Moving photos from the internal memory of Xiaomi Redmi 9C to a memory card is a challenge that every second owner of this budget smartphone faces. Despite the modest 32/64 GB of internal memory, the model supports microSD up to 512 GB, which allows you to expand storage for thousands of images. However, standard Android settings are not always intuitive: somewhere you need to manually move, and somewhere you just need to change the camera settings.
In this article, we will discuss 5 Proven methods of transferring photos to SD-card – from basic (through file manager) to advanced (using PC or ADB). We will focus on hidden settings. MIUI 12/13, which allow you to automatically save new pictures directly to the memory card, as well as for typical errors (for example, when the system does not see) SD Or it gives you a message, "Not enough space." If you've tried to migrate files and you've had problems, there's a solution section at the end of the article.
1.Preparation: checking the memory card and phone settings
Before you transfer the photo, make sure that your microSD is correctly recognized by the system.Put the card into the slot (in Redmi 9C it is combined, under the second SIM) and follow the following steps:
- 🔍 Check the format of the map: it should be formatted in FAT32 exFAT. NTFS unsupported!
- 📱 Open the Settings. → Warehouse → Memory card and make sure the device determines its size.
- 🔄 If the card is new, format it via phone: Settings → Warehouse → Memory map → Format as internal storage (this will delete all data!).
- 📁 Create a folder for a photo: for example, DCIM/Camera — This will make it easier for the camera to find a way to save.
Important: If you chose formatting as “internal storage”, the card cannot be retrieved and read on another device without losing data.
⚠️ Attention: At Redmi 9C memory-card (SIM2 + microSD. If you use two SIM-You have to choose the cards, or the second. SIM, expansion of memory.
Method 2: Transfer through a standard MIUI file manager
The easiest method is to use the built-in Files (or File Manager) that doesn't require a PC connection and works even without the Internet.
- Open the Files app** (the folder icon on the desktop).
- Go to Images or DCIM → Camera – all photos are stored here.
- Press and hold your finger on any shot, then mark the rest (or tap "Select All").
- At the bottom of the screen, a toolbar will appear – select Move (not Copy!).
- In the folder list, find a Memory Card (or SD card), select a target folder (such as DCIM) and click “Insert”**.
If you don't have a DCIM folder on your card, create it in advance: in the file manager, click + and call it DCIM. This is the standard location for a photo, and the camera will automatically search for pictures here.
Open Files | Find the photo folder (DCIM/Camera) |Select the pictures you want |Click Move |Select the memory card as the target |Confirm the transfer-->
⚠️ Warning: If you see a "file not moved" error when you move, check if the photo is protected from recording. → Annexes → Permits → Storage and enable access to "Files».
Method 2: Automatically save new photos to a memory card
To avoid manually transferring the images every time, set the camera to save directly to the SD. In Redmi 9C, this is how you do it:
- Open the standard Camera app**.
- Put it on the gear (⚙️) in the upper right corner to open the settings.
- Find the location (or the location) of the store.
- Select Memory Card** (if the option is inactive, the SD is not recognized or formatted correctly).
After that, all new photos and videos will be stored on the map, the old pictures will remain in the internal memory - they will have to be transferred manually (see Method 1).
| Parameter | Internal memory. | Memory map |
|---|---|---|
| Recording speed | Above (UFS 2.1) | Below (depending on SD class) |
| Automatic backup | Yes (Google Photo) | No (manual transfer required) |
| Availability without a phone | No. | Yes (if the card is portable) |
| Limitation of volume | 32/64 GB | Up to 512GB |
💡
If the Memory Card option in the camera settings is inactive, remove the SD, restart the phone and insert it again. Sometimes re-formatting via the phone (not via PC!) helps.
4. Method 3: portage (Windows/macOS)
If you don't have enough space for temporary files on your phone, or you're carrying thousands of photos, you're more comfortable using a computer. USB-cable (preferably original) and 5-10 minutes of time.
Instructions for Windows:
- Connect the Redmi 9C to your PC via USB.
For macOS, use Android File Transfer (download from the official website). The algorithm is the same, but unlock your phone before connecting (some Macs require you to confirm your trust in the device).
What to do if the PC can’t see the phone?
5. Method 4: Using Google Photos (cloud port)
If you have a slow memory card (class 4 or 6), it can take hours to transfer large files, in which case it is more convenient to upload photos to Google Photos and then download them to SD. The advantage of the method is compression without loss of quality (if you choose High Quality).
Step-by-step:
- Open Files on your phone, go to a memory card and create a Google Photos Backup folder.
The downside is that with a large photo volume (for example, 10+ GB), it can take several hours to download, but you will get a backup in the cloud and save time on manual transfer.
💡
Google Photos automatically optimizes photos when uploaded in High Quality mode, reducing their weight by 30-50% without visible loss of quality.
Method 5: Transfer via ADB (for power users)
If standard methods don’t work (e.g., file manager issues errors), you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires a PC and basic command line knowledge, but is guaranteed to work even on “stuck” phones.
Instructions:
- Connect Redmi 9C to your PC and open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with ADB.
If the command fails, try the alternative with mv (moving instead of copying):
mv /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Camera/* /storage/XXXX-XXXX/DCIM/⚠️ Attention: Teams ADB If a path contains spaces (such as My Photos), wrap it in quotes: "My Photos." A mistake in the command can lead to data loss!
7.Typical errors and their solutions
When transferring photos to a memory card, Redmi 9C users often face the following problems:
- 🚫 «Not enough space, even if 100 is free on the map+ GB: Solution: Check if the photo is saved in format HEIF (They take up less space, but not all maps support them. JPEG through the Gallery appendix».
- 🔄 «Files don't move," -- the progress bar is 0%. Solution: Remove the card, paste it into another phone or PC, format it in exFAT, and try again.
- 📵 «Memory card not found. Solution: check if yours supports SD-map 9C (maximum - 512 GB, class 10 or UHS-I). Cheap cards without logos are often not recognized.
- 🔒 «folder DCIM Solution: create it manually through a PC, then safely remove the map and paste it back into the phone.
If none of these methods worked, try resetting your phone (pre-copying the photo to your PC!) 90% of the time, the problem is a MIUI file system failure, not a hardware malfunction.