How to transfer data from Xiaomi phone to memory card: photos, videos and applications

A full internal memory smartphone is a problem that every second owner of Xiaomi faces. Even models with 128 GB and 256 GB of memory quickly clog up high-resolution photos, 4K video, app cache and system updates. A microSD card seems like an obvious solution, but not everyone knows how to use it correctly. In this article, we will discuss all the working ways to transfer data to Xiaomi (including Redmi and POCO), given the limitations of MIUI and the peculiarities of working with applications.

It's important to understand that just copying files to a map is not enough, you need to configure the system so that new data is stored there by default, and the old ones do not take up space on the internal drive. We will look at both manual methods (via Explorer and PC) and automatic methods (camera settings, file downloads). SD-Map – a feature that is not officially available in the latest versions MIUI, but has a workaround.

This article is relevant for Xiaomi smartphones on MIUI 12-14 (including HyperOS) and Android 10-14. If your model is older than 2018, some points may differ - check the availability of the described menus in the settings.

1.Preparation: Which Memory Card to Choose for Xiaomi

Before you transfer data, make sure your memory card is compatible with your phone. Xiaomi supports microSD up to 2 TB (theoretically), but in practice it is better to choose cards up to 512 GB from proven brands: SanDisk Ultra, Samsung EVO or Kingston Canvas. Speed class should be at least UHS-I (U1) for photos and U3 for 4K video.

Pay attention to the format of the map:

• 📱 FAT32 — Suitable for files up to 4GB (photos, music) and does not support files over 4GB (e.g. high-resolution video).
• 🖥️ ExFAT is the best choice for Xiaomi, supports files of any size and works faster. FAT32.
• ⚠️ NTFS — Many Xiaomi smartphones do not work correctly with this format.

If the card is new, the phone will prompt you to format it when you first connect. Always agree - this guarantees compatibility with MIUI. If the card has already been used, format it manually through the phone's settings: Settings → Storage → Memory Map → Format.

⚠️ Attention: Format removes all data from the card! Move important files to the PC before you start.

2. Method 1: Transfer files through the built-in MIUI Explorer

The easiest method is to use Xiaomi's standard Explorer, which allows you to move files without connecting to a PC or any additional applications.

1. Open the Files app (the folder icon on the home screen).
2. Go to Device (Internal Memory) and find the data folders: 📷 DCIM — photo and video 🎵 Music - audio files 📄 Download – downloads from the browser

More. → Move it

Memory map

DCIM/Camera

If there is no folder on the memory card, the system will prompt you to create it automatically. To speed up the process, you can use batch movement: select all the files in the folder (for example, DCIM) and transfer them at a time.

Battery charge > 30%|Free space on the map > portability|Map formatted in exFAT|Important files are backed up on PC-->

⚠️ Attention: Don't move the Android folder manually! This can disrupt the application. Use method 4 to port the application data.

After moving, make sure that files are opened from a memory card, for example, run a gallery and make sure that the photos are displayed. If some files are not visible, try restarting the phone or reconnecting the card.

Method 2: Automatically save new files to the card

To avoid manually transferring files every time, set up Xiaomi to automatically save data to the user. SD-This is about the map:

• 📸 Photo and video from the camera
• 📥 Downloads from the browser and messengers
• 🎶 Music and podcasts

For the camera:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Press on. ⚙️ Settings (cog in the upper corner).
3. Select Warehouse. → Memory map.

For downloads from the browser (Mi Browser or Chrome):

1. In the browser, open the menu (⋮) → Settings → Downloads.
2. Indicate the path of conservation: /storage/XXXX-XXXX/Download (where XXXX-XXXX — ID your card).

For instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp):

• In Telegram: Settings → Data and memory → Download folder → Memory Map.
• On WhatsApp: Transferring chats to a map is not possible, but media files can be saved there by default in the chat settings.

💡

If the camera settings do not have a Memory Card option, update the Camera app via Play Market or check if it is inserted correctly. SD-map (sometimes contacts are oxidized).

Once set up, all new files will be saved to the map, saving space in the internal memory, and the old data will have to be transferred manually (see Method 1).

Method 3: Transfer applications to a memory card (bypassing MIUI restrictions)

In the latest versions MIUI (12–14) function of transferring applications to SD-The map is officially disabled, but there are two workarounds:

Method 1: Use of ADB (for advanced users)

This requires you to connect your phone to your PC and work with the command line.

1. Turn on Developer Mode on Xiaomi: go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and press 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install ADB drivers (download from the XDA Developers website).
4. Open the command line on your PC and type: adb shell pm set-install-location 2 This command will force the system to install new applications on the PC. SD-default-card.

Method 2: Applications with external memory support

Some applications (e.g. Spotify, Netflix, Google Maps) allow you to save data to the memory card in their settings:

• 🎵 In Spotify: Settings → Data data → Offline music folder → Memory map.
• 🗺️ In Google Maps: Settings → Offline maps → Storage settings → SD-map.

⚠️ Note: Transferring system applications (such as Mi Home or Themes) to a memory card can cause crashes.

5. Method 4: Transfer data over PC (a reliable method for large volumes)

If you need to move tens of gigabytes of data (like a video collection or backup), it's more convenient to use a computer. It's faster and safer than moving through a phone.

Steps for Windows:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB-cable (use the original cable for a stable connection).
2. On your phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the connection notification.
3. Open This PC – the phone will appear as a removable drive (e.g. Xiaomi Redmi Note 12).
4. Copy files from internal memory (Internal drive) to memory card (SD-map).

Steps for the Mac:

1. Install Android File Transfer (official software from Google).
2. Connect your phone and allow access to files.
3. Drag files from the Internal Storage folder to the SD Card.

Advantages of this method:

• 🚀 Transmission speed 2-3 times higher than through a phone conductor.
• 🔍 You can use synchronization programs (e.g. Syncthing or FreeFileSync).
• 🛡️ Below is the risk of interrupting the process (on PC, the power supply is stable).

💡

When transferring via PC, always use the Safe Retrieval feature to SD-maps USB-A sudden shutdown can damage the file system of the card, making it unreadable.

Method 5: Cloud Transfer (for backup)

If you need to not only make space, but also back up, use cloud services, a method that is suitable for transferring photos, contacts and documents.

Instructions for Mi Cloud (composed with Xiaomi Cloud):

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Enable synchronization for Gallery, Contacts and other data.
3. After uploading files to the cloud, download them to a memory card via your browser or Mi Cloud app.

Alternative services:

• 🌥️ Google Photos: automatically uploads photos to the cloud, then they can be downloaded to the map via the web version.
• ☁️ Yandex Disk or Mail.ru Cloud: convenient for documents and archives.

The downside is that it depends on the speed of the Internet, and 10 GB of photos will require a stable connection and 1-2 hours of time, but it is the most secure way, since data is duplicated in the cloud.

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

When you transfer data to a memory card, Xiaomi users face typical problems.

If the memory card is no longer defined after the transfer of files, try:

1. Connect it to the PC via the card reader.
2. Check for errors in the CHKDSK utility (in Windows: chkdsk E: /f, where E: is the letter of the card disk).
3. If the map is not readable, restore the data with Recuva or PhotoRec.

⚠️ Note: If after formatting the card, the phone says "damaged" SD-"card" - don't use it any further - it's a sign of physical wear and tear.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions