How to Turn a Memory Card into Internal Memory on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a shortage of internal memory, especially on budget models with 32 or 64 GB. The solution seems obvious: buy a microSD and expand storage. But just inserting a card is not enough - by default it works as a removable drive, and applications are not portable. Fortunately, MIUI has a hidden feature that allows you to format the memory card as an internal one, turning it into a full extension of the main storage.

This process is called Adoptable Storage and is available on all Xiaomi smartphones running Android 6.0+. However, the method has pitfalls from loss of warranty to possible failures when retrieving a card. In this article, we will discuss how to perform the procedure correctly, which models support the function, and what to do if the system refuses to format the drive.

Not all memory cards are suitable for this operation, cheap microSDs of A1 or lower class can slow down the system due to low read/write speeds, the best choice is UHS-I U3 or A2 cards from proven brands (Samsung EVO Plus, SanDisk Extreme).

1.Which Xiaomi models support formatting the card as internal memory

Adoptable Storage is available on all Xiaomi smartphones with Android 6.0 Marshmallow and newer, but there are nuances:

• 📱 Redmi Note 4/5/6/7/8/9/10 — They are supported without limitation, but MIUI 12+ It may be necessary to unlock the loader.
• 📱 POCO F1/F2/F3/X3 — They are stable, but on POCO Launcher path to settings may be different.
• 📱 Mi 8/9/10/11 — Officially supported, but on the flagships with UFS 3.0 Memory gain may be invisible due to speed difference.
• ⚠️ Redmi A1/A2, POCO C-series – budget Android Go models often lack this feature.

To check your model’s compatibility, go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version. If Android is below 6.0, update the firmware via Settings → System Update. On some devices (e.g. Redmi 4X), the feature is hidden – it can be activated via ADB, but this requires unlocking the bootloader.

Important: On smartphones with MIUI Global and MIUI China, the path to settings may be different. If you don’t find “Storage”, try changing the region to Settings → Additional → Region to “India” – there the feature is often displayed explicitly.

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Before buying a memory card, check its compatibility on the Xiaomi Accessories website. Some models (for example, Redmi Note 11) require cards with support for App Performance Class A2 for stable operation.

Preparation of a memory card: selection, verification and formatting

Not every microSD is going to be good for internal memory, but here are the criteria.

• 🔹 Speed class: minimum UHS-I U1 (10MB/s, better. U3 (30 MB/s) or A2 (4000 IOPS).
• 🔹 Volume: from 32 GB (16 GB system may refuse to format).
• 🔹 Brand: Avoid no-name cards – they are often forged and have less than the actual volume claimed.
• 🔹 File system: the card must be formatted into FAT32 or exFAT (but the system itself is reformatted to the ext4).

Before the procedure begins, it is mandatory to:

1. Back up the data from the map and everything will be erased.
2. Check the card for errors through the PC (in Windows: Properties → Service → Check).
3. Charge your phone at least 50% – the formatting process can take up to 10 minutes.

If the card has been previously used on another device, format it on your phone:

1. Put the card in your smartphone.
2. Go to Settings → Storage → Memory Map.
3. Click Format → As a portable device (this will temporarily clear it).

3. Step-by-step instructions: how to make a memory card internal

Now, let's get to the bottom line. Attention: after this procedure, the card will only work on this phone, and extraction without canceling the formatting will result in data loss.

Step 1: Put the card in your smartphone and wait for the system to determine it.

Step 2. Go to:

Settings → Storage → Memory Card → Triplet (⋮) → Storage settings → Format as internal

Step 3. The system will warn of the consequences - press Clean and format.

Step 4: Wait until it's finished (it can take 5-15 minutes) and the phone will reboot.

Step 5. After rebooting, go to Settings → Storage and make sure the memory is combined.

If the paragraph "Format as internal" is not:

• 🔧 Check if it is hidden behind a long press on the card in the storage menu.
• 🔧 Try changing the region to "India" in the settings.
• 🔧 On some firmware (MIUI 13+) activation is required through ADB (guideline).

