How to transfer applications from your phone to a memory card in Xiaomi Redmi 9A: all the ways and nuances

Xiaomi Redmi 9A is one of the most popular budget smartphones with limited internal memory (32 GB in the basic version). When the place ends, users look for ways to transfer applications to a microSD card to free up space for new files. However, in MIUI (Xiaomi firmware), this feature does not work as in “pure” Android. In this article, we will analyze all the available methods, from standard settings to workarounds using ADB.

It is important to understand that not all applications can be transferred to the SD-It depends on the developer's policy and the Android version. 9A (Android 10/MIUI 12+) There are very strict restrictions: the system allows only some user programs to be transferred, and system applications remain in internal memory. If you need to make room for new games or photos, read on - we tested all methods on a real device.

Why can’t Xiaomi Redmi 9A transfer all apps to a memory card?

The main problem lies in the architecture of Android 10 and Xiaomi policy. Since Android 6.0, Google introduced the concept of Adoptable Storage, which allowed you to format. SD-But manufacturers, including Xiaomi, have disabled this feature in their firmware:

• 🔒 Politics MIUI: Xiaomi blocks the portability of system applications (e.g. com.miui.gallery or com.android.vending) for stability.
• 📱 Android 10: Google has banned the portability of applications using native code (such as games on Unity or Unreal Engine).
• 💾 Type of memory card: Cheap microSD (class) 4/6) Not suitable for installing applications – you need maps UHS-I (U1/U3) high-speed reading/write.
• 🔄 Productivity: Applications to SD-The card is slower, especially if the card is more than 80%.

In practice, this means that you can only transfer programs that support this feature in your settings (usually lightweight utilities or instant messengers). PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact will remain in internal memory.

⚠️ Attention: If you are using SD-The card is a portable storage device (rather than as part of internal memory), the application portability will be completely unavailable, and in order to be available, the card must be formatted as Internal, but this will delete all the data on it!

Which memory card should I choose for Redmi 9A?

Not every microSD is good for installing applications. The Redmi 9A supports cards up to 512GB, but it's not capacity that's critical for transferring programs, but speed and class.

If you plan to use the card only for porting applications, take a model with a high-speed recording (for example, SanDisk Extreme or Samsung PRO Endurance).

⚠️ Attention: Format maps FAT32 Do not support files larger than 4GB. If you are carrying heavy games (such as Call of Duty Mobile), choose cards with exFAT.

Method 1: Transfer through standard MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI function, which only works for applications that support portability.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the application you want to transfer (such as Telegram or VK).
3. Press Warehouse. → Change.
4. If the Memory Card option is active, select it and confirm the transfer.

List of apps that usually support porting to Redmi 9A:

• 📱 Messengers: Telegram, Viber, WhatsApp (media files only).
• 🎵 Music players: Spotify, Yandex Music (cash).
• 📖 Readers: FBReader, Moon+ Reader.
• 📁 File Managers: Total Commander, ES Conductor.

Important: System applications (e.g. Camera, Gallery, Settings) cannot be moved - MIUI blocks this capability.

Make sure that the memory card is formatted as an internal one|Check the vacant space for SD-card (minimum 1 GB)|Close the portable annex|Connect the charger (the process can take 5-10 minutes)-->

Method 2: Formatting SD-maps as internal memory

If there is no port option in the app settings, you can try formatting the card as part of the internal storage.

Step-by-step:

1. Insert the card into the Redmi 9A slot.
2. Go to Settings → Memory → Memory Map.
3. Click Format as internal (if the option is inactive, the card is incompatible).
4. Confirm the action and wait until it is completed (may take up to 5 minutes).
5. After formatting, restart the phone.

Now some applications can be moved through Settings → Applications, as described in Method 1.

• ⚠️ The card cannot be retrieved without losing data – it will become “tied” to the phone.
• ⚠️ Application speed may decrease (depending on class) SD-map).
• ⚠️ Not all apps will work properly (especially high-demand games).

Method 3: Transfer over ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don't work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a tool for debugging Android devices, which allows you to migrate even those applications that do not support the function in the settings.

Instructions:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on PC.
2. Turn on Developer Mode on Redmi 9A: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
3. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
4. Connect your phone to your PC via USB (select File Transfer Mode).
5. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type:

adb devices

(The name of your device should appear).

adb shell pm set-install-location 2

(This will force the system to install new applications on SD-default-card).

adb shell pm move-package com.example.app /sdcard

(Replace com.example.app with a batch name for the app, such as com.whatsapp).

To find the batch name of the application, use the command:

adb shell pm list packages | grep "appendix name"

Limitations of the method:

• 🔧 Not all apps support portability (e.g. Google Play Services or Google Play Services). MIUI System Apps).
• 🔄 After updating MIUI settings may reset.
• 🐞 There may be errors when running ported applications (especially if the card is slow).

💡

Before using ADB, back up your data via Settings → System → Backup. If something goes wrong, you can restore the phone to its original state.

Method 4: Alternative Memory Release Methods

If the application portability is not possible or doesn’t solve the problem, try these methods:

• 🧹 Cache Cleanup: Go to Settings → Apps, select the program and click Clear cache. Use CCleaner or for mass cleaning. SD Maid.
• ☁️ Cloud Storage: Move photos and videos to Google Photos, Yandex Drive or Mi Cloud (built-in to Google Photos, Yandex Drive) MIUI).
• 📂 Media Transfer: Use a file manager (such as Mi File Manager) to move your photos/video to the file. SD-hand-write.
• 🔄 Factory reset: The last resort if the memory is clogged with system debris!
• 📦 Lite versions of apps: Install lightweight versions of social networks (for example, Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite).

To automatically optimize memory, turn on Memory Cleanup in Settings → Battery and Performance → Memory Cleanup. The system will close background applications and delete temporary files.

💡

If the internal memory is 90%+ full, the phone starts to slow down, optimally keep 10-15% of the total free (for example, 3-5 GB on the 32-gigabyte Redmi 9A).

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When transferring applications to SD-mapping 9A They're facing typical problems:

If the application is unstable after transfer (flying out, slowing down), return it to internal memory. Some programs (for example, Google Maps or YouTube) require fast storage for correct operation.

⚠️ Attention: Don't put it on SD-Map of applications that use push notifications (for example, VK Due to reading/write delays, notifications may be late or not arriving at all.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions