Transferring Games to a Memory Card in Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to Error Solutions

Transferring games to a memory card in Xiaomi smartphones is a challenge faced by owners of devices with limited internal storage. POCO s 128 GB of memory is quickly filled with modern games like Genshin Impact (15+ GB or Call of Duty Mobile (5-8 But just copy the files to SD-The map is not enough: Android and MIUI restrict the execution of applications from external drives for security and performance reasons.

In this article, we will discuss all the working ways to transfer games to a memory card in Xiaomi, from standard MIUI functions to manually mounting a partition via ADB. Particular attention will be paid to common errors (for example, “Application not installed” or the disappearance of icons after transfer) and how to fix them. Instructions are relevant for devices on Android 10–14 and the MIUI 12–14 shell, including Redmi 10/12/13 models, POCO X5/F5, Xiaomi 11T/12 Lite and others.

1.Preparation: Which memory card to choose for gaming

Not every microSD card is suitable for transferring games.

• 🔹 Speed class: minimum UHS-I (U1/U3) or A2. Class cards C10 marking A1/A2 They will slow down games due to the slow speed of random recording.
• 🔹 Capacity: from 64 GB (optimum) 128–256 GB for modern games. On maps. <32 GB many games will refuse to install.
• 🔹 Manufacturer: Verified brands - Samsung EVO Plus, SanDisk Extreme, Kingston Canvas Go! Plus. Cheap no-name cards are often forged, indicating overrated performance.
• 🔹 Formatting: The card must be formatted in exFAT or FAT32 (but FAT32 does not support files >4GB).

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi devices with a hybrid slot (for example, Redmi Note 11) memory card will replace the second SIM-Before buying, check the model specifications on the official website mi.com.

Method 2: Transfer through MIUI settings (without root)

The easiest method is to use the built-in function "Transfer to" SD-map MIUI. However, it does not work for all games and requires pre-configuring the map as an internal storage (Adoptable Storage).

Steps:

1. Insert the memory card in the smartphone and wait for its detection.
2. Go to Settings → Memory → Memory Map.
3. Click "Format as internal" (all data on the map will be deleted!).
4. After formatting, restart the device.
5. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
6. Select the game you want to move and click on "Storage" → "Change" → "Memory Map".

⚠️ Note: Once the map is formatted as an internal map, it cannot be removed without losing data, PUBG Mobile or Free Fire may not be portable due to piracy protection.

Insert a memory card into the slot|Make a backup copy of data from the card|Charge your phone at least 50 times%|Connect to Wi-Fi (you will need to download updates after formatting)-->

Method 2: Manual file transfer (for experienced)

If the game does not support porting through settings, you can try moving its files manually, this method requires the developer mode on and working with ADB (Android Debug Bridge).

Instructions:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable “Debugging by USB”.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install it. ADB Tools and execute: Adb shell pm set-install-location 2 This command will make the system default to install applications on the site. SD-map.
4. To transfer an already installed game, use: adb shell pm move-package com.example.game /sdcard (replace com.example.game with a real game package, for example, com.tencent.ig for PUBG).

⚠️ Note: Not all games support this method. For example, Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail block the launch from external drives due to Anti-Cheat protection).

Method 3: Using Application Managers (without root)

If the previous methods didn't work, you can use third-party utilities.

• 📱 AppMgr III (App 2 SD) — It allows you to migrate games even if the system blocks this feature, supports forced transfer through symbolic link building.
• 📱 Files by Google – Built-in file manager with cache cleaning and media transfer function (not all games!).
• 📱 SD Maid – a utility for deep cleaning and storage management, including transferring residual game files.

💡

Before using AppMgr III, disable battery optimization for this application in the MIUI settings. Otherwise, the forced transfer function may not work.

How to play the game through AppMgr III:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open the "Transferables" tab and find your game.
3. Click on the game and select "Move to" SD-map".
4. If the button is inactive, try the option “Forced Transfer” (requires ADB rights).

5. Method 4: Root-access portability (for advanced)

If none of the methods worked, it remains to manually mount the game folder on the SD-This is a risky way (may crash), but it works even for secure games.

What will be required:

• 🔧 Unlocked bootloader and root rights (e.g., via Magisk).
• 🔧 Root Explorer app or app or FX File Explorer.
• 🔧 Memory card formatted in ext4 (for better productivity).

Instructions:

1. With Root Explorer, go to /data/app and find the folder with the game (e.g. com.tencent.ig-1).
2. Copy the folder to SD-map /sdcard/Android/obb or /sdcard/Android/data.
3. Remove the original folder from /data/app.
4. Create a symbolic link: ln -s /sdcard/Android/data/com.tencent.ig /data/app/com.tencent.ig
5. Reset the device.

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect mounting can lead to a cyclic bootloop.Before experimenting, back up through TWRP Or OrangeFox Recovery.

💡

Root migration is the only way to make secure games (such as Genshin Impact or Diablo Immortal) work on a memory card, but it violates the terms of use of many games and can lead to a ban on an account.

6. Solving common errors

When transferring games to SD-Xiaomi has a lot of problems. Let's look at the most common ones:

If the game is slowing down after the transfer, try:

• 🔄 Disable background optimization for playing Settings → Battery → Optimizing the battery.
• 🔄 Transfer only files OBB (Graphics, levels, leaving APK inner-memory.
• 🔄 Use a memory card with a higher write speed (e.g., SanDisk Extreme Pro instead of Kingston Canvas Select).

7.Alternative solutions: cloud storage and external SSDs

If the transfer is SD-The card is impossible or ineffective, consider alternatives:

• ☁️ Cloud Games: Services like Xbox Cloud Gaming or NVIDIA GeForce NOW They allow you to play without installing on your device.
• 💾 Outside SSD: Through OTG-The adapter can be connected to the drive (for example, Samsung). T7 Shield) and run games from it. Only works on Android 10 devices+ support USB 3.0.
• 📱 Cache Cleanup: Regularly delete unnecessary files through Settings → Memory. → Cleaning.In Call of Duty Mobile, for example, cache can take up to 3GB.

💡

Use a USB-C 3.1 adapter to connect an external SSD. Cheap adapters on AliExpress often limit speeds to USB 2.0, making games unplayable.

8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)