Xiaomi smartphone owners sooner or later face a lack of internal memory, even models with 128 GB and 256 GB are filled with photos, videos and, of course, applications. SD-map, but in MIUI This feature is often hidden or restricted, and many users mistakenly believe that root rights are necessary, but they are not.
In fact, Xiaomi has at least 3 official ways to migrate apps to an external drive without rooting the device, but each has its own limitations: it can only support certain versions. MIUI If you need to format your memory card as an internal storage, in this article we will discuss all the current methods, their pros and cons, and give you recommendations for choosing a memory card. SD-Maps for maximum performance.
It is important to understand that not all applications can be ported, for example, system utilities (com.miui.securitycenter, com.android.phone) and some games with anti-piracy protection (eg, Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail) will remain in internal memory. It is also worth considering that after the transfer, the speed of the application may decrease - it depends on the class. SD-map.
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1. Official method through MIUI settings (for selected models)
The easiest method is to use the built-in SD port function in MIUI settings, but it is not available on all devices. For example, in the Redmi Note 10 Pro and POCO X3 Pro, this option is available, but in the Xiaomi 12T it is not.
Open the Settings. → Annexes → App management. Select the application you want, then click on Warehouse. If you have a button, Move to SD-If you're not, you're lucky.
- 📱 Supported models: Redmi 9/9A/9C, POCO M3/M4 Pro, Mi A2/A3 (on Android One, some devices on MIUI 12.5 below.
- 🔄 Limitations: You can’t move widgets that start when you start an application system and games with high performance requirements.
- ⚠️ Consequences: When extracted SD-Maps of the transferred applications will stop working.
If the gray button is inactive, it means that the app does not support external storage, in which case, try alternative methods from the following sections.
2. Formatting SD-The card as an internal storage (Adoptable Storage)
This method works on all Xiaomi smartphones with Android 6.0+, But it has critical nuances. SD-The card becomes part of the internal memory, and the system can install applications on it automatically, but once formatted, the card cannot be used on other devices without being completely cleaned.
Instructions:
- Put it in. SD-smartphone-card.
- Go to Settings. → Warehouse.
- Click on the title. SD-map → Three dots (menu) → Storage settings.
- Select Internal Memory and follow the instructions (the card data will be deleted!).
- After formatting, restart the device.
Now, when you install new applications, the system will ask you to choose a storage location, so you can transfer the programs that are already installed:
- Go to Settings → Apps.
- Select the app → Warehouse → Change.
- Indicate. SD-card.
☑️ Preparation SD-formatting
⚠️ Note: After formatting SD-It can't be read on a PC or other phone without completely erasing the card as an internal storage device, and it can slow down if the card is slow (class below). A1).
| Advantages | Deficiencies |
|---|---|
| ✅ Automatic portability of new applications | ❌ The card is tied to the device |
| ✅ It works without. ROOT | ❌ Risk of data loss when retrieving a card |
| ✅ Supports most applications | ❌ Can reduce performance with a slow card |
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3. Transfer over ADB (for power users)
If your Xiaomi model doesn’t have a portability feature built in, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that requires connecting your phone to a PC, but doesn’t need root rights. It works on most devices with MIUI 11-14.
Steps:
- Download and install ADB Tools on PC.
- Turn on USB Debugging on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times to activate Developer Mode), then Settings → Additional → Developers → Debugging over USB.
- Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
- Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (macOS/Linux) file ADB and type in adb shell pm set-install-location 2 This command forces the system to install applications on SD-default-card.
- To transfer an already installed application (for example, Telegram), use: adb shell pm move-package com.telegram.messenger Replace com.telegram.messenger with the batch name of the desired application (you can find it through adb shell pm list packages).
If the team returns a Failure error [INSTALL_FAILED_INVALID_INSTALL_LOCATION], means the application does not support transfer.
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To find a batch name for an application without ADB, use the free App Inspector app from Google Play. It shows complete details of any installed software, including package name.
⚠️ Note: Some applications (e.g. Google Play Services or Miui System) UI) forced-transfer ADB You can cause system failures. Before experimenting, back up your data.
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4. Use of third-party applications (with restrictions)
Google Play has utilities that promise to migrate apps to SD without root, such as AppMgr III or Move App 2 SD. However, their performance on MIUI is extremely limited due to Xiaomi's security policy. Most of these programs simply show a list of applications that can be ported to the SD without root, but in practice the button remains inactive.
