Smartphone owners Xiaomi i Redmi often face the problem of quickly filling up the internal storage. Modern cameras shoot in high definition, and gigabytes fly away unnoticed. Fortunately, most models support the installation of format cards MicroSD, which allows you to expand the amount of available memory with almost no restrictions.
Standard system settings often suggest saving media files to internal memory to speed up work, but this is not always convenient for the user. In this article, we will look in detail at how to change the default save path so that your pictures go straight to external storage. You will also learn about the nuances of the file system MIUI and ways to transfer already taken photographs.
The correct camera configuration not only frees up space for applications, but also simplifies the transfer of the archive to a computer. You don't have to look for files deep in system folders if they are on clear external media. Let's move on to the practical implementation of these settings.
Preparing a memory card and initial installation
Before changing camera settings, you need to make sure that the memory card is correctly detected by the system. Insert MicroSD into the slot until you hear a characteristic click, observing the position of the contacts. After this, the smartphone should display a notification about connecting a new drive.
The system Android on the shell MIUI will offer to select the type of use of the drive. This is a critical stage, as future opportunities depend on it. You can use the card as portable storage or as part of the internal memory of the device.
- 📱 Portable storage: the card works like a flash drive, files are visible on the PC, but applications cannot be installed.
- 💾 Internal memory: the card is encrypted and becomes part of the system, access to files from the PC is only possible through a phone connection.
- 🔄 Formatting: before use, the system will definitely offer to format the card, deleting all old data.
⚠️ Attention: When selecting the “Internal memory” mode, the card is tied to a specific smartphone. If you insert it into another phone without formatting, the data will not be read.
For tasks of storing photos and videos, the optimal choice is portable media mode. This makes it easy to remove the card and download content to your computer via a card reader. After confirming the format, the system will create the necessary folder structure.
Use U3 or V30 speed class cards to record video in 4K, otherwise frames may be skipped or recording will stop.
Setting the saving path in the Camera application
The most common question concerns changing the directory for new pictures. In the latest versions of the shell MIUI the developers have slightly changed the logic of the menu, but the principle remains the same. You will need to go to the shooting interface and find the corresponding switch.
Open the application Camera and go to photo mode. In the upper right corner of the screen there is a menu with three horizontal bars or a gear icon, depending on the firmware version. Click on it to access the parameters.
In the list that opens, look for the item responsible for saving priority. It may be called "Save Priority" or simply have a switch SD card. Activate this toggle switch by moving it to the “On” position.
Settings → Saving priority → Memory cardAfter enabling this option, all new photos and videos will be automatically recorded in a folder DCIM/Camera on the external carrier. Old pictures will remain in the internal memory, they need to be transferred separately.
☑️ Checking the camera settings
Manually transferring existing photos through Explorer
Changing camera settings does not move old files automatically. To free up space right now, you need to manually transfer the accumulated archive. To do this, the standard application included Redmi there is a standard application Explorer.
Launch the application and go to the “Folders” or “Internal Shared Storage” section. Find the directory DCIM, and inside it the folder Camera. This is where all your pictures are stored by default.
Highlight the desired files with a long press. You can select individual photos or click the Select All button in the bottom menu bar. Once highlighted, press the button More and select Move.
⚠️ Attention: Do not use the “Copy” function for large amounts of data if the memory card is more than 90% full. This may result in a recording error and file corruption.
The system will prompt you to select a destination. Go to the “SD card” section and select the same folder DCIM/Camera or create a new one, for example Archive_2026. Confirm the action, and the files will begin to move.
What to do if the movement is stuck?
If the process of moving files has stopped in one place, do not turn off the phone immediately. Wait 5-10 minutes. The system often works with large video files longer than usual. If the error persists, try moving files in smaller groups of 50.
Saving screenshots and downloads to external storage
In addition to photos from the camera, screenshots and files from instant messengers take up space. By default, they are also saved inside the phone. You can change this behavior through the settings of a specific application or shared storage.
For screenshots, the path is often hard-coded by the system, but in some versions Android there is an option to change it. Go to Settings smartphone, then to the Memorysection. There may be an item “Where to save screenshots.”
If there is no such option, you will have to use third-party applications to create screenshots, where you can specify the path manually. For downloads from the browser Chrome or MI Browser the setting is located inside the browser itself.
| File type | Standard folder | Ability to change path |
|---|---|---|
| Photo from camera | DCIM/Camera | Yes, in the camera settings |
| Screenshots | Pictures/Screenshots | Partially (depending on the OS version) |
| Browser downloads | Download | Yes, in the browser settings |
| Telegram files | Android/media/telegram | Yes, in the application settings |
Regularly checking these directories will help maintain order. Files from instant messengers are often duplicated and take up a lot of space, so automatically sending them to a memory card will be very useful.
Solving problems with identifying and writing to an SD card
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the phone sees the card, but does not allow files to be written to it. This may be due to permissions or file system errors. First of all, check if the “Read Only” mode is enabled.
Go to Settings → Memory and click on the name of your card. From the menu at the top right, select Storage Settings. Make sure the card is not disabled by software. If the system prompts you to format the card again, save important data on your PC before doing so.
A common cause of errors is file system incompatibility. Smartphones Redmi work best with the exFAT or FAT32format. If the card is formatted in NTFS, the phone can see it, but not write data.
- 🛠️ Cleaning contacts: Remove the card and wipe the gold contacts with a soft eraser or alcohol wipe.
- 📉 Speed check: Older Class 4 cards may not be able to record high-quality video quality.
- 🔒 Physical lock: check that the small switch on the SD adapter (if an adapter is used) is not moved to the Lock position.
If the memory card is determined to be damaged, try formatting it via a computer in exFAT format before resending inserted into the phone.
Optimizing system operation with external memory
The use of a memory card affects the overall performance of the smartphone. Applications installed on the SD card run slower than those on the internal memory. Therefore, it is recommended to store only media files and documents on the drive.
Do not transfer system applications and heavy games to an external drive. This can lead to interface freezes and long loading times for apps. Internal memory eMMC or UFS in smartphones Xiaomi much faster than most microSD cards.
To maintain stability, maintain the card regularly. Once every few months, connect your phone to your computer and run a disk check for errors. This will prevent sudden data loss at the most inopportune moment.
⚠️ Attention: Interfaces and menu item names may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI (12, 13, 14, HyperOS). If you do not find the item described, use the search in the settings by entering the word “Memory” or “SD”.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why did they disappear from the gallery after transferring photos to the card?
Most likely, the system’s media scanner worked. Try restarting your smartphone. Also check if the folder is hidden with a dot at the beginning of the name (for example, .Camera), which makes it invisible to the gallery.
Is it possible to transfer WhatsApp to a memory card on Redmi?
You cannot completely transfer the application, but you can change the path where media files are saved. Go to WhatsApp settings → Storage and data → Storage location and select SD card.
What is the maximum card size that Redmi supports?
Most modern models support cards up to 512 GB or even 1 TB. For exact information, see the characteristics of your specific model on the official website.
Will a memory card speed up the phone?
No, on the contrary. If you transfer applications to it, the phone may start to work slower. The card is intended exclusively for storing files that do not require high access speed.