A smartphone’s overflowing internal memory is one of the most common problems faced by owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices: When storage is clogged, the system starts to run slower, new apps are not installed, and the camera may refuse to take pictures due to space shortages, in which users often look for a way to quickly free up gigabytes without deleting important photos or documents.
The most effective solution for Android-smphone owners is to use an external flash drive or USB-This allows you to transfer data sets to an external medium and store them there for as long as you want, freeing up valuable internal memory space. Unlike cloud storage, physical storage does not require a permanent internet connection and gives you full control over the privacy of your information.
However, this process has its own nuances, depending on the model of your device and the version of the operating system MIUI or HyperOS. Not all users are aware of the OTG feature, which is built into modern smartphones, but often hidden from view. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the ways to transfer files, from simple connection through an adapter to the use of specialized software.
Preparation of equipment and compatibility check
Before you start manipulating files, you need to make sure that your smartphone is physically able to interact with the data. USB-Virtually all modern Xiaomi models support the technology. USB OTG (On-The-Go: This feature allows the charging port to operate not only on power reception, but also on data transmission, acting as a host for external devices.
You'll need it yourself. USB-a flash drive and, in most cases, a special adapter, because smartphones use Micro-USB connectors or USB Type-C, and flash drives have a standard connector USB Type-A, you can't do without an adapter. It's important to choose high-quality accessories, because cheap adapters can cause unstable work or not detect the drive at all.
⚠️ Warning: Before connecting the flash drive, make sure it is formatted in the file system FAT32 Or exFAT. NTFS, Often used on Windows, it may not be readable by a smartphone without installing additional software.
Also worth checking your device's battery power: The process of actively writing data to an external drive consumes energy, and if the charge is critically low, the phone may shut down at the most inopportune moment, which threatens to damage the USB drive's file system.
Use of the OTG-direct-connection adapter
The fastest and most reliable way to copy data is to connect a flash drive directly through the computer. OTG-This method does not require a computer or Internet access, making it ideal for work in the field or on a journey.
First, insert USB-You can put the drive in the adapter, and then you can plug the adapter into the smartphone charging connector. Android must automatically identify the new device. USB-drive, and in the file manager will display a new partition.
Next, you need to open the standard Explorer (or File Manager) application, and in the interface you will see two main sections: Internal Drive and «USB-Navigation between them is done by simply changing tabs or returning to the root folder.
- 📂 Open the folder with photos in internal memory (usually this is the case). DCIM/Camera).
- 📤 Press the menu button (three dots or bars) and select “Select all” or mark the desired files with a long press.
- ✂️ Select the action "Copy" or "Move" (Cut).
- 💾 Go to section. USB-Then click on the "Pass" (Paste).
The copying process will take some time, depending on the volume of data and the speed of writing the flash drive. Do not remove the drive until the operation is completed, otherwise the data may be corrupted.
☑️ Checklist of secure connection
Working with a file manager and setting up access
The built-in MIUI tools provide ample file management options, but sometimes the system asks for additional permissions when you first connect an external drive.
If you don't see files after you plug in the flash drive, try going to the storage settings. The path may vary depending on the shell version, but often it's at Settings → About Phone → Storage. Here you can see a list of connected devices and how they're managed.
Xiaomi's standard Explorer can sort files by type, which makes it much easier to search, so you can quickly go into Images, Videos, or Documents, select what you want and send it to an external medium, which is more convenient than wandering through a complex folder structure.
For advanced users, third-party file managers such as Total Commander or FX File Explorer are available, providing a more flexible interface, support for plugins to work with NTFS, and the ability to split the screen to view the source and.destination simultaneously.
| Parameter | Internal memory. | External flash drive (USB 3.0) | Cloud storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading speed | High (up to 500 MB/s) | Medium (up to 100 MB/s) | Depends on the Internet. |
| Reliability | Tall. | Average (loss risk) | Tall. |
| Access without network | There is. | There is. | No (no cache) |
| Cost of GBB | Included in the phone price | Low. | Monthly subscription |
Why can't the phone see the flash drive?
Alternative methods: Cloud and Wi-Fi transmission
You don't always have a physical adapter or a flash drive on hand, and in these cases, wireless data technologies come to the rescue, and the fastest wireless method is to use the FTP protocol over Wi-Fi, which is built into Xiaomi's standard conductor.
To do this, connect your phone and computer (or other device with file access) to the same Wi-Fi network. In the Explorer, select "Pak Access", turn on the server and enter the displayed address in the browser on the computer. Now you can copy files from your phone directly to your computer's hard drive or network storage (NAS).
Another option is to use cloud services like Google Photos, Yandex.Disk or Mi Cloud, which by setting up automatic gallery sync, you free up space on your phone by deleting local copies that are already stored in the cloud, but this method requires stable and fast Internet.
The Send Anywhere app or MIUI’s Wi-Fi Sharing feature allows files to be transferred directly between Xiaomi devices without internet, which is convenient if you want to transfer data to another phone, which you can then connect to a USB drive.
Solving problems and errors when copying
Despite the simplicity of the procedure, users often encounter errors, and one of the most common is the message "File is too big", which occurs if the flash drive is formatted on a FAT32 system that does not support single files larger than 4 GB.
In this case, you need to reformat the drive. You can do this on a computer: plug a flash drive, right-click on the disk in My Computer, select Format and specify the exFAT file system. This will solve the file size problem and keep Android compatible.
⚠️ Attention: Formatting completely destroys all data on the flash drive. Be sure to copy important files from the drive to the computer before performing this operation.
Another problem is slow copy speed, which can be caused by using a cheap USB 2.0 adapter instead of USB 3.0, or by the phone's port being contaminated, and cleaning the soft brush charging connector regularly helps improve contact and transfer speed.
If copying is interrupted at a certain percentage, it is possible that the sector on the flash drive is damaged. Try copying files in smaller portions or checking the drive for errors through Windows tools.
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Use the Safe Retrieval feature in the notification curtain before pulling out the flash drive, which ensures that all recording buffers are cleaned and no file remains corrupted.
Optimizing storage after transfer
After successfully transferring data to a flash drive, take your time to delete files from your phone immediately. First, check if photos and videos are opened from an external drive. Make sure that the quality of the files is not affected during the transaction.
For further convenience, it is recommended to create a clear folder structure on the flash drive, for example: Backup_2026/Photos, Backup_2026/Videos, This will help you quickly find what you need in the future, when the phone again requires vacation of space.
Regular storage maintenance should become a habit. Check WhatsApp/Media and Telegram folder once a month, as messengers tend to accumulate gigabytes of garbage.
Keep your flash drive safe, away from magnetic fields and moisture. Remember that physical media are less reliable than cloud servers and require careful care. Periodically check their performance by connecting to a PC.
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Using an external flash drive via OTG is the fastest and cheapest solution to the memory shortage problem, without requiring the Internet and monthly subscription fees.