How to transfer the gallery to the memory card in Xiaomi Redmi: 3 working methods

Why photos take up all memory and how to fix it

Owners of Xiaomi Redmi smartphones sooner or later face the same problem: internal memory is clogged with photos and videos, and the system begins to issue notifications about the lack of space. Even if you use a microSD card with 128 or 256 GB, by default all media files are saved to the internal drive. This is inconvenient, especially when you need to take an urgent picture, and the phone says “Memory is full”.

The solution seems obvious: to move the gallery to the SD-But in the MIUI (This process is not always intuitive, depending on the firmware version and the smartphone model (Redmi Note 10 Pro, Redmi). 9A, Redmi 12 et al.) portability may vary, and some users may experience errors such as “Can’t move files” or “Card is not supported.” In this article, we’ll discuss all current methods, including hidden settings and workarounds for older versions. MIUI.

Before you start, make sure your memory card:

• 🔹 Formatted in FAT32 exFAT (NTFS unsupported)
• 🔹 It has enough space (at least 10% more than the gallery occupies)
• 🔹 Not damaged (check through Settings) → Memory. → Checking the map)
• 🔹 Inserted correctly (some Redmi models require rebooting after installation) SD)

Method 1: Transfer through standard MIUI settings (the easiest)

If your smartphone runs MIUI 12/13/14, the fastest way is to use the built-in portability feature, which is suitable for most modern models, including the Redmi Note 11, Redmi 10 and later.

Step instructions:

1. Open the Gallery app (flower icon).
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select Settings.
3. Go to Memory and Cache → Media File Storage.
4. Click Change next to "Save new files in".
5. Choose yours. SD-map from the list and confirm the action.

Importantly, this way of redirecting the storage of new files to the memory card, but does not move existing photos, so to free up the internal memory completely, you need to manually transfer old media files.

• 📁 Open Explorer (or any file manager).
• 🔍 Go to the folder. DCIM → Camera (camera photos are stored here).
• 📋 Select all files (long press). → "Choose all").
• ➡️ Click "Move" and point the way to SD-map, /storage/1234-5678/DCIM/Camera).

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If you have a file too big error when you transfer, try splitting the folder into 500-1000 files or use exFAT instead of FAT32 (the latter does not support >4 GB files).

Method 2: Using a file manager for manual transfer

If your MIUI version doesn’t have the default storage change option (relevant to the Redmi 8, Redmi 7 and older models), you’ll have to do it manually, which is universal and works on any Xiaomi smartphone, but takes longer.

Step-by-step:

1. Install a file manager (e.g., Mi File Manager, Solid Explorer, or FX File Explorer).
2. Open the manager and provide all the permissions requested.
3. Go to internal memory on the path /storage/emulated/0/DCIM – here are all photos and videos stored.
4. Copy the Camera folder (or highlight individual files) and paste it on SD-map (/storage/1234-5678/DCIM).
5. Remove the originals from internal memory (optional if you are sure that the copy is successful).

⚠️ Note: Some apps (such as Google Photos or WhatsApp) may create duplicate media files the next time you run:

• 🛑 Close all messengers and gallery through Settings → Annexes → Launched.
• 🔄 Restart your smartphone after the transfer is complete.
• 📸 Do it. 1-2 Test images and check if they are saved SD-map.

Method 3: Transfer over PC (reliable but longer)

If previous methods did not work or you are afraid of losing data, the most reliable option is to connect your smartphone to your computer and transfer files through the Internet. USB-This method is also useful if you need to free up a lot of space (for example, move 20).+ GB photos).

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux
• 🔌 Original. USB-cable (preferably from the set)
• 📁 File Manager on PC (Windows Explorer, Finder on Mac or Total Commander)

Instructions:

1. Connect Redmi to your PC via USB. On your phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. On your computer, open the folder of your smartphone (usually appears as a removable disk).
3. Go to Internal Storage → DCIM → Camera.
4. Copy all files to your computer (temporary folder).
5. Turn off the phone, put it in. SD-card to the PC card reader (or plug the phone back in and select the memory card as a disk).
6. Create on SD-folder DCIM → Camera and paste backup files.
7. Remove the originals from the phone’s internal memory.

⚠️ Note: When connecting through USB Some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi Note) 10S) They can automatically mount only internal memory, ignoring the internal memory. SD-- A map:

1. Remove the memory card from the phone and paste it into the card reader of the computer. 2. OTG-adapter SD-Map directly to PC. 3 Mac may require Android File Transfer installation.

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Transferring over a PC is the safest way, as you monitor each step of copying and can check the integrity of files before deleting the originals.

How do you do it? SD-card of the main storage by default

If you want all new photos and videos to be automatically saved to a memory card instead of an internal drive, you need to change the camera settings. Unfortunately, in some versions of MIUI, this option is hidden or missing. Here's how to find it:

For MIUI 12/13/14:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Put it on the gear (⚙️) Or swipe left to open the settings.
3. Find the Warehouse or Memory section.
4. Choose a memory card instead of internal memory.

For older versions (MIUI 10/11):

• 📌 This option may not be available – in this case, use third-party cameras (such as Open Camera or Google Camera) where you can choose the way to save.
• 🔧 Or change the permissions to the folder. DCIM on SD-map via Root (requires unlocking the bootloader).

Important: On some models (e.g. Redmi 9T), even after changing the storage settings in the camera, the first 1-2 photos can be stored in internal memory. This is a MIUI bug - check the save path after each shooting session.

Frequent mistakes and how to fix them

When moving the gallery to SD-Xiaomi Redmi users often face typical problems. Here are the most common and ways to solve them:

If the gallery is slow or slow when scrolling after transfer:

• 🐢 Clear the gallery cache in the app settings.
• 🗑️ Delete the.thumbnails folder on SD-map (hidden folder with miniatures).
• 🔄 Turn off automatic miniature creation in gallery settings.

Additional tips for memory optimization

Transfer of the gallery to SD-To prevent the internal memory of Xiaomi Redmi from getting clogged again, follow these recommendations:

• 📱 Clean the app cache regularly through Settings → Memory. → Cleanup.
• 🎵 Move the music and downloads to SD-map (in the settings of each application there is a storage option).
• 📂 Use cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud) to back up and delete local copies.
• 🔍 Check the Download folder – unnecessary files often accumulate there.
• 🎮 For gamers: in Settings → Annexes → Application management can be transferred to some games SD-map (not everyone supports it).

If you often shoot videos in 4K full HD, Consider the possibility of buying SD-class A2 or UHS-I U3 — They're optimized to write large files without brakes. 8K (For example, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+) minimum recommended class — UHS-II V60.

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To speed up the work of the gallery with SD-Format it in exFAT and disable the function "Scan" SD-map when connected in memory settings, which will reduce the load on the processor when you open the photo.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions