Transfer of applications to SD-Xiaomi Redmi Note 8: 3 proven methods

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 is still one of the most popular budget smartphones, but its 64 GB of internal memory is often not enough for modern games and applications. SD-The map is a logical solution, but in MIUI This feature doesn't work like it does on pure Android. In this article, we'll look at all the working methods, including hidden settings and bypassing system constraints.

It's important to understand that not all apps support external storage, like messengers like WhatsApp or Telegram, which are the defaults to block this feature due to security requirements, but games like Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile, or media players (VLC, MX Player) are usually portable without problems. Also keep in mind that the speed of applications with SD-class A1/A2 It will be lower than the internal memory. UFS 2.1.

If you are using the Redmi Note 8 Pro (with a Mediatek Helio G90T processor), some of the instructions below will also work, but menu items in MIUI may differ. For accuracy, check the firmware version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.

1. Standard portability through MIUI settings (for supported applications)

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI feature, but it only works with programs that the developer has allowed to port, for example, Facebook or Instagram usually blocks this option, while Spotify or Google Maps does not.

To check the possibility of transfer:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 Select the desired application (for example, YouTube).
• 💾 Press Warehouse. → Move it to SD-card (if the button is active).
• ⚡ Confirm the action and wait until it is completed (may take up to 5 minutes).

If the button is moved to SD-The card is not active or is not available, so:

• 🚫 Application does not support transfer (developer restriction).
• 🔒 SD-The card is formatted as a portable storage, not as an internal memory.
• 📛 You're set. MIUI 12.5+, where part of the transfer function is hidden.

After transferring some of the data (cache, updates) will still be stored in internal memory. To make room completely, clean the cache manually:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → [Select App] → Storage.
2. Click Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data – it will delete accounts!).
3. Restart your phone to apply the changes.

2. Formatting SD-The card is an internal memory (adoptable storage)

If the standard method does not work, you can combine it. SD-It's a card with internal memory, and it's a way to do class cards. A1/A2 (Note: once formatted, the map cannot be retrieved without data loss, it will become part of the system.

Instructions:

1. Put it in. SD-card to slot (cards up to 512 GB are supported).
2. Go to Settings. → Warehouse.
3. Click on the title. SD-map → Three points (⋮) → Storage settings.
4. Choose to format as internal.
5. Confirm the action (the process will take 10-20 minutes).

After formatting:

• ✅ New applications will be automatically installed on SD-Card (if the developer allows).
• ⚠️ Read/write speeds can drop by 20 to 30 percent compared to internal memory.
• 🔄 To return the card to its original state, you will have to reset the phone to the factory settings.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone starts to brake after formatting, check the speed SD-mapping A1 SD Minimum requirements for comfortable work: 10 MB/s for reading and 5 MB/s for writing.

3. Transfer over ADB (for power users)

If previous methods didn't work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a developer tool that allows you to force-transfer even applications that block movement.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/Linux/MacOS.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 🛠️ Utility. ADB Tools (download from Google website).
• 📱 Included debugging by USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to unlock the developer menu).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the Redmi Note 8 to your PC and allow debugging over USB.
2. Open the command line (Win + R → cmd) and type: adb devices Make sure the device is identified (serial number should appear).
3. Find out the name of the application package (for example, for Facebook it is com.facebook.katana). To do this, type: adb shell pm list packages | grep "facebook"
4. Transfer the application with the command: adb shell pm move-package com.facebook.katana If the operation is successful, a Success message will appear.

List of popular application packages:

⚠️ Note: Some applications (e.g. Google Play Services) MIUI System cannot be transferred through ADB — This will cause system failures, also after the update. MIUI Transferred applications can return to internal memory.

4. Alternative methods: Link2SD and App2SD

If none of the methods helped, you can use third-party utilities like Link2SD or App2SD. They create symbolic links (symlinks) to the SD-But they require root rights, which are difficult to obtain on the Redmi Note 8 because of a blocked bootloader.

How to work with Link2SD:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Provide root access (if any).
3. Select the file system for the second partition SD-map (ext2/ext3/ext4 or FAT32).
4. Move the applications through the utility menu.

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ It works even with system applications.
• ✅ Allows transfer of cache and data.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Requires root (risk of losing warranty).
• ❌ Possible failures after update MIUI.

💡

Before using Link2SD, back up your data via TWRP or MIUI Backup. In case of an error, the simlinks can damage the file system.

5. Optimize memory without transferring applications

If the transfer is SD-The card is impossible or impractical, try alternative ways to vacate the space:

• 🧹 Cache cleaning: Settings → Warehouse → Clear cache (can be released up to 1-3 GB).
• 🗑️ Delete unnecessary files: use Files by Google or MIUI Cleaner for searching for duplicates and garbage.
• ☁️ Media Transfer: Photos and videos can be uploaded to Google Photos or Mi Cloud and then deleted local copies.
• 🎮 Cleaning these games: in Settings → Annexes → [Game] → Warehouse → Clear the data (remove progress!).

MIUI also has a hidden Lite Mode feature that reduces the weight of system applications to activate it:

1. Go to Settings. → Special facilities.
2. Select Lite Mode and turn it on.
3. Reboot the phone.

6. Frequent errors and their solutions

When transferring applications to SD-Redmi Note 8 users often face the following problems:

If the application started to work slowly after the transfer, check:

• 🔋 Battery charge (at a level below 15%, the system may restrict access to the battery) SD-map).
• 🔄 Availability of updates for SD-maps (in Settings) → Warehouse → SD-map → Update).
• 🛠️ Phone temperature (when overheating, access to external storage is blocked).

💡

If SD-The map suddenly stopped being identified, so take it out and check the contacts for oxidation.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions