Transfer games to the memory card Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro

Owners of the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro smartphone often face a lack of internal storage, especially if the basic version of the device is installed at 64 gigabytes. Modern mobile applications and high-graphics games take up tens of gigabytes, which quickly leads to overflow of the system partition. When the free space runs out, the system starts to work slower, and game loading can be interrupted during the installation of resources.

Fortunately, the Android architecture allows for an external microSD card not only as a simple file drive, but also as a full-fledged extension of internal memory.This process, known among enthusiasts as Adoptable Storage, allows you to transfer application data, game cache and media to an external medium. However, in the MIUI shell, this feature is often hidden from the average user, requiring specific actions through an engineering menu or ADB.

In this guide, we will discuss in detail all the available ways to transfer games to a memory card for the Redmi Note 8 Pro. You will learn about the risks of using cheap cards, the features of the file system and the methods of circumventing restrictions imposed by the manufacturer. It is important to understand that transferring system files requires a memory card of the speed class U3 or V30, otherwise games will be loaded longer than with internal flash memory.

Preparation of memory card and choice of media for Redmi Note 8 Pro

Before you start modifying the system and transferring data, you need to make sure the quality of the drive used. Read and write speed directly affects the loading time of levels in games and the stability of the operating system. For the Redmi Note 8 Pro, which supports cards up to 512 GB, it is critical to choose a reliable manufacturer such as SanDisk, Samsung or Kingston.

Cheap memory cards from unknown brands often have understated speeds and can fail after several rewriting cycles. If you plan to store app data there, not just photos, saving on the media will lead to loss of progress in games and possible malfunctions in the smartphone. Android is very sensitive to storage response delays, and a slow card can cause a “bottleneck” effect.

It is recommended to format the map directly in the smartphone before all manipulations, this ensures the creation of the correct file structure and the distribution of clusters in the optimal way for the mobile controller. Do not use third-party programs on the PC for formatting, as they may use parameters that are incompatible with the requirements of Android.

• 📀 Make sure the card is marked with Class 10, U3 or V30 for stable operation of heavy applications.
• 💾 Check the card for errors with the utility h2testw on the computer before installing it on the phone.
• 📱 Insert the card into the off smartphone and turn on the device for primary identification of equipment.
• 🗑️ Save all important data from card to computer, as formatting will completely destroy the information.

Standard method of transfer through Android settings

The first and most secure way to move data is without root rights and a computer connection, which allows you to transfer some of the application’s data, including cache and some resources, to an external drive, but it’s worth noting that in modern versions of Android and MIUI, this method does not work for all games due to security limitations.

To start, activate the developer mode if it is not already enabled. Go to the Settings menu → About phone and quickly click on the MIUI version seven times. Once the developer mode activation message appears, go back to the main settings menu and select Additional settings → For developers. Find the default entry or Preferred installation location and select the memory card.

Then we move on to managing specific applications. Open Settings. → Annexes → All apps and find the game you want in the list. From the app menu, select Memory. If the system allows you to move the game, the Change button will be active, and you can select the option SD-The process will take some time depending on the size of the data.

Unfortunately, many game developers block the portability by setting the android:installLocation="internalOnly" flag in the application manifest. In such cases, the storage change button will be inactive or absent. This is done to ensure maximum performance, since the internal memory of the smartphone is usually faster than the external one.

Use Adoptable Storage through ADB

If the standard method failed, you can use a more advanced method to turn the memory card into a full extension of the internal storage, USB-cable and installed driver ADB (Android Debug Bridge: It allows you to bypass software limitations MIUI and forcibly format the card as an internal memory.

Before starting the procedure, enable debugging over USB in the Developer menu. Connect your smartphone to your PC and run the command line or terminal in the folder with ADB. Make sure the device is detected by entering the adb device command. A window should appear on the smartphone screen requesting debugging permission where you need to click "Always allow from this computer."

adb shell pm get-config adoptable-storage-enabled


adb shell pm set-config adoptable-storage-enabled true

Once the option is enabled, format the card. Find your memory card ID by entering the adb shell sm list-disks command. It usually looks like public:179.64. Then execute the formatting command: adb shell sm partition disk:179.64 private. After that, the card will be formatted in the ext4 file system with encryption, and the system will consider it part of the internal storage.

⚠️ Note: Once the card is formatted as internal memory, it will be encrypted and linked to this particular smartphone, so you can't just insert it into another phone or computer and read the data without losing information.

Transfer data using the Files by Google app

For users who don't want to risk system stability or use complex ADB commands, there's a trade-off: The Files by Google app, which is often pre-installed on Redmi or available on the Play Market, lets you safely transfer files, photos and some types of app data to a memory card.

This method doesn't make the card system, but it frees up a significant amount of space in the internal storage. Open the app, go to the Cleanup tab or the Storage Management tab. The system will analyze the space and suggest that you move large files, videos and backups to the storage space. SD-This is especially effective for instant messengers that accumulate gigabytes of media files.

In addition, many modern games allow you to choose a path in your settings to download additional resources (OBB-Go to the settings of the game itself, find the "Data Path" or "File Location" and specify the memory card. This won't carry the application itself, but will free up the internal memory where the heaviest assets are stored.

• 📂 Use a file manager to manually move Download folders, DCIM and Documents on map.
• 📸 Set the camera so that the photos and videos are saved immediately on the camera. SD-map through the settings of the camera application.
• 📥 In Chrome browser, specify the way to download files to an external drive in the download settings.
• 🎵 Music and video players will automatically find the library on the new map after transferring files.

Table of comparison of methods of transfer of games

To make it easier for you to choose the right way to optimize your memory, we have prepared a comparison table that will help you assess the risks and benefits of each method in the context of using the Redmi Note 8 Pro.

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If you use ADB, regularly back up important data to a cloud service or PC. An encrypted memory card can become unreadable when you reset your phone to factory settings without first decomposing.

Possible problems and ways to solve them

Users may experience a number of common errors when migrating games, including the message “Application not installed” or the sudden closure of the game after transfer, often because the memory card read speed is not sufficient to stream textures in real time.

Another common situation is the disappearance of portable app icons from the desktop. In this case, you need to restart the device or clear the launcher cache through the Settings menu → Apps → All Apps → Android System → Storage → Clear. Don’t be afraid, your data and shortcuts will recover after restarting the interface.

If games are unstable, there are friezes or long downloads, it makes sense to return applications to internal memory. the performance of the Redmi Note 8 Pro is quite high, and the internal memory of UFS 2.1 provides a better response rate than most microSD cards, even high-end.

⚠️ Warning: Do not remove the memory card while the smartphone is running if the applications are ported to it, this will lead to immediate closure of games and possible damage to the save files or the application database.

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The optimal strategy is to keep only active games and system applications on internal memory, and archive projects and heavy media files stored on the computer. SD-map.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)