Xiaomi smartphones today are equipped with excellent cameras, which inevitably leads to a rapid filling of internal memory with gigabytes of images and videos. When the built-in storage becomes overflowing, the system starts to work slower, and the ability to take a new frame may disappear at the most inopportune moment, in which case the fastest and most reliable solution is to transfer media files to an external drive.
Use of the USB-flash drive OTG (On-The-Go allows you to instantly free up space without having to connect to a computer or use cloud services with limited traffic. MIUI HyperOS, where the built-in file manager provides all the necessary tools to work with external devices.
In this guide, we will discuss the process of connecting the drive, choosing the right file system format and Step-by-step describe how to flip photos. You will learn about the nuances of working with different versions of Android and understand why some flash drives may not be determined by the system immediately after you connect.
Preparation of equipment and compatibility check
Before you start porting data, you need to make sure that you can connect technically. Most modern Xiaomi smartphones support OTG technology, but the physical connector may be different. If you have a model with a USB Type-C port, you will need a suitable adapter or a flash drive with a dual connector.
It is important to consider the power consumption of an external drive: Large-scale SSDs or flash drives without their own power may require more power than the phone port can give out, in which case the system may simply not see the device or emit a connection error.
⚠️ WARNING: Using cheap adapters of unknown brands can lead to power surges, which is dangerous for your smartphone's power controller.
If the flash drive has been used on Windows computers before, it can be formatted in the NTFS file system. Standard Android file managers often do not have permission to write to this format without obtaining root rights or installing third-party software.
- 🔌 Make sure the phone’s charging port is dust and pile free to ensure tight contact.
- 💾 Check if there is enough space on the flash drive to copy your photos.
- 📱 Charge your smartphone to a minimum 20-30%, As active data recording consumes the battery.
File system configuration and formatting
The optimal format for compatibility between Android, Windows and macOS is FAT32 or more modern exFAT. The FAT32 file system has a limit to the size of a single file (no more than 4 GB), which is rarely critical for photos, but can be a problem for high-resolution video.
If your flash drive is formatted in NTFS, the Xiaomi phone can only detect it in Read Only mode, which means you can copy the photo from the flash drive, but you can't write new files to it. The phone's built-in formatting is often not available, so it's best to do this on your PC beforehand.
For formatting on the computer insert the flash drive in USB-port, right-click on the disk in My Computer and select Format. In the File System field, select exFAT to support large files or FAT32 Maximum compatibility with old equipment.
| File system | Max. File size. | Compatibility with Android | Best application |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAT32 | 4GB | Perfect. | Documents, photos, music |
| exFAT | 16 EB (theor) | High (Android 6.0+) | 4K video, large archives |
| NTFS | 16 EB (theor) | Reading only (no root) | Working only with PCs |
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The exFAT format is the middle ground for Xiaomi users, allowing them to store files of any size and keeping them fully compatible with modern versions of MIUI.
Connecting a flash drive and working with a file manager
After the physical connection of the flash drive to the smartphone through OTG-cable, the system must emit a distinctive sound or display a notification in the curtain of the status bar. MIUI 14 often pops up with a suggestion to open the file manager or run the application to view the photo.
For manual file management, open the standard File Manager app in the side menu or on the home screen in the section «USB-The drive will show the connected flash drive. Clicking on this point will open the root folder of the external disk.
Now you need to find the original photos. They're usually located along the path of Internal Memory → DCIM → Camera. Select the desired pictures with a long tap, then click on the Copy or Move button in the bottom menu. Go to the flash drive, create a new folder for order and select "Insert".
☑️ Algorithm of photo transfer
The copying process can take time depending on the amount of data. Don't remove the flash drive during the recording, the progress indicator should disappear completely. Once the operation is completed, the system will notify you of the successful copy.
Alternative methods: cloud services and PC
If you're not on hand OTG-You can use the computer-based intermediate, connect the phone to the PC with a cable, select file transfer mode. MTP You can copy the folder from the photo to your computer's hard drive, and then you can transfer it to the flash drive.
Another option is to use cloud storage, such as Google Photos, Yandex.Disk or Mi Cloud, where by uploading images to the cloud, you can open the web version of the service on your computer, download the archive and save it to a flash drive, which is convenient for backing up, but requires a stable Internet.
⚠️ Note: When using public computers to access the cloud, be sure to log out of your account after all operations have been completed to keep your data confidential.
There are also Wi-Fi-enabled wireless flash drives that create their own network, and they require a dedicated application from the drive manufacturer to work with them, which is convenient, but the data transfer speed is much lower than with a wired connection.
Why are wireless flash drives slower?
Solving common problems when connecting
A common problem is when the phone doesn't see the flash drive. First of all, check if the OTG function is enabled in the settings. On some global Xiaomi firmware, it activates automatically, but in the Chinese versions (CN ROM) it needs to be enabled manually through a search by settings or in the "Additional" section.
If the flash drive is detected but the files are not copied, the file system may be damaged. Try checking the drive for errors through the computer. Also, the problem may be a lack of power: if you connect the flash drive through a long extension cable, the voltage may fall below the required level.
In some cases, rebooting a smartphone with a flash drive already connected helps, which forces the system to re-interview. USB-If nothing works, try another flash drive to keep the drive from breaking.
- 🔍 Check if the flash drive is readable on other devices (PC, other phone).
- ⚙️ In the developer settings, try switching the configuration mode USB default.
- 🧹 Clear the cache of the Explorer application in the application settings section.
Secure data extraction and storage
You can't just pull the flash drive out of the connector, which can cause file damage or complete data loss if you're recording in the background at that point. In modern versions of Android, you have to click on the icon. USB In the notification curtain and select "Disable" USB-storage device" or "Safe extraction».
Once the system confirms that the drive can be removed, physically disconnect it, and store the flash drive in a protected place, away from sources of strong magnetic fields and extreme temperatures, although modern flash memory is quite stable.
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Always use the Safe Retrieval feature in the software interface before physically disabling the drive to avoid corruption (damage) of the file table.
Check the integrity of your photos regularly, and every six months it is recommended to open files on the flash drive and view them, as electronics also tend to deteriorate during prolonged downtime without applying voltage.