Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face a lack of built-in storage, especially in budget models, where the base memory is 64 or 128 GB. Overflow of the system partition leads to a slowdown in the MIUI interface, the inability to install updates and the failure of cameras to take new pictures. The solution is the introduction of a microSD card as a full extension of the system partition, which allows you to transfer not only media files, but also heavy applications.
However, the procedure for turning an external drive into internal memory requires careful attention and understanding of the risks. The Android operating system and the HyperOS shell have their own features of working with the file system, which must be considered. In this guide, we will discuss the technical nuances, methods of circumventing restrictions and step-by-step algorithm for safe expansion of memory.
It should be noted that using a memory card as a system requires high-performance UHS-I or higher. Cheap cards can become a bottleneck, significantly reducing the speed of downloading applications and the operation of the device as a whole.
Technical Limitations and Compatibility on Xiaomi
Adoptable Storage, which allows you to combine internal and external memory, was introduced in Android 6.0, but manufacturers often hide or lock it in their shells. In Xiaomi devices with shells MIUI 12, 13, 14 and the new HyperOS standard menu means to make the card “internal” often impossible without the use of special commands.
The main obstacle lies in the security policy of Android, which encrypts data on the memory card, binding it to a specific device.This means that after formatting the card will not be read on other smartphones or computers without special reset. In addition, the speed of reading and writing flash memory of the card must be comparable to the speed of the built-in module eMMC or UFS, otherwise the interface will hang.
⚠️ Note: The process of formatting the memory card for internal storage irreversibly deletes all data from it. Be sure to back up photos and documents before starting the procedure, as it will be impossible to recover information after conversion using standard means.
To successfully implement the plan, you will need a memory card of at least 32 GB, although for comfortable work it is recommended to use cards of 64, 128 GB and above. Speed characteristics must comply with the Class 10 standard and the A1 or A2 marking, which guarantees high speed of arbitrary data access necessary for the operation of applications.
Preparation of equipment and selection of memory card
The quality of the memory card that you choose has a direct impact on the stability of your smartphone. Cheap drives of unknown brands often have understated speed characteristics and low overwriting resource. When the system is actively working, when logs, application cache and temporary files are constantly written to the card, such cards quickly fail, leading to file system errors.
It is recommended to purchase cards of the series SanDisk Extreme, Samsung EVO Plus or Kingston Canvas Go!. These models have sufficient serial write speed (usually from 90 MB / s) and read, which minimizes the difference in performance between internal memory and external storage.
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Use the SD Insight app or utilities from the Play Market to check the real size and speed of your memory card before you buy to avoid counterfeiting.
Before setting up, make sure the battery is at least 50-60%.The process of formatting and redistributing memory partitions is energy intensive, and suddenly turning off the device can damage the boot sectors or damage the partition table.
Methods of activating internal memory through ADB
Since the Xiaomi settings menu often does not have the “Use as internal storage” button, you need to use debugging. ADB (Android Debug Bridge is a command-line tool that allows you to send low-level commands to the Android system, gaining access to hidden features. You will need a computer (Windows, macOS or Linux) to work with. USB-cable.
The first step is to activate the developer mode on your smartphone. → On the phone and press quickly 7-10 once-in-a-paragraph MIUI" or "Version." OS", until a developer mode activation notice appears. → For developers, turn on the switchboard "Debugging by" USB".
Once you connect your smartphone to your computer and install the ADB drivers, open the command line on your PC. Enter the adb device command to check the connection. The smartphone screen will have a request for debugging permission, which you need to confirm. Next, you should execute a command to transfer the card to internal storage mode.
adb shell sm partition disk:179,64 privateIn this command, disk:179.64 is your memory card ID. To find out your exact ID, type in the adb shell sm list-disks command before formatting. The system will give you a list of connected drives, where the memory card is usually denoted as disk:179,XX. Be careful not to format the device's internal memory.
☑️ Checklist before launch ADB team
Step-by-step instructions for formatting
Once you have the split command, the system will start the formatting process, the screen of the smartphone may go out or the boot indicator will appear on it, at which point it is strictly forbidden to turn off the cable or remove the card, the process can take from 2 to 10 minutes depending on the volume and speed of the drive.
When the process is complete, the system will notify you of the successful creation of the partition, now the memory card will work as part of the internal memory, but in order for applications to fully use the new space, you need to reconfigure the writing paths. By default, the camera and some system processes can continue to store data in the built-in module.
| Parameter | Portable storage | Internal storage (Adoptable) |
|---|---|---|
| Access to PC | Aye (via cable) | No (root or ADB required) |
| Portability of applications | Partial or prohibited | Full (automatic) |
| Encryption | Optionally. | Definitely (device binding) |
| Speed of operation | Depends on the app. | Integrated into the system |
To transfer already installed applications go to Settings → Annexes → All applications. Select the app you want (like Telegram or a game), click Storage and select Change. From the list you see, select yours. SD-The system will automatically transfer the application data to an external drive.
⚠️ Note: Not all apps support memory card porting, and developers can ban this feature in the application manifest to ensure stable performance, especially for system widgets and Google services.
What happens if the ADB command is not executed?
Optimization of work and data transfer
After successful formatting, it is important to properly configure the system for optimal resource use, first of all, it is recommended to transfer the heaviest applications and games to the memory card, which will free up the fast built-in drive for the operating system and cache, which will positively affect the overall responsiveness of the interface.
Also, change the camera settings. Open the Camera app, go to settings (three stripes or gears) and turn on the option "Save to the camera app". SD-This will allow you to save photos and videos in high resolution immediately to the external drive without taking up precious internal space.
Multimedia applications such as Spotify, Netflix or YouTube Premium also need to manually change the way offline content is saved in their internal settings, which will prevent the system partition from quickly filling up with downloaded movies and music.
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Regular monitoring of memory card occupancy through the "Storage" menu will help to detect the sprawling cache in time and prevent slowdown of the smartphone.
Possible problems and ways to solve them
One of the common problems is that the smartphone slows down after the card is inserted, which happens when the memory card speed is lower than the speed of the embedded module, in which case the system waits for a response from the drive, which causes lags, and the solution is to replace the card with a faster model marked A2.
Another common mistake is the message"SD-The card is corrupted or permanently rebooted, which may indicate file system incompatibility or a physical defect in the card. Try formatting the map on your computer into the exFAT file system (although Android often chooses the desired format) or checking it for broken sectors using the utility. H2testw.
If you've removed the card, you don't panic. It's normal behavior, because the executables are on the missing media, and just put the card back in the slot, and all the data is available, and if the card is lost, the applications will have to be reinstalled.
⚠️ Note: When you reset your smartphone to the factory settings (Hard Reset), the data on the card formatted as internal memory will be irretrievably lost along with the encryption keys. Before reset, be sure to transfer important data to the cloud or PC.