How to Create a File or Folder in Xiaomi Explorer: All Ways and Hidden Features

Working with files on Xiaomi, Redmi and smartphones POCO It often raises questions among beginners, especially when it comes to creating new documents directly in a standard Explorer. MIUI. Unlike a computer, there is no usual context menu with the item "Create", and the interface hides some of the functions behind non-obvious gestures. This guide will reveal all the available ways to create files and folders in Xiaomi Explorer, including hidden features that are not talked about even in the official documentation.

We will analyze not only the basic actions, but also the nuances of working with different types of files (text, multimedia, archives), features MIUI 14/15, And also, the common errors that might make the file go bad, and the differences between the models, for example, why the file is not saved, are highlighted. POCO F5 Xiaomi 13 Ultra Explorer interface may look different despite one shell version.

If you've ever encountered a "Create" button that's inactive, a file disappears after a reboot, or Explorer just doesn't display new data, you'll find solutions here. ADB-Extended management of the file system.

1.Where is the Explorer on Xiaomi and how to open it

The standard Explorer application (or โ€œFilesโ€ in some localizations) is preinstalled on all shell devices. MIUI. However, its icon can be hidden or renamed depending on the firmware version and regional settings:

  • ๐Ÿ” Search the system: scroll down the home screen and type "Conductor" or "Files" in the search box. The system will show the icon even if it is hidden in the folder.
  • ๐Ÿ“ Tools folder: On some models (e.g. Redmi Note 12), the Explorer is placed in a folder with utilities along with a calculator and voice recorder.
  • โš™๏ธ Through Settings: Go to Settings โ†’ Annexes โ†’ Application management, find โ€œConductorโ€ in the list and click โ€œOpen".

If the icon is missing at all, this can mean:

  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ The application is disabled in the settings (include it in Settings) โ†’ Annexes โ†’ Show all applications).
  • ๐Ÿ”„ The Explorer is replaced by a third-party file manager (e.g., Solid Explorer or Solid Explorer). FX File Manager).
  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Installed custom firmware without standard utilities MIUI.

โš ๏ธ Attention: On devices with MIUI for POCO (for example, POCO X5 Pro) The conductor may be called a File Manager and have a different design, but the functionality remains identical.

๐Ÿ“Š What version? MIUI You're using it?
MIUI 14
MIUI 15
MIUI 13 or older
I don't know.
Another firmware.

2. Method 1: Create a folder through the main Explorer menu

The easiest way is to use the built-in folder creation feature, which is available in all versions. MIUI, But the location may be different:

  1. Open Explorer and go to the section where you want to create a folder (for example, Internal Memory or SD-map).
  2. Press three points (โ‹ฎ) in the upper right corner and select Create a folder (or "New folder" in English version).
  3. Enter the folder name (maximum 255 characters, no prohibited characters: \ /: *? " < > |) And press OK.

On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T) Instead of three dots, a button is used "+" If you don't have one, try it:

  • ๐Ÿ“‚ Long click on an empty place in the file list (call context menu with the option "Create folder").
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Switch to Category (grid icon) โ€“ sometimes the creation function is only available in this mode.
Model of the deviceLocation of the "Create" buttonFeatures
Redmi Note 11/12Three points (โ‹ฎ) โ†’ Create a folder.Supports the creation ZIP-archives right off the menu
POCO F4/F5Button "+" bottom-lineIt also allows you to create a text file.
Xiaomi 13/14Long press. โ†’ CreateIntegration with Mi Cloud to sync folders
Devices with MIUI GlobalThe New menu.Restriction on folder names: Latin only

โš ๏ธ Note: If you see an error when creating a folder, check if the device has root access or guest mode activated.

Memory not filled (left) โ‰ฅ100MB)

No active synchronization with Mi Cloud

Device not in guest mode

No corporate policy restrictions (for work phones)-->

Method 2: Creating text files and other types of documents

Unlike folders, creating empty files (e.g.,.txt,.doc) in a standard Explorer MIUI You can't do it without doing it:

Method 1: Through the Notes appendix

The most reliable way to create a text file:

  1. Open the Notes app (an icon in the form of a pencil and a notebook).
  2. Create a new note and enter the desired text.
  3. Press three points (โ‹ฎ) โ†’ Export โ†’ Choose the.txt format.
  4. Specify the folder to save (for example, Downloads) and confirm.

