Owners of Xiaomi Redmi smartphones often face a lack of built-in space, especially in budget models with 32 or 64 GB of memory. MIUI, Although optimized, it still takes up a significant amount of space, and installing modern "heavy" applications and accumulating multimedia quickly lead to overflow of storage. SD-Xiaomi Redmi card to free up precious megabytes.
Unfortunately, current versions of Android and the MIUI shell lack a standard “Default” button that instantly transfers all downloads and applications to an external drive. Google deliberately restricts this feature to ensure system stability and data security. However, there are proven methods to circumvent these restrictions, allowing the flash card to be used as a full-fledged memory extension.
In this article, we will go into detail all the available methods, from standard camera and bootloader settings to advanced adaptive memory method.Caution: some actions require attention, as improper settings can lead to data loss or a decrease in the speed of the device.
Before you start any manipulations, make sure that your memory card meets the requirements. For comfortable work in conjunction with a smartphone, you need a speed class at least Class 10 or the UHS-I standard. Using slow cards will lead to applications running for a long time, and the video will slow down when playing.
⚠️ Warning: Before formatting a memory card, be sure to copy all important files to your computer or cloud storage. The process of changing the memory type will completely destroy all data on the media.
Preparation of memory card and compatibility check
The first step is to physically install and initially check the media. Not every memory card works correctly in conjunction with the memory controller Xiaomi. It is recommended to use products of well-known brands such as SanDisk, Samsung or Kingston, which guarantee the declared characteristics of read and write speeds.
Once you put the card in the smartphone tray, the system will suggest you choose a use case, and at this point it is critical to choose the right mode, so if you plan to store only photos and music, Portable Storage mode will work, but to transfer applications, we will need Adoptable Storage mode.
The speed of the card directly affects the overall FPS in games and the speed of opening applications. Check the characteristics of your drive with specialized utilities, such as AIDA64 or SD Insight. Real write speed should not fall below 20-30 MB / s for comfortable use.
- 🔍 Make sure the card supports the standard UHS-I higher.
- 💾 The card size should not exceed the officially supported limit of your model (usually up to 256 GB or 512 GB).
- 🛡️ Check the map for errors through the Android settings menu before you start working.
It's important to understand that once formatted with internal memory, the card will be encrypted and linked to this particular smartphone, and you can't retrieve that card and read it on another device without formatting, and that's a security measure that Android developers have implemented.
Setting up SD-The card is an internal memory (adoptable storage)
This is the main method that allows the system to perceive the external drive as an extension of the internal storage. In the MIUI shell, this process can be hidden or simplified, so you need to act consistently. After inserting the card, go to the storage settings.
Find the option "Storage settings" or simply click on your card name in the list of available drives. In the menu that opens, select the option "Format". The system will warn you about deletion - confirm the action. Then you will see the choice: use as portable storage or as internal memory.
So you choose "Inner Memory." The system will start the encryption and optimization process, which can take from seconds to a couple of minutes depending on the size of the card. Once completed, the phone can reboot, and now some of the system processes and new applications will be installed on the card by default.
It should be noted that not all applications support porting to an external drive. SD-In such cases, you can transfer only part of the data (cache), but not the executable file itself.
If standard means Xiaomi does not allow you to choose the internal memory mode (this happens in some regions of the firmware), you will need to use the system. ADB-This is a more complex method, but it's more efficient. You'll need a computer and a driver installed. ADB.
Using ADB to force data transfer
The USB debugging method allows you to activate hidden Android features that the manufacturer may have blocked. First, you need to activate the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About phone and quickly click on the MIUI build number seven times.
After the inscription "You became a developer" appears, go to the menu "More" → "For developers. Find the "Debugging by" item. USB" And you turn it on. You plug your smartphone into your computer with a cable. You'll see a request for debugging permission on your phone screen -- make sure you tick "Always Allow" and click OK.
On your computer, open the command line in the ADB folder and enter a command to check the connection:
adb devices
If a device with device status appears on the list, the connection is established. Now enter a command that allows the system to use the device. SD-map as the main one for installing applications:
adb shell pm setInstallLocation 2
Here, 2 is the priority of the external card, 0 is the automatic choice, 1 is the internal memory only. Once the command is entered, the changes take effect immediately, no reboot is required.
What if the ADB can’t see the phone?
