Hi All,
Day by day, another MIUI quirk/challenge... Things that were easy and possible under other phones and stock Android versions seem ever so more challenging under MIUI....
So, I purchased a nice 128GB SD Card to go with the built in storage. Mainly for moving data around, so don't loose it...
However due to Android 4.4 and beyond, Google make it difficult to write access this. However other File Managers and Android versions in past, I've managed to re-enable this. However with this phone, so far I have not found to a way to unlock it yet??
The usual app (FX Explorer) doesn't work, says I can't unlook the root of the SD Card, only individual folders... which it then complains, isn't the root.... (yeah, I know that... you wouldn't let me unlock the root of SD).
I try MIUI Storage settings, but that has nothing in there to unlock it....
I then install Google Files, as strangley a guide says that'll work... it doesn't....
There was then a guide with the stock Xiaomi File Manager to unlock write access to SD Card, yet the options in the guide don't exist in this version. And can't see how allowing access to my Contacts in File Manager and then clearing the settings would fix it anyway?
So now running out of idea's to allow access to SD Card... T'was so simple on other Android devices.....
Cheers, Lister
Update: Seems I am not alone, many have this bug and looks not to be fixed.... or consistently fixed. Very hit and miss....
https://www.reddit.com/r/miui/comments/joxuhi
The plot thickens.... or not, so it seems !!!
So under Developer Settings, there is an options to "Force Write Access to External SD for all Apps" so I have enabled this and it has done..... diddly squat !!!
What's the point of providing an SD Card slot, with no write access...??
Lister
Hi All,
Has anyone had any luck getting an Ext SD Card to be writable between apps....?? As all the usual methods that I know of, and apps (FX) that have worked in the past, don't work.
The OS built in settings don't work, and the hidden Developer Settings to force write access don't work....
So at this point, I am racking my brians why Xiaomi even bothered to include an SD Card slot, as currently its pointless and redundant !!!
I'm having to copy it from the Internal memory, onto PC, then from PC back onto Exteral.... and it's slow as hell and doesn't always work... It's a brand new SanDisk MicroSD purchased from large retail store... So not like its some iffy thing off eBay.
Cheers, Lister
Thats, lets say, weird. i never had that problem, try finding something in the developer options?
if nothing worked, then root your phone i guess
Yeah it's very weird, I've never faced this issue on any of my other phones in the past.... Which have mainly been Samsung's.... S2, S5 and Note 1.... All old and trusty models, had no issues with those phones over the years, they were like TANKS.... just kept on working.
However this phone, I am encountering issue, after issue.... things that worked like stock/standard under normal Android are not working on MIUI.... I can't even get Ringtones to work, just have the 3x ringtones it comes with with no option to add more....
SD Card won't allow me to write at the root of the card, it says create a folder from the root of the card and then make the folder writable. I do that, then the OS complains this isn't standard practice and that I should allow the whole card.... which was what I was trying to do, when it tells me "for my own privacy" not write at the root level... Argghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!! lol
I am trying not root the phone itself at the moment, as this is the most moddern and recent phone ever purchased and trying to run it as stock with banking apps.... But if pushed, I may try rooting and try masking root at a later date....
But for now, if there is any official non-root ways of making the SD Card work, would be grateful...
Cheers, Lister
Lister Of Smeg said:
Yeah it's very weird, I've never faced this issue on any of my other phones in the past.... Which have mainly been Samsung's.... S2, S5 and Note 1.... All old and trusty models, had no issues with those phones over the years, they were like TANKS.... just kept on working.
However this phone, I am encountering issue, after issue.... things that worked like stock/standard under normal Android are not working on MIUI.... I can't even get Ringtones to work, just have the 3x ringtones it comes with with no option to add more....
SD Card won't allow me to write at the root of the card, it says create a folder from the root of the card and then make the folder writable. I do that, then the OS complains this isn't standard practice and that I should allow the whole card.... which was what I was trying to do, when it tells me "for my own privacy" not write at the root level... Argghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!! lol
I am trying not root the phone itself at the moment, as this is the most moddern and recent phone ever purchased and trying to run it as stock with banking apps.... But if pushed, I may try rooting and try masking root at a later date....
