Owners of budget smartphones such as Xiaomi Redmi 7A often face a critical shortage of built-in storage. Standard 16 or 32 gigabytes, of which a significant part is occupied by the MIUI system itself, fill up instantly after installing a pair of popular messengers and social networks. Overflow of internal memory leads not only to the inability to install new programs, but also to a serious slowdown of the device, the appearance of errors in the interface and even sudden reboots.
Fortunately, the Redmi 7A features a separate microSD card slot, which allows for a significant expansion of available space. However, the standard Android Go shell and the proprietary MIUI add-on often do not offer a simple button to transfer all application data to an external drive. The built-in functionality is limited to transferring only multimedia files, leaving “heavy” caches and applications in internal memory.
In this guide, we will take a look at all the available ways to free up internal storage, learn how to properly prepare a memory card, how to activate Adoptable Storage mode with your computer, and how to avoid common errors that can lead to data loss. Effective memory management will return your smartphone to its previous speed and responsiveness.
⚠️ Attention: All manipulation of the file system and developer settings carries risks.Be sure to back up important contacts, photos and documents to the cloud service or computer before starting any actions.
Preparation of memory card and smartphone for work
The first and most important step is to choose a quality storage device. Avoid using old or cheap memory cards of unknown brands, as their low read and write speed can negate all the benefits of expanding memory. For the comfort of applications, it is recommended to use Class 10 or UHS-I cards with a capacity of 32 to 128 gigabytes, since the Redmi 7A has restrictions on the maximum supported volume.
After the card is physically installed in the smartphone slot, you need to make sure that the system correctly identified the new device. Usually, a notification of a new card appears at the top of the screen. If this does not happen, you should check the integrity of the card contacts and the correct installation. In some cases, you need to restart the device to initialize the equipment.
The next step is to format the drive into a file system that is understandable by Android. By default, the cards can be formatted in exFAT or NTFS, which doesn't always work correctly for installing applications. The system will suggest formatting the card as "Portative Storage" or "Internal Storage." For our purposes, we're opting for standard formatting to make the map visible to all the configuration tools.
- 📱 Make sure your smartphone battery is at least 50% before starting formatting procedures.
- 💾 Save all data from the memory card to the computer, as in the formatting process they will be completely destroyed.
- 🔌 Check the serviceability. USB-cable that will be used to connect the smartphone to the computer.
It's important to understand that once formatted for Android, accessing card files from a computer without a dedicated adapter can become difficult due to encryption, so the data preparation phase is critical.
Activation of the developer mode and debugging via USB
To do deep system setup, particularly for forced application porting, we'll need access to hidden menus, which are closed by default in the MIUI shell for security purposes, and the first step is to activate the developer mode, and then go to the About Phone menu and quickly click on the MIUI version several times.
Once you have a "You've become a developer" message, you can then go to debugging settings, and the expanded settings menu will have a new "Developers" option. USB». It needs to be put into active position, and the system will issue a risk warning that you have to accept.
Some versions of MIUI require additional activation via a SIM card or Mi Account. If standard on-line doesn't work, try using flight mode or a temporary Internet shutdown. Also, you should find the "Do not turn off the screen when charging" item on the developer's menu and activate it so that the device does not go into sleep mode while you are using your computer.
The method of forced transfer through ADB
The most effective way to make a system perceive a memory card as part of internal storage is to use the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) utility, which allows you to send commands directly to the operating system, bypassing interface constraints. You need a computer with Windows, Linux or macOS and installed drivers for your smartphone.
Connect your smartphone to your computer with a cable, and you'll see a request on your screen for debugging permission from that computer, and you'll check the box "Always Allow from this computer" and click "OK." If you don't get a request, check the cable or try another one. USB-port.
On your computer, open the command line in the folder with the ADB installed. Enter the adb device command to check the connection. If a device with a serial number appears in the list, then the connection is established. Next, you enter the adb shell command to go to the shell of the smartphone.
adb shell sm list-disksThis command will show the ID of the connected drive, which usually looks like a disk:179.64 or similar set of digits, and write down this ID, which you will need for the next command, which will turn the card into a system partition.
☑️ Checking readiness ADB
Formatting the map as an internal storage
Once you have the disk ID, you can start converting it. The sm partition command will change the partition structure of the memory card, making it indistinguishable from the built-in flash memory, which will allow you to install applications directly on the card and use it to store the cache.
Enter the following command by replacing the disk:XXX,XX with your identifier:
sm partition disk:XXX,XX private 100Private indicates that you create a private partition, and 100 means you use 100% of the card volume for this purpose. The process can take several minutes. Once successful, the smartphone can automatically restart or suggest formatting the card through the settings interface.
⚠️ Note: Once you execute the sm partition command, the memory card will be encrypted and tied to that particular smartphone, inserted into another phone or read on a computer without formatting it will not be possible.
If the process is successful, you will see that the internal memory capacity has increased significantly in the storage settings, and the system will automatically distribute the load between the built-in module and the memory card.
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Use memory cards only from trusted manufacturers (SanDisk, Samsung, Kingston), as cheap counterparts often fail when system files are written intensively.
Manual control of installed applications
Even after the internal storage mode is activated, not all applications can automatically move to the map; some system programs and critical services must remain on the internal memory for stable operation; however, you can manually control the location of user applications.
To do this, go to the Settings. → Annexes → All applications. Select the desired program from the list. If the application supports portability, the "Change" or "Move to" button will be active in the storage management menu. SD-In the new versions of Android and MIUI This process often occurs automatically for new installations.
There is also the option of changing the default behavior of the system, and you can find the option "Default to store applications on external media" through the developer menu, and activating this switch will cause the system to suggest installing new programs on the memory card every time you download from Google Play.
However, it should be borne in mind that the speed of applications running from a memory card may be lower than from an internal one. NAND-Heavy games and photo processing software are best left on the internal memory, if space allows.
| Type of application | Recommended seat | Reason. |
|---|---|---|
| System services | Internal memory. | Critical to OS stability |
| Messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) | Internal/SD (mixed) | Cash media can be transferred in the settings of the application itself |
| Hard games | Internal memory. | Requires high speed loading of textures |
| Office applications | SD card | Low access speed requirements |
| Navigators (OsmAnd, Maps) | SD card | Maps take up a lot of space, but are read consistently |
Possible problems and ways to solve them
Users may encounter various difficulties in setting up, and one of the common problems is the “Application not installed” error when trying to migrate, which may be due to damage to the map file system or incompatibility of a particular version of the application with external storage.
Another common situation is the appearance of a notification «SD-card is damaged" after activation of internal storage mode, often solved by re-formatting the card through the settings of the smartphone. If the problem persists, it is possible that the memory card has a physical defect or a low write speed.
Users also note that once you flash or reset your settings to the factory (Wipe Data), access to data on a card formatted as internal storage is lost forever.