How to save applications to memory card Xiaomi Redmi 9: all working methods

Owners of Xiaomi Redmi 9 often face a lack of internal memory, especially if the device has many applications or games. One obvious way to solve the problem is to transfer some programs to a microSD card. However, in modern versions of Android (starting with 9.0) and the MIUI shell, this feature is either hidden or works with restrictions.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to save applications on the SD-map 9, including official settings, manual methods through ADB, It's important to understand that not all apps support portability, depending on the developer's policy and the Android version. We'll also explain why some methods stopped working after the updates. MIUI 12/13 How to circumvent these limitations.

If you’ve tried to migrate apps through standard settings and get a message “Not supported”, don’t despair. Below you’ll find alternative solutions, including using external memory as internal (Adoptable Storage) and manually moving files through ADB. All instructions are tested on Redmi 9 with MIUI 12.5-14 firmware based on Android 10-12.

1. Official method: transfer via MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI to port applications, but it doesn't work for all programs and has limitations:

• 📌 Only those applications that the developer allowed to move to SD-map.
• 🚫 Not applicable to system applications and most games (e.g, PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact).
• ⚠️ After the transfer, the application may run slower if the class memory card UHS-I lower.

To try this method:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the desired application from the list.
3. Click Warehouse → Change (if the option is active).
4. Select a Memory Card and confirm the transfer.

If the Change button is inactive or not, the application does not support the transfer, in which case proceed to the following methods.

2. Use of the memory card as internal (Adoptable Storage)

Adoptable Storage Method allows formatting SD-It's a card as part of the phone's internal memory, and it allows you to put apps directly on the card, but it has serious disadvantages:

• 🔒 The card will be encrypted and linked to the device – it will not be read on another phone or PC.
• 📉 Application speeds may drop if the card is slow (recommended) UHS-I U3 or A2).
• ⚠️ When you remove the map, the applications will stop working.

How to set up:

1. Put it in. SD-map.
2. Go to Settings. → Memory.
3. Click on the memory card → Three dots (menu) → Storage settings.
4. Select Internal Memory → Clean and Format.
5. Confirm the formatting (all data on the map will be deleted!).
6. After the device is restarted, the card will be displayed as part of the internal memory.

⚠️ Note: If you retrieve the card after you set up Adoptable Storage, the apps installed on it will stop running, and this method may cause problems with future updates. MIUI.

3. Transfer applications over ADB (for power users)

If the standard methods don’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) — And it's a tool for debugging Android devices, and it allows you to force the supported applications to be transferred to the Android device. SD-map, even if the option is hidden in the interface.

Important: The method requires connecting the phone to a PC and basic command-line knowledge, and it doesn’t work for applications that explicitly prohibit portability (like most games).

Instructions:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on Redmi 9: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on MIUI until the notification "You've become a developer" appears.
2. Activate USB Debugging: Return to Settings → Additional → Developer. Turn on the USB Debugging Switch.

Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux).

adb devices

The name of your device should appear.

package.name

adb shell pm set-install-location 2

This command sets the memory card as the preferred place to install new applications.

adb shell pm move-package package.name

You can find package.name via the App Inspector app or command:

adb shell pm list packages -f

Example of Facebook portability:

adb shell pm move-package com.facebook.katana

If the team is successful, you will see a message of success.

⚠️ Note: Some apps (such as WhatsApp, Telegram) may not work well after being migrated to the Internet SD-Also, this method does not guarantee the transfer of all data - some files can remain in internal memory.

Install ADB-PC drivers|

Enable the developer mode on Redmi 9|

Activate debugging via USB|

Connect your phone to your PC with the original cable |

Check the visibility of the device by the team `adb devices`-->

4. Manual transfer of application files (APK + OBB)

If the application is not portable in its entirety, you can manually move it. APK-file (OBB This method is suitable for games and programs that store the main files in folders. /Android/obb/ or /Android/data/.

How to do this:

1. Using a file manager (e.g., Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer), find folders: /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/[package.name] – additional game files. /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/[package.name] – application data.
2. Copy these folders on SD-map in similar directories: /storage/XXXX-XXXX/Android/obb/ (where XXXX-XXXX — ID your card). /storage/XXXX-XXXX/Android/data/.

Remove the original folders from your internal memory.

root-right

ln -s /storage/XXXX-XXXX/Android/obb/[package.name] /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/[package.name]

It's the same for the data folder.

Without root rights, you can try to cheat the system by renaming the original folder and creating a new one with the same name on the memory card, but this won't work for all applications.

5. Alternative solutions: Application cloning and cloud services

If none of these methods worked, consider alternatives:

• 📲 App cloning: Apps like Parallel Space or Island let you create a sandbox SD-You can run copies of the software from there, and you can run duplicates of the data and possible lags.
• ☁️ Cloud Services: Move your media files (photos, videos) to Google Photos, Mi Cloud or Yandex Drive>, to free up internal memory.
• 🔄 Cache Clearing: Clean App Cache Regularly Through Settings → Annexes → Application management → Clear the cache.
• 🗑️ Remove Unnecessary Files: Use Mi File Manager to Find Large Files (Storage Analysis).

For games with large data files (like Call of Duty Mobile), the following trick sometimes helps:

1. Delete the game, but save the folder OBB on SD-map.
2. Install the game again, but stop downloading additional files.
3. Copy the saved OBB folder back to /Android/obb/.

This will force the game to use files from the memory card instead of downloading them to internal memory.

💡

Before transferring applications to SD-Check the speed of the card using the application A1 SD If the recording speed is below 10 MB/s, the applications will slow down.

6 Why some applications cannot be transferred to SD-map?

Many Redmi 9 users are faced with the fact that popular applications (for example, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp) do not have a port option.

• 🔒 Developer Policy: Some applications (especially instant messengers and social networks) explicitly prohibit installation on external media for security reasons.
• 📱 Android Restrictions: Starting with Android 6.0, Google has tightened the rules for working with Android SD-maps, prohibiting applications from writing data in arbitrary folders.
• 🎮 Anticheat games: Popular games (such as Free Fire, PUBG) block the transfer to prevent hacking through modification of files on the map.
• 🔄 Background: Applications that use background processes (such as Google Maps) may not work smoothly with the user. SD-map.

On the Redmi 9 with MIUI 12+, it is impossible to transfer system applications (for example, Mi Browser, Security), even through ADB. This is due to Xiaomi’s policy, which blocks modification of preinstalled software.

If you need to make room, consider the following:

• Turn off automatic app updates in Google Play.
• Remove unused apps and clear the cache.
• Transfer media files (photos, music) to a memory card or cloud.
• Use Lite versions of apps (e.g. Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite).

💡

Even if the application was transferred to SD-The performance of the card can drop by 20-40% due to slower read/write speeds compared to internal memory.

FAQ: Frequent questions about transferring applications to SD-map 9