But for now, if there is any official non-root ways of making the SD Card work, would be grateful...
Cheers, Lister
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the root of the sd card is not allowed a lot of phones, i have a lumia 530 (windows phone) and don't have full access, but my huawei p smart 2019 has root of the sd
Hi All,
Just gets better and better..... NOT !!!
Xiaomi why the fook have you included an SD Card reader to your phones, and Google why do you allow the user to VIEW but NOT use additional storage? Might as well remove the SD Card slot and add a 3rd SIM slot.
Then rebrand Android OS to Google-iOS, and continue to lock this sh*t down !!! Utterly pointless....
Google Issue Tracker
issuetracker.google.com
So it seems this is a known issue since Android 11, getting worse in 12 and dread to think by time of 13. So many unhappy and angry users out there over Googles latest changes... So Google lock their DocsUI storage down to secure their devices, thus users are installing unknown apks to try and re-enable it or ROOT their phones to regain the feature back. Therefore reversing what Google are trying enforce... lol
Pity I purchased a 128GB SD for this phone, might as well slamed in a 2GB for all the use it'll get...
Lister
Hi All,
<< Credit, where credit is due... as no other solution all over the web worked... other than below >>
Thanks to @xetc , with regards to this post... Ext SD Card write access has been resolved and can now make use of my 128gb Micro SD Card again... Yaaaaaaay....
Fault: If you're running Android 11, or higher. You will now find you cannot write/make use of your External MicroSD Card as Google have now blocked this. Android 10 is not as restricted, and Android 9 or below is not affected by this issue.
Solution: Download and use FX Explorer v8.0.3.0
To re-summarize steps...
1) If you already have FX Explorer installed, remove it.
2) Then download specifically FX Explorer v8.0.3.0 from your usual source.
3) Then click the top right corner, and select [Enable Write Access] at the bottom of the menu and follow prompts.
4) Once completed, reboot your phone.
5) Now test, to make sure you can write between internal to external, if all good, proceed to update.
6) Now grab the latest version of FX Explorer, once updated, re-check that you still have write access.
Happy days....
Lister
hmm
Lister Of Smeg said:
Hi All,
<< Credit, where credit is due... as no other solution all over the web worked... other than below >>
Thanks to @xetc , with regards to this post... Ext SD Card write access has been resolved and can now make use of my 128gb Micro SD Card again... Yaaaaaaay....
Fault: If you're running Android 11, or higher. You will now find you cannot write/make use of your External MicroSD Card as Google have now blocked this. Android 10 is not as restricted, and Android 9 or below is not affected by this issue.
Solution: Download and use FX Explorer v8.0.3.0
To re-summarize steps...
1) If you already have FX Explorer installed, remove it.
2) Then download specifically FX Explorer v8.0.3.0 from your usual source.
3) Then click the top right corner, and select [Enable Write Access] at the bottom of the menu and follow prompts.
4) Once completed, reboot your phone.
5) Now test, to make sure you can write between internal to external, if all good, proceed to update.
6) Now grab the latest version of FX Explorer, once updated, re-check that you still have write access.
Happy days....
Lister
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Btw, on 4), I didn't need a reboot on A10, just enabled write access, then updated. Your mileage may vary, though, with A11+.
Lister Of Smeg said:
Hi All,
Day by day, another MIUI quirk/challenge... Things that were easy and possible under other phones and stock Android versions seem ever so more challenging under MIUI....
So, I purchased a nice 128GB SD Card to go with the built in storage. Mainly for moving data around, so don't loose it...
However due to Android 4.4 and beyond, Google make it difficult to write access this. However other File Managers and Android versions in past, I've managed to re-enable this. However with this phone, so far I have not found to a way to unlock it yet??
The usual app (FX Explorer) doesn't work, says I can't unlook the root of the SD Card, only individual folders... which it then complains, isn't the root.... (yeah, I know that... you wouldn't let me unlock the root of SD).
