Where is music from Yandex Music on Xiaomi smartphones: a complete guide 2026

Listening to music offline in Yandex Music, but can’t find downloaded tracks in the memory of Xiaomi smartphone? You are not alone — users of Redmi, POCO and Mi regularly face this problem. The fact is that the application hides files in system folders, and the MIUI shell further complicates access to them. In this article, we will not only show the exact ways of storing music, but also explain why standard search methods often do not work on Xiaomi devices.

The main difficulty lies in the architecture of Android and politics. MIUI: starting with 12, Xiaomi tightens control over file system, restricting access to folders /Android/data/ And Yandex Music encrypts downloaded tracks in.ym format, making them unsuitable for playing off-app without converting beforehand. But there are workarounds, and we'll talk about them in as much detail as possible.

You don't need root rights or complex manipulations: most solutions run on standard MIUI 12/13/14 firmware without risking warranty. However, some methods (such as ADB access) require basic knowledge of Android systems. If you're a beginner, start with the first sections that describe the simplest methods.

Official ways of music storage in Yandex Music

By default, Yandex Music saves downloaded tracks to the secure folder of the application. The path depends on the Android version and storage settings:

• 📁 Internal memory: /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/ru.yandex.music/files/music/
• 📁 Memory card (if selected in settings): /storage/XXXX-XXXX/Android/data/ru.yandex.music/files/music/ (where XXXX-XXXX — unique identifier SD-map)
• 🔒 Feature: Folder /Android/data/ hidden from the user in a standard conductor MIUI free-of-setting.

It is important to understand that the files in this folder have the.ym extension, which is an encrypted format that can only be played through the official application. If you want to extract music for use in other players (for example, Poweramp or VLC), you will need to convert, which we will discuss in one of the following sections.

On Xiaomi devices with MIUI 14, the path may be slightly different due to changes in the storage structure. For example, on some Redmi Note 12 and POCO X5 models, the application folder is located at:

/storage/emulated/0/Android/media/ru.yandex.music/files/music/

Why you can’t see the music folder in Xiaomi Explorer

Even though you know the exact path, many users don't find the downloaded tracks, and the reasons are three key things:

1. MIUI Limitations: By default, Xiaomi Explorer does not show /Android/data/, as it is considered "systemic" and is designed to protect application data.
2. Hidden files: In the Explorer settings, hidden folders (those that start with a dot) are disabled. Although.ym files are not hidden, the ru.yandex.music folder itself can be hidden.
3. Dynamic Storage: Starting with Android 11, Google introduced the concept of scoped storage, which restricts applications from accessing other people’s data. MIUI Increase these restrictions.

To see the folder, you need to enable the display of hidden files in the Xiaomi Explorer:

1. Open the Files (or Explorer) application.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → Settings.
3. Activate the switch to show hidden files.
4. Return to the root directory and manually navigate along the way /Android/data/ru.yandex.music/.

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If Xiaomi Explorer still doesn’t show the folder, try using third-party file managers like Solid Explorer or other file managers. FX File Explorer. They often bypass the constraints. MIUI.

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 13 Global for the Redmi Note 10 Pro), even these manipulations don’t help, leaving two options: use ADB (about it below) or connect the smartphone to a computer.

How to find music through your computer (Windows/macOS/Linux)

Connecting Xiaomi to a PC often solves the problem of accessing files.

• 🔌 Connect your smartphone to your computer through USB-cable (preferably original).
• 📱 On the Xiaomi screen, select File Transfer Mode (MTP).
• 🖥️ On PC, open the Explorer (This PC is on Windows or Finder on macOS).
• 📂 Go to the folder of your device → Internal storage → Android → data → ru.yandex.music → files → music.

If the data folder is not displayed, it means that your Xiaomi has enabled the “Personal Data Protection” feature (present in MIUI 12.5+) to disable it:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy → Special permissions.
2. Find a point. USB-installation USB-debugging).
3. Activate the Data Access Switch.

On macOS may require the installation of additional software for correct mounting MIUI-We recommend using Android File Transfer (the official application from Google) or Commander One.

Search for music through ADB (for advanced users)

If standard methods don’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a low-level file system access tool that works for MIUI of all versions, but requires preparation.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-Drivers (you can download from the official Android website).
• 📱 Included debugging by USB Xiaomi.
• 🔌 USB-plug-in.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and allow debugging (a request will appear on the Xiaomi screen).
2. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with adb.exe.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
4. Use the command to access the folder with music: adb shell ls /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/ru.yandex.music/files/music/
5. To copy files to your computer, do: adb pull /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/ru.yandex.music/files/music/ C:\YandexMusic\ (substitute C:\YandexMusic\ on the right path on your PC).

Note that.ym files will still be encrypted, and converting them to.mp3 will require additional tools, which we will discuss later.

How to convert.ym to MP3 to play outside of Yandex Music

Files with the.ym extension are not just.mp3 rebranded, but encrypted tracks that are linked to your account. To play them in other applications, you need to:

1. Download decryptor: Use utilities like YMusicDecrypt (available on GitHub) or ym2mp3.
2. Access token: Some tools will be required access_token from the Yandex Music app (it can be extracted through ADB oral).
3. Start conversion: The decryptor converts.ym to standard.mp3 with metadata (track name, artist, cover) saved.

Example of a command for YMusicDecrypt (after installing Python and dependencies):

python ymusic_decrypt.py -i /path/k/folder/c/ym -o /path/for/mp3 -t your access_token

Important: Conversion may violate Yandex Music's user agreement, and use this method only for personal use of downloaded tracks.

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Decrypting.ym files only works if you have a valid Yandex Music subscription, and if you cancel your subscription or change your account, the tracks will become unavailable even in the original app.

How to transfer music from Yandex Music to a memory card

If Xiaomi’s internal memory is not enough, you can save tracks to the site. SD-But there are nuances:

1. Open Yandex Music → go to Settings → Memory.
2. Select Memory Card in the section "Save music".
3. Confirm the transfer of existing tracks (if they are already downloaded).

Nana MIUI music-way SD-The map will look like this:

/storage/XXXX-XXXX/Android/data/ru.yandex.music/files/music/

(where XXXX-XXXX is your card’s unique identifier).

Attention: if you extract SD-Map, tracks will not be available in the app. Also note that on some Xiaomi models (for example, Redmi). 9A or POCO M3) Memory cards are formatted as internal storage, which can lead to problems with accessing files after reconnecting.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after successfully searching for a music folder, Xiaomi users are faced with common mistakes:

⚠️ If after transferring tracks to the memory card they are not played in Yandex Music, check if it is formatted. SD-Solution: transfer the music back to internal memory or format the card as a portable device (with loss of data!).

Problem 1: The ru.yandex.music folder is empty, although the tracks are downloaded.

Solution: Try updating the library in the app (Settings → Update library) or restart your smartphone. Sometimes re-downloading tracks helps.

Problem 2:.ym files don’t open after copying to a PC.

Solution: Make sure you copy the entire music folder, not the individual files, and it contains the service data you need to decrypt.

Problem 3: MIUI 14 is not available through ADB.

Solution: Enable the option to turn off Disable permission monitoring in the developer settings (Settings → Additional → Developers).

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI Global (e.g. Redmi Note) 11 Pro+ 5G) After major system updates, the path to music may change. If standard methods don't work, check the current path through the system. ADB Team: Adb shell find /storage -name "*.ym"

FAQ: Answers to popular questions