How to transfer applications to a memory card in Xiaomi: all the ways and nuances

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a shortage of internal memory, especially if the device is equipped with only 32 or 64 GB of storage. One obvious way to solve the problem is to transfer applications to a memory card, but in MIUI this process has its own peculiarities. Unlike “pure” Android, where the function is available by default, the manufacturer imposes restrictions, and in new versions of firmware (MIUI 12-15), the option can be hidden altogether.

In this article, we will discuss all working methods for transferring applications to SD-Xiaomi map, including official and alternative methods (using the ADB You will learn which applications can be moved and which cannot, how to avoid errors and what to do if the system blocks the transfer. We will also analyze why some applications start to run slower or refuse to run at all after the transfer – this is critical for games and instant messengers.

Why Xiaomi restricts the portability of applications to SD-card?

The manufacturer argues the limitations for technical and safe reasons:

• 🔒 Security of data: SD-Cards are easier to extract, which increases the risk of personal information leakage (especially for banking applications).
• ⚡ Performance: MicroSD memory cards (even class) A2) They are slower than the built-in memory. eMMC/UFS, what might cause the lags.
• 🛠️ System Stability: Some applications (e.g. system services) when migrated to SD may conflict with MIUI.

In addition, in MIUI 12 and newer, the function of porting apps to the memory card is disabled by default for most models.This is due to Google's policy, which with Android 6.0 recommends using the device. SD-These cards are just for storing media files, not installing applications.

Preparation: Which memory card is suitable for transferring applications?

Not every microSD is suitable for installing applications.

• 📱 Speed class: Not lower UHS-I (U1) Or Class 10 — A1 or A2 (The latter is preferable for games).
• 💾 Volume: From 32 GB (on smaller maps, applications may not fit).
• 🔄 Formatting: The card should be formatted as an internal storage (more on this below).

⚠️ Note: If you use a microSD card as a portable drive (for photos, music), you won't be able to transfer applications to it. You need to reformat the card as internal memory, but this will lead to the complete deletion of all data on it!

Before buying, check the card’s compatibility with your Xiaomi model. For example, the Redmi Note 10 Pro supports microSD up to 512 GB, and the POCO X3 NFC up to 256 GB. Information can be found in the official specifications of the device.

Method 1: Transfer through MIUI settings (official method)

This method works on MIUI 11 and older, but may not be available on newer models (e.g. Xiaomi 13 or Redmi Note 12).

1. Insert the memory card into the slot (if you use a hybrid slot, you will have to choose between a second SIM or SD).
2. Go to Settings → Memory → Memory Map.
3. Click Format as internal memory (all data on the map will be deleted!).
4. After formatting, go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
5. Select the application you want to transfer and click Storage → Change → Memory Map.

⚠️ Note: Not all apps support portability, such as WhatsApp, Google Play Services, and most games (such as Genshin Impact or Google Play Services). PUBG Mobile will not allow itself to be moved, and after the transfer, some functions (notifications, widgets) may not work correctly.

The card is formatted as internal memory.|There is enough free space on the map (minimum 1.5).× size)|Application supports transfer (no ban icon)|Backup of important data is made-->

Method 2: Transfer over ADB (for power users)

If you don’t have portability, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that requires connecting your smartphone to your PC and working with the command line, but allows you to migrate even those applications that are locked in the MIUI interface.

Instructions:

1. Turn on the developer mode on your phone: go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and press 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install it. ADB-Drivers and open the command line in the folder with the platform-tools.
4. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
5. Find out the batch name of the application (for example, for Facebook it is com.facebook.katana).
6. Run the port command (replace package.name with real name): adb shell pm move-package package.name

If the command is successful, you will see a message Success. However, some applications (such as Google Maps or Mi Fit) can return the Failure error. [INSTALL_FAILED_INVALID_INSTALL_LOCATION] — This means that the transfer is blocked at the Android level.

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If ADB not seeing the device, try reinstalling drivers or using another USB-cable (preferably original).

Method 3: Use of third-party utilities (App2SD, Link2SD)

If the official methods didn’t work, you can try specialized applications from Google Play, such as App2SD or Link2SD.

• 🔗 Create symbolic links (for root users).
• 📦 Move over APK, ODEX application data.
• 🔄 Automatically move new applications to SD.

⚠️ Attention: For full-time work Link2SD Root rights are required, which cancels the warranty and can lead to unstable work MIUI. Without root access, functionality will be limited.

Action algorithm (for App2SD):

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and give access to the storage.
3. Select the app from the list and click Move to SD Card.
4. Confirm the transfer (some applications will require a reboot).

The downside of the method: Many modern apps (such as Instagram or TikTok) block the transfer at the code level, so the utilities may not work.

What to do if the application is not portable?

If you see a message, "You can't move to the SD-map or similar, try the following steps:

• 🔄 Update. MIUI: In some versions, the firmware with the transfer was corrected (for example, in the MIUI 12.5 for Redmi Note 9).
• 📲 Clear the app cache: Go to Settings → Annexes → [Title of the annex] → Memory. → Clear the cache.
• 🔧 Use it. ADB Forced transfer (adb shell pm set-install-location 2 command), but this can cause failures!
• 🗑️ Remove and install the application again by selecting SD-Map as a place of installation (not working for all applications).

If nothing works, there are two options:

1. Use the memory card only for media files (photos, videos, music), and store applications in internal memory.
2. Buy a smartphone with a large amount of memory (for example, Xiaomi 13T with 256 GB instead of 128 GB).

Optimizing Memory: Alternative Ways to Free Up Space

If the applications are transferred SD-The card is impossible or ineffective, try these methods:

• 🧹 Cleaning the cache: In Settings → Memory. → Cleanup can remove unnecessary temporary files (releases up to 1-3 GB).
• 🗃️ Media transfer: Photos and videos take up the lion's share of memory. Use Google Photos for automatic backup or transfer files to SD manually.
• 🔍 Removing duplicates: Apps like Files by Google or CCleaner help you find and delete duplicate files.
• 📱 Disabling pre-installed apps: Many Xiaomi system apps (such as Mi Video or Mi Music) can be disabled in settings, but not removed.

Also, you should pay attention to the “Light” versions of applications (for example, Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite), which take up 2-5 times less space than their full-fledged counterparts.

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Transfer of applications to SD-In most cases, it is better to optimize internal memory or consider buying a smartphone with a large storage capacity (for example, Xiaomi). 12T Pro with 256GB).

FAQ: Frequent questions about porting apps to SD in Xiaomi