The only exception is applications that support SD storage (such as some launchers or cache games).
- 📂 Go to the application settings (not systems!).
- 🔍 Find the option of storage or memory.
- 💾 Choose. SD-map as a place to download or cache.
Examples of applications that often allow data transfer:
- 🎵 Spotify (music cache)
- 📷 Google Photos (backups)
- 🗺️ Google Maps (offline maps)
- 🎮 Minecraft (Worlds and Textures)
Why do most portable applications not run on MIUI?
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5. Alternative solutions: what to do if nothing works
If none of these methods worked, consider alternative ways to release memory:
1. Cleaning of cache and unnecessary files:
- 🧹 Use the built-in Cleanup utility in Settings → Warehouse.
- 🗑️ Remove the app cache manually: Settings → Annexes → Select an application → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
- 📁 Transfer media files (photos, videos) to SD-map through the Gallery or the Guide.
2. Use of cloud storage:
Services like Google Drive, Mi Cloud or Yandex Disk allow you to automatically back up photos and documents, freeing up space on your device, for example, in Google Photos you can enable Backup and Sync and select High Quality (unlimited storage).
3. Installation of lightweight versions of applications:
Many popular services have "light" versions:
- 📱 Facebook Lite instead of Facebook
- 💬 Messenger Lite instead of Messenger
- 🎵 Spotify Lite instead of Spotify
- 📺 YouTube Go to save traffic and memory
Reset to factory settings:
If your phone is full of system debris, the last chance is Settings → About Phone → Reset.Be sure to back up through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset, or you’ll lose all data, including photos and contacts, before resetting.
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6 How to choose SD-Map for Xiaomi: recommendations 2026
Not all memory cards work equally well with Xiaomi. To transfer applications, you need a drive with a high read/write speed, otherwise the system will slow down.
| Parameter | Recommended value | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Class speed | UHS-I (U3) or A2 | Class A1 and below cards are not suitable for applications |
| Volume. | 64-256 GB | 32GB to fill up quickly, 512GB+ overloaded for most |
| Manufacturer | SanDisk, Samsung, Kingston | Avoid no-name brands – they often fake speed characteristics |
| Format | microSDXC | Supports volumes over 32 GB |
Examples of tested models:
- 🏆 Best pick: SanDisk Extreme A2 128GB (speed of reading up to 160 MB/s).
- 💰 The Kingston Canvas Go! Plus 64GB (UHS-I U3).
- 🔥 For games: Samsung PRO Endurance 128GB (Optimized for frequent rewriting).
Before buying, check compatibility with your Xiaomi model:
- 📱 Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4 — support 1 TB.
- 📱 Mi 11/12/13 — before 256 GB (Firmware restriction).
- 📱 Budget models (Redmi) 9A/10A) — only 512 GB.
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Even the fastest. SD-The card will work slower than the internal memory. UFS 2.2/3.1. Transfer to it only those applications that are not critical to performance (messengers, readers, offline maps).
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7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them
When transferring applications to SD-And these are the most common problems that people have with this map, and the ways that they can solve them:
1. the "Move to SD" button is inactive
Reasons:
- 🔹 The app does not support external storage (check in Google Play under Permissions").
- 🔹 SD-The card is formatted as a portable storage (you need to make it internal).
- 🔹 The transfer function is disabled in the firmware (relevant to the MIUI 13/14 Global).
2.The application has moved, but it is not running
Decisions:
- 🔄 Reboot the phone.
- 📥 Reinstall the application by selecting SD-map.
- 🚫 If the problem persists, return the app to internal memory.
3. After formatting SD as internal memory, the phone brakes
That means the map is too slow.
- 🛒 Buy a class card A2 (For example, SanDisk Extreme).
- 🔙 Format the card back to portable storage (lose all data!).
- 📉 Transfer critical applications back to internal memory.
4. The system doesn't see. SD-post-transfer
Possible causes:
- 🔌 Bad contact (try to re-extract and insert the card).
- 🖥️ The card is formatted in the exFAT file system (needed) FAT32 or NTFS large-file).
- 🛠️ File system damage (check the card on PC via chkdsk).
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