Method 2: Use of ADB (for power users)

If you want an empty file with a specific extension (e.g., a file with a specific extension, config.json), use the command:

adb shell touch /sdcard/Download/config.json

Where /sdcard/Download/ โ€” the path to the download folder, and config.json โ€” filename.

How to enable USB debugging for ADB
1. Go to Settings. โ†’ About the phone. 2. Press 7 times on "Version." MIUI" To activate the Developer Mode. 3. Return to Settings โ†’ Additionally. โ†’ For developers. 4. Enable "Debugging by" USB" and confirm the PC's approval.

Method 3: Third-party annexes

Apps like this FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer allows you to create files of any type:

  • ๐Ÿ“„ Text files: select "New file" โ†’ Enter the name with the extension.txt.
  • ๐Ÿ“Š Excel Tables: Create a file with the.xlsx extension (opens in the file file file). WPS Office).
  • ๐ŸŽต Playlists: files.m3u music-player.

โš ๏ธ Note: Files with extensions.apk,.exe or.bat is meaningless to create โ€” MIUI They are blocked for security reasons, even if they are empty.

4. Hidden Explorer functions: archives, cloud and fast action

Conductor MIUI It can do more than it first appears. Here are functions that few people know about:

Creation ZIP-Archives without third-party applications

To archive the files:

  1. Highlight the files with a long press.
  2. Press three points (โ‹ฎ) โ†’ Squeeze.
  3. Select the compression level (on Xiaomi 13 Pro available "Maximum" to save space).

The archive will appear in the same folder with the name archive.zip. To unpack, click on the file. โ†’ Extract.

Fast File Sending to Mi Cloud

If you are logged in to Mi Account:

  • Select the files โ†’ press "Share" โ†’ Choose Mi Cloud.
  • Files will be uploaded to the cloud automatically, even if the Mi Cloud app is not installed.

Document scanner in the Conductor

On devices with MIUI 14+ The conductor has a built-in scanner:

  1. Go to the Documents section.
  2. Click on the scanner icon (๐Ÿ“ท) top-right.
  3. Take a picture of the document โ€“ the file will be saved in.pdf format.

๐Ÿ’ก

To speed up the work with files, add the Explorer widget to the home screen: long press on the screen โ†’ "Widgets" โ†’ Find "Files" or "Storage".

5. Typical errors and their solutions

Even a simple file creation operation can go wrong, and let's look at some of the most common problems and how to fix them:

Mistake: "Not enough memory"

Causes and solutions:

  • ๐Ÿ—‘๏ธ Memory is full: delete unnecessary files or transfer them to the SD-card (if supported) Check the folder DCIM/.thumbnails โ€” There could be gigabytes of cache.
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Mounting error: restart the device or remove/paste SD-map.
  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Damaged file system: connect your phone to your PC and run disk check (chkdsk in Windows).

Error: "File not saved"

Most often occurs when working with:

  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ External storage: some OTG-flash drives formatted in NTFS, which MIUI It supports reading only. Reformat the flash drive to FAT32 exFAT.
  • โ˜๏ธ Cloud folders: If the file is saved to Mi Cloud, check your Internet connection โ€“ without a network, the changes are not synchronized.
  • ๐Ÿ”’ Protected directories: folders like /system or /data Only available with root rights.

Error: "File name is not allowed"

MIUI It imposes strict restrictions on file names:

Prohibited symbolReason for blockingWhat to use instead of
\, /path-dividers in Linux/WindowsHyphens (-) or underline ( )
:Used in time stamps (e.g, file:2026)Point (.) or dash
*, ?Stand-up signs in the command lineSquare brackets ([ ])
", <, >, |Special symbols for system commandsAny letters or numbers

๐Ÿ’ก

If the file is not displayed after creation, check the Explorer settings: go to โ‹ฎ โ†’ "Settings" โ†’ "Show hidden files".

6. Working with files via PC: an alternative method

Sometimes it's easier to create a file on your computer and transfer it to Xiaomi. Here's how to do it as quickly as possible:

Method 1: Possible USB-cable (MTP)

  1. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-C (Use the original cable for stability).
  2. On your phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the connection notification.
  3. On PC, open This computer - the device will appear as a removable disk.
  4. Copy files to the desired folder (for example, Internal storage). โ†’ Download).

