Transfer music files from Xiaomi to an external flash drive USB-The adapter seems like a simple task, but in practice, users face nuances, from adapter incompatibility to mounting errors. OTG-cable prior to setting access rights to MIUI, We also consider alternative methods if the standard method does not work.
Xiaomi phones (including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Mi 11) have their own MIUI shell that sometimes blocks external drives from connecting out of the box. We tested the process on different firmware versions (including MIUI 14 and HyperOS) and identified key time-saving features, such as 80 percent of the time the USB flash drive problem is solved by turning on File Transfer mode in the notification curtain, but many users miss this step.
If you use a flash drive that is over 64GB, make sure it is formatted in exFAT or NTFS – FAT32 does not support files larger than 4GB, which is true for Lossless audio. Also check if your Xiaomi supports OTG (the list of compatible models is below).
1. Which one. USB-Adapter needed for Xiaomi
Not all. OTG-Adapters are equally useful. Xiaomi is critical to choose an adapter with the right connector and support. USB 2.0/3.0. Here are the key parameters:
- 🔌 Type of connector: for modern Xiaomi (c) USB-C) need an adapter USB-C → USB-A. For older models with Micro-USB (e.g. Redmi) 4X) — Micro-USB → USB-A.
- ⚡ Transfer speed: Adapters with support USB 3.0 (blue connectors) copy music 2-3 times faster, but cost more. USB 2.0.
- 💡 Additional ports: Some adapters have a connector for SD-Cards – convenient if you need to copy music directly from your phone’s memory card.
- 🔋 Power: Cheap adapters may not provide enough current for 128GB flash drives+. Choose models with passive power or connect OTG chargeable.
Official OTG-Adapter from Xiaomi (article) MDY-11-ED) It is compatible with all models of the brand, but any certified adapter from Baseus will also work, UGREEN Avoid no-name adapters, which are often unrecognized. MIUI Due to the lack of resistance resistors.
2. Preparing Xiaomi phone to connect the flash drive
Before connecting devices, follow a few steps in the MIUI settings:
- Turn on OTG mode: Go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → OTG (in some firmwares, path: Settings → Additional → OTG features). Activate the switch. If no point, your model does not support OTG (check the list below).
- Allow access to files: In Settings → Applications → Application Management → Files, enable storage access permissions.
- Turn off battery optimization for Files: Go to Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization, find Files app and select No Limits. This will prevent the connection from breaking during copying.
If the flash drive is not determined after connecting, try:
- 🔄 Reboot your phone with a connected adapter.
- 🔌 Connect OTG to the charger (some flash drives require additional power supply).
- 📱 Update firmware: in MIUI 13+ Improved support for external storage.
Enable OTG in settings | Allow access to files for the Files app | Turn off battery optimization | Update MIUI to the latest version | Check model compatibility with OTG-->
3. Step-by-step instruction: copying music to a flash drive
When the phone and flash drive are ready, follow the algorithm:
- Connect the adapter: Insert OTG-The adapter is in the phone connector, and the flash drive is in the adapter "USB-plug-in".
- Select Transfer Mode: Swipe down the notification curtain and tap the File Transfer option (or File Manager) and if this is not available, check if the adapter is properly connected.
- Open Files: Run the standard Files app. In the Device section, a new folder will appear with the name of your flash drive (e.g. USB storage).
- Find music: Go to Internal Storage → Music (or the folder where your audio files are stored).
- Copy files: Click Copy, then go to the flash drive folder, select Insert. To speed up the process, use the "Move" option, which will delete the originals from the phone after copying.
The speed of transfer depends on the file format:
- 🎵 MP3 (128-320 kbit/s – copied in seconds.
- 🎧 FLAC or WAV (Lossless - It could take a few minutes.
💡
If the flash drive doesn’t appear in Files, try using a third-party file manager like Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer – they work better with OTG on MIUI.
4. Problem Solving: The flash drive is not defined
If your phone doesn’t see an external drive, check the following points:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The flash drive doesn't show up. | Lack of food | Connect the OTG to charging or use an externally powered hub |
| Mistake "USB-device not identified" | Incompatible format (e.g. NTFS on older Xiaomi) | Format the flash drive in exFAT via PC |
| Files are copied with errors | Damaged sectors on the flash drive | Check the chkdsk utility drive on your computer |
| The phone gets overheated when you copy it. | Cheap OTG-shieldless adapter | Use the original adapter or interrupt the copy every 5 minutes |
Xiaomi models on MIUI 12 and below may require manual mounting of the drive via ADB:
adb shell sm set-force-adoptable trueThis command is forced to enable removable media support, and attention: developer rights and USB debugging are required.
