Owners of budget smartphones like the Xiaomi Redmi 8 often face a lack of built-in storage, especially given that the basic versions of the device offer only 32 or 64 GB of disk space. Once you install all the necessary social networks, messengers and navigators, the free space runs out, which leads to reduced system performance and the inability to install new updates. The solution is the use of an external drive, but the standard shell of MIUI does not always allow you to simply transfer data.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available methods to move applications to the SD card, including hidden Android functions and third-party utilities. You will learn how to turn a regular flash drive into a full-fledged continuation of internal memory, what risks exist in this process and how to avoid data loss.
Many users mistakenly believe that it is enough to simply insert a card so that the system automatically starts using it to install programs. In fact, without the right setup and understanding of how the Android file system works, the card will only be used to store photos and music. Let's figure out how to make this technology work at full capacity in your smartphone.
Preparation of memory card and smartphone for work
The first step is to choose and prepare the external drive, as its speed directly depends on the performance of installed applications. For Xiaomi Redmi 8, it is recommended to use Class 10 or UHS-I cards with a capacity of 32 to 128 GB, since older or slower models can cause “freezes” in the interface. Before installing it in your phone, be sure to check the card for errors by connecting it to your computer.
Once you physically install the drive into a slot that Redmi 8 pairs with the second SIM cartridge, the system will suggest formatting it. It's important to understand the difference between modes of operation: Portable Storage allows you to transfer the card between devices, but does not put applications on it, and Internal Storage encrypts data for a specific phone. For our purpose, we will need a second option that turns the flash drive into a system partition.
The formatting process will completely destroy all the data on the map, so make sure you save important files in advance. MIUI can warn you of a slowdown when using slow cards, and these warnings are worth heeding, as cheap drives often can not withstand the constant load from the cache of applications.
⚠️ Note: Do not remove the memory card while the phone is running if it is configured as internal storage.This can lead to system crash and data loss of installed applications, since their executable files will be located directly on the retrievable media.
Activation of the developer mode and debugging via USB
To access the advanced memory management features in Xiaomi Redmi 8, you need to activate the hidden developer menu. Standard shell tools often do not move already installed applications to the SD card, so we will need access to the Android system settings. To open this section, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7 times in a row on the MIUI version.
Once you have a notification that you have become a developer, go back to the main settings menu and find the Additional settings → For developers section. Here we are interested in the USB debugging option that you need to activate, which gives the computer or special applications inside the phone the right to change the system storage settings.
The debugging enabled also allows the use of the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) toolkit, which is the most reliable way to force applications to be ported. Without activation of this mode, many of the system limitations of MIUI will remain insurmountable, and port attempts will be blocked by the operating system.
💡
If the "For Developers" item disappeared from the menu after the reboot, just repeat the procedure of clicking on the MIUI version - the mode does not turn off forever, it just hides for security.
Using ADB to Forced Application Portability
The most effective method to circumvent manufacturers’ limitations is to use the command line. ADB. This method requires connecting the smartphone to the computer through USB-cable, but gives full control over the attributes of the application installation. You will need to download the Platform-tools package on your PC and install drivers for Xiaomi.
Once you connect your USB debugging phone, open the command line on your computer in the ADB folder and enter a command to check the connection. If everything is set up correctly, you will see your device's serial number, which confirms your willingness to enter system commands to change the installation path.
adb devices
adb shell pm set-install-location 2The pm set-install-location 2 command forcibly puts the system into the default mode of installing all new applications on an external drive. The value "0" returns the setting to its original state (automatic selection), and "1" fixes the installation only in internal memory. However, it is worth noting that this command affects mainly new installations, rather than transferring existing programs.
☑️ Pre-use checks ADB
You can use the adb shell pm move-package command to migrate already installed applications, but it requires knowing the exact package name. This method is more difficult for beginners and requires individual commands for each application, since not all programs support code-level movement.
⚠️ Attention: Teams ADB give powerful rights, but erroneous settings can lead to unstable system operation. Type commands carefully, check syntax, and do not try to move system applications Xiaomi, it can cause a cyclical reboot.
Configure the map as an internal storage (Adoptable Storage)
Adoptable Storage, introduced in Android 6.0, allows the system to consider the SD card as an integral part of internal memory. In Xiaomi Redmi 8 running MIUI 11/12, this functionality is often hidden, but it can be activated through special launcher applications or the same ADB. When activated, the card is formatted in the ext4 file system and encrypted.
The main advantage of this method is that applications and their data move completely to the map, freeing up space in the embedded chip, the system automatically distributes the load, and the user may not even notice the difference, except for the increased amount of available memory for installing new games and programs.
But there's a big drawback to this approach: you can't just take out a flash drive and put it in another phone or computer to read data, and without resetting and resetting, the card won't be readable, which makes it risky to use low-quality cards.
| Parameter | Portable storage | Internal storage |
|---|---|---|
| Formatting | FAT32 / exFAT | ext4 (encryption) |
| Portability of applications | Partially or impossible | Fully supported |
| Use on PCs | Yes, through the card reader. | No, it's a reset. |
| Risk of data loss | Low. | High when card breaks |
What happens to the data when you change the map?
Use of third-party utilities for memory management
If you think it's too hard to mess around with the command line, you can use specialized Google Play apps like App2SD or Files by Google, which automate the process of finding heavy applications and offer options for moving them if the software developer has them, and they analyze the memory structure and tell you what takes up the most space.
Cliner apps also help move the cache of heavy programs, such as navigators or instant messengers, to the SD For example, in Telegram or Yandex.Navigator you can manually specify the path to the folder to save maps and media files, which significantly saves internal space without the need to transfer the APK-file.
It is worth considering that the effectiveness of third-party utilities is limited by access rights. Without root rights, they can only recommend actions or transfer data, but not the executable files themselves. Root rights give full access, but obtaining them on Xiaomi Redmi 8 requires unlocking the bootloader, which cancels the warranty and can lead to the breakdown of banking applications.
💡
Third-party applications are a handy tool for monitoring and partial cleanup, but for global transfer of system data, they are often powerless without root rights.
Possible problems and ways to solve them
Xiaomi users may face a number of common problems when migrating applications, often when the Move button is inactive or hidden, meaning that the app developer has banned the porting of their product to external drives for security or stability reasons.
Another common problem is the slowdown of a smartphone after transferring a large number of programs, which is due to the fact that the read/write speed of an SD card, even the fastest, usually inferior to the speed of internal memory eMMC or UFS. Heavy games and applications with active background activity can start to work with delays.
There are also mounting errors when the system stops seeing the card after rebooting, in which case it is recommended to check the physical contact in the slot, wipe the contacts of the card with a stripe, or try to format it again in standard mode, and then repeat the setup procedure.
Why did the app stop working after the transfer?
Optimizing memory after transfer
After successful application porting, it is important to optimize to ensure the stability of the Redmi 8. It is recommended to regularly clean the cache of the ported applications, since the cache of the ported applications is not limited to the same. SD The map fragmentation of files is faster, which over time slows down access to data. → Memory once a week.
Keep track of your memory card's health. Periodically connect your phone to your computer and check the card for errors with standard Windows tools or utilities like H2testw. If the card starts to crumble or files get corrupted, replace it immediately so you don't lose important data and program settings.
Using cloud storage in conjunction with an SD card gives the best result. Photos and videos can be configured to automatically upload to the cloud and then removed from the device, and leave the map to install only those applications that do not require high disk access speed, such as simple utilities or offline maps.