Xiaomi does not remove photos from the gallery and asks for access to the gallery SD-map--what to do?

You try to remove photos from the gallery on your Xiaomi smartphone, but instead see the message “Allow access to the camera” SD-And this problem is typical of devices with external drives, especially if the files were originally saved to a memory card. 90% of the time, it's because of permission settings, conflicts with the memory card. MIUI But there are less obvious nuances, from blocking files with antivirus to the features of the application Gallery.

In this article, we will discuss all possible causes and solutions - from basic (permission check) to advanced (manual mounting). SD-map ADB). You will learn how to get around the restrictions. MIUI, Why do some photos not get deleted even after unlocking access, and what to do if the memory card is damaged, and if standard methods do not work, we will suggest alternative ways to delete through a PC or third-party file managers.

Why Xiaomi is asking for access SD-map when deleting photo

Message “Allow access to SD-The map is displayed when:

• 📱 Files are physically located on a memory card, but the Gallery app does not have rights to them modification/deletion. It’s a standard Android restriction, reinforced by security policies MIUI.
• 🔒 SD-The card is formatted as an “Adoptable Storage” but the system has lost touch with it due to a crash or update.
• 🛠️ The file system of the card is damaged – for example, after being extracted during recording or virus infection.
• 📂 Photos blocked by another application (antivirus, cloud backup, image editor).

V MIUI 12–14 The problem is compounded by the fact that the default system restricts access to external drives for most applications.Even if you have given permission to the Gallery, it can reset after a reboot or update.In addition, some Xiaomi models (e.g., Redmi Note) 10 pro POCO X3 Pro) have a mounting bug SD-Maps after upgrading to Android 12/13.

Method 1: Allow access to SD-map MIUI

The first thing you need to do is manually grant permissions to the Gallery app. With newer versions of MIUI, the path to settings has changed, so keep an eye out for the current steps:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Gallery (or Google Photos if you use it) and tap it.
3. Go to Permits. → Memory.
4. Select Allow All Files to be Accessed (or Allow All Files to be Managed in MIUI 14).
5. Go back to the gallery and try to delete the photo again.

If there's no Memory, then your version of MIUI is hiding it.

1. Open Settings → Special Options → All applications.
2. Find the Gallery, tap the three points at the top → Permissions.
3. Activate the memory switch.

Have given permission for "Memory" in the settings of the application

Reboot the phone after the changes

Try to delete the photo in 5-10 minutes (sometimes it takes time to apply permissions)

Checked that SD-The card is not extracted and is recognized by the system.-->

Important! On some firmware (e.g. MIUI Global for Redmi 9A), the resolution may reset after the update. If the problem comes back, repeat the steps or consider alternatives below.

Method 2: Delete photo through file manager

If the Gallery refuses to delete the photo, try using a standard Files (or a third-party manager like Solid Explorer):

1. Open the Files app (the folder icon on the desktop).
2. Go to section. SD-map (or external memory).
3. Find the DCIM → Camera folder (or another one where the photos are stored).
4. Select the files you need, click Delete.

If the files are not deleted here, check:

• 🔍 File attributes: They may be labeled "read-only." In Solid Explorer, you can change attributes with a long press. → Properties.
• 🔄 Rewire the map: Remove SD-card and insert back (after switching off the phone).

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If the DCIM folder doesn’t appear in the file manager, turn on the hidden files in the application settings (usually under the “More” or “View Settings” menu).

Method 3: Formatting SD-cards (unless the photo is critical)

If the photos are worthless and the map is unstable, it's easier to format it. Attention: this will delete all the data without any possibility of recovery!

⚠️ Attention: Do not format SD-The card is an "Adoptable Storage" card, unless you plan to use it with this phone alone, and in this mode, the card is encrypted and unreadable on other devices.

Instructions:

1. Back up important files (if possible).
2. Go to Settings. → Memory. → SD-map.
3. Slip on the three points at the top → Memory settings → Format.
4. Choose as an external drive (recommended) or as internal memory (power users only).

Method 4: Using a PC to delete photos

If the phone refuses to interact with SD-map, connect it to the computer:

1. Extract. SD-card from the phone (pre-mounted in the memory settings).
2. Insert it into a card reader or adapter for PC.
3. Open this computer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) and find a removable disk.
4. Go to DCIM → Camera and delete the photos.

If the map is not readable:

• 🖥️ Try another card reader or USB-port.
• 🛠️ Run error check (in Windows: right-click on the disk) → Properties → Service → Check it out).
• 🔧 Use utilities like this. SD Card Formatter (official utility) SD Association) for low-level formatting.

Method 5: Advanced methods (ADB, root, alternative firmware)

If nothing has worked, and it is critical to remove the photo, radical measures remain, requiring technical skills and can lead to loss of warranty or unstable phone operation.

Option 1: Removal via ADB

1. Turn on USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times, then go back to Additional → For Developers).
2. Connect your phone to your PC, open the command line and type in: adb shell rm /storage/XXXX-XXXX/DCIM/Camera/photo.jpg (substitute XXXX-XXXX downhill SD-The map can be recognized by the LS team. /storage).

Option 2: Getting root rights

With root, you can delete any files, but it is risky.

• 🔓 Use Magisk to unlock root (instructions depend on the model).
• 📲 Install Root Explorer and manually delete files from the /storage/emulated/0/ or /mnt/media_rw/.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 13/14 Android 12+ Getting root can block access to banking applications and Google Pay services due to SafetyNet trigger.

What to do if the photo is not deleted, but the place is vacated

Sometimes files disappear from the gallery, but the space on the map does not decrease.

• 🗑️ «Garbage files (miniatures, gallery cache) Clear them through Settings → Memory. → Cleanup.
• 🔄 Damaged sectors on SD-Check it with CrystalDiskInfo (Windows) or fsck (Linux/Mac).
• 📁 Hidden folders with backups (e.g..thumbnails or.nomedia).

Decision:

1. Use SD Maid or Files by Google to find unnecessary files.
2. Move all the important data from the card to the PC, then format it.

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If you don't free up after you delete the photo, it's not the files themselves, it's the file system of the map, and the only reliable solution is full formatting (with a pre-backup).

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing photos on Xiaomi