How to enable debugging by USB on Xiaomi
5. Alternative ways of transferring music
If the OTG is not working or you don’t have an adapter, use one of these methods:
- ☁️ Cloud storage: Upload music to Mi Cloud, Google Drive or Yandex Disk, then download files to your computer and transfer to a flash drive. Minus - traffic restriction (for example, in Mi Cloud only 5 GB is free).
- 💻 Computer as an intermediary: Connect your phone to your PC via USB, You can copy the music to a hard drive, then transfer it to a flash drive, which is more reliable, but it requires an additional device.
- 📶 Local area network (FTP): Install the app on the phone FTP Server (e.g. WiFi) FTP Server, connect to it from your computer via Wi-Fi and download files. Speed depends on the router (average 10–50 Mbps).
- 🔄 Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct: You can send files directly to another device (like a laptop) via Bluetooth, but it’s long – track 5 MB transmitted ~1 minute.
For owners of Xiaomi with IR-port (e.g. Mi) 10T) Transmission via Infrared Port is theoretically possible, but the speed will be extremely low (~115 kbps, and most flash drives don’t support this protocol.
6. Compatibility of Xiaomi models with OTG
Not all Xiaomi smartphones support OTG out of the box. Below is a compatibility table for popular models:
| Model | Support for OTG | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note 12 Pro+ | ✅ Yes. | Requires MIUI 14+ for stable operation |
| POCO X5 Pro | ✅ Yes. | Supports USB 3.0 (speed up to 50 MB/s) |
| Xiaomi 13 Ultra | ✅ Yes. | It is better to use the original adapter Xiaomi |
| Redmi 10A | ⚠️ Partially. | It only works with flash drives up to 32GB (FAT32) |
| Mi 11 Lite | ✅ Yes. | Can not detect NTFS without manual mounting |
To check the compatibility of your model, check the specifications on the official Xiaomi website or use the USB OTG Checker app from Google Play.
💡
If your Xiaomi does not support OTG, but the specifications indicate USB-C or Micro-USB, try updating the firmware - newer versions of MIUI often add support for external drives.
7. Optimizing Music Before Perenosom
Before copying, it is recommended to prepare audio files:
- 🎛️ Convert formats: If music is in FLAC or ALAC, But you listen to it on a simple player (for example, in a car), convert it to a simple player. MP3 320 kbps via Audacity or Freemake Audio Converter.
- 🏷️ Put order in tags: Use Mp3tag Or MusicBrainz Picard to fix the metadata (performer, album, cover) that makes it easier to navigate the collection.
- 🗃️ Sort by folder: Create a folder structure by style or artist (e.g. Rock) on a flash drive → Pink Floyd → The Dark Side of the Moon).
- 🔍 Remove duplicates: Programs like Duplicate Music Finder will find repetitive tracks and save space.
If you're copying music to play in a car, check which formats your radio supports. For example, many Pioneer and Sony headphones don't read FLAC from flash drives formatted in exFAT.
8 Security: How to Avoid Data Loss
When working with external drives, there is always a risk of losing files.
⚠️ Warning: Never remove a flash drive while copying - this can damage the file system. MIUI Before turning off, a “Safe Removal” notification will appear – wait for it or use the “Extract” option in the curtain.
- 🔒 Backup: Before mass copying, copy the music to your computer or the cloud. Use Google Photos (for audio formats) M4A) or Resilio Sync.
- 🛡️ Check the flash drive for viruses: Connect the drive to your PC and scan Avast or Kaspersky.Viruses (like Shortcut) can hide files on Android.
- 🔄 Use "Error Check": Open Flash Drive Properties in Windows → Service → On your Mac, use Disk Utility.
If some files are not reproduced after copying, check:
- Audio format (some players do not support OGG or APE)
- File integrity (damaged tracks may have a zero size)
- Encrypting file names (Cyrillic names can cause errors on some devices).