Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a lack of free space in internal memory, especially on models with a capacity of 32 or 64 GB. The system starts to work slower, new applications are not installed, and notifications of space shortage appear with alarming regularity, in such a situation, the most effective solution is to use a microSD card to store media files and documents.
Data portability is not just about copying files, it's about optimizing the entire device. Proper distribution of information allows you to offload the system partition, which has a positive effect on the performance of the MIUI or HyperOS interface. However, it's important to understand that not all data can be moved, and there are nuances of working with modern versions of Android.
In this article, we will break down all the available methods of transfer: from standard shell tools to advanced methods using ADB. You will learn how to safely move photos, videos, music and even some applications, turning your budget smartphone into a multimedia center with gigabytes of free space.
Preparation of memory card and smartphone for work
Before you start transferring files, you need to make sure that the memory card is correct and formatted correctly. Poor-quality MicroSD can cause system freezes or data loss, so you should approach the choice of the drive responsibly. For smartphones Xiaomi recommends using Class 10 or UHS-I cards with a read speed of at least 80 MB / s.
Plug the card into the SIM card tray slot (using a special paper clip) and wait for the system to notify you. If the notification does not appear, go to Settings → About Phone → Warehouse and check if the device has been identified. If the card is new or used on another device, it is better to format it directly in your smartphone.
⚠️ Note: Formatting a memory card will completely destroy all data on it. Be sure to back up important files on your computer before starting the procedure.
The formatting process in MIUI is as simple as possible. The system itself will suggest formatting the drive when you first connect, or you can do it manually through the storage management menu. Select the FAT32 or exFAT file system if the card size exceeds 32 GB to ensure compatibility with all applications.
💡
Use a memory card adapter when connecting a MicroSD to your computer to format it in exFAT if the smartphone only offers FAT32 for high-volume cards.
Transferring photos and videos through a standard conductor
The easiest and safest way to free up space is to move media content. Gallery and camera by default save pictures to internal memory, but this way you can change or migrate existing archives. To start, open the standard Explorer app, which is preinstalled on all Xiaomi smartphones.
Find the DCIM folder that stores your photos and videos. Select the necessary files or entire folders with a long press, then select the option “Move” or “Copy” in the bottom menu. Navigating the file system in Android makes it easy to navigate between internal memory partitions and an external drive.
- 📸 Open the Explorer and go to the section "Internal drive».
- 📂 Find the folders. DCIM, Pictures, Download and Videos.
- ✂️ Select files, click “Move” and select the root folder SD-map.
- 📁 Create separate folders for the structure on the memory card, such as “Photo 2023” or “Working documents».
Once you've moved a lot of data, it's recommended that you check the integrity of the data. Open the gallery and make sure the thumbnails are displayed correctly. If you've moved high-resolution videos, try playing them right from the memory card to make sure you're reading the drive fast enough.
Setup to save camera and voice recorder data by default
To avoid manually transferring files in the future, it is advisable to change the save settings for the main applications.The camera, voice recorder and document scanner in the MIUI shell have built-in switches that allow you to write data to an external drive immediately, which will save you from the need for constant manual sorting.
Open the Camera app and click on the three menu bars in the upper right corner. Select Settings and scroll down to Save on SD-Activate the switch. All new images and videos will automatically enter the external media, bypassing the internal memory.
A similar procedure is done for a recorder. Go to the app, click on three dots or a gear settings, and find the option to write to the memory card. However, it is worth considering that when you record video in high resolution (4K or 8K), the card speed may not be enough, and the camera will return to using internal memory.
⚠️ Note: If you remove the memory card, new photos and audio will not be saved until you re-insert the drive or return the default settings.
☑️ Setup of the camera to work with SD
Application portability and work with Adoptable Storage
In modern versions of Android and the HyperOS shell, the standard feature of porting applications to a memory card is often hidden or eliminated by developers for the sake of performance. However, for some applications, the ability to move is retained. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, select the desired program and find the “Move” button.
If the button is active, you can transfer the heavy app to an external drive, but if the button is grey or missing, it means that the app developer has banned the transfer, or the system blocks this feature for stability, in which cases users sometimes resort to Adoptable Storage mode, which makes the card part of internal memory.
The activation of advanced functionality often requires the use of ADB (Android Debug Bridge), connecting the smartphone to the computer, you can enter a command that forcibly allows the transfer of any application, which requires the inclusion of debugging by USB in the menu “For developers”.
adb shell pm set-install-location 2This command forces the system to install applications on an external drive, but be careful: when using the card as part of internal memory, removing it will cause the transferred applications to fail until the next insert.
Risks of Adoptable Storage
Storage Comparison: Internal Memory vs. SD
Understanding the differences between memory types will help you make an informed decision about what to carry: Smartphone internal memory (eMMC or UFS) is faster than any external storage, which is why the system and heavy applications prefer to reside there.
The memory card is ideal for static data, such as photo archives, uploaded movies, music, and documents, and using it to run applications or system processes can cause the interface to slow down. Below is a table comparing performance.
| Characteristics | Internal Memory (UFS) | SD card (Class 10/UHS) | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading speed | High (up to 2000 MB/s) | Medium (up to 100 MB/s) | Downloading of applications |
| Recording speed | Very high. | Low/Mediocre | Photo/video preservation |
| Reliability | High (sold on board) | Medium (risk of loss of contact) | Stability of work |
| Cost 1 GB | Tall. | Low. | Budget savings |
Based on the table, it becomes clear that the system partition and cache of active applications are better left on the internal drive, which will ensure smooth operation of animations and quick interface response, while the memory card will take on the role of a reliable archive.
💡
Optimal strategy: Store the OS and applications inside, and media files and documents on an external map.
Frequent problems and ways to solve them
During operation, users may experience read errors or a “glue” of paths to files. If the smartphone stopped seeing the map or files are displayed as corrupt, try restarting the device. Often the problem lies in the software failure of the Android media scanner service.
Another common problem is the appearance of duplicate files, which when ported, some applications can create new empty folders on the map, while continuing to write cache to internal memory, in which case you will need to manually check the settings of each messenger and social network.
- 🔍 File is corrupted: try formatting the card on your computer in the exFAT file system.
- 🔒 Access Error: Check App Permissions in Privacy Settings.
- 📉 Slow operation: The memory card may be fake or have a low speed class.
If the memory card often falls off when used actively, the contacts in the smartphone slot or on the card itself may have oxidized. Wipe the contacts softly and blow out the slot. In rare cases, the problem may be incompatibility of the card volume with the smartphone controller (usually older models do not see cards above 32-64 GB).
⚠️ Note: Do not remove the memory card from the menu while writing or reading data.This can lead to logical errors of the file system and loss of information.