Xiaomi smartphone owners regularly face the problem of lack of internal memory — especially when it comes to installing heavy games like Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile or the likes of the game. PUBG. Even models with 128GB of storage are quickly clogged with cache, updates and app data. The solution seems obvious: move games to the next generation. SD-But here, users are in for a nasty surprise: MIUI By default, blocks the installation of applications on external drives, and standard Android settings often do not work.
In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to transfer games to the SD-map in smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO — From official methods to hidden functions MIUI team ADB. You will learn which memory cards are suitable for gaming, how to circumvent system limitations and what to do if the game refuses to work with an external drive. MIUI 14 and MIUI 15 – We will specify the nuances for each version.
Why Xiaomi is blocking the installation of games SD-map?
The manufacturer deliberately limits the ability to transfer applications to external drives for several reasons:
- 🔒 Security: SD-Cards are easier to extract, which increases the risk of data theft (especially for account-based games).
- ⚡ Performance: Even Class Cards A2 They are slower than the built-in memory. UFS 2.2/3.1, What can cause lags in games.
- 📱 Optimization MIUI: The system uses internal memory for caching, which speeds up the interface.
- 💰 Xiaomi is interested in selling models with a large amount of internal memory.
However, you can get around these restrictions — and then we will show you how to do it without root rights (although there are more options with them). SD-For example, online shooters like Free Fire can slow down, and single-player shooters can slow down. RPG (Alchemy Stars are usually carried without problems.
What? SD-Choose a map for games on Xiaomi?
Not every memory card is suitable for installing games.
| Parameter | Minimum requirement | Recommended option |
|---|---|---|
| Class speed | Class 10 | A2 (for fast loading of levels) |
| Volume. | 32GB | 128–256 GB (for 5–10 heavy games) |
| Format | FAT32 (up to 4 GB per file) | exFAT (for files >4 GB, but requires formatting) |
| Brand | Anybody. | Samsung EVO Plus, SanDisk Extreme, Kingston Canvas Go! Plus |
⚠️ Note: Cheap cards without certification A1/A2 This can lead to game crashes or data loss.Please check the card for authenticity with the utility before buying. H2testw (Windows or SD Insight (Android) Counterfeiting often has understated real capacity and recording speed.
If you plan to install games larger than 2GB (Genshin Impact weighs ~15GB, for example), be sure to format the card in exFAT.
- Connect. SD-card to PC via card reader.
- Open Disk Management (Win + X → Disk Management).
- Select a map → Format → exFAT file system → 32 KB cluster size.
💡
Before formatting, save data – the process will destroy all files on the map!
Method 1: Transfer games through MIUI settings (official method)
The standard method only works for a fraction of applications and requires the card to be formatted as internal memory.
- 📱 The card will be encrypted and linked to the device (you can’t retrieve and read it on another phone).
- 🔄 After extracting the map, the application will not work on it.
- ⚠️ All data on the map will be deleted during formatting.
Instructions for MIUI 14/15:
- Put it in. SD-smartphone-card.
- Go to Settings. → Memory. → [Name of name SD-map] → Three points (⋮) → Storage settings.
- Select Format as Internal → Clean and Format.
- After formatting, go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Choose a game. → Warehouse → Change. → specify SD-map.
⚠️ Not all games support transfer, PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty often block this feature because of cheating protection. If the Change button is inactive, use the methods below.
Insert SD-class A2|Make a backup copy of the data|Formatting as an internal memory|Reboot the phone|Try to reschedule the game
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Method 2: Using ADB for Forced Transfer
If the game is not portable through the settings, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which works on most Xiaomi devices without root rights, but requires a connection to a PC.
Steps:
- Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version. Tap the MIUI Version 7 times until you become a developer.
USB debugging
- Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
- Turn on the debugging switch over USB.
- Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your trust in your computer.
- Download ADB Tools and unpack it into a folder.
- Open the command line (Win + R → enter cmd) and go to the folder with ADB: cd C:\platform-tools
- Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices (the name of your device should appear).
- Find out the game name (for example, for the game). PUBG Mobile is com.tencent.ig. Use the command: adb shell pm list packages | find "pubg"
- Move the game to SD-card: adb shell pm set-install-location 2 (this will force the system to install new applications) SD default).
- If you want to transfer the game already installed: adb shell pm move-package com.tencent.ig (replace com.tencent.ig with the batch name of your game).
🔹 Limitations of method:
- ❌ It does not work for system applications.
- ❌ Some games (such as Genshin Impact) block the launch of the game. SD-map.
- ❌ After updating MIUI settings may reset.
What to do if ADB It's a mistake. [INSTALL_FAILED_INVALID_INSTALL_LOCATION]"
Method 3: Applications for transferring games without root rights
If ADB seems complicated, you can use third-party utilities.The best options for Xiaomi are:
- 📲 AppMgr III (App 2 SD): Shows you which games you can transfer, supports batch transfer (multiple applications at once). MIUI 14/15 rootless.
- 📲 Files by Google: Cleanup tab → Annexes → select the game → Move it to SD-Simple interface, but limited functionality.
- 📲 SD Maid (requires root for full functionality): Can clean game cache and transfer data. Shows junk files taking up space.
⚠️ Attention: Apps like Link2SD FolderMount requires root rights and modern Xiaomi (c) MIUI 14+) If you're not ready to get root, use the first two options.
Instructions for AppMgr III:
- Install the app from Google Play.
- Open the Portables tab - here you will see games that can be moved.
- Tap on the game. → Move it to SD-map.
- If the button is inactive, try turning off battery optimization for the application in the MIUI settings.
💡
Third-party utilities can’t get around the limitations of Android — they only automate the standard features of the system. Unless the game is portable through settings, these apps won’t help either.
Method 4: Root Methods (for advanced users)
If you are ready to get root rights, additional opportunities open up:
- 🔧 Link2SD: Creates symbolic links by "deceiving" the system. ext2/ext3 on SD-map.
- 🔧 FolderMount: Transfers folders with game data (for example, Android/obb). Works with games that do not support standard portability.
- 🔧 Bind Mount (via Termux): Allows you to "mount" a folder from a game with SD-It requires knowledge of Linux commands.
🔹 Step-by-step instructions for Link2SD:
- Get root rights (for example, through Magisk).
- Break it. SD-map in two sections: First — FAT32/exFAT (For the regular files, second — ext2 (reference).
Link2SD
Link up
⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 15 and the latest security patches (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro)+) Getting root rights can block data encryption and certain functions (for example, Mi Pay or banking applications). TWRP!
What to do if the game does not start with SD-map?
If the game crashes or doesn’t start after the transfer, try the following solutions:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The game is dyeing at launch | Insufficient speed SD-map | Replace the card with A2 or transfer it back to internal memory. |
| The game data dropped | Partition mounting error | Restart your phone or reinstall the game |
| The game doesn't see OBB files | The wrong way to the folder | Copy files manually to /SDCard/Android/obb/[game package] |
| Lags and friezes | Slow map entry | Turn off the background recording of the video (in the game settings) |
🔹 Additional advice:
- 🔄 Restart your phone after transferring – sometimes MIUI not immediately apply changes.
- 📂 Check that the game folder is on SD-The card has the correct permissions (e.g. rw-r).--r--).
- 🔧 If the game needs to be updated, temporarily transfer it back to internal memory.