I try MIUI Storage settings, but that has nothing in there to unlock it....
I then install Google Files, as strangley a guide says that'll work... it doesn't....
There was then a guide with the stock Xiaomi File Manager to unlock write access to SD Card, yet the options in the guide don't exist in this version. And can't see how allowing access to my Contacts in File Manager and then clearing the settings would fix it anyway?
So now running out of idea's to allow access to SD Card... T'was so simple on other Android devices.....
Cheers, Lister
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I changed my SD card to another version and my problems were fixed... I don't know if it will help others bud I now associate the problem with my SanDisk as it is not working in my other Redmi
Be aware that when swapping cards, even if you had previously granted card write access, you'll get into the same problem again with the new card. Is it related it to FX not relying on system file transfer app to handle permission, but doing it on its own, instead?
Equally, bookmark links, which are linked to the card's individual path (/####-####/), once you swap card, won't work anymore, either.
Unfortunately, seems none of these and other reported issues seem will ever be fixed, so maybe it's time to move on...
Btw, wonder if this still works...?: NextApp SDFix
Lister Of Smeg said:
Hi All,
<< Credit, where credit is due... as no other solution all over the web worked... other than below >>
Thanks to @xetc , with regards to this post... Ext SD Card write access has been resolved and can now make use of my 128gb Micro SD Card again... Yaaaaaaay....
Fault: If you're running Android 11, or higher. You will now find you cannot write/make use of your External MicroSD Card as Google have now blocked this. Android 10 is not as restricted, and Android 9 or below is not affected by this issue.
Solution: Download and use FX Explorer v8.0.3.0
To re-summarize steps...
1) If you already have FX Explorer installed, remove it.
2) Then download specifically FX Explorer v8.0.3.0 from your usual source.
3) Then click the top right corner, and select [Enable Write Access] at the bottom of the menu and follow prompts.
4) Once completed, reboot your phone.
5) Now test, to make sure you can write between internal to external, if all good, proceed to update.
6) Now grab the latest version of FX Explorer, once updated, re-check that you still have write access.
Happy days....
Lister
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you also @xetc for reporting the fix first. I was experiencing this on my secondary phone with LineageOS 17.1/ Android 10.
@tliebeck can you revisit the v. 8.0.3.0 code and re-implement the way you enabled media card write access in that version back into the current version? Obviously something got twisted (and has been ever since v. 8.0.3.0 +)
Above all, thank you for your app !!
Not sure why to use FX Explorer. I use Total Commander and it works to the ext SD card fine. (NOTE: Be aware that if you update to the 3.33 version or higher, you will lose the ability to install apps manually from the SD card. Blame Google! You can solve this by signing it with your favorite app (like apk-signer) so Play won't keep telling you there is an update to the program.
Lister Of Smeg said:
Hi All,
<< Credit, where credit is due... as no other solution all over the web worked... other than below >>
Thanks to @xetc , with regards to this post... Ext SD Card write access has been resolved and can now make use of my 128gb Micro SD Card again... Yaaaaaaay....
Fault: If you're running Android 11, or higher. You will now find you cannot write/make use of your External MicroSD Card as Google have now blocked this. Android 10 is not as restricted, and Android 9 or below is not affected by this issue.
Solution: Download and use FX Explorer v8.0.3.0
To re-summarize steps...
1) If you already have FX Explorer installed, remove it.
2) Then download specifically FX Explorer v8.0.3.0 from your usual source.
3) Then click the top right corner, and select [Enable Write Access] at the bottom of the menu and follow prompts.
4) Once completed, reboot your phone.
5) Now test, to make sure you can write between internal to external, if all good, proceed to update.
6) Now grab the latest version of FX Explorer, once updated, re-check that you still have write access.
Happy days....
Lister
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The old 8.0.3.0 from December 2020 is now a 7-day trial app, and step #3 does not produce any "enable write access" from the top right hamburger menu. I enabled root/developer access in its settings but no difference.
EDIT: though I see no "enable write access" anywhere the app, I can read and write to it, and send files from it to Drive, the last 2 things fail on my RN11. Both are on custom ROMs on A13. So, this has to be a developer's issue in the ROM, OR something with the card itself. I will keep testing to see what I can find.
i.e. this no longer works (NOTE: this might just be an SD card issue. I am able to write to and send files from an external SD on a different ROM on a different A13 phone - Redmi Note 10 Pro - without any permissions stalls at all using Total Commander 3.31, for example.)
xetc said:
Be aware that when swapping cards, even if you had previously granted card write access, you'll get into the same problem again with the new card. Is it related it to FX not relying on system file transfer app to handle permission, but doing it on its own, instead?
Equally, bookmark links, which are linked to the card's individual path (/####-####/), once you swap card, won't work anymore, either.
Unfortunately, seems none of these and other reported issues seem will ever be fixed, so maybe it's time to move on...
Btw, wonder if this still works...?: NextApp SDFix
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. It produces an error. "Platform permission file is invalid. no groups specified in WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"
Sheist! said:
The old 8.0.3.0 from December 2020 is now a 7-day trial app, and step #3 does not produce any "enable write access" from the top right hamburger menu. I enabled root/developer access in its settings but no difference.
i.e. this no longer works (NOTE: this might just be an SD card issue. I am able to write to and send files from an external SD on a different ROM on a different A13 phone - Redmi Note 10 Pro - without any permissions stalls at all using Total Commander 3.31, for example.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi @Sheist! ,
All versions/editions of FX Explorer are considered a Trial edition when first installed... You can enable full features for a 7 - 14x day trial to which it reverts back to limited features. You only miss out on the bonus, networking/app management and few extra controls/filesystem features.... All the core Explorer features are still there...
This method was correct and accurate at the time of testing, which I believe I was on Android 11, as I don't think A12 was around at the time. Since upgraded to A12 afterwards it has still kept write access to the SD Card enabled after the hack.
I've not tried this method on A13 yet, as I am still on stock rom. However, each release of Android, from version 10 upwards keep tweaking SD Card usage, and restricts access to it more and more... So A13 could well have issues, don't know.
Personally, when I tried Total Commander back on A11, I couldn't get it to work at all (despite reading a guide somewhere) saying to use this. I tried all the various apps out there, one even suggested using the MiExplorer. No method worked at all, apart from that very specific release of FX Explorer, and when tried worked like a charm. As it always has done since Android 4.4x when Google first started messing around with SD Cards. I believe Android developers were asked to remove such features from their File Manager apps, hence why after 8.0.3.0 this feature disappeared.
There was a method briefly, using Googles own "Files" app, known as packagename "My Documents" or something like that... This feature only worked on Android 11, and had limited access when enabled. However as this is often a system app, and without root... Trying to disable, debloat, replace this app... this method also was fiddly and didn't work.... the only sucess that worked for me was what was mentioned above.
I tried practically everything, and was at the point of giving up and annoyed I wasted money on a 128GB SD card not to be used... until I stumbled on the above. Relieved it worked, and thought if it helps others in similar position, share the info... as I read pages and pages (forums/Googles own documentation) on how its disabled, how it no longer works, workarounds that didnt work... I believe it should still work for A11, and poss A12 roms (does via upgrade), however not personally tested on A13.
Cheers, Lister
Lister Of Smeg said:
Hi @Sheist! ,
All versions/editions of FX Explorer are considered a Trial edition when first installed... You can enable full features for a 7 - 14x day trial to which it reverts back to limited features. You only miss out on the bonus, networking/app management and few extra controls/filesystem features.... All the core Explorer features are still there...
This method was correct and accurate at the time of testing, which I believe I was on Android 11, as I don't think A12 was around at the time. Since upgraded to A12 afterwards it has still kept write access to the SD Card enabled after the hack.
I've not tried this method on A13 yet, as I am still on stock rom. However, each release of Android, from version 10 upwards keep tweaking SD Card usage, and restricts access to it more and more... So A13 could well have issues, don't know.
