How to combine phone and memory cards on Xiaomi Redmi 7A: the complete guide

Xiaomi Redmi 7A — A budget smartphone with limited internal storage (16 or 32 GB), which is quickly becoming a problem when installing apps or storing media files. Many users try to solve this problem by combining internal memory and storage. SD-maps, but face firmware limitations MIUI. Unlike the newer Xiaomi models, where Adoptable Storage is locked at the system level, Redmi is a big deal. 7A It still allows you to bypass this limitation - but with nuances.

In this article, you will find 3 working ways to combine memory (including hidden MIUI settings), compare their pros and cons, and instructions for recovering data if something goes wrong. We will also look at why standard formatting a card as an internal drive can slow down your phone by 20 to 30 percent and how to avoid it. If you are looking for a way to increase memory without buying a new device, read on.

Why Xiaomi Redmi 7A can’t just combine memory like Android 6+

With the release of Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Google introduced Adoptable Storage, which allows you to format a microSD card as an internal drive. In theory, this was supposed to solve the memory shortage problem, but in practice Xiaomi blocked this feature in MIUI - and the Redmi 7A is no exception.

• 🔒 Security policy: MIUI believes that memory integration increases the risk of data loss when a card is retrieved or a system crash.
• ⚡ Performance: Cheap memory cards (class) UHS-I or below) slow down the applications installed on them.
• 📱 Optimization for budget models: Redmi 7A Equipped with a weak processor Snapdragon 439, which does not cope well with the work on “slow” drives.

However, you can bypass the lock - this will require either to enable hidden developer settings, or use it. ADB-But before you get to the instructions, check if your memory card is suitable for combining.

Requirements for a memory card to combine with an internal drive

Not every microSD card is going to be formatted like internal memory, and if you use a cheap card or a slow card, the phone will slow down and the apps will fly out. 7A:

⚠️ Note: If your card does not meet even the minimum requirements, the combination of memory will lead to the following:

• 🐢 Slowing down the launch of apps (especially games and social networks).
• 🔄 Frequent errors when writing files (for example, photos will not be saved in the gallery).
• 💥 Possible data loss when retrieving the card without secure shutdown.

Before starting the procedure, be sure to back up all data from the card - after formatting, they will be erased!

💡

If you plan to install apps on a memory card, choose models labeled A2 (like SanDisk Extreme A2) that are optimized to work with small files, which is critical for Android.

Method 1: Memory integration via hidden MIUI settings (without ADB)

This method works on Redmi 7A with MIUI 10-12 firmware and does not require a computer connection, but it is not available on all versions of the software – if you do not have the right item on your menu, go to Method 2.

Step-by-step:

1. Insert the memory card in the phone and wait for its recognition.
2. Open the Settings → Memory.
3. Tap your name on it. SD-maps, for example, SD-map: 32 GB).
4. In the upper right corner, press three dots (⋮) and select Storage Settings.
5. Choose Format as an internal drive.
6. Confirm the action and wait for the process to be completed (may take 5-10 minutes).

After formatting:

• 📁 The card will become part of the internal memory and will be displayed as Expandable Memory.
• 🔄 Applications can be transferred to it through Settings → Annexes → [Select an application] → Warehouse → Change.
• ⚠️ The map cannot be extracted without formatting, otherwise the data will be lost.

Insert the card into the phone and wait for recognition | Make a backup of the data from the card | Charge the phone at least 50% | Close all working applications-->

⚠️ Note: If after formatting the phone began to brake, return the card to its original state through Settings → Memory. → SD-map → Format it like a portable drive, it'll delete all the data, but it'll restore performance.

Method 2: Combining through ADB (works on all versions of MIUI)

If in the Redmi settings 7A There is no option to format the card as an internal drive, use ADB-This is a universal method, but it requires a computer and USB-cable.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 📦 Platform Tools (includes adb).
• ⚙️ Initiated Debugging Mode USB phone-on.

Instructions:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version until the notification appears You became a developer!

Settings → Additional → For Developers

• USB debugging;
• Allow debugging (when connecting USB).
• Connect your phone to your computer and select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
• Open the command prompt (cmd on Windows or Terminal on macOS/Linux) and go to the folder with Platform Tools:

cd path to folder platform-tools


adb devices

If the phone is recognized (its serial number will appear), enter a command to format the card as an internal drive:

adb shell sm set-force-adoptable true


adb shell sm partition disk:179,64 private

Replace 179.64 with your current card ID. To find out, do:

adb shell sm list-disks

After the commands are executed, the phone will automatically restart and the card will become part of the internal memory.

⚠️ Note: If the map is not formatted after the instructions are executed, check:

• 🔌 Is the cable connected correctly (some cheap cables don't support data transmission).
• 📵 Does the antivirus block the connection? ADB.
• 📱 Has the firmware been updated? MIUI — In new versions, Xiaomi may block this method.

Method 3: Alternatives to memory integration (if nothing works)

If none of these methods worked, or you’re afraid to risk data, consider alternative memory expansion options:

• 📁 Hand-modeling apps: Some apps (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram) allow you to save media files directly to the map SD-To do this, open the app settings. Find Storage or Memory. Select SD-map as default save place.
• ☁️ Cloud storage: Services like Google Drive, Mi Cloud or Yandex Disk allow you to automatically upload photos and videos, freeing up internal memory. 7A You can set autosynchronization in the settings → Accounts. → Mi Cloud.
• 🔄 Cleaning cache and unnecessary files: Use the built-in Cleanup utility (Settings) → Memory. → Clean up) or applications like CCleaner to delete temporary files, which can free up to 2 to 5 GB of storage.