How to transfer applications to the flash drive in Xiaomi smartphones: all the ways and nuances

Why can’t Xiaomi just transfer the app to the flash drive?

Owners of Xiaomi smartphones sooner or later face a lack of internal memory - especially if the device is budget (for example, Redmi 9A or Poco M3 with 32 GB on board). The logical solution is to transfer heavy applications to a microSD card, but here users will be disappointed: MIUI does not have a standard "Move to SD" button as in pure Android.

The matter is in the policy of Xiaomi and the features of firmware MIUI. Starting with the version MIUI 9 (2017), the company removed support for Adoptable Storage, an Android technology that allows you to format a flash drive as internal memory. Instead, Xiaomi implemented a simplified scheme: only some of these applications (cache, media files) can be moved to the map, and the APK-The exception is the individual Android Go models (e.g. Redmi Go) where the function is partially saved.

But that doesn't mean that it's impossible to do it! There are a number of workarounds, from official settings to manually porting through ADB or third-party utilities, and then we'll take you through the steps, taking into account the limitations and the risks.

Official method: transfer of application data (not APK!) on SD-map

The safest, but also the most limited, method is to use the built-in MIUI settings. It allows you to transfer only the cache and media files of some applications (for example, photos from the Gallery or downloads from instant messengers) to the USB flash drive.

How to do this:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 Select the desired application (such as WhatsApp or Telegram).
• 💾 Press Warehouse. → Move it to SD-Card (only if the application supports this function).
• ⚠️ Confirm action – the system will warn that the application may be slower.

Importantly, this method doesn't work for all apps, like Facebook, Instagram, or games like PUBG Mobile don't usually support portability, and once an app is updated, data can automatically return to internal memory.

Format the map in FAT32 (if ≤32 GB or exFAT (if) >32GB)

Check the speed class (UHS-I Class 10 is recommended)

Insert the card into the slot before turning on the phone (for some models)

Disable "Fast Formatting" on the first connection-->

The way for advanced: transfer applications through ADB

If the official method doesn’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a debugging tool that allows you to manually “tie” the application to an external drive, which works on most Xiaomi models (except those where the manufacturer blocked the pm move-package command).

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on USB debugging: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and press 7 times to activate Developer Mode. Return to Settings → Additional → For Developers and enable USB Debugging.
2. Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your trust in your computer.
3. Install ADB: Download Google’s Platform Tools. Unpack the archive and open the command prompt in this folder (Shift + right button → “Open PowerShell window here”).

Follow the commands

adb devices

(Your device should be displayed)

adb shell pm set-install-location 2

(This sets the external memory as the default installation location)

adb shell pm move-package com.example.app /sdcard

(Replace com.example.app with your application’s batch name).

Critical detail: after a phone reboot, some apps may go off the flash drive or not work correctly.

Table: Compatibility of transfer methods with Xiaomi models

Not all methods work on all devices, and the following are the popular models (relevant to MIUI 13-14):

💡

Before using ADB, back up your data via Settings → System → Backup. In the event of a crash, you can restore applications without losing progress (e.g., in games).

Helper applications: Link2SD and analogues

If official methods and ADB It didn’t help, you can try third-party utilities like Link2SD or App2SD. These programs create "symlinks" between the internal memory and the internal memory. SD-But they require root rights to operate, which cancels the warranty and increases the risk of failure.

How to use Link2SD:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Provide root access (e.g. via Magisk).
3. Select the application from the list and click Create a link.
4. Transfer Dalvik cache, libraries and data to the map.

Warnings:

• ⚠️ Not all apps will work after the transfer (especially piracy-protected games).
• ⚠️ SD-The map should be formatted in ext2/ext3/ext4 (FAT32 wrong!).
• ⚠️ After updating MIUI Links may break down – you will have to reconfigure.

💡

Third-party utilities like Link2SD are the only way to transfer a game (like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile) to a flash drive without losing progress.

What to do if the application is not portable or crashes?

Even after successful portability, some applications may:

• 🔄 Re-entering internal memory after updating.
• ⚡ Stop or fly (especially if you are flying) SD-slow-card).
• 🚫 Refuse to start with an error "Application not installed".

Decisions:

1. For brakes: Buy SD-class UHS-I U3 (for example, Samsung EVO Plus or SanDisk Extreme. Turn off Windows animation in the developer settings.
2. For crashes: Move the app back to internal memory and clear the cache (Settings → Apps → Storage → Clear cache). Try another version of the app (like the Lite variant).
3. For spontaneous return: Turn off auto-update the app in Google Play. Use App Cloner to create a copy of the app and migrate it.

⚠️ Note: If, after transfer, through ADB or Link2SD The phone started to overheat or discharge. 2-3 Just one hour, immediately return all settings to their original state, which is a sign that the system is constantly trying to access broken symbolic links.

Alternative solutions: how to free memory without transferring

If all transfer methods have failed or seem too risky, consider alternatives:

• 🧹 Cleaning the cache: In Settings → Warehouse → Cleaning can be removed before 1-3 GB of unnecessary files.
• ☁️ Cloud Storage: Move photos to Google Photos or Mi Cloud and music to Google Photos Spotify/Yandex Music.
• 🔄 Lite versions of apps: Replace Facebook with Facebook Lite, Messenger with Messenger Lite.
• 📦 Archiving rarely used apps: Google Play has a “Archive” feature – it deletes the application but saves data.
• 🛠️ Reset to factory settings: The last method if the phone is clogged with "garbage" (don't forget to make a backup!).

It’s also worth checking which apps take up the most space:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Sort by size.
2. Delete or clear the cache from the most “heavy” (often TikTok, Instagram or games).

⚠️ Note: If you are using Xiaomi with dynamic memory (RAM Expansion), transfer of applications to SD-The card can impair performance, in which case it is better to buy a phone with a large amount of internal memory or use cloud services.

FAQ: Frequent questions about moving apps to Xiaomi