How to transfer a photo from Xiaomi phone to a memory card: the full guide 2026

Is your smartphone full of photos and your memory card empty? is a problem that every second Xiaomi owner faces — especially if you have a model with 64 GB of internal memory, like Redmi. 10A or POCO M5. Transfer of the photo to SD-The card not only frees up space for new shots, but also serves as a backup in case of a phone reset.

However, many users are faced with errors: files are not copied, the map is not determined or photos are lost. In this article, 5 working methods of transfer, including hidden MIUI settings that are not described in the official documentation. And also - a table of compatibility of memory cards with popular Xiaomi models and answers to frequent questions like "Why can't you see the card in the gallery?".

If you are using Xiaomi on MIUI 14 or later, note: the manufacturer has limited direct entry to SD-Map for some apps (like Google Photos) but there are workarounds — read on.

Before you start, check out two things:

1. The memory card is formatted in FAT32 or exFAT (for files >4 GB).
2. The phone has an original card installed – some cheap fakes are not recognized by Xiaomi.

1. Transfer through the built-in MIUI file manager

The easiest way is to use the standard Files app (yellow folder icon) preinstalled on all Xiaomi smartphones and supports batch copying.

Algorithm of action:

1. Open the Files app → go to the Images tab.
2. Click "Select" in the upper right corner and mark the desired photos (or tap "Select all").
3. Click "More" (three dots) → "Copy in".
4. In the list, select yours. SD-card (usually signed as "External drive" or the name of the card model).
5. Create a folder (such as Photos) or select an existing one → “Insert”.

Important nuance: if the memory card is formatted as internal (in the Warehouse settings) → Memory card, the system can block the transfer. №3.

The speed of copying depends on the class of the card:

• 🔹 Class 10/U1 — ~20-30 MB/s (suitable for photo).
• 🔹 U3/V30 — ~50-90 MB/s (optimum for 4K-video).
• 🔹 Unlabeled speeds below 10MB/s (risk of error!).

2. Automatic transfer through camera settings

If you want all new photos to be saved to your memory card, set this up in the Camera app, which works on all Xiaomi models except the Mi 11 Ultra and 12S Ultra (they have a separate storage logic).

Instructions:

1. Open the camera → tap on the gear (settings).
2. Scroll to the "Storage" section → select "Memory Map".
3. Confirm the selection (the system may ask to restart the camera).

Nana POCO F4 redmi K50 This option is hidden behind the additional menu - after selecting "Storage" hold your finger on the screen for 2 seconds to appear item "SD-map".

Limitations of the method:

• 📌 It only works for new photos (old ones will remain in the internal memory).
• 📌 Some modes (such as Pro or Night) may ignore settings.
• 📌 Nana MIUI 13 and older when the card is removed, photos are temporarily lost from the gallery (restored after the card is returned).

⚠️ Warning: If the camera is not able to save photos after changing the settings, check the card on another device, it may be damaged or fake (especially for SanDisk Ultra cards from unofficial stores).

3. Transfer over PC (reliable and fast)

If your phone has little space for temporary files or the card is detected with errors, use a computer, which guarantees 100% data security and works even with damaged cards (provided that the PC sees them).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable (preferably original).
2. On the phone, select the File Transfer mode (in the connection notification).
3. On PC, open "This Computer" - there will be two disks: internal memory of the phone and SD-map.
4. Copy a photo from the Internal Storage → DCIM → Camera folder to a memory card (into the DCIM folder or create a new one).

Advantages of the method:

• 🖥️ The speed of copying in 2-3 Twice as high as the phone.
• 🔍 You can check for viruses before the perenosom.
• 🛠️ If the card is not readable on the phone, it can sometimes be restored via a PC (programs like Recuva or DiskGenius).

Tip for Windows 11: If the system asks you to format your card when you connect, don't agree - it will delete all the data.

1. Press "Cancel."
2. Open "Disk Management" (Win + X → Disk Management).
3. Find the map, right-click → "Change the letter of the disk".
4. Assign a new letter (such as G:) and restart the PC.

4.Using Google Photos (cloud + map)

If you use Google Photos, you can upload the photos to the cloud first and then download them to a memory card.

• 📱 There's very little room on the phone.
• 🔄 You need to transfer the photo to several devices.
• 🔒 It is important to maintain the original quality (Google Photos compresses photos only when the limit is exceeded).

How it works:

1. Install Google Photos (if not installed).
2. Turn on autoboot: open the app → tap on the avatar → “Photo settings” → “Backup and sync”.
3. Wait for the photo to be uploaded (check in the web version of photos.google.com).
4. On your phone, open Google Photos → Choose a photo → "Save it to the device" → specify SD-map.

Free storage of Google Photos is limited to 15 GB (for the entire Google account).

• 🔹 Remove unnecessary files from Google Drive (they take up the same limit).
• 🔹 Use the "High Quality" compression (unlimited space, but photo) >16 MPs to be reduced).
• 🔹 Move the photos in packs. 1-2 GB to avoid overloading the cloud.

⚠️ Note: If you delete photos from your phone before they load into Google Photos, they will be permanently lost. Check the download status in notifications or in the "Photo on Device" section of the app.

5. Special transfer applications

If standard methods don’t work (e.g., the phone doesn’t see the card or gives you an error “Inadequately rights”), try third-party apps. We tested the top 3 options for Xiaomi:

For Xiaomi with root rights is suitable FX File Explorer – it allows you to transfer files directly to the system folders of the memory card (for example, /storage/XXXX-XXXX/DCIM/.thumbnails), This speeds up access to them from the gallery.

Instructions for Files by Google:

1. Install the application and give access to the files.
2. Go to the "Cleaning" tab" → "Files".
3. Select "Images" → tag the right photos.
4. Tap "Move" → choose SD-map.

💡

If the app doesn't see the memory card, reboot the phone with the card inserted. MIUI 14+ sometimes helps to turn off the Adaptive Brightness function in the screen settings (system bug).

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

Transferring photos to memory cards can be accompanied by errors, we have collected the TOP-5 problems of Xiaomi users and how to fix them:

1. The memory card is not determined

• 🔌 Reconnect the card (remove and repaint).
• 🔄 Reboot the phone.
• 🛠️ Check the card on another device (if it doesn’t work, it’s faulty).
• 📱 Update the firmware (Settings) → The phone. → Updating the system).

2.Photos moved but not displayed in gallery

• 🔍 Use the file manager to find the folder with the photo on the map (usually DCIM/Camera).
• 📂 Move the photo to the Pictures folder on the map.
• 🔄 Restart your phone or clear the gallery cache (Settings) → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the cache).

3. "Not enough space" error during transfer

• 🗑️ Remove unnecessary files from the card (video, music).
• 🔄 Format the card in exFAT (supports files) >4GB).
• 📁 Transfer the photo in small packs (by 500-1000 piece).

4.Photos lose quality after transfer

• 🖼️ Check the compression settings in the application that you transfer.
• 🔍 Compare the file size before and after the transfer (should match).
• 📱 Use the original cable to connect to your PC (cheap cables can limit speed).

5 The card has become an "inner memory" and cannot be retrieved.

• 📵 Do not force the card out – it will lead to data loss.
• 🔄 Transfer all important files to the PC.
• 📱 Reset the card settings: Settings → Warehouse → Memory map → Format as portable (data will be deleted!).

💡

If the memory card is formatted as internal, it can’t be simply removed – transfer the data first and format it as portable.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions