How to transfer applications from phone to memory card Xiaomi Redmi: all ways

Owners of Xiaomi Redmi smartphones sooner or later face a shortage of internal memory — especially if the device is from the budget line (Redmi 9A, Redmi 10C) or released before 2021. Even after cleaning the cache and deleting unnecessary files, the system persistently says: “Memory is full.” The solution seems obvious: transfer applications to a microSD card. But here users are waiting for a surprise: in MIUI (branded shell Xiaomi) this option is often hidden or blocked.

Why is that happening? It's the Android architecture: since version 6.0, Google has limited the ability to migrate apps to the Internet. SD-But Xiaomi has gone a step further, because some models (Redmi Note 8 Pro, Redmi 7) don't have the feature on the menu, but that doesn't mean you can't activate it! In this article, we will discuss 4 proven ways to transfer applications to a memory card, including hidden settings. MIUI, team ADB and third-party utilities.

⚠️ Important: not all applications can be ported; system utilities, widgets, and high-performance programs (games, instant messengers) often remain in internal memory; and note that after porting, the application may run slower — especially if you use a cheap app. SD-class U1 or without speed markings.

Method: Standard portability through MIUI settings (if available)

The easiest way is to use the built-in MIUI feature, which unfortunately isn't available on all devices, for example, in Redmi Note 12 or Redmi 11 Prime with MIUI 14, the option may not be available, and in Redmi 9T or Redmi 8 it may be active.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app you want to migrate (like Google Maps or Spotify).
3. Slip on Warehouse.
4. If there is a button "Change" or "Move to" SD-map" - press it.

If you don't have a button, you can go to the following ways.

• 📱 It only works for user applications (not system applications).
• 🔄 After updating MIUI Transferred applications can “fly” back to internal memory.
• ⚡ The memory card should be formatted as an internal storage (more on this below).

⚠️ Note: If you see a message saying “Transfer is impossible,” it means that the app developer has banned such a possibility in the manifesto. AndroidManifest.xml. For example, WhatsApp, Telegram and most banking applications (Sberbank Online, Tinkoff) do not support transfer.

2. Method: Formatting a memory card as an internal storage

If standard transfer is not available, you can “cheat” the system by making SD-This method works for all Xiaomi Redmis with Android 6.0+, but has critical implications:

• 🔒 The card cannot be retrieved without losing data (it will become "tied" to the phone).
• 📉 Application speeds can drop by 20-40% (depending on class) SD-map).
• 🚫 The card cannot be used in other devices without formatting.

Step-by-step:

1. Put it in. SD-card to slot (cards are supported to the slot) 2 TB, but optimally — 128–512 GB U3/A2).
2. Go to Settings → Memory → Memory Map.
3. Put three points on it (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Storage Settings.
4. Click on “Format as internal memory” and confirm the action.
5. After formatting (it takes 1-5 minutes), restart the phone.

⚠️ Note: after this procedure, all data on the map will be deleted without recovery. Also note that some applications (for example, Google Play Store) may refuse to work from external storage. ADB (3-way).

Method 3: Transfer over ADB (for power users)

If previous methods have failed, the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is a debugging tool that lets you manually tell the system which apps you can migrate, which works even for apps that don’t officially support portability (like YouTube or Instagram).

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 🛠️ Utilities. ADB Fastboot (you can download from the official Android website).
• ⚙️ Included debugging by USB phone-on.

Instructions:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version. Tap on MIUI Version 7 times until the message “You’re a developer!” appears.

USB debugging

• Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
• Activate the debugging switch over USB.
• Connect your phone to your computer and confirm your trust in the device.
• Open the command prompt (or Terminal on macOS/Linux) in the ADB folder.
• Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your Redmi.
• Find out the package name of the application (for example, for Facebook it is com.facebook.katana): adb shell pm list packages | grep "app name"
• Move the app to SD-map: adb shell pm set-install-location 2 Then: adb shell pm move-package com.facebook.katana

⚠️ Attention: after transfer through ADB Some apps may stop updating through Google Play, in which case you will have to remove and install them again, and it is not recommended to port system utilities (for example, Mi Browser or Security) - this can lead to malfunctions. MIUI.

4. Method: Use of third-party utilities (without root)

If you don't want to mess around with ADB or format a map, you can use third-party apps. They don't give you 100% guarantee, but they often help you move at least some of the data.

• 📱 AppMgr III (App 2 SD) — It analyzes applications and suggests moving supported ones.
• 🗃️ Files by Google – helps to free up space, finds duplicates and large files.
• 🔄 Link2SD — requires root rights, but allows you to port even system applications (not recommended for beginners).

How to use AppMgr III:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and give access to the storage.
3. Go to the "Movable" tab.
4. Select applications and click "Move to" SD-map".

💡 Tip: If the app isn't portable, try clearing its cache first (Settings) → Annexes → [name] → Clear the cache. Sometimes it removes the lock.

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Before use Link2SD Backup your data! The application can delete important files if you don't configure the partition correctly to SD-map.

5. Alternative methods: what to do if nothing works

If none of these methods worked, consider alternatives:

• 🗑️ Cleaning Internal Memory: Delete Unnecessary Files through Settings → Memory. → Clean up. Use Google Files to find garbage. Clear the cache of apps (e.g. Telegram or Chrome can take up gigabytes).
• ☁️ Cloud Storage: Move your photos/video to Google Photos or Mi Cloud. Use Dropbox or Yandex Drive for backups.
• 🔧 Factory reset (extreme): Make a data backup. Go to Settings → The phone. → Reset settings. After reset, do not install unnecessary applications.

⚠️ Note: If you are using Xiaomi Redmi with a hybrid slot (e.g. Redmi Note 9 Pro), then when installing the second one, you will need to use the second one. SIM-The microSD slot is no longer available, and the only way out is to optimize internal memory or buy a model with a separate slot (for example, a Redmi 10 or Redmi Note 11).

💡

If your Redmi does not support porting applications to your home SD-The best way to do this is to buy a large memory card (256-512 GB) and use it to store media files, not applications.

6. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When transferring applications to SD-Xiaomi Redmi users often face typical problems:

💡 Useful Lifehack: If you install/remove apps frequently, set up the default storage for new apps on your app. SD-This is the map:

1. Connect via ADB (as in Method 3).
2. Enter the command adb shell pm set-install-location 2

All new applications will be installed by default on SD-map (if possible).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions