How to transfer games to the flash drive on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face a critical shortage of internal storage, especially after installing several modern games with high graphics requirements. MIUI HyperOS takes up a significant part of memory, and the cache of popular projects like PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact can grow to tens of gigabytes, and the only way out is to use external memory through the port. USB Type-C.

Transferring games to an external drive is not just a copy of files, but a complex process that requires proper hardware preparation and software configuration. Standard Android tools allow you to use a flash drive as a memory extension, but for heavy applications to work properly, you need to consider the speed of reading and writing, as well as the compatibility of the file system. Ignoring these nuances can lead to program crashes or a complete failure of the system to recognize the device.

In this guide, we will take a detailed look at all the steps of connecting, formatting, and optimizing external memory for games, learn how to bypass system limitations, what types of drives provide maximum performance, and how to properly configure data paths so that games load quickly and error-free.

Selection of suitable equipment and preparation USB-storage

The first step to successful memory expansion is to choose a quality external drive. Not all flash drives are equally suitable for running applications, since games require high speed random reading of data. Cheap models with USB 2.0 interface can become a “narrow neck”, causing long loads of levels and friezes during the game.

For smartphones Xiaomi and Poco series, the best solution will be standard drives USB 3.1 or USB 3.2, which provide data transfer speeds up to 10 Gbps and above, and you should also pay attention to the form factor: compact flash drives or external flash drives. SSD-Discs are more convenient to use, as they do not interfere with holding the device in your hands horizontally during gameplay.

Power consumption is an important aspect: powerful games load the processor, which in turn heats up and consumes more power; connecting an energy-intensive external drive can lead to a quick discharge of the battery; in some cases, the system may even turn off the USB port due to voltage surges if the battery charge is below 20%.

⚠️ Note: Using cheap flash drives without overheating protection can damage the smartphone charging port due to overheating of the power controller during prolonged load.

When choosing the amount of memory, be guided by your needs, but remember to be compatible. Although modern Xiaomi smartphones support large storage, the file system must be formatted correctly to ensure stable operation.

• 🔌 Use a flash drive with support OTG (On-The-Go) for direct connection.
• 🚀 Prefer reading speeds of 100MB/s to minimize delays.
• 🔋 Make sure your smartphone is at least 40% charged before you start active data operations.

Formatting and configuring a file system for Android

Before transferring games, the external drive must be formatted into a file system that the Android operating system correctly understands. By default, flash drives are often NTFS or exFAT format, but to work as internal memory or to install applications, it is preferable to use FAT32 or a specific Android format.

When you connect a flash drive to a Xiaomi smartphone, a message will appear in the notification curtain, clicking on it will take you to the storage settings menu. The system will offer two uses: as portable storage or as internal memory. To install games, you need to choose the second option if your version of MIUI supports Adoptable Storage.

If standard tools can not transfer applications, you will need manual formatting through a computer or third-party utilities. the formatting process will completely destroy all data on the drive, so copy important files to another medium or to the cloud in advance.

mkfs.ext4 -O ^metadata_csum /dev/block/sda1

This command (an example for advanced root-rights users) creates an ext4 file system that is native to Android and provides better performance and stability with access rights required for gaming.

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If you format the flash drive as internal memory, do not remove it without first unmounting in the settings, otherwise the data may be corrupted.

Instructions for transferring games through system settings

The standard port method is available in the smartphone settings, but its functionality depends on the version of the MIUI shell. First of all, you need to make sure that the USB debugging function is activated, although it may not be necessary for basic transfer, but will be useful for diagnosis.

Go to the Settings section → About the phone and seven times click on the version MIUI, To activate the developer menu, then in the advanced settings, find the item. USB-debugging and turning it on, and it allows the system to interact more deeply with the connected storage devices.

For direct transfer, perform the following actions:

Once the transfer point is selected, the system will start copying files, the speed of the process depends on the volume of the game and the speed class of your flash drive, at which time it is not recommended to use the smartphone for other heavy tasks, so as not to create additional load on the memory controller.

⚠️ Note: Not all system applications and some games with protection DRM The movement button may be inactive (shaded).

If the standard settings path → Annexes → Application management is not working, perhaps the manufacturer has blocked this feature for a particular model, in which case you will need to use third-party software or ADB-team.

Using ADB to force data transfer

For power users facing MIUI limitations, there is a more powerful tool, Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which allows you to force the default installation location of applications or move already installed games that the system refuses to carry over the interface.

You will need a computer to work, USB-cable and installed drivers ADB. Connect your smartphone to your PC in debugging mode. Open the command line on your computer and enter a command to check the connection:

adb devices

If the device is displayed in the list, you can move to changing storage settings. pm set-install-location 2 sets the priority of installation on external memory. However, it is worth noting that modern versions of Android can ignore this flag for system applications.

A more efficient method of moving a particular package is to find out the name of the game package (e.g. com.pubg.imobile) and use the command:

adb shell pm move-package com.pubg.imobile external

This method requires accuracy. An error in the packet name will result in an error message. In addition, after the device is rebooted, settings can reset if the flash drive was not properly integrated into the file system as part of the internal storage.

• 🛠 Make sure that the PC has Google Up-to-date installed. USB Drivers.
• 📱 Allow debugging access on the smartphone screen when you first connect.
• 🔄 After executing the commands, reboot the device to apply the changes.

Solving startup and performance issues

Even after a successful transfer, there may be startup problems, often because the game tries to write temporary files to internal memory rather than external storage, in which case you need to manually write paths to the cache or use symbolic links (Root is required).

If you notice a fall FPS or long downloads, check the speed of reading the flash drive with utilities like AIDA64 Low performance (less than 20 MB / s) indicate that the drive can not cope with the data flow required for modern technologies. 3D-game.

It's also worth checking the energy saving settings. MIUI It is known for its aggressive optimization, which can turn off power USB-port to save charge, which causes the flash drive to "dump" during the game. Go to the battery settings and add the game to the exception list, and also allow background activity for processes related to external storage.

⚠️ Attention: Constant recording and reading of data from the flash drive during the game significantly accelerates the wear of its memory cells. The service life of a regular flash drive when used as a game drive can be reduced by many times.

In some cases, cleaning the game's cache after transfer helps, which causes the application to recreate the necessary files at the new location, eliminating possible path errors.

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The stability of the flash drive games depends on the random access speed (IOPS) of the drive, not just on the linear read speed.

Alternative solutions and storage optimization

If moving games to a flash drive causes too many problems or reduces performance, it is worth considering alternative methods of vacating space. Cleaning up system debris, removing unused applications, and transferring media files (photos, videos) to the cloud or memory card (if there is a slot) can give the desired result without risks.

Using cloud gaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming or GeForce Now allows you to play heavy projects without installing them on the device.This requires a stable Internet connection, but completely removes the load from the internal memory of the Xiaomi smartphone.

For owners of devices with support for memory cards (rare for new flagships, but for public sector), the use of a high-quality microSD card class A2 (Application Performance Class 2 is a more reliable option than USB-A2-class cards are optimized to run applications and provide better random read speeds.