Transfer applications to the memory card Xiaomi Mi 9: the full guide

Owners of the flagship smartphone Xiaomi Mi 9 often face a situation when the built-in drive of 64 or 128 gigabytes becomes insufficient for comfortable work. Despite the high performance and excellent optimization of the system, modern games, instant messengers and social networks consume a huge amount of disk space. 4K Or you use a navigator with offline maps, and in that situation, the only logical solution seems to be to move the data to an external drive.

However, the shell MIUI, The operating system of the smartphone has a number of software limitations that prevent simple file transfer, and standard methods that work on other devices may not work here or require enhanced access rights. In this article, we will discuss in detail all available ways to free internal memory, including hidden developer settings and work with the developer. ADB-team.

It is important to understand that the transfer process is not just copying files, but changing the structure of the system’s data storage. Incorrect actions can lead to unstable operation of the Xiaomi Mi 9 or loss of information. So carefully follow the instructions and back up important data before starting any manipulation of system partitions.

Preparation for data transfer and choice of memory card

Before you start technical manipulation, you need to make sure the quality of the drive used. The speed of many applications depends on the speed of reading and writing a memory card. If you insert a cheap card with a low class speed, the system can start to work slower, and the games will take a long time to load or fly out.

For Xiaomi Mi 9, it is recommended to use UHS-I or UHS-II cards with a speed class of at least 10. The optimal choice will be cards with a volume of 64 to 256 gigabytes from proven manufacturers such as SanDisk, Samsung or Kingston. Using larger cards is possible, but does not always guarantee stable operation of the Android file system in the internal memory emulation mode.

Be sure to format the map before using it. This can be done directly in your smartphone, which is the most reliable option. The system will choose the optimal file system and partition structure. Don't ignore this step, as the remnants of old files can conflict with new system entries.

⚠️ Note: Formatting a memory card completely removes all data from it. If there are important photos or documents on the drive, pre-copy them to your computer or cloud storage.

After formatting, check the available space. It should match the declared volume with a small error, which is due to the peculiarities of the calculation of memory in the binary system. Make sure that the smartphone correctly identified the new drive in the Settings → About Phone → Storage.

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Use the app. SD Insight from Google Play to check the real capacity and manufacturer of your memory card.This will help identify a fake that may be operating a non-settlement--WIDGET:tip

Standard method of transfer through MIUI settings

Start with the simplest and most secure way the operating system itself offers: Some versions of MIUI firmware for Xiaomi Mi 9 offer the option of porting individual applications without using third-party software, which does not require complex configurations and minimizes the risks of system damage.

To check the availability of the function, go to the Settings menu → Annexes → All applications. Select the program you want from the list and find the "Move to" button. SD-If the button is active (not grey), you can safely port the application. However, it is worth noting that for many system and mission-critical applications, this option will not be available.

MIUI also allows you to transfer media files and downloads. In the Explorer or Files app, you can change the default save path. This will not carry the application itself, but will free up a significant amount of internal memory by transferring cache, downloaded stickers and temporary files to an external drive.

• 📱 Go to the specific application settings to check portability.
• 💾 Use the built-in file manager to change the file download path.
• 🗑️ Clear the cache of apps before trying to port to reduce their weight.

If the standard method failed and there is no transfer button, it means that the application developer has banned installation on the external drive in the program manifest, in which case you need to resort to more advanced methods described below.

Using a Developer Mode for Forced Transfer

There is a hidden setting in Android that forces the system to consider the external memory card as part of the internal storage by default. Activating this option in Xiaomi Mi 9 can solve the problem with the missing transfer button.

To activate, you need to turn on the developer mode first. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7 times on the MIUI Version. Once you notice that you have become a developer, go back to the main settings menu and find the Additional Settings section. There will be a paragraph for developers.

Inside the developer menu, scroll down to the app-related section. Find the option "Allow Saving to External Drives" or "Force allow apps on external." Activate this switch. After that, restart your smartphone to apply the changes.

Once you reboot, try moving applications again using the standard method. Now the list of programs available for porting should expand. Note that applications that are ported in this way may run a little slower if the memory card has a low response rate.

Advanced Method: ADB and Command Prompt

The most effective, but also the most difficult, way is to use USB debugging and ADB (Android Debug Bridge) commands, which bypass the constraints set by application developers and force them to move to a memory card, requiring the smartphone to be connected to a computer.

You need to get your computer ready first. Download and install Platform Tools from Google's official website. Also install drivers for Xiaomi Mi 9, which are usually installed automatically when you connect a cable or through the Mi PC Suite program. Enable USB debugging in the Developer Menu on your smartphone.

Connect your phone to your PC with a good quality cable. Open the command line or terminal in the ADB folder and type in the adb device command. The phone screen will see a request for debugging permission, confirm it. If the device serial number appears on the console, the connection is successfully established.

adb shell pm setInstallLocation 2

The command above changes the priority of installing applications on external memory. The value of "2" indicates the system to use the system. SD-Default card for new installations and portable programs. To return to internal storage, use the value "0».

To transfer applications that are already installed, you can use the adb shell pm move-package command. First, you need to know the memory card storage ID by running the adb shell pm get-volume-info command. Then, knowing the ID and the name of the application package, you can initiate the transfer. This method requires care and accuracy of data entry.

Hybrid Storage (Adoptable Storage)

In modern versions of Android and MIUI, there is an Adoptable Storage feature that allows you to format the memory card as an internal storage, in which case the system encrypts the card and combines it with the main memory into a single pool. For the Xiaomi Mi 9, this feature is often hidden, but it can be activated via ADB.

Follow the command adb shell sm list-disks to find your card ID (e.g., disk:179.64). Then format it as internal: adb shell sm partition disk:179.64 private.

This is the most radical method. It really solves the problem of space scarcity by turning the map into a full extension of the system. However, if the card fails, the phone may stop loading or require a complete reset, and it may also slow down due to encryption and decoding on the fly.

• 🔒 The memory card will be encrypted and linked to a specific device.
• ⚙️ The system will decide where to store data, optimizing the space.
• 📉 Possible loss of performance when using heavy games.

⚠️ Warning: Once the card is formatted as internal memory, it will not be possible to retrieve it without losing data and resetting your phone.

Possible problems and ways to solve them

When migrating applications to the Xiaomi Mi 9, users may experience various errors, most often due to incompatibility of the file system format or damage to sectors on the memory card. If the application stops running after transfer, try to return it back to internal memory.

Another common problem is that the widgets of the ported applications stop updating or displaying data, which is because the Android system limits background activity on external drives to save energy, in which case you should only transfer those programs that do not require constant updating of widgets.

If your smartphone stops seeing the memory card after formatting, check it for errors using the chkdsk utility on Windows or fsck on Linux. Also try formatting the card on your computer into the exFAT file system and then again in your phone.

In case nothing helps and internal memory is critically crowded, consider using cloud services or transferring media files to your computer.Don’t risk the stability of the Xiaomi Mi 9 for the sake of installing a couple of extra games if it leads to constant interface freezes.

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