How to save games on a memory card in Xiaomi smartphones: full instructions

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a lack of internal memory, especially if they are actively installing modern games. Many mobile projects (such as Genshin Impact, Call of Duty: Mobile or PUBG New State) take from 2 to 10 GB — and this is without considering updates. The solution seems obvious: transfer games to a microSD card. But in MIUI, this process is nuanced, and some models do not support writing applications to an external drive.

In this article, we will discuss all the working ways to save games on the SD-map in Xiaomi smartphones, including official methods through settings MIUI, circumvention ADB, We will also focus on the critical errors that can make the card unreadable, and explain why some games (for example, with Google Play Protect) cannot be transferred in principle.

Why Xiaomi restricts the recording of games on a memory card?

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones (especially post-2020 models) often block the ability to save games on microSD for three reasons:

🔒 Data security: Online games (such as Free Fire or Mobile Legends) store authorization tokens on the device, and transferring them to a removable drive increases the risk of them being stolen through a device. MITM-attacks (if the card is connected to the infected PC).
⚡ Performance. Class memory cards. 10 or UHS-I slower-than-integrated memory UFS 2.2/3.1, This leads to lags in games with high reading speed requirements (such as Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail).
📱 Google policy: Starting with Android 9, Google bans porting apps to Android SD-map through standard settings (except for applications with support for adoptable storage, but they are almost absent among games).

However, you can get around these restrictions – partially or completely, depending on the smartphone model and the version of MIUI. For example, on the Xiaomi Mi A2 (with pure Android One), the portability works differently than on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ with MIUI 14.

📊 What Xiaomi model do you use?

Redmi Note 10/11/12

POCO F3/F4/F5

Xiaomi 11T/12/13

Another model

Preparation of a memory card: formatting and class selection

Before trying to save games on microSD, you need to properly prepare the drive, and errors at this stage will lead to game malfunctions or complete loss of data.

1. Requirements for a memory card

For games, the minimum card characteristics are:

📌 Volume: 64 GB (for 1-2 large games) and 32 GB cards or less will not work – after formatting, there will be left. ~28GB, which is enough for Brawl Stars or Clash Royale.
🚀 Speed: Class 10 or UHS-I (U1/U3). Class Cards 4/6 The best choice is SanDisk Extreme or Samsung. EVO Plus.
🔄 File system: exFAT (for cards) >32 GB) or FAT32 (if ≤32GB, but it's not recommended). MIUI supportive NTFS.

2. Formatting a card in a smartphone

Don't format the card on a PC, it can lead to compatibility errors.

Insert the card into the slot (if you use a hybrid slot, you will have to choose between the second SIM or SD).
Go to Settings → Memory → Memory Map.
Click Format as internal memory (this will delete all data!).
Confirm the action and wait until it is completed (may take up to 5 minutes).

💡

If the card is undetectable after formatting, try restarting the smartphone. In rare cases, re-inserting the card after 30 seconds helps.

⚠️ Note: Once formatted as internal memory, the card cannot be read on other devices (e.g., a PC or other phone) without completely erasing the data. MIUI.

Official way: transfer games through MIUI settings

If your Xiaomi smartphone supports the “Magne to Memory Card” function (not available on all models), follow this instruction:

Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
Select the game you want to migrate (such as Among Us or Roblox).
Click Warehouse → Change → Memory Map.
Confirm the transfer and wait until the completion (time depends on the size of the game).

This method only works for a fraction of the data: usually the cache and additional files are transferred, and the main APK remains in the internal memory.

Xiaomi model	Support for the transfer of games	Notes
Redmi Note 10/11	Partial	Only the cache is transferred, OBB-files remain in internal memory.
POCO F3/F4	Complete (only for selected games)	It works with games that support adoptable storage (such as Minecraft).
Xiaomi 12/13 series	Limited.	Transfer is blocked for online-authorized games (e.g. Genshin Impact).
Xiaomi Mi A2/A3 (Android One)	Yes.	Full support thanks to pure Android without MIUI restrictions.

⚠️ Note: After transferring the game through the settings MIUI The updates will be downloaded to internal memory, and to fix this, transfer the game back temporarily before updating, and then back to the map.

Advanced method: transfer games through ADB (for experienced)

If the official method doesn’t work or only transfers a portion of the data, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which allows you to force the system to specify that the game should be stored on the memory card. Importantly, the wrong ADB commands can cause applications to crash or even reset your smartphone settings.

Step 1: Preparation

🖥️ Install. ADB and Fastboot Tools on PC.
📱 In the smartphone, activate the Developer Mode: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times).
🔧 Turn on Debugging. USB In Settings → Additionally. → For developers.

Step 2: Connect and Commands

Connect your smartphone to your PC via USB (select File Transfer mode) and execute in the command line:

adb devices

(Your device name should appear. If not, check the drivers.)

adb shell pm set-install-location 2

This command forces the system to install apps on the memory card by default, but many games (especially with Google Play Protect) ignore this setting.

For the forced transfer of a particular game:

adb shell pm move-package com.example.game /sdcard

(Replace com.example.game with a real-world game package, such as com.miHoYo.GenshinImpact.)

Installed ADB Tools on PC

Developer mode on Xiaomi is enabled

USB debugging activated

The memory card is formatted as an internal

Game set but not running-->

⚠️ Attention: Teams ADB may not work on MIUI 13/14 In this case, only root or alternative methods will help (see the next section).

Alternative methods: bypassing restrictions without root

If neither standard transfer nor ADB helped, try these methods:

1.Use of a file manager with superuser rights

Applications like Mixplorer or FX File Explorer allow you to manually move game files (like the Android/obb folder) to a memory card, but this only works for offline games (like Stardew Valley or Terraria), since online projects check the integrity of files.

2. Symbolic links (symlink)

With an ADB or terminal (e.g., in Termux), you can create a symbolic link, a "deceived" game.

ln -s /sdcard/Android/obb/com.game.package /data/data/com.game.package/files/obb

This method requires knowledge of the game's file structure and may not work on MIUI with enhanced protection.

3. Games with external storage support

Some games (such as Minecraft or The Sims Mobile) allow you to manually choose a path to download additional files.Look for this option in the game's settings under Storage or Download Settings.

What if the game does not start after the transfer?

If the game gives an error after transferring to the card, try: 1. Clear the game's cache to Settings → Applications. 2. Move the game back to internal memory and update it. 3. Check the memory card for errors through Settings → Memory → Check the map. 4. Format the card again (data will be deleted!). If nothing helps, the game will most likely block work with removable drives at the code level (for example, Genshin Impact or Diablo Immortal).

Mistakes and Solutions: Why Are Games Not Saved?

Even after formatting and porting the games correctly, the errors and ways to fix them may not work.

Mistake.	Reason.	Decision
"Not enough space on the device"	The game requires installation in internal memory.	Make room or use ADB for forced transfer.
"Memory card damaged."	The file system of the card is incompatible with MIUI.	Format the card in exFAT directly in your smartphone.
The game flies off at launch	Low card reading speed (Class 4/6)	Replace the card with UHS-I U3 (e.g. SanDisk Extreme Pro).
"No appendix installed"	The transfer is interrupted or files are damaged.	Remove the game and install it again by selecting the memory card manually.

If the memory card is no longer defined after the transfer of games, try:

Reboot the smartphone.
Remove the card, clean the contacts with dry cloth and insert back.
Check the card on another device (if it is not readable, the file system may be damaged).

💡

If the game is slow or slow after the transfer, the slow speed of the memory card is most likely to blame, in which case the only solution is to use internal memory or a UHS-II card (but they are expensive and not always supported by Xiaomi smartphones).

What to do if there is no memory card slot in the smartphone?

Many of Xiaomi’s flagship models (such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Black Shark 5 Pro) don’t have a microSD slot.

🖥️ Use cloud storage. Services like Google Play Games or Xiaomi Cloud allow you to save the progress of games to the cloud, but not the game files themselves).
📁 Connect externally SSD through OTG. adapter USB-C to USB-A + drive (e.g. Samsung) T7 Shield will allow you to store games on an external disk. OTG.
☁️ Streaming games. Xbox Cloud Gaming Services or NVIDIA GeForce NOW allow you to play without installation, but require stable Internet (from 15 Mbps).

For models with a hybrid slot (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro)+) You have to choose between the second. SIM-If you're critically interested in both, SIM, Consider the eSIM option (supported by Xiaomi) 12T Pro, POCO F4 GT newer).

FAQ: Frequent questions about saving games to memory card in Xiaomi

Can I transfer Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail to a memory card?

No. These games use Google Play Protect protection and check file integrity when they are launched, and any attempt to migrate will result in a file corrupt error, and the only solution is to free up internal memory (delete unnecessary files or use the cloud for screenshots).

Why did she start laying after transferring the game to the map?

Most likely, your memory card is too slow. Modern games require reading speeds of 90 MB/s (this is provided by UHS-I U3 or UHS-II cards). Class 10 cards without U3 marking usually only give ~30-50 MB/s, which is not enough for PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty: Mobile.

Can I use a memory card as an internal one on Xiaomi with MIUI 14?

Yes, but with reservations: The feature is not available on all models (for example, it works on the Redmi Note 11, but may not be available on the Xiaomi 13T). Once formatted as internal memory, the card will not be retrieved without resetting the settings. Some system updates may reset the card settings, which will lead to data loss.

What happens if you remove the memory card that the games are transferred to?

Games will stop running and in Settings → Apps will show up as "uninstalled." When you re-insert the cards, the games should earn, but: If the card was formatted on another device, the data will be lost. Some games (for example, Free Fire) may require re-authorization.

Is there a risk of losing progress in the game after the transfer to the map?

If the game syncs with your account (Google Play Games, Facebook, game server), progress will be saved. For offline games (like Dead Cells), the progress is stored in the /Android/data folder, which you also need to transfer to the map, otherwise, when you reinstall the game, the data will be lost.