How to combine memory in a Xiaomi phone: methods and instructions

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a lack of free space, especially on budget models with 32 or 64 GB of internal storage. Android system allows you to solve this problem in different ways, but the most desirable feature for many remains the ability to combine internal memory with an external microSD card.

However, the standard MIUI or HyperOS shell often hides this option or blocks it at the software level, and users are forced to look for workarounds, use hidden commands, or obtain Root rights. It is important to understand that interfering with the structure of the storage partitions is a risk that requires a clear understanding of all the steps.

In this article, we will discuss in detail whether it is possible to combine memory on your device, what methods exist for different versions of firmware and whether the game is worth a candle. We will look at both software crutches and hardware solutions that will help free precious gigabytes without losing warranty.

Why Xiaomi is hiding Adoptable Storage

Since Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Google has introduced Adoptable Storage, which allows the system to format a memory card as part of internal storage, encrypting data and making it unreadable on other devices, theoretically the ideal solution for combining volumes.

Chinese manufacturers, including Xiaomi, often turn it off deliberately, and the main reason is performance, because built-in memory like UFS or eMMC 5.1 is much faster than even the fastest microSD cards.

⚠️ Warning: Forced inclusion of Adoptable Storage on a slow memory card will lead to noticeable interface lags, long application launches and possible unstable operation of the system as a whole.

In addition, memory cards have a limited resource of overwriting cycles, and when used as a system partition, the wear of the flash memory occurs much more intensely, which can lead to its rapid failure and loss of data.

Support check and memory card preparation

Before you start any manipulation, you need to make sure your device physically supports memory cards.Flagship models Xiaomi of recent years often lack a microSD slot, offering instead only cloud services.

To successfully combine or use external memory efficiently, the quality of the card itself is critical; you will need a Class 10, UHS-I or higher card, and the minimum volume is recommended from 32 GB, as formatting for internal memory will take up a significant portion of the space.

• 📱 Make sure you're in the tray. SIM-cards have room for microSD (hybrid slot requires a choice between a second SIM card and a card).
• 💾 Format the map into the file system FAT32 or exFAT via computer before installing on the phone.
• 🔋 Charge your smartphone to a minimum 70-80%, The process of formatting energy-intensive and should not be interrupted.

It is also worth backing up all important data from the card, as any manipulation of partitions will result in the complete deletion of information on it.

Method 1: Activation through ADB without Root Rights

One of the most popular ways to make MIUI see the card as internal memory is by using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) debugging tool, which does not require superuser rights, but requires a computer.

First, you need to activate the developer menu on your smartphone. To do this, go to Settings → About the phone and quickly press 7 times on the MIUI version. After that, the Developer option will appear in the advanced settings.

Turn on USB Debugging in this menu. Connect your phone to your PC with a cable and install ADB drivers on your computer. Then open the command line on your computer and enter a command to check the connection:

adb devices

You'll see a debugging authorization request on your smartphone screen, which you need to confirm. If the console displays the serial number of the device, the connection is established. Now you'll enter a command to force the function to turn on:

adb shell pm set-force-adoptable true

⚠️ Warning: After this command is executed, you need to re-insert the memory card or go to the storage settings and select "Format as internal storage. ☑️ Activation checklist ADBEnable the developer menu Activate debugging by USBInstall drivers ADB Insert the pm set-force-adoptable command: 0 / 4 Method 2: If you don't want to mess with the command line, there are specialized applications that do the same thing automatically — Int2ext These programs ask for permission to change system settings, and in some cases, they may still require Root rights to work fully, but basic features are often available without them. The app will check the compatibility itself and suggest you format the map: 📥 Download the proven application for memory management. 🔧 Start scanning the system and memory card. 🔄 Click the "Unite" or "Format as Internal" button. Always read reviews and check the date of the last program update. 💡If the app requires Root rights and you don’t want them, try finding hidden test mode in your phone settings by typing the code ##6484## in the call (not working on all models). Below is a table that will help you determine the best option for your situation. Method Needs Root Data Loss Risk Impact on Standard Storage Speed No Low No Impact ADB (Adoptable Storage) No High (formatting) Medium/Low Activator Applications Often Yes High Depends on the map Application Portability (staff) No Low Minimum As you can see from the table, standard methods are safer but give less free space. ADB Or third-party software that gives you the best results, but it requires caution, so formatting the card with internal memory makes it unusable for use in other devices without re-formatting. Given the risks and potential speed reduction, many experts recommend not to combine memory forcibly, but to use safer alternatives. MIUI Flexible settings for working with external storage. You can transfer photos, videos, music and documents to your memory card. To do this, in the Explorer or Gallery app, specify the default save path in the settings on the default save path. SD-This will free up the main partition of the system without interfering with its structure, and many applications allow you to choose a path to download files, and in messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp, you can configure the storage of media files directly to the external drive. This is an effective way to combat overcrowding. 💡Transfer of media files and application cache to SD-A card is safer and often more efficient than a risky combination of system partitions (FAQ) Can you combine memory on Xiaomi without a computer? Yes, with special applications from Google Play, such as: Int2ext. However, some features of these apps may require Root rights, which often require a PC or complex manipulations on the phone itself. If you format a card as internal memory, the applications installed on it will stop working, the system will emit errors, and you will have to format it again to use the card on another device, which will delete all data. Why did the phone start to run slower after the merger? The read/write speed of microSD cards is significantly inferior to the phone's internal memory. When the system starts to actively use the slow card for applications or cache, the overall performance of the device drops. It is recommended to use standard maps UHS-I Class 10 and above: Will the warranty be revoked by the use of ADB team? By itself, using ADB commands does not reset the warranty, as it is a standard developer tool. However, if you damage the software or lock up the phone during the manipulation, the service center may refuse free repairs, citing user intervention.