Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a lack of internal memory, especially if the device is a budget or medium-range — Redmi Note 10, Poco X3 Or Mi 11 Lite. One way to make room is to move apps to the next one. SD-But in the MIUI This feature doesn't work as clearly as it does on pure Android, and it has limitations. In this article, we'll look at all the current methods, including hidden settings, commands, and other methods. ADB bypassing manufacturer restrictions.
It is important to understand that not all applications can be ported: some (such as system or high security requirements) will remain in internal memory — SD-cards (even class) A2) It's slower than the embedded flash memory, but for rarely used programs or cache games, this is a good solution.
Why Xiaomi restricts the portability of applications to SD-card?
Unlike older versions of Android (up to 6.0), where porting apps to an external drive was a standard feature, MIUI (starting with version 8) narrowed this capability.
- 🔒 Security: Annexes to SD-It is easier to steal or replace cards, especially if the card is retrieved and connected to other devices.
- ⚡ Performance: Even quick cards UHS-I They are slower than the built-in memory. UFS 2.1/3.0, what might cause the lags.
- 📱 Google: Starting in 2019, Google recommends developers block the porting of applications to external media due to stability risks.
- 💾 Fragmentation of files: Frequent records on SD-card shorten its life (especially cheap models without wear control).
However, there are workarounds. Below are all the working ways to do this. MIUI 12–14, including hidden functions and ADB-team.
Method 1: Standard portability through settings (for supported applications)
This is the easiest method, but it only works for those applications that allow portability (usually cache games or lightweight utilities).
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Select the app you want (like Facebook or Spotify).
- Slip on Warehouse.
- If the option is available, a button will appear to Move to SD-Map (or Modify in new versions) MIUI).
⚠️ Note: Do not remove after transfer SD-The card without first returning the application to internal memory, otherwise the program will stop running and its data may be damaged.
Format the card in FAT32 or exFAT| Check the write speed (minimum 10 MB/s) | Backup the data from the card | Make sure there is enough space on the map (minimum 1 GB is free)
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| Xiaomi model | Support for transfer to MIUI 14 | Max. Volume. SD-map | Recommended class of card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note 12 Pro+ | Partial (only some annexes) | 1 TB | A2/UHS-I |
| Poco X5 Pro | Partial | 512GB | A2 |
| Mi 11 Ultra | Restricted (Blocking System Applications) | 1 TB | UHS-I |
| Redmi 10A | Complete (for most applications) | 256GB | A1 |
Method 2: Formatting SD-The card is an internal memory (adoptable storage)
This method allows the system to be “deceived” by making it perceive SD-The advantage is that applications are automatically installed on the map:
- 🔄 The card cannot be retrieved without data loss (it is encrypted and linked to the device).
- 🐢 Application speeds could drop by 20 to 40%.
- 🚫 Not all Xiaomi models support this feature. MIUI (It is now available in Redmi Note 11 Pro).
Instructions:
- Put it in. SD-smartphone-card.
- Go to Settings. → Warehouse → [Name of name SD-map] → Three dots (menu) → Storage settings.
- Select Internal Memory (or Format as an Internal Storage).
- Confirm the formatting (all data from the card will be deleted!).
- After the device is restarted, the card will become part of the internal memory.
⚠️ Attention: If you extract SD-Once this formatting is done, all the applications that are transferred to the card will stop working, and the system can issue errors before the card is re-inserted. MIUI Global Stable after Android 11 upgrade+ — function is hidden in firmware.
What if the “Inner Memory” option is not displayed?
Method 3: Transfer over ADB (for power users)
If standard methods don't work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a debugging tool that allows you to force-transfer almost any application, but requires a connection to a PC.
What you need:
- 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
- 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
- 📦 Installed Xiaomi and ADB-tools drivers.
- 🔓 Included debugging by USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (tap 7 times) → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
Step-by-step:
- Connect the phone to the PC and allow debugging (on the smartphone screen will appear a request).
- Open the command prompt (or Terminal on macOS/Linux) and type: Adb devices Make sure the device is identified (should appear its serial number).
- Enter the port command (replace com.example.app with your app's batch name, such as com.facebook.katana for Facebook): adb shell pm set-install-location 2 adb shell pm move-package com.example.app
- Reboot your smartphone.
⚠️ Note: Some applications (e.g. Google Play Services) MIUI The system will not be able to transfer - the system will give a Failure error [NOT_MOVED]. Also after the update MIUI Ported applications can automatically return to internal memory.
adb shell pm list packages | grep "keyword"For example, to search for all applications with "facebook" in the name: adb shell pm list packages | grep "facebook".-->
How to check which apps have already been moved?
To avoid duplication or conflict, it is helpful to know which programs are already on the table. SD-For this purpose:
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Slip the filter (funnel icon) and select Warehouse → SD-map.
- You will see a list of all the transferred applications.
Alternatively, through ADB:
adb shell pm get-install-locationThis team will return:
- 0 – Applications are installed in internal memory.
- 1 – Internal memory is preferred, but SD is possible.
- 2 – applications are installed by default on SD-map.
Frequent mistakes and their solutions
When transferring applications to SD-Xiaomi users are facing typical problems. Let's look at the most common problems:
| Mistake. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| "Failure to move the app." | The application does not support the transfer or SD-card too slow. | Try another method (ADB) or replace the card with an A2/UHS-I class. |
| The "Transfer" button is inactive. | The MIUI version blocks a function or system application. | Use ADB or roll back to an older firmware. |
| App dyes after transfer | Incompatibility with the file system SD-maps or data damage. | Return the app back and format the card in FAT32. |
| SD-The card is not defined as an internal memory. | MIUI restriction or card incompatibility. | Try the adb shell sm set-force-adoptable true command. |
⚠️ Warning: If your smartphone starts to slow down after you move your apps, put them back in your internal memory. SD-It's not load-bearing, especially critical for multitasking and gaming.
💡
The most stable result is the combination: SD-class A2 + transferring only light applications (messengers, readers, utilities), heavy games and social networks are best left in the internal memory.
Alternative ways to free up memory in Xiaomi
If the transfer is SD-The card is not helpful or impossible, consider other options:
- 🧹 Cache Clearing: Go to Settings → Warehouse → Clean and delete unnecessary files (especially the Google Play Services cache) MIUI).
- ☁️ Cloud Storage: Move your photos/video to Google Photos or Mi Cloud (gives 5GB for free).
- 🗑️ Remove duplicates: Use applications like Files by Google or Clean Master to find duplicate files.
- 🔄 Factory reset: Extreme measure, but effective if the system is cluttered (don't forget to make a backup!).
- 📱 Root access: With superuser rights, you can forcibly transfer any application (for example, through a user’s own control). Link2SD), But it's a breach of warranty.
For owners of Xiaomi with support for Virtual RAM (for example, Redmi Note 11 Pro+) will also help to increase virtual memory due to internal storage: Settings → Additional → Expansion of memory. This will not free up space, but will improve multitasking.