How to transfer games to SD-Map in Xiaomi smartphones: the full guide 2026

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a lack of internal memory, especially if they actively install games. Modern projects like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile take up tens of gigabytes, and the system partition on budget models (Redmi). 9A, Poco M3) rarely exceeds 64-128 GB. SD-The map seems to be a logical solution, but in MIUI This process has nuances: not all games support movement, and some after the transfer begin to brake or fly out.

In this article, we will discuss all working ways to transfer games to an external drive in Xiaomi, including hidden settings. MIUI, utilization ADB And we'll also figure out which memory cards are suitable for games, why some titles refuse to work with external storage, and how to avoid typical errors. SD-Map, here you will find alternative solutions.

⚠️ Attention: Transfer of games to SD-class UHS-I U1 or slower can lead to slow loading and friezes in 3D-For heavy games (PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings is recommended to use maps UHS-I U3 or A2 recording speed not lower than 30 MB/s.

Preparation: which SD-Choose a map for games on Xiaomi

Not every microSD is good for storing games. 4/6) It can slow down applications or even cause data loss:

1. Speed class - minimum UHS-I U1 (10 MB/s), optimal UHS-I U3 or A2 (30+ MB/s).
2. The volume ranges from 64 GB (for 5-10 medium-sized games) to 512 GB (for gamers with a large library).

Here are the recommended map models for Xiaomi (tested on the Redmi Note 11 Pro)+ POCO X5 Pro):

⚠️ Note: ExFAT cards (often used for 128GB volumes)+) You may not work properly with certain games. MIUI 12 and below.Before buying, check compatibility with your Xiaomi model on the official website.

Before transferring games it is necessary to:

• 🔹 Format the map in FAT32 or exFAT via smartphone (Settings) → Warehouse → SD-map → Formatting as an internal).
• 🔹 Check the recording speed with the application A1 SD Bench (must be at least 10 MB/s for stable operation).
• 🔹 Make sure there is enough free space on the map (at least 20% more than the game weighs).

2. Standard transfer of games through settings MIUI

The easiest way is to use the built-in function. MIUI. However, it does not work for all games (e.g. Genshin Impact and Free Fire block portability). MIUI 12–14:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Choose the game you want to migrate (such as Clash of Clans).
3. Press Warehouse. → Change. → SD-map.
4. Confirm the transfer and wait until the game is completed (may take 5-15 minutes depending on the size of the game).

🔴 Challenges and solutions:

• 🎮 Change button is inactive → The game does not support transfer (see the section about the game). ADB).
• ⚠️ After the transfer, the game flies out → Try to clear the cache (Settings) → Annexes → [play] → Clear the cache).
• 📱 The game is slowing down. → The card is too slow (replace it with a U3/A2).

⚠️ Note: On some models (Redmi Note) 10 Pro, Poco F3) After transferring the game through the standard menu, its data (saves, cache) can remain in internal memory. To transfer them to the tooo, use the file manager (Mi File Manager) and manually move the game folder from the game. /Android/data/[play-pack SD-map.

3.Moving games through ADB (fixed-app)

If the game is not portable through the settings, Android Debug Bridge will help (ADB) — This is a tool for advanced users, and it works even for system applications, but it requires debugging on the system. USB and PC connection.

📌 Step-by-step instruction:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. Click on the line 7 times until the notification “You became a developer” appears.

USB debugging

• Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
• Turn on the debugging switch over USB.
• Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm your trust in your computer.
• Download ADB Tools and unpack it into a folder.
• Open the Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with ADB.
• Enter the commands in order: adb devices (you should have your device name) adb shell pm set-install-location 2 (this will force the system to install applications on the device). SD-Default card) adb shell pm move-package com.pack.android games (replace com.pack.games with a real package, for example com.supercell.clashofclans for Clash of Clans).

🔹 How to find out the game package?

• Install the App Inspector app from Google Play.
• Find the game in the list and copy the Package Name string.

⚠️ Note: After the pm set-install-location 2 command, all new applications will be installed on the computer. SD-Default card. To return settings, follow:

adb shell pm set-install-location 0

4. Manual transfer of cache and game data

Even if you can't move the game, you can make room by moving the cache and additional files, which works for most games, including the game itself. PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile, where the main weight is occupied by downloadable resources.

📂 Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with root permissions (such as FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to the folder: /Android/data/[game package)/ (e.g, /Android/data/com.tencent.ig/ for PUBG Mobile).
3. Select files, cache, and obb folders (if any).
4. Click Cut and paste into the folder on SD-map (e.g., map, /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/[play-off]/).
5. Create a symbolic link (root rights required): su ln -s /storage/XXXXX/Android/data/[play-off]/files /Android/data/[play-off]/files (substitute XXXXX on the real path to yours SD-map).

🔹 No root rights:

• Use the FolderMount app (requires Android 10 and below).
• Create a pair of folders: one on internal memory, the second on SD-map.
• Set up automatic mounting when you start the game.

⚠️ Warning: After manual cache transfer, some games (Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail) may require reloading resources:

1. Close the game through the recent apps.
2. Clear the game's cache in the settings.
3. Move the files and then start the game again.

5.Use of SD-The card is an internal memory (adoptable storage)

Adoptable Storage (built into Android 6.0)+) allows for “combination" SD-It's a radical method where you can't retrieve the card without losing data. It's suitable for devices with a small amount of internal memory. 9A 32GB, Poco. C31).

🔧 How to set up:

1. Put it in. SD-smartphone-card.
2. Go to Settings. → Warehouse → SD-map → Set up → Internal memory.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen (the map will be formatted!).
4. After formatting, select Move Data Now.

✅ Pluses:

• 🔹 Games are set to SD-map.
• 🔹 No transfer restrictions (even for Genshin Impact).
• 🔹 Application data is also moving.

❌ Cons:

• 🔸 The card cannot be removed (become part of the system).
• 🔸 The speed of work depends on the class. SD-maps U1 will slow down).
• 🔸 If the card is damaged, the data may be lost.

💡

If after setting up Adoptable Storage games are still installed in internal memory, clear the cache of Google Play Store and restart the smartphone.

6.Alternative ways: cloud storage and Lite versions of games

If the transfer is SD-card is impossible or leads to lags, consider alternatives:

🌥 Cloud storage:

• 🔹 Google Play Games – allows you to save progress to the cloud and download games on demand (supports) PUBG Mobile, Clash Royale).
• 🔹 Xiaomi Cloud – Free 5GB, but not all games support synchronization.

🎮 Lite versions of games:

• 🔹 PUBG Mobile Lite (weighs) ~300 MB instead of 2 GB).
• 🔹 Call of Duty Mobile Lite (optimized for weak devices).
• 🔹 Free Fire Max (lighter graphics than the main version).

📱 Optimizing internal memory:

• 🔹 Delete unnecessary files through Mi File Manager → Garbage files).
• 🔹 Turn off automatic updates in Google Play.
• 🔹 Transfer media files (photos, videos) to SD-map.

7. Solving problems after post-money transfer

After the transfer of games to SD-This is a map that can cause errors. Here are the most common ways to fix them:

🔧 Universal advice:

• 🔹 After the transfer, restart the smartphone – this helps in 60% of cases.
• 🔹 If the game is slowing down, try turning off background activity for other apps.
• 🔹 For MIUI 14 may require a rollback to MIUI 13 (some firmware removed support for transfer).

💡

If the game is transferred to SD-The card is unstable, but internal memory is catastrophically lacking – consider buying a smartphone with a large amount of storage (for example, Redmi Note 13 Pro).+ 512GB).

FAQ: Frequent questions about transferring games to SD-map