How to view the contents of the flash drive on the Xiaomi Redmi phone: step-by-step instructions and solutions to problems

Are you trying to connect a USB drive to a Xiaomi Redmi, but the phone doesn’t see files or doesn’t respond to a flash drive at all? This problem is familiar to many users – despite OTG support in most models, access to external media often requires additional settings or adapters. In this article, we will discuss all the working ways to view the contents of the flash drive on the Redmi Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10/13C and other models, including solutions for devices without a USB-C connector.

Xiaomi’s smartphone features are its own MIUI shell, which sometimes blocks automatic mounting of external drives. We’ll tell you how to get around this limitation, what adapters and cables you’ll need for different types of flash drives (USB-A, MicroUSB, Type-C), and what to do if the phone sees the drive but doesn’t display files. You’ll also find a Redmi OTG compatibility table and instructions for setting up access rights.

1. Check OTG support on your Xiaomi Redmi

Before you plug in a flash drive, make sure your smartphone supports OTG (On-The-Go) technology.Most modern Redmi models (starting with the Redmi Note 7 and later) have this feature, but in budget devices it can be disabled by default.

How to check for OTG support:

• 🔍 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Complete specification and find the item "OTG". If it is not, use the app. USB OTG Checker from Google Play.
• 📱 Outdated models (Redmi) 5A, Redmi 6) may require manual activation OTG through settings → Additionally. → OTG.
• ⚡ If OTG Not supported hardware (e.g., on Redmi Go), you will need a wireless adapter or cloud storage.

Important! Even if OTG is supported, you will need an adapter to connect a USB-A flash drive (e.g. USB-C → USB-A for Redmi Note 11 or MicroUSB → USB-A for Redmi 8).

2. Ways to connect a flash drive to Xiaomi Redmi

Depending on the phone model and the type of flash drive, there are 4 main ways to connect. Choose the right option from the table below:

If you are using Redmi with a connector USB-C (For example, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+), buy OTG-cable for 100-300 rubles. for old models with MicroUSB (Redmi) 7A) You will need a MicroUSB adapter. → USB-A.

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If the flash drive is not detected, try connecting it through an externally powered hub – some drives require more power than a smartphone can give.

3. Step-by-step instructions: how to open a flash drive on Xiaomi Redmi

Consider a universal algorithm for models with support OTG. The instructions are suitable for MIUI 12/13/14:

1. Connect the adapter to your phone (e.g. USB-C → USB-A).
2. Put the flash drive in the adapter "USB-drive-in".
3. Open the notification and select "Open" or "Explore".
4. Use a file manager (e.g., Google Files or the standard MIUI File Manager).

If the notification does not appear:

• 🔄 Reconnect the flash drive.
• 🔧 Check the settings. OTG In Settings → Connected devices → OTG.
• 📱 Reboot the phone.

A critical feature for Xiaomi Redmi is that if the flash drive is formatted in NTFS, the phone won’t see it. Use FAT32 (up to 4 GB per file) or exFAT (no restrictions).

4.Problem Solutions: The phone doesn't see the flash drive

If the flash drive is not displayed after connecting, the reasons may be as follows:

• ⚡ Power shortage: some flash drives require more power. The solution is to use an externally powered hub.
• 🔌 Faulty Adapter: Try another one OTG-cable.
• 🖥️ Incompatible file system: Xiaomi does not support NTFS and HFS+.
• 📱 Problems with MIUI: Reset the settings in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Warehouse.

⚠️ Note: If the flash drive is detected but the files are not readable, check it for viruses using Dr.Web Light or Kaspersky Mobile.

To diagnose, connect the flash drive to the PC and execute the command in cmd:

chkdsk E: /f

(Replace E: with the letter of your disk).

5. Alternative ways to access flash drive files

If the OTG is not working or you don’t have an adapter, use alternative methods:

• 🌐 Cloud Storage: Upload files from a flash drive to Google Drive or Mi Cloud, then download them to your phone.
• 📶 FTP-server: install FileZilla Server on your PC, connect the flash drive to your computer and access the local network.
• 🔗 Wireless Adapter: Devices like SanDisk Wireless Stick create their own Wi-Fi network to access files.

For models without OTGs (like the Redmi Go), wireless solutions are the only option, but they require additional devices or a stable Internet connection.

6. Set up access rights and security

By default, MIUI can restrict access to external media to unlock full access:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find a file manager (such as Files) and select "Permissions".
3. Activate permissions for "Storage" and "USB-drives".

For additional security:

• 🔒 Set a password for the file manager (in Solid Explorer or in Solid Explorer). FX File Explorer).
• 🛡️ Turn off auto-mounting external media in Settings → Additionally. → USB.
• 📤 Encrypt sensitive files using Cryptomator or ES File Explorer.

⚠️ Warning: Do not connect flash drives from public places (Internet cafes, libraries) to your phone. They may contain scripts to automatically copy malware to Android devices.

7. Compatibility of Xiaomi Redmi models with OTG

Not all Redmi devices work equally well with external drives, as follows:

Models older than 2018 (such as Redmi 5) may require OTG-enabled firmware or custom software like LineageOS.

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If your Redmi model doesn't support OTG, the only working solutions are wireless adapters or cloud services, and you can't connect a flash drive directly.

Frequently asked questions