How to find out the memory capacity of SD-cards on Xiaomi: all ways from MIUI to ADB

Xiaomi smartphones support microSD cards up to 2TB (depending on the model), but how do you check how much space is actually available? Users often find that the system shows less than the packaged volume, or the card is not determined at all. In this article, we will examine all possible ways, from standard MIUI tools to ADB commands and third-party utilities.

Whether you’re using the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or Xiaomi 14, the instructions are universal for all MIUI 12/13/14 devices. And if the map isn’t displayed, you’ll find solutions to typical problems here.

1. Standard method through the "Settings" MIUI

The easiest method is to use the built-in tools of the system, which is suitable for 90% of users and does not require the installation of additional applications.

Open the Settings menu → The storage. Here you will see the section "Memory Map" (or SD-map) where:

• 📊 Total volume (e.g. 128 GB)
• 📉 Free space (available for recordings)
• 🔄 Occupied space (system files, cache, media)

If the Memory Map section is missing, check:

1. Whether the card is inserted into the slot (some Xiaomi models only support a hybrid slot, where the SIM2 replaces the microSD).
2. Whether the card is formatted in FAT32 or exFAT (NTFS is not supported!).

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI (Especially in Chinese), the Storage section may not display the map size correctly after the update, in which case it will help to restart the device or check through Files (see the next section).

2. view through the File Manager app

The MIUI file manager provides more detailed information about the memory card, including hidden files and folders.

Instructions:

1. Open the Files app (the folder icon on the desktop).
2. At the top of the screen, select the Memory Card tab (or SD-map).
3. In the upper right corner, press on ⋮ (three-point) → Deposit information.

This will show:

• 📁 Total space (e.g. 256 GB)
• 📂 Busy with applications (if the card is used as internal memory)
• 🎵 Media files (photos, videos, music)
• 🗑️ Garbage files (cache, temporary data)

Remove and repaint the map|Check the card on another device|Format the map in FAT32/exFAT|Update the Files app in Google Play-->

If the card is connected as an internal storage (Adoptable Storage function), the volume of the card will be displayed along with the main memory of the phone, and you will need formatting to separate them.

3. Use of ADB commands (for advanced users)

If standard methods don’t work (e.g., custom firmware), you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires a PC connection but provides the most accurate information about the card, including the serial number and file system.

Instructions:

1. Install ADB Tools on your computer.
2. Turn on your smartphone to debug by USB (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times Press → Additional settings → For developers).
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute in the command line:

adb shell


sm list-disks

In the answer you will see a line of the form:

disk:179,XX

Where XX — Your card ID. Now do it:

sm partition disk:179,XX private

The system will output the full card volume in bytes. To convert it to gigabytes, divide the value by 1,073,741,824.

⚠️ Attention: Teams ADB You can damage your data if you're not using it correctly!

4. Third-party applications for analysis SD-map

If the built-in MIUI tools don't suit you, you can use third-party utilities that provide advanced statistics, including read/write speed, card health, and even uptime forecasts.

Top.-3 apps from Google Play:

Examples of using SD Card Tester:

1. Install the application and open it.
2. Choose yours. SD-map.
3. Press Start Test – in 2-5 minutes you will receive a report with real volume and speed.

💡

If the application shows the card volume less than the stated (for example, 119 GB instead of 128 GB), this is normal: manufacturers indicate the volume in decimal gigabytes (1 GB = 1,000,000 bytes), and the system counts in binary (1 GB = 1,073,741,824 bytes).

5. Computer-assisted verification (Windows/macOS/Linux)

If the phone does not recognize the card, you can connect it to the computer through a card reader or in the USB-drive mode.

For Windows:

1. Insert the card into the card reader and connect to the PC.
2. Open this computer (my computer).
3. Find a removable disk (e.g., Disk E:) and right-click → Properties.

The property window will show:

• 💾 Capacity (total volume)
• 📂 Busy and free.
• 🔍 File system (FAT32, exFAT)

For macOS/Linux:

• In macOS, open the Disk Utility (Applications → Utilities).
• In Linux, run the command: lsblk | grep sd Then check the volume: sudo fdisk -l /dev/sdX (replace X with your device letter, for example, sdb).

⚠️ Note: If your computer offers to format your card when you connect, don’t agree – it will delete all data! First try to read it on another device or use recovery programs (Recuva, TestDisk).

💡

Connecting a card through a card reader is the most reliable way to check its health, and if the computer can’t see the card, the problem is likely to be physical damage or an incompatible file system (such as NTFS).

6.Why Xiaomi is showing a smaller volume SD-map?

Many users complain that after inserting a card for 128 GB, the phone shows only 119 GB. This is not a mistake, but a feature of calculations:

• 📦 Marketing vs. reality: Manufacturers specify volume in decimal gigabytes (1 GB) = 1,000,000 bytes, and operating systems in binary (1 GB) = 1,073,741,824 bytes. The difference is ~7%.
• 🗃️ Service files: Part of the memory is occupied by the file system (FAT32/exFAT), slip-file (.android_secure), cache.
• 🔧 Formatting: After the first formatting on the phone, up to 1-2 GB is lost (depending on the size of the cluster).

If the difference is greater than 10%, there may be problems:

• 🛒 Fake card (especially relevant for cheap models with AliExpress).
• 🐛 File system errors (check through chkdsk on Windows).
• 📱 Limitations MIUI (On some Xiaomi phones, the maximum supported volume is 512 GB, even if the slot physically allows 2 TB).

7. Formatting SD-Xiaomi cards: when you need them

If the card is unstable (often disabled, does not save files), it should be formatted. MIUI offers two options:

1. Like a portable device: 📱 The card will be used only for storing files (photos, videos, documents). 🔄 You can retrieve and connect to other devices. 📂 File system: FAT32 (up to 32 GB or exFAT (64 GB).
2. As an internal memory, an adaptable style): 📲 The map becomes part of the system (you can install applications on it). ⚠️ Cannot be extracted without loss of data! 🔐 File system: ext4 or f2fs (It can’t be read on a PC without drivers).

How to format:

1. Go to Settings → Storage → Memory Map.
2. Press. ⋮ (three-point) → Storage settings → Format.
3. Choose the formatting type (portable or internal).
4. Confirm the action (all data will be deleted!).

⚠️ Note: If you format a card as internal memory, it will not be read on another device without root permissions, and some apps (such as WhatsApp) may refuse to work with such a card.

8 Problem Solving: The card is not defined or shows 0 GB

If Xiaomi can't see SD-map or displays its volume as 0 GB, try the following steps:

If nothing works, the map could have failed.

• 🛠️ Try to recover data with Recuva or PhotoRec.
• ♻️ Remove the card (do not use it for important data).

FAQ: Frequent questions about SD-maps on Xiaomi