Transferring photos to Xiaomi’s Second Space: All Ways to 2026

Xiaomi’s Second Space feature allows you to create an isolated work environment with separate applications, settings and files. It’s convenient for separating personal and work data, but many users face the challenge of how to transfer photos between the main and second spaces? Unlike standard file copying, there are nuances due to the limitations of MIUI on accessing data between spaces.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to transfer photos, including official methods through MIUI Settings, workarounds through the file system and cloud services, with a special focus on data security and image quality preservation. If you are using the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 Pro or any other model on MIUI 14/15, these instructions will suit you.

Important: Some methods require unlocking the bootloader or the superuser rights (root), which may void the warranty, and we will mark these cases separately so that you can choose the option that is safe for you.

1. Official transfer via "Settings of the second space"

The easiest way is to use the built-in MIUI feature to share files between spaces, a method that requires no additional applications and works on all Xiaomi smartphones with dual space support (starting with MIUI 12).

To transfer the photos:

1. Open the Settings. → Second space.
2. Select Switch to second space (if you are mostly) or vice versa.
3. Slip on the icon "File Sharing" (folder icon with arrows).
4. Select photos in the gallery and click Transfer.

Limitations of the method:

• 📁 It only works for files in a folder. DCIM/Camera (camera-shot).
• 🔄 You can’t transfer the entire folder – just one file or selectively.
• ⏳ Speed depends on the number of photos (up to 500 files at a time).

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If the File Sharing button is inactive, restart your smartphone and check if time synchronization is enabled in both spaces (Settings → Additional → Date and Time).

2. Transfer via MI File Manager (without root)

If the built-in file sharing is not suitable, you can use MI File Manager (a standard file manager of Xiaomi), which allows you to transfer any files, including photos from downloads or other folders.

Instructions:

1. Open the MI File Manager in the main space.
2. Go to the photo folder (for example, Internal Storage → Pictures).
3. Select the files you need and tap Copy.
4. Return to the root directory and select Second Space (appears after activation of the function).
5. Insert files into the DCIM or Pictures folder of the second space.

Important nuances:

• 🔒 Access to the second space through MI File Manager only appears after the first switch between spaces.
• 📂 You can’t create new folders in the second space through the main one – just copy to existing ones.
• 🚫 If files are not displayed in the second space, check the permissions for the MI File Manager in Settings → Annexes → Permits.

3. Use of cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud)

Cloud storage is a universal way to transfer photos, independent of the limitations of MIUI, suitable for large amounts of data and allows you to maintain the original quality of images.

Comparison of services for Xiaomi:

Step-by-step instructions for Google Photos:

1. In the main space, open Google Photos and enable autoload (Settings → Backup and Sync).
2. Wait until all the photos are uploaded to the cloud.
3. Switch to the second space and log in to the same Google account.
4. In Google Photos, select the desired images and click Save on the device.

Google Photo|Mi Cloud|Yandex Disc.|Mega|Other|I don't use it.-->

Privacy Warning: When using Mi Cloud, photos may be stored on Xiaomi servers in China, which is contrary to GDPR policy. For sensitive data, we recommend Google Photos or Mega with encryption.

4. Transfer through OTG-storage

If you have USB-drive or access to a computer, this method allows you to bypass all restrictions MIUI. Suitable for large volume transfer (e.g. 10)+ GB photos).

What you need:

• 🔌 OTG-adapter (to connect the flash drive to the smartphone).
• 💻 Computer with USB-Type C cable (if not) OTG).
• 📁 flash drive or external SSD (formatted FAT32/exFAT).

Instructions via OTG:

1. Connect the flash drive to the smartphone through OTG-adapter.
2. In the main space, copy photos to a flash drive through MI File Manager.
3. Turn off the flash drive, switch to the second space and plug it back in.
4. Copy files from the flash drive into the internal memory of the second space.

Check the support OTG in your model (Settings) → Connections → OTG)|Format the flash drive in exFAT (for files) >4GB)|Create a backup of photos on your computer|Use a flash drive with a volume of at least 16 GB-->

⚠️ Note: When connecting to a computer through MTP (File transfer mode) the second space does not appear as a separate disk. To see it, you need to switch to the second space and connect the smartphone again.

5. ADB portability (for advanced users)

If standard methods don't work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a low-level file system access tool that requires developer mode on and works even without root rights.

Pre-launch warnings:

• 🛠️ Minimum knowledge of command line work is required.
• 🔓 Requires to activate debugging USB both-space.
• 🚨 Errors in teams can lead to data loss.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your smartphone to your computer and authorize debugging over USB in both spaces.
2. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type: Adb devices Make sure the device is detected.
3. Copy photos from the main space to your computer: adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/ ~/Desktop/xiaomi_photos/
4. Switch to the second space and reconnect via USB.
5. Download the files back: adb push ~/Desktop/xiaomi_photos/ /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/

Critical information: When using ADB, the paths to folders in the second space may differ (e.g. /data/media/0/ instead of /sdcard/). To find out the exact path, use the adb shell ls /storage/ command.

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ADB is the only way to transfer files between spaces without loss of quality and without cloud services, but requires caution when typing commands.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When you transfer photos, you often have typical problems, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

1.Photographs are not displayed in the second space after the transfer

• 🔍 Check that the files are copied to the correct folder: DCIM/Camera or Pictures.
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone – sometimes MIUI Does not update the media base immediately.
• 📲 Open the gallery. → ☰ → Update to forcefully scan files.

2. "Not enough space" error during transfer

• 🗑️ Delete unnecessary files in the second space through Settings → Warehouse.
• 🔧 Move some applications to a memory card (if supported).
• 📊 Check the actual amount of free space with the team: adb shell df -h

⚠️ Note: If you are using Xiaomi with a hybrid slot for SIM+microSD, the memory card will only be available in the space where it was first connected. To use it in both spaces, format the card as internal memory (settings). → storage → map SD → formatting).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions