How to transfer a photo from Xiaomi phone to a flash drive: 5 proven ways

Why Transferring Photos to Xiaomi’s Flash Drive Needs a Special Approach

Smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO they work on the corporate shell MIUI, It's a very nuanced drive, and unlike pure Android, it's often a problem to recognize flash drives through the external drive. OTG-Adapter, formatting limitations in NTFS, And also features of access to the file system through the Mi File Manager Explorer, such as Xiaomi models. 13T Pro or Redmi Note 12 Pro+ They can automatically mount the USB drive as a “portable device” rather than as a removable disk, making it difficult to directly transfer files.

Another common problem is file system incompatibility: Many users find that the exFAT (optimum for files >4 GB) flash drive doesn’t read on older Xiaomi models without a firmware update beforehand. And if you use the flash drive as an extension of internal memory through the Adoptable Storage feature, standard copying of photos can lead to encryption and unavailability on other devices.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to transfer photos to the flash drive for Xiaomi in 2026, including bypassing typical MIUI errors, working with different fileymi systems and alternative methods through PC or cloud services.

Method 1: Direct transfer through OTG-Adapter (the fastest method)

Use of the OTG-adapter (USB Type-C → USB-A) — The most versatile method that works on all Xiaomi models, starting with the Redmi 5 (2017) and later. OTG-function that can be checked in the settings along the way:

Settings → Connected devices → USB

If the option is active, plug the flash drive through the adapter, the system will automatically determine it as an external drive.

• 📁 Open the File Manager app and go to Device.
• 🖼️ Find the file. DCIM → Camera (all photos taken with the phone camera are stored here).
• 📋 Select the files you need with a long tap, then click Copy or Cut.
• 🔌 Return to the root directory and select your flash drive (usually displayed as USB-storage-storage).
• 📤 Insert files into the desired folder (we recommend creating a separate directory, for example). Xiaomi_Photos).

⚠️ Attention: On models with MIUI 14+ When you first connect a flash drive, you may get a formatting request. Don't agree if the drive already has data, the system will ask you to format it into a format. FAT32, This will limit the maximum file size to 4GB. Instead, select Read Only or plug the flash drive into your PC for pre-formatting in exFAT.

The flash drive is formatted in exFAT or FAT32

OTG-The adapter is compatible with your Xiaomi model (Type-C or Micro-USB)

There is enough free space on the flash drive (photos in RAW can weigh 20-50 MB each)

In the developer settings, the item "Debugging by USB" is disabled (may conflict with OTG)

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Method 2: Transfer over a computer (reliable but longer)

If OTG doesn’t work (e.g. on older Redmi 4X or Mi A1) models, the most reliable way is to use a PC as an intermediary, which is also useful if you need to transfer a large amount of photos (e.g. 50+GB) or sort them before copying.

Procedure:

1. Connect your phone to your computer through USB-cable (preferably original from Xiaomi).
2. On the phone in the notification panel, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. On PC, open This computer – your Xiaomi will appear as a removable drive.
4. Go to Internal Storage → DCIM → Camera (or Pictures if the photo is saved in the gallery).
5. Copy files to the desktop or in a separate folder.
6. Connect the flash drive to the PC and transfer the photos to it.

The advantage of this method is the ability to pre-process photos: renaming, converting to JPEG (if the source is HEIF), removing duplicates. For example, for models Xiaomi 12S Ultra with a camera on 200 MP, the source files can weigh up to 100 MB – they are more convenient to compress first on a PC and then transfer to a flash drive.

Through OTG-direct adapter

Through computer (PC/laptop)

Using the cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud)

Through special applications (e.g. Send Anywhere)

I haven’t tried to transfer a photo to a flash drive yet.

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Method 3: Using cloud services (if no OTG or PC)

If you're not on hand OTG-You can temporarily upload photos to the cloud and then download them to a flash drive through another device. 10-15 GB), as it depends on the speed of the Internet and the restrictions of free tariffs.

Instructions for Google Photos:

1. Install the Google Photos app from the Play Market.
2. Sign in to your Google account and enable autosynchronization (or upload photos manually through Photos → Select → Download).
3. On another device (PC, tablet) open photos.google.com and download the archive with photos.
4. Unpack the archive and transfer the files to the flash drive.

Alternative cloud services:

• ☁️ Mi Cloud (built into Xiaomi, but 5GB cap on free fare).
• ☁️ Yandex Drive (10 GB free, there is an automatic photo download).
• ☁️ Dropbox (2GB free, but user-friendly interface to sort).

⚠️ Note: When uploading photos to the cloud in format HEIC/HEIF (Used in new Xiaomi to save space, can be converted to JPEG To avoid this, change the camera settings to save in the JPEG (Camera settings → Image format).

💡

If you need to transfer a photo from Xiaomi to a flash drive without loss of quality, use the Send Anywhere app. It transfers files directly to a direct link without compression and format restrictions. Download it to both devices (phone and PC), select files and send it to 6-digit code.

Method 4: Applications for Wireless Transfer (Wi-Fi Direct)

For users who often transfer photos between devices, it is convenient to use specialized applications. They work on the Wi-Fi Direct protocol or over the local network, which allows you to do without wires and adapters.

Top.-3 apps:

1. Send Anywhere: 📲 Cross-platform (Android, iOS, PC). 🔗 Transfer of 6-code-mark QR. 📁 No restrictions on file size.
2. Xender: 📱 Optimized for Xiaomi (integration with the MIUI). 🎯 Transmission speed to 40 MB/s. 🔄 Support for batch shipment.

LocalSend

• 🔒 No advertising or tracking.
• 🌐 Works through the browser (does not require installation on the PC).
• 📡 Uses a local network (without the Internet).

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 No, he doesn't. OTG cloud-based.
• 📸 Suitable for regular backup photos.
• 🔋 Saves battery power (transferring over a card consumes less energy than Wi-Fi).

Limitations:

• 🚫 It does not work on models without a microSD slot (for example, Xiaomi 13 Lite).
• 🐢 The speed of copying depends on the class of the memory card (recommended). UHS-I Class 10).

💡

If your Xiaomi doesn’t support OTG and doesn’t have a microSD slot, the only working way is to migrate over the PC or cloud, in which case prioritize the method with the computer: it’s faster and doesn’t depend on internet speed.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When transferring photos to a flash drive, Xiaomi users often face typical problems related to the features of MIUI and the file system.

Another common problem is loss of quality of photos when translating, which occurs when:

• 📸 Photo saved in format HEIF (default in the new Xiaomi, and the flash drive is formatted in FAT32, file-free >4GB.
• 🖼️ When copying through some cloud services (e.g, VK Cloud) is automatically compressed.
• 🔧 The camera settings have enabled the option "Storage Optimization" (Camera settings) → Additionally. → Optimizing storage).

For models with 108+ MP cameras (such as Xiaomi 12S Ultra), it is recommended to use UHS-II flash drives to speed up the transfer of large files.

Tasker (for advanced users):

• Create a task that, when connected to OTG, will automatically copy a photo from DCIM to a flash drive.
• Root rights or ADB use will be required.

For most users, the easiest option is to manually copy once every 1-2 weeks via OTG or PC.