How to move applications to SD-map 9A

Owners of budget smartphones like the Xiaomi Redmi 9A often face a lack of built-in storage. Built-in 32 or 64 gigabytes are quickly filled with system files, messenger cache and photos. The standard MIUI shell does not simply transfer installed programs to an external medium, which raises many questions for users.

Fortunately, there is a proven method to circumvent this limitation with Adoptable Storage, which turns a regular flash card into a logical extension of the device’s internal memory, allowing games and heavy applications to be installed directly on the external drive, freeing up precious space in the system partition.

But it requires care and preparation. Mistakes can lead to data loss or unstable gadgets. In this article, we will look at every step from choosing the right map to the final setup of the system.

Preparation of equipment and selection of memory card

Before you start modifying your system, you need to make sure that your hardware meets the requirements. Not any memory card will work as a system partition. Using a slow drive will cause the smartphone to start running noticeably slower and applications to run for a long time.

The best choice is a UHS-I or higher card marked A1 or A2, which guarantees high speed of random reading and writing, which is critical for operating systems. Avoid cheap cards of nameless brands, as they often can not withstand heavy loads.

Make sure to back up all the important files on the flash card. The process of formatting to internal memory will completely destroy all the data, and it will be impossible to restore it.

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Use memory cards with a capacity of 32 to 128 GB. Too large volumes (256 GB and above) can be incorrectly determined by the system or work unstable in conjunction with the budget controller Redmi 9A.

Activation of the developer mode and debugging via USB

To implement the changes to the system, we'll need access to hidden Android features, which is something that you can't do with standard menu tools, so we're activating developer mode, which is a safe procedure that opens up diagnostic tools.

Go to the phone settings and find About Phone. At the top of the screen is the MIUI Version line. You need to quickly click on it 7-10 times in a row until a pop-up notice shows that you have become a developer.

Then go back to the main settings menu and go to the Additional section, and then select Developer Mode. At the top of the list is the Developer Mode switch — turn it on. Find the USB Debugging option and activate it by confirming the action in the dialog box.

⚠️ Warning: Do not leave debugging mode on permanently unless you use it for other tasks, which can create a potential vulnerability to access data when connecting to public charging stations.

Now your Xiaomi Redmi 9A is ready to connect to your computer. Make sure your PC has Android Debug Bridge (ADB) drivers installed. Without this software toolkit, you can't send commands to the system.

Installation of drivers and connection to the computer

The next step requires a computer running Windows, macOS or Linux, and you need to download the Platform Tools from the official Android developer site, which is a set of utilities that includes adb and fastboot.

After downloading the archive, unpack it into the root folder of the disk, for example, in the C:\platform-tools. This will make it easier to type commands. Connect your smartphone to your PC with a high-quality command. USB-cable, preferably original, to provide a stable connection.

You'll see a request for debugging permission on your phone screen, check the box, check the "Always Allow from this computer," and click "OK." If the window doesn't show up, check the cable or try another one. USB-port.

To check the connection, open the command line or PowerShell in the tool folder and type the command adb devices. If a device with a serial number and device status appears in the list, then the connection is successfully established.

Formatting a map through ADB commands

Now, the most important part is the memory card conversion, and we're going to use the sm command, which allows you to manage the storage at a low level, and be very careful when you type in the identifiers.

First, you need to know your flash card ID.

adb shell sm list-disks

The system will then give you an identifier, such as a disk:179.64, write it down or copy it, because it is unique to each device, and then execute the formatting command:

adb shell sm partition disk:XXX private 100

Instead of disk:XXX, substitute your ID. 100 means that 100% of the card size will be given to apps. If you want to leave a part for a photo, you can specify, for example, 90.

⚠️ Warning: Once this command is executed, the card will be formatted in proprietary format and will no longer be read on other devices, including cameras or through a card reader on a PC, without special encryption.

The process takes from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. Once completed, the phone can automatically restart, and the notification will show a message about setting up storage.

Setting up application movement and analyzing results

Once you restart, the system will suggest you move the data. You'll agree. Now, to move a particular application, go to Settings → Applications → All applications. Select the program you want.

In the app menu, find Memory. If Adoptable Storage is activated correctly, it will show a button called Change or Move to SD. Press it and wait until the process is complete.

Not all programs support portability. Application developers can block this capability in a manifesto, but MIUI's system limitations are removed, and you can move significantly more programs than in standard mode.

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Successful movement of the application is confirmed by a change in the amount of occupied memory in the internal storage - it should decrease.

Possible problems and ways to solve them

There may be nuances in the process of operation, for example, after updating the system, the storage settings may get lost, in which case you will have to repeat the procedure, and it is worth remembering that removing the card without first turning off the menu will lead to errors in the application.

If the phone is slow, check the card speed, it may be exhausted or it can not cope with the background tasks, in which case it is worth considering buying a more productive memory module.

• 📱 The app does not move: some Xiaomi system services are tightly tied to the internal partition.
• 📉 Low speed: Class memory card below A1 not designed to run programs.
• 🔄 Formatting error: Try formatting the card into FAT32 via computer before connecting to the phone.

To return to the original state, you need to use ADB again. The command adb shell sm set-force-adoptable false will turn off the mode, but the data on the map will be lost, so backup is critical before any experiments.