How to set up download and transfer applications to SD-Map in Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a shortage of internal memory, especially if the device is equipped with modest 32 or 64 GB: One obvious way out is to use SD-A card for storing applications. MIUI (14/15) Android (12+) This function is either hidden or limited. In this article, we'll look at all the current ways to migrate applications to an external drive, including workarounds for models with a single drive. UFS-memory and Hybrid slots.

It’s important to understand that manufacturers (including Xiaomi) are gradually abandoning support for porting applications to SD due to performance and security issues, but there are legal and non-obvious methods that still work. We tested them on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+, POCO X5 Pro and Xiaomi 13 Lite — the results are summarized in the compatibility table below.

Why Xiaomi restricts the portability of applications to SD-card?

Since 2020, Xiaomi (like other brands) has narrowed the possibilities of working with the company. SD-card MIUI. Causes:

• 🔹 Productivity: SD-maps (even UHS-I) into 5–10 time-slower UFS 2.2/3.1. Applications on them are slowed down, especially games and instant messengers.
• 🔹 Security: Android prohibits recording to external media without encryption (starting with Android 11.
• 🔹 Fragmentation: Application developers optimize software for internal memory, not for internal memory SD.
• 🔹 Marketing: Manufacturers are interested in selling smartphones with a large amount of internal memory.

However, there are two scenarios where porting applications to SD is still possible:

1. The smartphone supports Adoptable Storage (converting SD to internal memory), which is relevant for older Android 6-9 models.
2. The application itself allows you to save data to an external drive (for example, maps in Google Maps or cache in Spotify).

Method 1: Configure SD-The card is an internal memory (adoptable storage)

This method only works on Android 6-9 (MIUI 8-11) and requires full map formatting, and once set up, the SD becomes part of the internal storage, but it cannot be retrieved without losing data.

Make a backup copy of the data from the card|Use the class map A2 or UHS-I|Charge your phone at least 50%|Connect to a stable Wi-Fi-->

Instructions:

1. Put it in. SD-smartphone-card.
2. Go to Settings. → Memory. → SD-map.
3. Slip on the three dots in the top right corner and select Storage Settings.
4. Select Internal Memory → Clean and Format.
5. Wait until it is completed (it can take 5-15 minutes).
6. After the reboot, go to Settings → Applications → Application Management, select the right one and click Move to SD.

⚠️ Note: Once formatted, the card will not be used on other devices (cameras, cameras) without re-formatting, and some apps (such as WhatsApp or banking) may refuse to work with Adoptable Storage.

💡

If, after formatting, SD-Cards as internal memory smartphone started to slow down, try to disable Windows animation in the Developer Settings (path: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (tap 7 times)).

Method 2: Transferring cache and application data to SD

If you can’t fully port an application, you can move your cache, downloaded files, or media to SD, saving 30-70% of internal memory space, and running on all Xiaomi models, including newer ones.

Examples of applications that support this method:

• 🎵 Spotify (music cache): Settings → Storage → Memory. SD-map.
• 🗺️ Google Maps (offline maps): Profile → Settings → Offline maps → Warehouse.
• 📷 Gallery (photo/video): Settings → Preservation of media → SD-map.
• 🎮 Genshin Impact: In the launcher, select Game Files Location.

How to check which applications support data transfer:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the desired application → Memory.
3. If there is a Change or Warehouse item, tap it and select it. SD-map.

⚠️ Note: Some applications (e.g. Telegram or Telegram) VK) It allows you to transfer only media files, not a cache or database, which means that messages and settings will remain in internal memory.

Method 3: Use Link2SD (requires root)

If your Xiaomi supports root rights (such as POCO F3 or Redmi K40), you can use the Link2SD app. It allows you to port applications to SD without formatting the map to Adoptable Storage.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔹 It runs on Android 10–14.
• 🔹 No formatting required. SD.
• 🔹 System applications can be ported.

Instructions:

1. Install Magisk to get root (see instructions for your model on XDA Developers).
2. Download Link2SD from Google Play.
3. Open the application and provide root access.
4. Select the application → Link or Move to SD.

Limitations:

• 🚫 Does not work on Xiaomi with a blocked bootloader (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T).
• 🚫 Can cause errors in apps that use Android OBB (game).
• 🚫 After updating MIUI You may need to re-configure.

💡

Link2SD — The only working way to transfer all applications (including system) to the SD-map MIUI, It requires root and is suitable only for experienced users.

Method 4: Bypasses for new models (without root)

If your Xiaomi doesn’t support Adoptable Storage and you don’t have root, half measures remain:

1. Transfer over ADB (without SD formatting)

The method works on Android 8-13 and tricks the system into thinking that SD is part of internal memory.

adb shell sm set-force-adoptable true


adb shell sm partition disk:179,64 private

After the commands are executed:

1. Go to Settings. → Memory. → SD-map.
2. Select the internal memory and wait for the formatting.

⚠️ Note: This method can lead to loss of warranty and unstable system operation. on some models (Redmi Note 11) after restarting, the settings are reset.

2. Use of “Light” versions of applications

Many popular services have lightweight versions that take up 2-5 times less space:

• 📱 Facebook Lite (2 MB vs 150 MB) in the regular version).
• 💬 Messenger Lite (10 MB vs 100 MB).
• 📺 YouTube Go (allows you to download videos) SD).

3. Manually clearing the cache

Regularly clean the cache through Settings → Memory → Cleaning can free up 1-3 GB of space. Use apps like SD Maid or Files by Google to find unnecessary files.

Method 5: Alternatives SD-map

If porting applications to SD is impossible or ineffective, consider alternatives:

For Xiaomi owners with a Hybrid slot (like the Redmi Note 10 Pro), the best option is to use two nano-SIMs and cloud storage, as the SD slot takes the place of the second SIM card.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When working with SD-Xiaomi users are faced with typical problems:

• 🔴 "Cannot move the app": Check if the app supports portability (list above). If so, update. MIUI or use Link2SD.
• 🔴 SD-The card is not defined: Try formatting it into FAT32 on PC (through SD If it doesn't work, the card is incompatible (you need a class). A1/A2).
• 🔴 Apps fly out after transfer: Return them to internal memory and clear cache.Maybe the card is too slow.
• 🔴 "Not enough space" when formatting: Use a card with a size of at least 32 GB (POCO M3) minimum volume - 64 GB.

If the smartphone starts to warm up or discharge quickly after transferring the apps to SD, return it all back, which is a sign that the card is not coping with the load.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions