Transfer applications to a memory card in Xiaomi: a complete guide with nuances

Xiaomi smartphone owners sooner or later face a shortage of internal memory — especially if the device from the budget line of Redmi or POCO with 32/64 GB on board. Even after cleaning the cache and removing unnecessary files, the system persistently signals: “Memory is full.” The solution seems obvious — to transfer applications to a microSD card, but here users are waiting for pitfalls. Not all applications support portability, and in new versions of MIUI this feature may even be hidden.

In this article, we will discuss all working methods for transferring applications to SD-map in Xiaomi smartphones, including models on MIUI 12/13/14 android devices 10/11/12/13. You will learn which applications can be ported, how to bypass system limitations, and what to do if the option is “Move to” SD» And also, why do some programs, when they're moved, start to slow down or stop working at all.

Why Xiaomi restricts the portability of applications to SD-card?

Starting with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Google introduced the concept of Adoptable Storage, the ability to format a memory card as part of internal storage, but Xiaomi in its MIUI firmware often blocks this feature or implements it with reservations.

• 🔒 Security of data: SD-Slower memory cards (especially Class 10 vs) UHS-I), Which can lead to lags when working with transferred applications.
• 🛡️ Protection against piracy: some applications (e.g. banking or banking) DRM) prohibit installation on removable media.
• 📉 Performance: games and heavy programs (e.g. Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile) when transferred to SD They may slow down due to low reading/writing speed.
• 🔄 Compatibility: Not all memory cards work properly in Adoptable Storage mode, which leads to errors.

In addition, in MIUI 12 and later, the application portability function is often hidden or only works for a part of the programs. For example, system applications (Mi Browser, Mi Video) cannot be transferred, but Telegram or VK can be transferred.

Preparation: Which memory card to choose for Xiaomi?

Not every microSD is suitable for porting applications, but if you plan to use the card as an extension of internal memory (Adoptable Storage mode), it must meet the following requirements:

⚠️ Note: if you bought a cheap card of an unknown brand (for example, NoName for 500 rubles at 128 GB), there is a high risk that it will be a fake with a real volume of 16-32 GB. H2testw (for PCs or A1 SD Bench (for Android).

Any map is suitable for porting applications without formatting (like an external drive), but the speed of programs will be lower. The optimal option is UHS-I U3 with read/write speeds from 90/30 MB / s.

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Before buying a memory card, check if your Xiaomi smartphone supports the exFAT format. For example, the Redmi Note 8 Pro only works with FAT32, which limits the maximum file size to 4 GB.

Method 1: Transfer applications through MIUI settings (official method)

This is the easiest way, but it doesn’t work on all models and versions of MIUI. The instructions are relevant for Android 8–13 devices and MIUI 10–14 firmware.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app you want to migrate (such as WhatsApp or Spotify).
3. Slip on the item Warehouse (or Memory in older versions).
4. If the option is available, you will see the button Move to SD-map (or modify) → SD-Press it.
5. Wait until the process is complete (it can take anywhere from 30 seconds to several minutes).

⚠️ Note: After the transfer, some features of the application may not work correctly, for example, widgets will stop updating, and notifications will come with a delay.

If the button is moved to SD-The card is inactive or absent, proceed to the following method.

Method 2: Formatting a card as an internal memory (Adoptable Storage)

This method allows us to use SD-The card as part of the internal storage, but has critical flaws:

• 🔐 The card will be encrypted and will not be read on other devices (including PCs).
• 🔄 After extracting the map, the application will stop working on it.
• ⚡ Speed may drop if the card is slow (e.g. Class 10 instead of a card). UHS-I).

If you are prepared for these restrictions, follow the instructions:

1. Put the memory card in the smartphone.
2. Go to Settings. → Warehouse (or Memory).
3. Tap your name on it. SD-maps (e.g. SanDisk) 128GB).
4. In the upper right corner, press three dots (⋮) and select Storage Settings.
5. Choose Format as Internal (or Internal Memory)
6. Confirm action. Attention: all data on the map will be deleted!
7. After formatting, the system will suggest moving the data. Choose Move now or Move later.

⚠️ Note: on some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO X3 Pro) formatting as internal memory may not be available, due to Xiaomi's policy of blocking this feature in some regional firmware.

Method 3: Porting applications with ADB (for advanced users)

If the standard methods don’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) — a debugging tool that allows you to manually specify to the system which applications can be ported to SD-map.

🔹 Advantages of the method:

• ✅ It works even if the transfer option is blocked in MIUI.
• ✅ It allows you to transfer more applications than through the standard menu.

🔸 Deficiencies:

• ⚠️ Requires a PC connection and basic knowledge of working with ADB.
• ⚠️ Some applications may stop working after the transfer.

Instructions:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on your PC (for example, the official package from Google).
2. Turn on USB debugging on your smartphone (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap → Additional → For developers → Debugging by USB).
3. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
4. Open the command line (Win + R → enter cmd) and go to the folder with ADB: cd C:\platform-tools
5. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices If the device is displayed, go further.
6. Find out the batch name of the application you want to migrate. To do this, type: adb shell pm list packages -f Find the desired application in the list (for example, com.whatsapp for WhatsApp).
7. Move the app to SD-Map by team: adb shell pm set-install-location 2 Then: adb shell pm move-package com.whatsapp /sdcard (Replace com.whatsapp with your package name).

⚠️ Warning: If the application stops working after the transfer, return it back to the team:

adb shell pm move-package com.whatsapp 0

where 0 is the internal memory.

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The ADB method is suitable for advanced users. If you have never worked with the command line, it is better to use the first two methods or seek help from a specialist.

Method 4: Transfer of cache and media files of applications (alternative)

If you can’t move the app itself, you can free up space by moving its cache and media files (for example, uploaded photos to Telegram or music to Spotify).

How to do this:

1. Open the application settings (e.g. Settings → Apps → Telegram → Storage).
2. Find the option to Clear the cache (this will delete temporary files, but will not affect the operation of the program).
3. For media files (photos, videos, music), use the app's built-in settings. For example, on WhatsApp: Settings → Warehouse and data → Storage management → Save new media files to SD-map.

Some apps (like Google Photos or VLC) allow you to manually specify the folder to download.

1. Open the application and find the Downloads folder or Save Place section in the settings.
2. Choose. SD-map and specify folder (for example, /storage/XXXX-XXXX/DCIM/Camera).

💡 Tip: To automatically transfer photos and videos to a memory card, use the Files by Google app, which allows you to set up rules for moving files on a schedule.

Which applications cannot be transferred to SD-map?

Even if you use ADB or format your card as internal memory, some apps don’t support portability at all.

⚠️ Note: if you do transfer the banking application to the SD-card, it may block access to the account or require re-authorization at each run. For example, SberBank Online, when a transfer to an external drive is detected, shows an error "Unsafe storage".

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When transferring applications to SD-Xiaomi users are facing typical problems. Let's look at the most common and how to fix them.

• 🚫 "The 'Move to the SD' Reason: the application does not support portability or the memory card is formatted as portable (not as internal).Solution: try formatting the card as internal memory or use it ADB.
• 🔄 "The app has moved, but it won't start: SD-The card is too slow or the application requires a mandatory placement in internal memory. Solution: return the application back or replace the card with a faster one (for example, UHS-I U3).
• ⚠️ "After the transfer, widgets disappeared" Reason: Android does not support widgets for applications installed on the Internet SD-Solution: Leave the app in internal memory or discard the widgets.
• 📱 "Phone doesn't see memory card after formatting as internal" Reason: card incompatibility with device or failure in formatting. Solution: reboot phone. If it doesn't work, format the card on PC in the computer. FAT32 and repeat the procedure.

💡 Useful tip: if after transferring applications the smartphone began to slow down, check the speed of the memory card using the application A1 SD If the read speed is below 20 MB/s, the card is not suitable for installing programs.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions