Transfer applications to memory card on Xiaomi: the full guide

Owners of Xiaomi smartphones often face a situation when the built-in storage is overflowing, and the system begins to insistently demand to vacate space. POCO, where internal storage is limited and modern applications are weighing more and more. Android by default tends to use internal storage, ignoring installed storage. SD-Cartridge that creates inconvenience for the user.

Fortunately, MIUI shell and pure Android provide tools to manage files, allowing you to partially solve this problem. You can move photos, videos, music and documents to an external drive, but things are more complicated with applications. Since Android 6.0, Google has implemented Adoptable Storage, but manufacturers often hide it or turn it off for the sake of stability of the system.

In this article, we will discuss all available ways to change the way data is stored, from standard settings to advanced methods using the data. ADB-You'll learn why not all programs can be ported, how to format the drive correctly, and the risks of forced system path changes.

Why Xiaomi does not allow you to install applications SD-default-card

The main reason Xiaomi smartphones don’t allow direct installation of games and utilities on external media is due to security policies and performance optimization. Internal memory operates at much higher read and write speeds compared to most microSD cards. If heavy applications were launched from a slow memory card, this would lead to noticeable delays and “freezes” in the interface.

Google, which develops Android, also believes that separating apps from users’ personal files creates confusion and potential security holes. Apps only access data in their isolated sandboxes. MIUI developers follow this philosophy, leaving the user with the ability to store only multimedia and documents on an external medium without undue complexity.

There are workarounds, however, and some phone models allow the memory card to be used as an extension of internal memory, but this feature is often hidden in the engineering menu or requires activation through a computer, and it's important to understand that even if you successfully transfer some of the system files, they'll still be in the internal storage.

Preparation of memory card and smartphone for work

Before trying to change the way you save, make sure your external drive is properly formatted and well-functioning.The file system plays a key role: exFAT or FAT32 format is often required to work as internal storage, although modern versions of Android prefer exFAT for files larger than 4GB.

Insert the card into the slot and wait for system notifications. If the card has been previously used on another device, it is recommended to conduct a full formatting to avoid reading errors. → The phone. → Storage and find the control point SD-You can see the current status and the volume available here.

Note your card speed class. The minimum requirement for installing apps and games is UHS-I (U1) or higher. Using slow-motion cards of Class 10 or lower will cause applications to load for a very long time or no longer respond.

Standard Method: Changing the save path for media and downloads

The safest and easiest way to offload internal memory is to redirect the storage of photos, videos and uploaded files, which won't take the apps themselves, but will free up gigabytes of space they take up with their cache and data. In the MIUI shell, this process is intuitive.

To start, open the standard Camera app. Click on the menu (three bars or gears) in the corner of the screen and find the item "Save on" SD-Activate this switch. Now all new images and videos will be automatically recorded to an external medium, bypassing internal memory.

Similar actions must be performed in the browser and messengers. In Google Chrome, go to Settings → Downloaded files and change the path. In popular messengers such as Telegram or WhatsApp, the storage settings for media files are located in the section "Data and storage".

⚠️ Note: When transferring media files to a memory card, make sure it is securely locked in the slot. Removing the card while recording a video can damage the file and prevent it from being played back.

Use of the function "Memory Extension" (for some models)

In some versions of the firmware MIUI And on certain models of Xiaomi smartphones, native memory combining function is available. SD-You can find this option in the Settings menu. → Warehouse.

If your phone supports this feature, you will see "Use as internal storage" or "Format as internal." Once you select this item, the system will warn you that all data on the card will be deleted, and the card itself will be encrypted and linked to this particular device.

Once you've completed the process, you can move the applications. Go to Settings. → Annexes → All applications, select the desired program and click "Change" in the storage section. If the button is active, select SD-This will allow you to transfer the bulk of the application data.

Advanced method: activation through ADB-team

If you can't move applications with standard tools, you can use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) debugging tool, which requires you to connect your smartphone to your computer and execute certain commands, and it allows you to force you to change the preferred installation location for new applications.

To start, activate Developer Mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7 times on "MIUI Version." Then, in the "Advanced Settings" menu, turn on "Debugging over USB." Connect the phone to your PC and start the command line with administrator permissions.

Enter the following command to check the connection:

adb devices

After confirmation on the phone screen, enter a command to change the installation mode:

adb shell pm set-install-location 2

Here, 2 is the priority of external storage. 0 is the default option, and 1 is the default choice, and 1 is the internal memory priority. Once you run the command, try installing a new application, and it should suggest you select a memory card.

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Use the original. USB-Cheap charging cables often don't have data lines, making it impossible for the computer to see the phone.

Possible problems and ways to solve them

There are a number of challenges in operation, and users often complain that applications are “flying out” or not working smoothly after transfer, because the memory card’s response speed is slower and the application does not have time to load the necessary resources in time.

Another common problem is the disappearance of application icons after the phone is restarted, which occurs when the system fails to mount the external drive before the interface is fully loaded, in which case re-install the application or refuse to use the memory card for system utilities helps.

If your phone stopped seeing the memory card after formatting it for internal storage, try connecting it to your computer through a card reader, most likely, the card sections are hidden or encrypted, and you will have to format the card completely to reuse it in other devices, which will delete all data.

⚠️ Note: Forced change of system paths of installation through ADB If you notice a rapid energy consumption or heating of the smartphone, return the default settings with the command adb shell pm set-install-location 0.

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Using a high-quality UHS-I or UHS-II memory card is critical to the stable operation of portable applications.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)