Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a shortage of built-in memory, especially when installing modern heavy games. High-resolution graphics and bulky resources require gigabytes of free space that quickly runs out. Moving apps and games to an external drive becomes the only way to avoid constant notifications of space shortages.
But MIUI has its own file system features, and unlike pure Android, it requires a careful approach to the settings, and if you're going to expand your device, you need to understand formatting and access rights.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods for moving gaming applications, learn about the nuances of working with a memory card, the risks of data loss and how to optimize the system, and set up correctly will allow you to play without delay and free up valuable internal storage.
Preparation of memory card and smartphone for work
Before you start transferring data, you need to make sure that the external drive is compatible and serviceable. Xiaomi smartphones support SDHC and SDXC cards, but their speed can vary significantly. For modern games, it is recommended to use drives of the UHS-I speed class or higher to avoid long loads of levels.
First, install the card in the device slot. Once you detect the media, the system will suggest you set it up. You need to choose the mode of use, because it depends on whether you can port the applications. The standard Portable Storage mode allows you to store only photos and videos, but not programs.
- 📱 Make sure your smartphone is turned off before installing the card if it doesn’t support a hot replacement.
- 💾 Back up important data as formatting will delete all files on the map.
- 🔋 Charge the battery of the device to at least 50% to avoid a failure in formatting.
It is important to understand that not all memory cards are suitable for working as a system memory extension. Cheap models can quickly fail when writing and reading intensively, which is typical for application operation. Choose products from proven brands such as SanDisk or Samsung to ensure stability.
⚠️ Warning: The process of formatting the card to internal storage mode will make it unreadable on other devices without first resetting.
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Use Benchmark SD Card on PC before buying to check the actual recording speed. For gaming, it should be at least 20 MB/s.
Formatting the map as an internal storage
To be able to transfer games, the card needs to be formatted as an internal storage, a process that combines the card memory with the phone's system memory, and then Android will treat the external drive as an integral part of the system, allowing applications to be installed there.
Go to the device settings. You need to find the partition that handles memory. The path may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI, but the logic remains the same. The system will warn you that all data will be deleted.
Settings → About Phone → Storage → SD- Card → Settings → Format as internalOnce confirmed, the system will begin the encryption and formatting process. It can take a few minutes. Don't interrupt the process and don't retrieve the map. If it's successful, the system will suggest migrating existing data, but we'll skip this step for now to set it up manually.
☑️ Pre-formatting verification
Transfer games through settings
Once formatted successfully, you can start migrating installed games, and not all apps support this feature, because developers can prevent their products from moving around, but most heavy games allow you to transfer your data to an external medium.
Open the application management menu. Find the game you want in the list. If portability is possible, the button will be active, otherwise the system will tell you that the move is not available for that particular application.
The table below gives examples of popular games and their ability to move on Xiaomi devices:
| Name of game | Possibility of transfer | Requires a reboot. | Cache size |
|---|---|---|---|
| PUBG Mobile | Partial | Yes. | High-pitched |
| Call of Duty Mobile | Complete. | No. | Very tall. |
| Asphalt 9 | Complete. | Yes. | Medium. |
| Minecraft | Complete. | No. | Low. |
Press the Move button and wait until the process is complete. The speed depends on the class of your memory card. During the transfer, it is better not to use the phone, so as not to put a load on the disk subsystem. Once completed, the game will be available as usual, but take up space on the disk. SD-map.
Using a Developer Mode for Forced Transfer
In some cases, the standard menu makes it impossible to migrate the game, even if it is technically possible, for such situations there is a hidden setting in the developer menu, which forcibly allows you to install applications on an external drive.
To activate this mode, you need to click on the build number several times in the About Phone section. Once you have become a developer, a new menu will appear in the settings.
- 🛠️ Select the option “On external media” or “Automatically».
- 🔄 Restart the device to apply changes.
- 📲 Try moving the game through the standard app menu again.
Using this method can cause some applications to work in an unstable way. Android does not always handle forced transfer correctly if the application is not optimized for this. If the game stops running or crashes, return the setting to its original state.
Risks of using the developer mode
Transferring Cache and Big Game Data by Hand
Many modern games, such as Genshin Impact or World of Tanks Blitz, store the bulk of data not in the application itself, but in a separate cache folder. Standard application portability often leaves these gigabytes in internal memory.
For manual transfer, you'll need a file manager with access to system folders, like MT Manager or Xiaomi's standard access handler. You'll need to find the Android/data and Android/obb folder. That's where the heavy resources are stored.
Copy the folder with the name of the game package (for example, com.tencent.ig) from internal memory to the corresponding section on the game. SD-It's important to keep the directory structure, and once you move in the game settings, you may need to download resources again, but the space will be vacated.
⚠️ Note: When manually transferring folders OBB And Data, you have to shut down the game completely before you copy it. If the files are busy, the copying will go wrong, and the game won't start.
This method requires care, and a mistake in the folder name or moving the wrong files will cause the game to stop seeing its data, and always back up before you start manipulating the system folders.
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Manual cache transfer frees up the most space, but requires care when working with the Android file system.
Possible problems and ways to solve them
During operation, there may be situations when the transferred games stop working correctly, often due to loss of communication between the system and the memory card, the read speed of the external drive is lower than that of the internal memory, which can cause "freezes" in heavy scenes.
If the game crashes immediately after launch, try clearing its cache through the app's settings. Sometimes it helps to delete and re-install the game with a choice of SD-It's also worth checking the map for errors.
- 🐌 Low download speed: replace the card with a faster one (Class 10, U3).
- ❌ Application Not Installed Error: Format the card again as internal storage.
- 📉 Loss of games after reboot: check the density of the card in the slot.
Another common problem is app updates. Google Play may try to update the game but not have rights to record the inside if it has been moved, in which cases the app's temporary return to internal memory, update and port back helps.