Created a backup of data from the map|Phone's loaded on 50%+|The map is formatted in FAT32/exFAT|Card speed checked (minimum) U1)|Root is disabled (if installed)-->

4. Transfer data and applications to a memory card

Once formatted, the system will automatically suggest moving some of the data to a new partition, but to free up the internal memory as much as possible, do the following:

Portability of annexes:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the application → Storage → Change → Memory Map.
3. Confirm the transfer (some apps don’t support this option).

Transfer of media files:

• 📸 For photo: in the Gallery, select Settings → Conservation → Memory map.
• 🎵 For Music: In Music, click Settings → Storage folder → Memory map.
• 📄 For downloads: in the browser or Chrome, change the way you save in the settings.

Critical: Some system applications (such as Mi Video or Mi Community) are not portable to the map, and you can’t move system updates (com.android.updater) and Google services.

Possible problems and solutions

Even if the procedure is done correctly, there may be failures, and let’s look at the typical errors and ways to fix them:

🚨 Error: “Memory card damaged"

• 🔹 Try formatting the map on PC in FAT32 assisted SD Formatter.
• 🔹 Check the card on another device – it may be physically damaged.
• 🔹 If the card is new, check it for authenticity. H2testw.

🚨 Error: “Failure to format as internal"

• 🔹 Make sure that the card is not formatted in NTFS (need FAT32/exFAT).
• 🔹 Check if Root is installed – on rooted devices, the function may be blocked.
• 🔹 Nana MIUI 12+ Try to activate the function through ADB (guideline).

🚨 The phone brakes after formatting

• 🔹 The map is probably too slow. Replace it with a class model. A2 or U3.
• 🔹 Move some applications back to internal memory.
• 🔹 Turn off animation in Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Click 7 times on the version, then on the Developer Settings → You'll be able to show the scale of the animation. 0.5x).

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If the phone overheats or discharges quickly after formatting, immediately cancel the memory combination, which is a sign of incompatibility of the card with the smartphone memory controller.

6. How to cancel the formatting and return the card to its original state

If you decide to return it (for example, when selling a phone or changing a card), do the following:

Method 1. Through the settings of the phone

1. Go to Settings → Storage → Memory Map.
2. Press Three (⋮) → Portable storage → Formatting as a portable.
3. Confirm the action. The card will be cleared and become a regular microSD.

Method 2. via PC (if the phone does not see the card)

1. Connect the card to the computer through the card reader.
2. Open Disk Management (Win + R → diskmgmt.msc).
3. Find the map (it will be displayed as unallocated space).
4. Create a new volume and format it in FAT32.

⚠️ Note: If the card has been encrypted through Settings → Lockdown and protection → Encrypting the card, it's impossible to decrypt it on another device, and the only way to get it back is to reset the phone to the factory settings with this card inside.

7. Alternative ways to expand memory on Xiaomi

If your model doesn’t support formatting the card as an internal one or you don’t want to take risks, consider alternatives:

🔄 Manual file transfer

• 📁 Use the File Manager to manually move photos, videos and documents.
• 🎮 For games: Some titles (e.g. Genshin Impact) allow you to choose the way to install on the map.

☁️ Cloud storage

• 🔗 Mi Cloud (5GB free) – integrated into MIUI, automatically syncs photos.
• 🔗 Google Photos – unlimited storage of compressed photos (until June 2021 rules).
• 🔗 Yandex Drive (10GB free) – convenient for backup.

🔌 OTG-accumulator

• 💾 Connect the flash drive through OTG-cable and use it as a removable disk.
• 💾 Some applications (e.g, FX File Explorer supports the work with OTG as with an internal memory.

⚙️ Root solutions (for advanced ones)

• 🛠️ FolderMount – allows you to “mount” folders from the card as internal (requires Root).
• 🛠️ Link2SD — Creates symbolic links for porting applications (risk of failure!).

⚠️ Attention: Using Root is warranty-free and can lead to bootloop (a looped reboot). MIUI 12+ Unlocking the bootloader erases all data and requires an account to be linked to Mi.

8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)