Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a lack of internal storage, especially in budget models, where the amount of memory is limited to 64 or 128 GB. Modern applications are becoming more “heavy”, and the cache of messengers and social networks can absorb gigabytes in a matter of weeks, which leads to a slowdown in the system and the inability to install new programs. That is why the issue of transferring data to an external drive remains extremely relevant for users who do not want to permanently delete important files.
Unfortunately, in the latest versions of the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS, Xiaomi, following Google's security policy, hid the standard ability to fully transfer applications to the memory card. The system defaults to prioritizing internal memory and faster, ignoring requests to install software in external storage. However, there are proven workarounds to expand the useful space of the device without losing functionality.
In this article, we will analyze all existing methods: from standard system settings to advanced manipulations through the use of the system. ADB (Android Debug Bridge - You'll learn how to turn it into a SD-card in the continuation of internal memory, what risks exist when using this method and how to properly prepare the drive to work with heavy games and applications.
Why Xiaomi is hiding the function of porting applications
Xiaomi’s memory management policy is primarily driven by Google’s requirements for Android, which has been implemented since Android 6.0 to integrate internal and external memory into a single space, but flagship device and shell manufacturers, including MIUI, often block this feature by default.
The main reason for the limitations lies in the difference in the speed of the drives: internal memory such as UFS or eMMC provides significantly higher reading and writing rates compared to most microSD cards. Applications launched from a slow card can run unstable, take long to load or cause “freezes” of the interface, which negatively affects the user experience.
There is also a security aspect: In the standard format, the memory card can be retrieved and read on another device, potentially opening up access to personal data from applications. Encrypting internal memory prevents this, but requires the card to be linked to a particular device, making it difficult to replace the drive.
⚠️ Warning: Forced transfer of system applications or mission-critical Xiaomi services to a memory card can lead to unstable phone operation, cyclical reboots or complete system failure to boot.
Preparation of a memory card for working with applications
Before trying to change the way you write data, make sure your drive meets the minimum technical requirements. Using an old or slow card will cause the phone to run extremely slowly and applications to fly out. For comfortable work, it is recommended to use cards of the standard Class 10, UHS-I or higher.
The size of the map also matters. If you plan to carry heavy gaming and media, the best choice is a drive of 64GB or higher. Less storage can run out quickly, especially if you shoot high-resolution video, which will negate all optimization efforts.
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Use memory cards only from proven brands (Samsung, SanDisk, Kingston). Cheap analogues from marketplaces often have understated characteristics and quickly fail when actively recording.
Formatting is an important step. To work properly with modern versions of Android on Xiaomi, the file system must be compatible. Most often, the system will suggest formatting the card on the first connection, but it is better to do this manually through the settings menu, selecting the option “Use as internal storage” if such an option is available, or simply clearing the data.
Standard methods of data transfer in MIUI and HyperOS
Despite the limitations, Xiaomi’s settings still have basic memory management capabilities, and it’s worth checking if a particular app allows you to be moved by standard means first, and then go to the phone’s settings menu and find the application management section.
Here you can see a list of all installed programs and the amount of space they occupy. Unfortunately, for most system applications and popular social networks, the transfer button will be inactive (grey), but some games and utilities still support this feature out of the box.
☑️ Verification of portability
An alternative standard method is to change the way you save media files and downloads. This will not carry the application itself, but will free up a significant amount of internal memory for it to work. In the standard Files Explorer from Xiaomi, you can configure the saving of new files immediately on the app. SD-map.
| Type of data | Default storage location | Possibility of transfer | Impact on speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| System applications | Internal memory. | No (no root/adb) | High. |
| Photos and videos | Internal/SD | Yeah (camera setup) | Average. |
| Cash messengers | Internal memory. | Partially (inside the annex) | High. |
| Downloads from the browser | Internal/SD | Yes (browser settings) | Low. |
Using Developer Mode to Change the Installation Path
There is a hidden setup in the developer menu that forces the system to offer to install applications on external drives.This method does not require a connection to a computer, but its effectiveness depends on the version of Android and the specific model Xiaomi.
To activate, you must first turn on the developer menu. Go to Settings → About the phone and quickly press 7 times on the MIUI version (or OS version). Once the message “You became a developer” appears, you can start setting up.
Path: Settings → Advanced Settings → For Developers → Enable “Allow Saving to External Storage”Once this option is enabled, restart your device. Now, when you install new apps from Google Play or GetApps, the system may ask where you want to install them. Note that this method does not work for all applications, since software developers may not allow installation on external media in the program manifest.
What if there is no item in the developer menu?
Forced transfer via ADB (for advanced users)
The most reliable way to work on most modern Xiaomi smartphones is to use the tool. ADB (Android Debug Bridge. This method allows you to send a special command to a system that changes the global priority of installing applications: you will need a computer (Windows, macOS or Linux) and USB-cable.
The first step is to prepare the phone. In the "Developers" menu, you need to activate the "Debug over USB" item. When you connect to your computer, you'll see a request for debugging permission on your smartphone screen -- be sure to click "Allow." Without this step, the computer will not be able to interact with the phone's file system.
Next, you need to download and unpack the Platform Tools package from the official Google website. Open the command line (cmd) or terminal in the tool folder and enter a command to check the connection:
adb devicesIf you have a serial number on the list, the connection is successful. Now enter the key command that changes the parameter. default_install_location. Meaning 2 Indicates the system to use an external memory card:
adb shell pm set-install-location 2⚠️ Note: The set-install-location command is not a magic wand; it only gives priority to the external map, but if the application is hard-wired to install only internally (inside), the system will ignore the request and install it in the phone's memory.
To get things back to normal, use the adb shell pm set-install-location 0 (automatic system selection) or 1 (inside memory only) command, which requires Xiaomi drivers or universal ADB drivers on your computer.
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ADB is the most universal, but requires a PC, and it doesn't give a 100% guarantee for all applications, because the software developer always has the final say.
Configure file saving in the browser and messengers
Even if the application itself is left in internal memory, the bulk of the data is often downloaded files, and the right setup of each popular service will allow you to unload the system partition, and first of all, you should consider the browser, since most files are downloaded through it.
In Chrome (or Xiaomi Browser), go to the settings and find Downloads, where you can specify the save path. SD-You can create a folder like Downloads, and you can do it in Firefox, Opera and other places. UC Browser.
Pay special attention to Telegram and WhatsApp messengers, which are the main memory eaters. On Telegram, go to Settings → Data and Memory → Save Path and specify the memory card. On WhatsApp, this option can be hidden depending on the version of Android, but is often available in Settings → Chats → Storage.
- 📸 Camera: Open the Camera app, press three strips (menu) → Settings → Retention on SD-card (if available).
- 🎵 Music: In the Music app (Mi Music) or third-party players, specify the folder on the SD-map as the main library.
- 🗺️ Navigation: In Yandex.Navigator or Google Maps in the settings of offline maps, select the download path to an external drive.
Frequent problems and ways to solve them
Users can experience a variety of errors during the setup process, and one of the most common problems is the message “Not enough memory” even if you have a free card, which may mean that the application requires a continuous block of internal memory for temporary files that cannot be transferred.
Another common situation is that after the transfer, the application stops updating to Google Play, this is due to a conflict of access rights, in which case it is recommended to temporarily return the application to internal memory, update it, and then try to migrate again, or manually update it through the Internet. APK-file.
Why can't the phone see the map after formatting?
Also worth mentioning is the widget problem: Once an application is transferred to a map, its widget on the desktop may stop functioning or display data, which is because the system loads the widgets before external memory is mounted, and the solution is one of keeping the widgets that are often used in internal memory.