How to transfer the game to a memory card in Xiaomi: all ways and life hacks

Transferring games to a memory card in Xiaomi smartphones is a challenge faced by owners of devices with limited internal storage. 12 Pro+ or POCO X5 Pro 256 GB of memory over time clogged with heavy projects like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile, which occupy the same amount of time. 10-15 GB each. But not everyone knows that MIUI restricts the transfer of applications to SD-map for most games due to the peculiarities of working with external drives in Android.

In this article, we will discuss all the working methods of transferring games to a memory card in Xiaomi, from standard system functions to workarounds using ADB and third-party utilities. We will focus on the nuances of working with MIUI 14 based on Android 13/14, where memory allocation algorithms have changed, you will learn which games cannot be portable fundamentally (and why), how to avoid errors when starting after transfer, and which memory cards are best suited for games.

Why the games are not transferred to SD-map in Xiaomi in the standard way

The main problem lies in the architecture of Android and politics. MIUI. Starting with Android 6.0, Google introduced the concept of Adoptable Storage – the ability to format. SD-However, Xiaomi has disabled this feature in its firmware, leaving only the option of using the card as a portable drive (i.e. for storing files, but not for installing applications).

Here are the key reasons why games are not to be carried over:

• 🔒 Limitations MIUI: In the application settings there is no button "Move to" SD-map for most games (unlike some system utilities).
• 📁 Data storage format: Games are often used OBB-files (additional data) that are downloaded by default to internal memory and are not automatically transferred.
• 🚫 Protection against piracy: Some games (e.g., games, PUBG Mobile or Free Fire block startup from external drives due to hacking risk.
• ⚡ Performance: MicroSD memory cards (even class) A2) They are slower than the built-in memory. UFS 2.2/3.1, what might cause the lags.

There are exceptions: some lightweight games (such as Candy Crush or Clash of Clans) can be ported through standard settings, but this depends on the MIUI version and smartphone model. For example, on Redmi 9A with MIUI 12.5 this option may appear, and on Xiaomi 13 Ultra with MIUI 14 – this option may not appear.

⚠️ Attention: Transfer of games to SD-The card can result in loss of progress in online projects (for example, in Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail) if the game is tied to an account but the cache is stored locally.Be sure to link the game to Google Play, Mi Account or social networks before transferring.

Which memory card to choose for games on Xiaomi

Not every microSD is good for installing games.

Important: NTFS cards are not supported by Android without root rights. If you bought an NTFS card (for example, for use in a camera), it will have to be reformatted via a PC or smartphone.

How to check card speed before buying? Use apps like A1 SD Bench (available on Google Play). For games, the speed of random recording (4K Random Write) is critical - it should be at least 10 MB / s. Cards with a score below 5 MB / s will cause friezes in heavy games.

Method 1: Transfer over MIUI settings (for supported games)

This method only works for individual games that allow transfer to the game. SD-Most of the time, these are old or lightweight projects:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select a game from a list (such as Clash Royale or Brawl Stars).
3. Press Warehouse.
4. If there is a button, change or move to SD-map -- press it.

If the button is not available, then the game does not support porting through the standard settings, in which case move on to the following methods.

Make sure that the memory card is formatted in exFAT|Create a backup copy of the game progress|Connect your smartphone to charging (the process may take time) 10-30 minute)|Close all background applications for stability-->

💡

If the "Transfer" button is inactive, try clearing the game's cache in the storage settings, sometimes helping to activate the option.

After transfer, check the game for performance. Some projects (for example, Asphalt 9) can start, but slow down due to the slow reading speed from the card, in which case, return the game back to internal memory.

Method 2: Transfer over ADB (for power users)

If the standard method doesn’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) — debugging tool that allows you to manually specify to the system which applications to transfer to SD-This method requires a connection to a PC, but works on most Xiaomi devices without root rights.

Step-by-step:

1. Download ADB Tools for Windows/macOS/Linux and unpack the archive.
2. Turn on the smartphone Developer Mode (go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and tap 7 times on the build number).
3. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
4. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode).
5. Open the command prompt (or Terminal on macOS/Linux) in the ADB folder and type:

adb devices

(Your device name should appear as a confirmation of your connection.)

adb shell pm set-install-location 2

This command forces the system to install applications on SD-The default card, however, will require an additional step for games already installed:

adb shell pm move-package com.name.packet /sdcard

To find out the name of the game package, use the App Inspector app from Google Play.

⚠️ Note: pm set-install-location 2 can cause unstable system operation if the memory card is slow or connected incorrectly. After transferring all the necessary games, return the default value with the command adb shell pm set-install-location 0.

Disadvantages of the method:

• ❌ Not all games are portable (depending on the developer).
• ❌ After updating the game, it can automatically return to internal memory.
• ❌ On some firmware MIUI Move-package command is blocked.

💡

ADB-transferable APK-files, but OBB-The files (additional data) will still remain in the internal memory. They will have to be transferred manually (see Method 3).

Method 3: Manual transfer OBB-file-cache

Many games (such as Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile) store basic data in a folder Android/obb or Android/data. These files can be transferred to SD-hand-held card, but you will need a symbolic link to keep the system "seeing" them in internal memory.

Instructions:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC or use a file manager (such as Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /sdcard/Android/obb and find the folder with the game name (e.g. com.miHoYo.GenshinImpact).
3. Copy this folder on SD-map (e.g. in the /sdcard/obb_backup).
4. Remove the original folder from your internal memory.
5. Create a symbolic link (root rights or ADB required):

adb shell


su




ln -s /sdcard/obb_backup/com.miHoYo.GenshinImpact /sdcard/Android/obb/com.miHoYo.GenshinImpact

If you don't have root rights, use the FolderMount app (requires Android 10 or lower) or App2SD (paid version).These utilities create symbolic links without manually entering commands.

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ It works for all games, even those that block the transfer.
• ✅ It does not require reinstallation of the game.
• ✅ It's only possible to transfer OBB-file-leaving APK inner-memory.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Without root rights or ADB Symbolic links can be reset after rebooting.
• ❌ Some games (like Call of Duty Mobile) check file integrity and may not run.

Method 4: Using Third-Party Applications

If previous methods have not worked, you can use specialized utilities.

Recommendations for using App2SD:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and give access to the storage.
3. Select the game from the list and click Move to SD card.
4. If the game is not portable, try the Force Move option (requires root).
5. For OBB-Use the Link External Files function.

Link2SD is a more powerful tool, but requires root rights.

1. Open Link2SD and select the game.
2. Click Create Link (Create Link)
3. Select all available options: APK, Data, OBB.
4. Reboot your smartphone.

⚠️ Attention: Apps like Link2SD may disrupt MIUI, If you don't configure symbolic links correctly, don't port system applications (com.android.*) - it will lead to the system collapse!

Method 5: Formatting SD-Cards as internal memory (only for older versions) MIUI)

Android 6-9 (respectively, MIUI 8–11) was able to format SD-This is an Adoptable Storage, which allows you to put games directly on the map. MIUI this function is off.

If you have an older device (such as the Redmi Note 5 or Mi A2), you can try:

1. Put it in. SD-smartphone-card.
2. Go to Settings → Storage → Memory Map.
3. Click Format as internal (if the option is available).
4. Confirm the action – the card will be formatted and encrypted (it will not be read on other devices!).
5. After formatting, select Transfer Data to move supported applications.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ It only works on Android 6-9 (only on Android). MIUI 12+ opportunity).
• ❌ The card becomes attached to the device – it can not be retrieved without losing data.
• ❌ Game performance may fall due to low card speed.

On newer devices (MIUI 12-14), this method does not work, and attempts to activate it via ADB or modified firmware can result in a loss of warranty or a device brik.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When transferring games to SD-And the problem is that people are facing a lot of problems:

If the game does not keep progress after the transfer, check:

• 🔗 Is your account linked to Google Play Games, Mi Account or social media.
• 📂 Not only has it been moved APK, and the folders with saves (usually in /Android/data/game-name).
• 🔄 Are the game settings reset when rebooting (symbolic link problem).

For online multiplayer games (for example, PUBG Mobile or Mobile Legends portability SD-The card can lead to a ban of the account, which developers consider a potential cheating, as modifying the game files on an external drive makes it easier to hack.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions