Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often face a lack of internal memory, especially after installing several heavy games.Modern mobile projects like Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile take up tens of gigabytes, which quickly fills the standard 64 or 128 GB. In this situation, there is an urgent need to free up internal space, transferring data to an external drive.
However, the Android operating system, as well as the proprietary shell MIUI So, you can use a file system, or HyperOS, which has its own features, and it's not always possible to just drag and drop files because of security limitations and application architecture. You'll need to do a number of specific things to make sure that the system is able to understand the file system correctly. SD-map as part of the main storage.
In this guide, we’ll look at all the available methods, from the standard MIUI settings to the developer’s system features, which games can be ported without losing functionality and which will remain on the internal drive, and we’ll look at the risks associated with formatting the map and how to minimize them.
Preparation SD-maps and compatibility checks
Before you start transferring data, you need to make sure that your memory card meets the technical requirements. To install and run modern games, read and write speeds must be high, otherwise you will encounter long loads of levels and friezes.
It is recommended to use UHS-I or UHS-II cards with a speed class of at least 10. Formatting a card on Android often changes the file system to ext4 or f2fs, making it unreadable for Windows without special utilities.
If the card has been used before, it is better to save important photos and documents to the computer, as during the setup process it will be completely cleared.
💡
Use 64GB memory cards to easily install large games, and small-volume cards will quickly fill up with cache and updates.
After you physically install, go to the settings menu, find the storage section, and check if the phone sees the external drive, and if the map is displayed correctly, you can move on to the next step.
Configuring a memory card as an internal storage
The most effective way to move the game is to make Android count SD-It's a piece of internal memory. MIUI This function may be hidden or not explicitly, but it can be activated through specific commands or settings.
To start, try the standard path. Go to Settings, then select About Phone and click on MIUI several times until the notification “You’ve become a developer” appears.
☑️ Pre-formatting verification
Next, you need to find the option “Forcing permission to write” or similar, associated with external drives. In some versions of the firmware, you need to activate the “Use as internal storage” mode through the menu itself. SD-map.
⚠️ Warning: Once you format the card as an internal storage device, it will be encrypted with a specific device binding, and you can't just insert it into another phone or computer to read the data.
If you can't activate the function with regular methods, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) commands by connecting your phone to your computer, a more complex but reliable method for power users to bypass manufacturer restrictions.
Transferring games through application settings
Once the map is set up, you can start migrating games that are already installed, and not all apps support this feature, because developers decide where their product data should be stored.
Open your smartphone settings and go to Apps. Find a game you want to play, like Asphalt 9 or Call of Duty Mobile, and click on the title to open the app management page.
Look for the memory or storage button, and if transfer is possible, the change or move button will be active. SD-Press it and wait until the process is over. The transfer time depends on the size of the game and the speed of your card.
| Type of data | Can we move it? | Stays on the phone. | Impact on speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| APK file (app body) | Partially. | System libraries | Average. |
| Cash and game resources | Yes (basic volume) | No. | High (depending on the map) |
| Continuing progress | No (usually in the cloud) | Local configuration | Low. |
| Updates | Yes. | Temporary files | Average. |
It's important to understand that even after you transfer some files, they're still in internal memory, and these are the system files that you need to run Android Runtime, and you can't completely free the built-in drive, but you can get a big payoff in space.
Use of the “Second Space” function and transfer
In the Xiaomi ecosystem, there is a unique “Second Space” feature that creates an isolated environment on the phone, and although it is designed to separate work and leisure, it can be used to manage game files.
Once you create a second space, you can set the game there. When you set it up initially, the system can suggest you choose the default setting. SD-The map is already formatted correctly, new applications will seek to sign up there.
The good thing about this method is that it doesn’t require root rights or complex ADB manipulations. However, it’s less flexible: you can’t selectively transfer games from the main space to the second, you have to reinstall them.
To access files in the second space, you'll need to switch between profiles, which can be inconvenient if you use instant messengers in parallel with the game, so it's better to think of it as an auxiliary.
Solving launch issues and access rights
After transferring a game to a memory card, users sometimes face problems: the game does not start, crashes or requires re-downloading resources, often due to Android access rights to an external media.
Check if the power saving mode is on for this game. MIUI It can “sleep” the processes that read data from the SD-You can go to the battery settings and select "No Limits" mode».
⚠️ Note: If the game stopped running after the transfer, try clearing the app cache (not the data, but the cache) in the settings.
Also make sure the memory card is not damaged. Physical wear or defect can lead to read errors, which the system interprets as missing files.Use utilities to check the health of the drive.
What to do if the “Move” button is grey?
Optimizing the work of games with SD-map
To ensure maximum performance, you should defragment (if the file system allows) or simply check the map for errors. In modern versions of Android, this is done automatically, but manual control will not hurt.
Clean the gallery basket and Downloads folder regularly. Even with a large memory card, overflowing the system partition can slow down the entire smartphone, including games running from an external medium.
Do not forget to make backup copies of saves periodically. SD-Cards are less reliable than built-in flash memory NAND, Using cloud services or syncing with a game developer account will keep you safe.
💡
Random read speed (IOPS) of a memory card is more important than linear write speed for smooth gaming, and cheap cards can cause twitching in graphics.