How to transfer data from your phone to the memory card Xiaomi Redmi 8: all ways with a photo

Xiaomi Redmi 8 is one of the most popular budget smartphones with support for microSD cards up to 512 GB. But even with this volume, users often face a lack of space in internal memory.

In this article — 5 working ways to transfer data from phone to memory card, including hidden settings MIUI, Bypassing Android’s limitations and solving common errors (e.g., when the system can’t see) SD-We also know which map formats Redmi supports. 8 (exFAT/FAT32/NTFS) How to choose the best for your tasks.

1.Preparation: Which memory card to choose for Redmi 8

Before transferring data, make sure your memory card is compatible with the Xiaomi Redmi 8.The official specs of the device indicate support for microSD (up to 512 GB), but there are nuances:

• 🔹 Speed Class: Minimum Class 10 (UHS-I), videotape 4K will slow down.
• 🔹 File system format: FAT32 (up to 32 GB), exFAT (from 64 GB). NTFS unsupported!
• 🔹 Brands: Recommended by SanDisk Ultra, Samsung EVO Plus or Kingston Canvas – they are tested for compatibility with the MIUI.

If you buy a used card, make sure to format it via your phone: go to Settings → Storage → Memory Map → Format as internal storage. This will delete all data, but set up the card for Android.

2. Method 1: Transfer files through the "Conductor" (photos, videos, documents)

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI file manager, which allows you to move any files (except system files) without additional applications.

1. Open the Files app (the folder icon on the home screen).
2. Go to the Internal Storage section and select a folder (e.g. DCIM for photos or Downloads for downloads).
3. Press your finger on the file (or several files) before ticks appear, then click More → Move.
4. In the top menu, select Memory Map, specify the target folder and confirm the transfer.

⚠️ Note: If the card is formatted as a portable storage, some applications (such as Google Photos) may not see the files on it. In this case, use method 3 (configure as internal storage).

Memory card inserted into slot|Files are not used by other applications|There's plenty of free space on the map.|The phone is not connected to the PC USB-->

Method 2: Configure the map as internal storage (for applications)

If you need to transfer applications to SD-This is a card that needs to be part of the internal memory, and this is only a class card. A1/A2 (application-optimized).

1. Put the card in the phone and wait for identification.
2. Go to Settings → Storage → Memory Map.
3. Press Three dots (⋮) → Storage settings → Formatting as an internal.
4. Confirm the action (all data on the map will be deleted!).
5. After formatting, select Transfer Data – the system will prompt you to move supported applications.

Method 3: Transfer over a computer (for large amounts of data)

If you need to move tens of gigabytes (like a movie collection or backup), it's easier to use a PC. Connect Redmi 8 to your computer via a computer. USB-cable and follow instructions:

1. On the phone in the notification curtain, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. On PC, open This computer – two devices will appear: internal memory and a card (for example, Redmi 8 (D:) and SD-map (E:)).
3. Copy files from internal memory to a card through Windows Explorer or macOS Finder.
4. Upon completion, safely remove the device (USB Sign → Remove).

⚠️ Note: If the card is formatted as internal storage, the computer will not see it! In this case, use method 2 or specialized programs like Android File Transfer (for Mac).

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If your computer can’t see your phone, try another one. USB-cable (original from Xiaomi) or port USB 3.0 (blue) Cheap cables often don't support mode. MTP.

5. Method 4: Automatically transfer photos and videos via Google Photos

If you use Google Photos, you can set up the automatic upload of new images to a memory card, which is suitable for freeing up space without manually copying:

1. Open the Google Photos app and log in to your account.
2. Click on the avatar → Photo settings → Backup and synchronization.
3. Turn on the option and select High Quality (free) or Original Quality (counted from cloud storage).
4. Return to Settings → Free up space – the application will prompt you to delete files already downloaded from your phone.

To save backups to the memory card:

1. In Google Photos, select an album or individual photos.
2. Press More. → Save it to the device.
3. In the file manager, move the downloaded files to SD-map (see method 1).

Method 5: Porting applications with ADB (for power users)

Some apps (like WhatsApp or Telegram) don’t carry the standard methods, and ADB (Android Debug Bridge) will help, which requires a PC and basic command line knowledge.

Instructions:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times).
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install it. ADB-Drivers and open the Command Prompt in the folder with the platform-tools.
4. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices must appear serial number of the device.
5. Find out the application package (for example, for WhatsApp it is com.whatsapp).
6. Run the port command (replace package.name with real packet): adb shell pm move-primary-storage /storage/XXXX-XXXX package.name The path of the memory card can be found by the adb shell ls command /storage.

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ADB-commands work only if the memory card is formatted as an internal storage (method) 2). For applications with data in /data/data (For example, messengers transfer can lead to failures!

7.Typical errors and their solution

When transferring data to SD-Redmi 8 card users often face problems. Here are the most common ways to fix them:

8 Frequently Asked Questions