Method 2: Wi-Fi (without cable)

For this:

  1. On the phone, open the Explorer. โ†’ press โ‹ฎ โ†’ FTP-server (or "Remote Access").
  2. Start the server and remember the address (for example, ftp://192.168.1.100:2221).
  3. On PC, open Windows Explorer โ†’ enter the address in the address bar โ†’ Enter the username / password (by default often anonymous without password).

Method 3: Through Cloud Services

If you have Mi Cloud, Google Drive or Yandex Disk set up on your phone:

  • Create a file on your PC and upload it to the cloud.
  • On the phone, open the corresponding application and download the file to local memory.

โš ๏ธ Note: When connecting to MTP Some files (such as those with the.apk extension) may not be copied due to limitations. MIUI. In this case, use FTP cloud.

7. ADB-Teams for Advanced Users

If standard methods donโ€™t work, you can manage files via Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This requires the inclusion of debugging on USB installation ADB-Drivers on PC, but opens up wide opportunities:

The main commands for working with files

# Create an empty file


adb shell touch /sdcard/Download/example.txt




Create a folder.



adb shell mkdir /sdcard/NewFolder




Copy a file (for example, from PC to phone)



adb push localfile.txt /sdcard/Download/




Delete the file



adb shell rm /sdcard/Download/example.txt




View the contents of the folder



adb shell ls /sdcard/Download/

Access rights and owners

If the file is not edited, check the rights:

# View the file rights


adb shell ls -l /sdcard/Download/example.txt




Change the rights (e.g. make the file readable/writeable)



adb shell chmod 666 /sdcard/Download/example.txt




Change the owner (root required)



adb shell chown system:system /sdcard/Download/example.txt
How to get root access on Xiaomi
1. Unlock the bootloader via Mi Unlock Tool (waiting required) 7-15 days). 2. Install custom recovery (for example, TWRP). 3. Get Magisk through Recovery. โš ๏ธ Root strips of warranties and may disrupt banking applications!

Automation through scripts

You can create a.bat file on a PC for batch processing. Example script for creating 10 text files:

@echo off


for /L %%i in (1,1,10) do (




adb shell touch /sdcard/Download/file%%i.txt




echo File %i > temp.txt




adb push temp.txt /sdcard/Download/file%%i.txt




del temp.txt




)

8 Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a file with the.apk extension in Xiaomi Explorer?
Technically yes, but this file is useless: MIUI block APK, It's not created through official sources, like Google Play, even if you create a blank space. app.apk, The system won't allow it to be opened or installed. APK Use Android Studio.
Why is it that the files that have just been created are not displayed in Explorer?
The reasons may be different: ๐Ÿ”„ Explorer cache: restart the application or clear the cache in Settings โ†’ Annexes โ†’ Conductor โ†’ Memory. ๐Ÿ‘๏ธ Hidden Files: Enable the Display of Hidden Items in Explorer Settings. ๐Ÿ“ Wrong path: Check which directory you saved the file in (for example, the file is in the wrong directory, /storage/emulated/0/Download instead /sdcard/Download).
How to create a file in the root folder of the phone (for example, in the /data)?
Without root rights access to system folders (/data, /system) It's locked, even through ADB You'll get a Permission Denied error: ๐Ÿ”“ Get root and use adb shell su. ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Use custom recovery (TWRP) manually editing files. โš ๏ธ Changing system files can lead to a brick (inoperability) of the device!
Can you create a file on SD-A card formatted as an internal memory?
Yes, but with reservations: If SD-The card is used as an internal storage (the option "Format as internal memory"), it is encrypted, and access to it is possible only through the Explorer. MIUI. The third-party file managers (such as Root Explorer) will not see the contents of such a card. When you remove the card, the files on it will become inaccessible until you re-authorize (after inserting back). SD-Card as a portable storage if you need compatibility with other devices.
How to return a deleted file if the basket is empty?
In the Guide MIUI No Recycle Bin function, deleted files are erased immediately: ๐Ÿ” Recovery software: DiskDigger, Recuva (requires a PC connection) Effective if a short time has elapsed after deleting. โ˜๏ธ Cloud Backups: Check Mi Cloud or Google Drive โ€“ itโ€™s possible the file synced automatically. ๐Ÿ“ฑ Local backups: if you have used TWRP For backup, restore the partition /data. โš ๏ธ Do not save new files to your device after deleting it โ€“ it reduces the chances of recovery!