Combining internal memory and SD-maps on Xiaomi

Owners of smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco often face a lack of free space for installing new applications and games, even if the device has a microSD card. The standard Android system by default considers external drives only as storage for media files, not allowing you to fully expand the system partition. This creates a situation when the internal memory is full, and gigabytes on the USB drive are idle.

Fortunately, there's a technology called Adoptable Storage that allows the system to think of the memory card as an extension of internal memory, and implementing this feature on the MIUI or HyperOS shell requires some action, because manufacturers often hide this option. In this article, we'll look at proven methods to combine storage and forget about the eternal lack of space.

Before you start manipulating, it's important to understand that the process requires formatting the memory card, and all the data that was on it before will be permanently lost, so the first step should always be to back up important photos, documents and videos to your computer or to the cloud, and without this step, it's extremely risky to start the procedure.

Preparation of memory card and device for integration

The success of the disk space merger operation depends on the quality of the storage device used. Cheap memory cards with low write speed can cause serious lags in the Xiaomi interface, as the system will constantly turn to a slow medium to download system files and applications. It is recommended to use UHS-I or UHS-II cards from proven brands such as SanDisk, Samsung or Kingston.

Insert the memory card into your smartphone slot and wait for the system to recognize the new device. If you have previously used this card in other gadgets, it is better to pre-format it on your computer to the FAT32 or exFAT file system to eliminate read errors. However, the final formatting to the native Android format will occur during the setup.

Pay attention to the status of the memory card contacts. If they are contaminated or oxidized, the contact may be unstable, which will lead to errors when trying to combine the partitions. Wipe the contacts with soft dry cloth before installing in the phone. Also make sure that the SIM card tray is tightly closed to avoid moisture.

⚠️ Note: Using a low-quality memory card as a system partition can cause accelerated storage wear and data loss.The system will record logs and application cache continuously, which creates a high load.

Official method via MIUI and HyperOS settings

In some versions of MIUI and HyperOS, the memory merge feature is available in the standard menu, but is often hidden or not working properly without additional actions. Try to go to Settings, then select About Phone and find Warehouse. If you're lucky, there will be a "Use as internal storage" button.

If you don’t have one, you can try activating the hidden developer menu. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7 times on MIUI Version (or OS Version). After you notice that you’ve become a developer, go back to the main settings menu and open Advanced Settings → For Developers.

In the developer menu, scroll down to the memory section. Find Force allow apps on external. Activating this switch allows some applications to be installed on the map, but does not integrate the memory completely.

Once you have the option on the developer menu, restart the device. Then re-insert the memory card. The system may suggest formatting it. Select "Use as internal storage." If the system only says "Use as portable storage," then the standard method in your version of the software has failed and you will need to use a computer.

Use ADB to activate Adoptable Storage

The most reliable way, working on almost all Xiaomi models, is to use the utility. ADB (Android Debug Bridge, from a computer, and this method allows you to send a hidden command to the system, forcing it to format the map as a system partition, and you'll need a computer (Windows, Mac, Linux). USB-cable.

First, you need to enable USB debugging on your smartphone. Go to Settings → Advanced Settings → For developers and activate Debugging via USB. Connect your phone to your computer with a cable. On the smartphone screen, you will see a request for debugging permission from this computer — be sure to click "Allow".

Download and install Platform Tools (ADB) on your computer. Unpack the archive into a convenient folder. Open the Command Prompt (CMD) or PowerShell in this folder and type in a command to check the connection:

adb devices

If a device with a serial number appears on the list, it means that the connection is established. Now you need to know the ID of your memory card.

adb shell sm list-disks

In the answer, you'll see a disk ID, like disk:179.64. Write it down exactly. Next comes a command that formats the card and combines it with internal memory. Be very careful when you type it.

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If the ADB command fails, check if the ADB Interface driver is installed in Windows Device Manager. Sometimes you need to manually update the driver by selecting the device model from the list.

Step-by-step formatting instruction through the command line

After receiving the disk ID (e.g., disk:179.64), execute the formatting command. The command syntax requires specifying the type of storage. The private option is used to combine the memory.

adb shell sm partition disk:XXX,XX private 100

Instead of disk:XXX,XX, substitute your real ID. 100 at the end means that 100% of the card volume will be allocated to system needs. Once you enter the command, press Enter. The process can take from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. Do not turn off the cable at this time.

Once the process is complete, the smartphone can automatically reboot. Once turned on, go to the storage settings. You'll see that the memory card has disappeared from the list of external drives, and the amount of internal memory has increased significantly. Now it's a single pool of resources.

If you have a card that is undecided or an error after rebooting, try repeating the procedure by pre-formatting the card on your computer in FAT32. Sometimes it takes several attempts, since the memory controller can block the first call.

Application portability and storage management

Once the system is successfully combined, it automatically starts using the new space, but the old apps will stay in place until you move them. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications. Select a heavy game or program and click Storage.

If the function is working correctly, the Move button will be active. You can move the application to the joint section. that Xiaomi system applications and some Google services cannot be ported, as they are critical for the stable operation of the OS.

Use a standard Explorer to manage files or connect your phone to your PC. Now, any files you download or create can be written to an extended partition by default, which is especially useful for messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp, which store a huge amount of cache.

⚠️ Note: When you combine memory, the memory card is encrypted with a specific device, and you can't just take it out and paste it into another phone or computer, because the data can't be read without formatting.

To change the default location of saving photos and videos, open the Camera app, click on three dots in the corner and select settings. SD-Now all the new images will take up space on the combined drive, freeing up fast internal flash memory for the system.

Possible problems and ways to solve them

One of the common problems is that the smartphone slows down after the combination, which happens when the memory card reads slower than the embedded chip, the system starts to hang when loading heavy applications, in which case it is recommended to transfer back only the heaviest games, leaving less demanding programs on the map.

Sometimes the system says "Map is corrupted" or suggests formatting the drive. Don't rush to agree to formatting if there's important data there. Try backing up through ADB or file manager first. Errors often arise from voltage spikes or poor contact in the slot.

If you decide to return everything as it was, you will have to use the team again. ADB, but with the option public or just format the map through the settings (Settings) → Warehouse → SD-map → Format it. Remember, it'll delete all the data again.

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Memory integration is a trade-off between volume and speed. Use only fast cards (Class 10, U3) to keep your smartphone performance up.

It is also worth mentioning that once you reset your phone to the factory settings (Hard Reset), the data on the combined memory card will be lost, since the encryption keys are stored in the system partition. Always have an up-to-date backup of important documents.