Make sure the driver is installed ADB Interface. Try another one. USB-On the phone in developer mode, check if the mode is worth it. USB by default "Charging" - switch it to "File Transfer (MTP)".> You'll have to repeat the command entry procedure every time you reset completely.Shopping photos and videos from the camera by default The largest content on Redmi smartphones is media files.Standard camera MIUI So you can easily change the way you save. Open the Camera app, click on the three bars in the top right corner, and select Settings. In the settings list, find Save on. SD-From now on, all new images and videos will automatically be saved to an external drive, bypassing internal memory. However, the old photos will remain in the internal memory. Use the standard file manager to transfer them. DCIM → Camera in the internal storage, select all files and select Move. Specify the target folder on the SD-map. 📸 For the video. 4K Use only high-speed cards, otherwise the recording may be interrupted. 📂 Folder structure on SD-The card must match the internal card so that the gallery correctly indexes the files. ⚙️ Periodically defragment the card through your PC to save the write speed. Similar settings are in popular messengers. Telegram and WhatsApp, the way to save media files can also be changed in the settings of the application by selecting the following: SD-Browsers and download managers often ignore system settings and download files to their internal folder. To fix this, you need to configure each browser separately. MIUI or Chrome, go to the settings and find the Downloads section. Change the way you save files to the SD-In some browsers, such as UC Browser or Opera, this item is in the "Download settings" section. Make sure you select external storage. If you use third-party downloaders, for example, IDM+ or ADM, In their settings, you also need to specify the default path, otherwise all downloaded files will be duplicated or take up space in the system partition. µTorrent, When you add a new hand, always check the Save to field by selecting the root or folder Downloads on the external map. Manual transfer of installed applications Even with adaptive memory on, some applications remain in internal storage. You can try to manually transfer them. Go to the settings. → Annexes → All applications. Select the desired application from the list. If transfer is possible, there will be a button "Move to the port". SD-map" (or "Change" where you can select the drive). If the button is gray or missing, then the developer has prohibited the transfer. ADB. The command is as follows: adb shell pm move-package volume_id — This is your card ID, which you can find out through the adb shell sm list-volumes command. This is a complex method that requires accuracy, but it allows you to free up even the system partition. ⚠️ Note: When transferring system applications (calendar, contacts, phone) to a memory card, when removing the card, the phone may stop working correctly or go into a cyclic reboot. To better understand which method is right for you, compare the main characteristics of data storage on different types of media in the Xiaomi ecosystem (eMMC/UFS) SD-map (Portative) SD-Card (Internal) Read/Write Speed High (up to) 1000 Mb/s) Medium (up to) 100 MB/s) Depending on the card class Data security High (encryption) Low (access from PC) High (encryption) Transfer to another phone Difficult (needs backup) Easy (just insert) Impossible without formatting Battery Impact Minimum Average Increased (constant survey) As can be seen from In tables, using the map in "Inner" mode brings it closer to system characteristics, but imposes restrictions on data mobility. Frequent problems and ways to solve them Despite the correct setup, users can encounter errors "SD-The card is corrupted" or "Formatting required. Take your time to format. Try to remove the card, erase the contacts with a pin and paste back. If the problem persists, the file system of the card may be corrupted. Connect it to the PC through the card reader and perform error check. In the properties of the disk, select the tab "Service" and click "Verification". 💡Use the exFAT file system for cards larger than 64GB. FAT32 It doesn't support files larger than 4GB, which is critical for high-resolution video, and another common problem is that the interface is slow after the application is ported, which indicates a low speed of random card reading. In this case, it is better to return applications to internal memory, leaving only photos and music on the map. 💡Speed of Class Class Class Memory Card 10 UHS-I It is the minimum necessary for comfortable use of applications ported from internal memory. In some cases, it helps to update the firmware of the smartphone. Xiaomi engineers regularly release patches that improve compatibility with various models of memory cards. FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions: Can I Play a Game with SD-It is impossible to fully run a "heavy" game completely from the card without installing it into internal memory due to the limitations of Android. OBB), So you can use the file manager to do this, and move the folder with the game from the Android/obb internal memory in a similar folder SD-map. Why did they disappear from the gallery after they were transferred to the map? Probably the folder structure is broken or the media index hasn't updated yet. Try restarting your smartphone. If it doesn't work, check if the folder is hidden (the name shouldn't start with a dot) and if it contains a.nomedia file that forbids scanning. SD-Yes, the active use of the card as internal memory (constant recording of cache, logs, updates) significantly reduces its life, memory cards have a limited number of rewrites. For internal memory, it is recommended to buy cards marked “High Endurance” or “App Performance Class”. A1/A2". Will the setup reset? ADB No, pm setInstallLocation is saved in the system until the next reset to the factory (Hard Reset) or until the parameter is changed back. However, if you pull out the card and paste it again, the system may temporarily stop seeing it as the installation site until it is re-initialized.