google Photos recognizes objects in the pictures (for example, “beach”, “dog” or “dog»).
• 📱 Sync with PC: set up automatic upload photos on PC via Mi PC Suite or AirDroid.

💡 How to save space on your phone:

• Enable photo compression in Google Photos (“High Quality” instead of “Original”).
• Remove the gallery cache: Settings → Annexes → gallery → Memory. → Clear the cache.
• Move the photo to SD-Card (if the phone supports Adoptable Storage).

📌 For professionals: if you are shooting in RAW (For example, on Xiaomi 13 Pro, use the Lightroom Mobile app to convert to the JPEG before transfer – this will reduce the file size by 5-10 times.

FAQ: Frequent questions about transferring photos from Xiaomi to a flash drive