Users of budget smartphones like Xiaomi Redmi 9 often face a situation where once the memory card is installed, the built-in Gallery stops displaying new pictures or video files.This is a common problem associated with changes in the security policy of the Android operating system, which in recent versions requires manual confirmation of access rights for each application. Instead of automatically scanning the entire memory, the system now requests the user's permission to read external media.
The lack of access to media files on a flash card can be caused not only by software limitations, but also by technical nuances, such as the formatting of the drive or the presence of hidden system folders. Owners of devices based on the MIUI shell need to understand the difference between internal storage and external storage in order to properly configure the display of content. Ignoring this step leads to the fact that photos and videos are physically recorded on the card, but remain invisible to standard applications.
In this guide, we will take a look at the algorithms that will correct the access error and return the functionality of the multimedia. We will look at both the standard system tools and the specific file manager settings that are often overlooked. The correct configuration of access rights ensures that all applications that use the device’s media library work smoothly.
Reasons for the lack of access to files on an external drive
The main reason for blocking access is the Scoped Storage mechanism, which was introduced in Android 10 and developed in Android 11, on which Redmi 9 runs.This technology isolates application data from each other and requires explicit permission of the user to access shared folders on an external medium.
In addition to the software limitations, there are technical reasons for file system-related issues: If a memory card is formatted in NTFS or exFAT format with incompatible clustering options, a standard MIUI file manager may not mount the partition correctly, in which case the Gallery simply does not see the path to the directory, even if the physical contact is correct.
⚠️ Note: Attempt to forcibly modify access rights through ADB-commands without understanding directory structure can lead to data loss or unstable system operation.
It is also worth considering that some cheap memory cards may have a damaged partition table, which causes read errors when trying to access certain sectors.In this case, the Gallery may freeze when trying to update thumbnails. Checking the integrity of the media on the computer before using in the smartphone is a mandatory procedure to exclude hardware failures.
Basic setting of access rights through the system menu
The first step to address this problem is to check the basic permissions in the privacy settings, and it often happens that the user accidentally refuses access on the first run, and the system no longer requests confirmation, considering the choice to be final, you need to manually activate the desired switch in the application management menu.
To do this, go to Settings, then select the App and find the Gallery list. In the menu that opens, click on Application Permission or Rights. Here you are interested in Files and Media category (or Memory in older versions of firmware) where you want to set the value "Allowed".
☑️ Verification of basic permits
Once you change the settings, you should close the Gallery app completely through Task Manager and start it again, so that the process can reread the permissions configuration file. If the switch is already active, try temporarily disabling it, saving the changes, and then turning it back on again to reset the permission cache.
Using a file manager for forced access
In the MIUI shell, the built-in Explorer has advanced access control features that can help where standard settings are powerless. Sometimes the Gallery requires a manual opening of the folder through the system dialog so that it remembers the path to media files on an external medium, a method that is especially effective if the files are in non-standard directories.
Open the File Manager app and go to the external storage tab (usually denoted as sdcard or card name). Find the DCIM folder where the photos are stored, or MIUI/Gallery if you use cloud sync. Click on the menu icon (three dots) and select the option "Add to favorites" or simply open the folder so that the system records access to this path.
| Type of access | Description of action | Status required |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | Viewing files | I'll be sure. |
| Recording. | Conservation and editing | Recommended |
| Removal | Cleaning up garbage | If you wish, |
| Hiding | Protection from outsiders | Not required |
There's also a hidden confirmation mechanism through the system dialog of file access. SD-The card through the Gallery, the system window may pop up with the request "Allow access to data on the device?" At this point, it is critically important to click the Allow and select the root folder of the memory card, confirming the action with the button "Use this folder».
What to do if the “Allow” button is inactive?
Problems with formatting and file system type
File system compatibility plays a key role in content display. The standard and most stable format for memory cards up to 32 GB is FAT32. For larger cards (64 GB or higher), exFAT is used. If your card is formatted in NTFS (often after use in Windows), the smartphone can see files but cannot index them correctly for the Gallery.
To check and change the format, you need to go to Settings → The phone. → Select your vault. SD-You can click on the settings menu, and you can now use the Format option, and you can notice that this operation will completely delete all the data from the card, so you can pre-copy important files onto your computer.
In some cases, creating a special hidden trigger folder helps: Create a memory card rooted with an empty file called.nomedia, and then delete it. This action causes the Android media scanner to rescan the entire drive and update the thumbnail database. Often after this procedure, missing photos suddenly appear in the shared feed.
⚠️ Note: Do not use memory cards larger than 256 GB in Redmi 9 without first checking compatibility.
Specificity of cloud synchronization Mi Cloud
Xiaomi’s ecosystem is actively using Mi Cloud cloud storage, which can conflict with local file display. If the “Clear space on the device” option is enabled, the original photos can be deleted from the memory card, leaving only previews in the cloud, in which case the Gallery will show files, but when you try to open them without the Internet, there will be an error.
Check your sync settings in Settings → Mi Account → Cloud → Gallery. Make sure the Sync switch is set to your preferences. If you want to store photos only on a memory card, the sync function is better to turn off or configure selective download.
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Use Safe Mode for diagnosis. If the Gallery sees a map in Safe Mode, it means that a third-party software-cliner or antivirus that blocks access to files is causing the problem.
You should also consider the cache limits of thumbnails. If there are thousands of photos on the memory card, the indexing process can take several hours. At this time, the Gallery can run slowly or show empty previews. Leave the phone connected to charging and Wi-Fi for the night so that the background service has time to process all media files.
Alternative solutions and third-party applications
If the full-time Gallery continues to malfunction, it makes sense to consider using alternative apps from Google Play.Programs like Google Photos or QuickPic often have their own crawling mechanisms and can bypass some of the limitations of the standard MIUI. They request file access regardless of system settings.
When you install a third-party Gallery, the system will again request permission to access the media. Unlike the standard application, new galleries can more flexibly configure scan paths. SD-maps that need to be displayed without ignoring system catalons.
Another effective method is to clear the media service cache. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, search the Media Storage list and click on Clear Data and Clear Cache. Once rebooted, the device will index all files again, which often eliminates display errors.
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In most cases, the problem is solved by re-querying access rights through the dialog box on the first attempt to write the file to the card.