Personally, when I tried Total Commander back on A11, I couldn't get it to work at all (despite reading a guide somewhere) saying to use this. I tried all the various apps out there, one even suggested using the MiExplorer. No method worked at all, apart from that very specific release of FX Explorer, and when tried worked like a charm. As it always has done since Android 4.4x when Google first started messing around with SD Cards. I believe Android developers were asked to remove such features from their File Manager apps, hence why after 8.0.3.0 this feature disappeared.
There was a method briefly, using Googles own "Files" app, known as packagename "My Documents" or something like that... This feature only worked on Android 11, and had limited access when enabled. However as this is often a system app, and without root... Trying to disable, debloat, replace this app... this method also was fiddly and didn't work.... the only sucess that worked for me was what was mentioned above.
I tried practically everything, and was at the point of giving up and annoyed I wasted money on a 128GB SD card not to be used... until I stumbled on the above. Relieved it worked, and thought if it helps others in similar position, share the info... as I read pages and pages (forums/Googles own documentation) on how its disabled, how it no longer works, workarounds that didnt work... I believe it should still work for A11, and poss A12 roms (does via upgrade), however not personally tested on A13.
Cheers, Lister
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is I have other apps that need to write to the SD and at this point they started failing. I don't suspect A13, as CherishOS does not have this issue on RN10P, OR the SD card I am using on that RN10P phone is error-free. My card would not read in the crDroid recovery in my RN11 UNTIL I formatted it in Windows with NTFS. Even formatting in the phone in exFat gives an exFat error in the incorporated crDroid recovery! This is probably still some issue with my card or its formatting, as I don't see noise on this issue from other users. My external SD was working fine for my write/copy-to apps on A13 until I fixed the issue getting it to read in crDroid recovery, which oddly I don't even need anymore! (successfully installed TWRP to ramdisk now). I need to reformat back to exFat and see where I am. If good, then I will reply again.
Lister Of Smeg said:
Hi @Sheist! ,
All versions/editions of FX Explorer are considered a Trial edition when first installed... You can enable full features for a 7 - 14x day trial to which it reverts back to limited features. You only miss out on the bonus, networking/app management and few extra controls/filesystem features.... All the core Explorer features are still there...
This method was correct and accurate at the time of testing, which I believe I was on Android 11, as I don't think A12 was around at the time. Since upgraded to A12 afterwards it has still kept write access to the SD Card enabled after the hack.
I've not tried this method on A13 yet, as I am still on stock rom. However, each release of Android, from version 10 upwards keep tweaking SD Card usage, and restricts access to it more and more... So A13 could well have issues, don't know.
Personally, when I tried Total Commander back on A11, I couldn't get it to work at all (despite reading a guide somewhere) saying to use this. I tried all the various apps out there, one even suggested using the MiExplorer. No method worked at all, apart from that very specific release of FX Explorer, and when tried worked like a charm. As it always has done since Android 4.4x when Google first started messing around with SD Cards. I believe Android developers were asked to remove such features from their File Manager apps, hence why after 8.0.3.0 this feature disappeared.
There was a method briefly, using Googles own "Files" app, known as packagename "My Documents" or something like that... This feature only worked on Android 11, and had limited access when enabled. However as this is often a system app, and without root... Trying to disable, debloat, replace this app... this method also was fiddly and didn't work.... the only sucess that worked for me was what was mentioned above.
I tried practically everything, and was at the point of giving up and annoyed I wasted money on a 128GB SD card not to be used... until I stumbled on the above. Relieved it worked, and thought if it helps others in similar position, share the info... as I read pages and pages (forums/Googles own documentation) on how its disabled, how it no longer works, workarounds that didnt work... I believe it should still work for A11, and poss A12 roms (does via upgrade), however not personally tested on A13.
Cheers, Lister
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I reformatted in the phone again (exFat) and all apps work fine again to/from the external SD card. I am on TWRP so I don't care about the installed crDroid recovery issue anymore. (A13, crDroid 9.3, TWRP 3.7.0_12-0)