How to make a folder in a Xiaomi smartphone: all the ways for MIUI 14 and 15

Foldering on Xiaomi smartphones is a basic operation that helps structure files, apps and photos. Despite the apparent simplicity, users often have questions: how to create a folder on the desktop, in a gallery or in a file manager, why the feature is sometimes unavailable, and how to transfer files to a new folder. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways for MIUI 14 and MIUI 15, including hidden shell features.

Xiaomi’s feature is that the interface can vary depending on the model (e.g. Redmi Note 12 vs Xiaomi 13T) and firmware version. We’ve taken these nuances into account and prepared universal instructions that work on 90% of the brand’s devices. If you’ve just moved from iOS or another Android smartphone, check out the comparison section, which explains the key differences between MIUI and the standard interface.

1. How to create a folder on the Xiaomi desktop

The most popular request is to organize applications into folders on the home screen. In MIUI, this is not done in the same way as in “pure” Android, but the process takes no more than 10 seconds. Importantly, some models (for example, POCO F5) may need to pre-disable the Smart Desktop feature in the theme settings.

Instructions:

• 📱 Press and hold the icon of any application on the desktop.
• 🗂️ Drag it to another icon – a folder called “No Name” will automatically be created".
• ✏️ Tap the folder name to rename it (for example, “Social Networks” or “Games").
• ➕ To add new apps, just drag them into a folder.

On models with MIUI 15 (for example, Xiaomi 14) appeared the function "Automatic sorting of folders" - the system itself groups applications into categories (messengers, games, tools) with a long press on the free desktop space.

Long click on the app icon|Drag to another icon|Rename the folder|Addition of new annexes-->

2. Create folders in the file manager Mi File Explorer

The file manager Mi File Explorer (or "Files" in new versions) allows you to create folders in internal memory, on the computer. SD-The process is different from desktop, but equally intuitive. Please note that if you have a third-party file manager installed (for example, Solid Explorer), the instruction may not fit.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Files app (an icon with a blue folder).
2. Go to the Device or Internal Memory section.
3. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Create → Folder.
4. Enter the title (e.g., Documents 2026) and press OK.

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If the folder is not created, check the memory permissions in Settings → Applications → Application Management → Files → Rights. Sometimes, after the MIUI update, permissions are reset.

Comparison with other brands:

3.Organizing folders in the Xiaomi Gallery

Xiaomi Gallery automatically sorts photos by album (Screenshots, Downloads, WhatsApp), but users often want to create their folders for important photos, for example, for travel or work projects. Unlike the file manager, there are limitations: you can not create a folder inside cloud albums (for example, Google Photos).

How to create a folder in the gallery:

• 🖼️ Open the Gallery app.
• 📁 Go to the Albums section and click Create in the upper right corner.
• 📝 Enter a title (e.g., “Turkey Vacation”) and select a photo to add.
• ✅ Click Ready - the album will be available under My Albums.

An important nuance: if you delete a photo from the album, it will disappear from the main Camera folder! To avoid data loss, use the Copy to album function instead of Move.

4. Hidden folders and data protection

Xiaomi offers built-in tools to hide folders from prying eyes. This is useful if you store sensitive documents or personal photos. Unlike third-party applications (such as Vault), the system method does not require additional permissions and works even in guest mode.

How to hide the folder:

1. Open the files and find the folder you want to hide.
2. Long press. → More. → Hide.
3. Set a password or pattern lock (unless previously configured).
4. Hidden folders will be available in the Private Files section (in the side menu).

⚠️ Attention: if you forget the password from hidden folders, you can only restore access through resetting your phone settings!

The alternative is to use Second Space in Settings → Special Features, which creates a completely isolated environment with separate folders, applications, and even a desktop, suitable for separating work and personal data.

In hidden folders MIUI|Use Second Space|Third-party applications (Vault, Keepsafe)|I don't keep anything secret |Other way-->

5. Common mistakes and their solutions

Even in a simple action like creating a folder, users are facing challenges.-5 Errors and ways to correct them based on Xiaomi support.

Frequent problems:

• 🚫 No folder option appears: check if Guest Mode or Parental Control is enabled, and these features restrict access to the file system.
• 🔄 The folder is created, but disappears after rebooting: it is a bug MIUI 14.0.3–14.0.5. Update the firmware or clear the Files app cache.
• 📛 You can't rename the folder to SD-map: format the card as internal memory in the storage settings.
• 🔒 No access to hidden folders: reset password through Settings → Xiaomi account → Security.
• 📱 Gestures don’t work to create folders: turn off Gesture Optimization in Settings → Additionally.

If none of these methods helped, try resetting the Files app settings:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Files → Storage → Clear data

⚠️ Note: After cleaning the data in the Files application, all user tags and favorite folders will disappear, but the files on the device will remain intact.

6. Alternative methods: ADB and third-party applications

For advanced users, there are methods to create folders through ADB (Android Debug Bridge) or third-party file managers, which is true if Xiaomi’s system tools are not comfortable or require automation (for example, creating 100 folders for testing).

The ADB method:

adb shell mkdir /sdcard/ New folder

Where /sdcard/ is the path to internal memory, and NewFolder is the name of the directory being created.

Popular third-party applications for working with folders:

• 📁 Solid Explorer: Support for the project FTP, Cloud storage and two-panel mode.
• 🔍 FX File Explorer: built-in text editor and archiver.
• 🛡️ Keepsafe: Encrypting folders with photos.
• 🤖 Total Commander: Plugins for working with ZIP and RAR.

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Using ADB requires enabling USB debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (7 times pressed) → Additional → For developers → Debugging over USB.

7 Storage optimization: When folders don't help

If you create folders to make room, but the memory still runs out, the problem can be deeper. Xiaomi is known for cache and junk files up to 10-15 GB on devices with MIUI. In this case, simple folder sorting won't help - you need to clean the system.

Effective methods:

1. Cache Clearing: Settings → Storage → Clean (will delete temporary files without losing data).
2. Remove duplicates: Use Files by Google to find duplicate photos and videos.
3. Transfer to SD-Map: Movie and music folders can be moved to an external drive (if supported).
4. Cloud storage: Mi Cloud gives 5GB for free, and Google Photos is unlimited space for compressed photos.

To analyze the occupied space, use the built-in tool:

Settings → Storage → Memory Analysis

It will show which apps and file types take up the most space, for example, many Redmi Note 11 users find that 20% of memory is eaten by downloads from Telegram.

Frequently asked questions