How to transfer all photos to a memory card Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Transferring photos to a memory card in Xiaomi smartphones is a task that every device owner sooner or later faces. Even flagship models with 256 GB of internal memory are eventually clogged with thousands of images, and budget devices with 64 GB begin to “brake” after a few months of active use. But simply inserting a microSD and pressing “transfer” is not enough: you need to take into account the format of the card, camera settings, the MIUI version and even the file type (JPEG, HEIF, RAW).

In this article, we’ll explore not only basic transfer methods (via file manager or camera settings), but also less obvious tricks – like how to get Xiaomi to automatically save a photo to the default memory card, why some pictures are not portable, and what to do if the system is not portable. see SD-We will focus on models with a hybrid slot (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro).+), where the memory card is second place SIM, and on the features of working with exFAT format for files weighing more than 4 GB.

1.Preparation: Which Memory Card to Choose for Xiaomi

Before you transfer photos, make sure your memory card meets Xiaomi’s requirements. Not all microSDs are equally useful: cheap models without certification can not only slow down, but also damage files when writing.

Xiaomi’s official recommendations for most smartphones (from Redmi 10A to Xiaomi 14 Ultra):

• 🔹 Speed class: minimum UHS-I Class 10 (or U1), for 4K-video — U3 or V30. Class Class Cards 4/6 won't fit.
• 🔹 Volume: 32 GB to 2 TB (but) MIUI may not support the cards >512 GB on older models).
• 🔹 Format: FAT32 (Up to 32GB) or exFAT (over 32GB). Xiaomi does not work with NTFS!
• 🔹 Brands: Preference SanDisk Ultra, Samsung EVO, Kingston Canvas or Lexar.

⚠️ Attention: Format maps FAT32 Do not support files larger than 4 GB. If you're shooting a video in 4K@60fps or RAW-To check the current format, paste the map into your PC and open the Disk Properties.

2. Method 1: Transfer through the MIUI file manager

The most versatile method, which works on all versions of MIUI (including MIUI 14 and HyperOS), is suitable for transferring both individual photos and entire folders.

Instructions:

1. Open the Files app (the folder icon on the desktop).
2. Go to Images or DCIM → Camera.
3. Click and hold the folder/photo, then tap on “Select All” (or select the desired files manually).
4. Click "More" (three dots) → "Move".
5. In the list of locations, select SD-map external_sd), then the destination folder (e.g, DCIM/Camera).
6. Confirm the transfer.

⚠️ Note: If there is an error “Insufficient memory” when transferring, although there is a place on the map, the reasons may be as follows:

• 🔸 The map is formatted in FAT32, You're trying to move the file. >4GB (like video) Solution: reformat to exFAT.
• 🔸 The destination folder already has a file with the same name. Solution: rename the files before the perenosom.
• 🔸 Solution: Check it on your PC with chkdsk.

Method 3: Setup the camera to save to SD by default

To automatically save new photos to a memory card instead of internal memory, change the settings of the Camera app. This is true for all Xiaomi models, except those where the card is used as internal storage (more about this below).

How to set up:

1. Open the camera and tap on it. ⚙️ Settings (cogs).
2. Scroll to the Storage Location (or Storage Location) section.
3. Select the "SD card" (memory card).
4. Confirm your choice. All new photos and videos will now be saved to microSD.

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If the Memory Card option is inactive, it means yours. SD-The card is configured as an internal storage (Adoptable Storage). To fix this, go to Settings. → Memory. → Map. SD and select Portable Storage (with pre-data backup!).

Important: On hybrid slot models (e.g. Redmi Note 11) when choosing a memory card as the primary storage for the camera SIM-The card in the second slot will be disabled. SIM, Use Method 1 (Manual Transfer) or Cloud Services.

Method 3: Transfer over PC (for large volumes)

If you have thousands of photos on your phone, it's not easy to transfer them through the MIUI file manager, because the process can be interrupted and progress is not displayed, so it's easier to connect Xiaomi to your computer and use Windows Explorer or macOS Finder.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable (preferably original).
2. On your phone, select File Transfer (or MTP) mode.
3. On PC, open This computer - there will be a Xiaomi device.
4. Go to Internal Storage → DCIM → Camera.
5. Copy the necessary photos/folders and paste them into SD-map → DCIM → Camera.

Advantages of this method:

• 🔹 Faster than the phone’s file manager (especially when you’re in the middle of a phone) USB 3.0).
• 🔹 You can use a total commander or FastCopy to accelerate your speed.
• 🔹 It is easy to track progress and the rest of the map.

⚠️ Note: If the phone is not detected when connecting to the PC, try:

• 🔸 Reboot both devices.
• 🔸 Use the other USB-cable (not all support data transmission).
• 🔸 Enable debugging on USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (7 times tap, then return to Additional settings → For developers).

5. Method 4: Using a cloud followed by a perenosom on an SD

If you have a slow memory card (such as Class 4), it can take hours to transfer thousands of photos, so it’s more efficient to upload them to the cloud first and then download them directly to the cloud. SD-map.

Algorithm:

1. Upload the photo to Google Photos, Mi Cloud or Yandex.Disk.
2. In the cloud application settings, select “Save to Memory Card” as a download folder.
3. Download the photo back to the device – it will immediately get to the microSD.

Cons of the method:

• 🔸 It requires a stable internet.
• 🔸 Free clouds have limits (for example, Google Photos compresses photos after 15 GB).
• 🔸 On some Xiaomi models, for example, POCO F5) Mi Cloud does not allow you to choose SD-map.

Method 5: Transfer over ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work (e.g., a file manager is giving an error), you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which is suitable for transferring hidden or system photos that are not displayed in the gallery.

Instructions:

1. Install ADB on your PC (download Google’s Platform Tools).
2. Enable USB debugging on your phone (see Method 3).
3. Connect Xiaomi to your PC and type in the command line:

adb devices

(Your device should appear)

adb shell


cp -r /sdcard/DCIM/Camera /storage/XXXX-XXXX/DCIM/

(where XXXX-XXXX — identifier SD-The map can be recognized by the LS team. /storage)

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB It can damage system files. Don't move folders like /system or /data!

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ADB allows you to transfer files that are not available through the standard interface, but requires caution, which is relevant if the photos are stored in secure folders (for example, after rooting or using applications like Parallel Space).

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even after successfully transferring photos to a memory card, Xiaomi users face problems.

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If photos in the gallery are displayed as gray thumbnails after transferring, try rebooting your phone or using a third-party gallery, such as Simple Gallery.

8.Optimization: How to Free Up Space After a Transfer

Transferring a photo to a memory card is only half the battle, and to really make room for the internal memory, you need to:

1. Remove the originals from the DCIM/Camera folder (but only after checking that the SD copies are intact!).
2. Clear the cache of the gallery and cameras in Settings → Apps.
3. Disable duplication in Google Photos (if you use the cloud).
4. Transfer other heavy files: downloads, documents, music.

For automatic cleaning, use the built-in cleaning tool in MIUI:

1. Go to Settings. → Memory.
2. Slip on “Clean” next to the Garbage Files section.
3. Select Clean (deletes cache, temporary files, thumbnails).

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After transferring the photo, check the DCIM/.thumbnails folder - thumbnails weighing up to 1-2 GB can remain there.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions