How to install games on the memory card Android Xiaomi: the complete guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face a shortage of internal storage, especially after installing several “heavy” games. The internal memory of the device fills up very quickly, which leads to a slowdown in the system and the inability to download new applications. The solution to this problem is to use external SD-map that allows you to expand the available space for media files and programs.

However, the process of transferring games to a flash drive in the shell of MIUI or HyperOS has its own features and limitations. Standard Android tools allow you to move only a part of the application data, and some games completely block work with an external media. In this guide, we will discuss all the available methods, from standard settings to advanced methods using ADB and third-party software.

A high-quality UHS-I or UHS-II memory card with a write speed of 60 MB/s is critical to comfortable loading levels and no friezes. Using cheap and slow cards can lead to games running longer than internal memory, or no longer responding to commands at all.

Preparation of memory card and smartphone Xiaomi

The first step is to install and format the drive correctly. Insert the card into your Xiaomi Mi or Redmi Note slot, after which the system will suggest formatting it. It is important to choose the "Use as a portable storage" mode if you plan to often retrieve the flash drive to transfer files to your computer. Internal storage mode in modern versions of Android is often hidden or unstable, so we will focus on the classic method.

Make sure your device has USB debugging enabled if you plan to use advanced portability techniques. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on MIUI seven times. Once you have become a developer, go back to the settings menu, find Advanced Settings, and activate Debugging via USB.

Check your card file system. FAT32 or exFAT is the best format for working with games and large swap files. If the card is new, the system will offer the desired parameters, but if it was previously used in other devices, you may need to re-format via the smartphone menu.

Regular transfer of applications through Android settings

The safest and easiest way is to use the built-in relocation function. Not all games support this option, as developers can prohibit installation on external media, but you should try first. Go to the Settings menu → Applications → All applications and find the right game in the list.

Select the app of interest and click on "Memory." If the game supports portability, there will be an active button "Change" or "Move to" SD-You press it and wait until it's done. The waiting time depends on the size of the cache files and the speed of your flash drive.

Keep in mind that this method only puts a portion of the files on the external media, and the main executables remain in the internal memory, which allows you to slightly offload the storage, but does not solve the problem fundamentally, and after restarting the device, some games may require you to recheck the files at startup.

⚠️ Note: When you transfer the system files of the game with standard means, some of the system files will still remain in the internal memory.

If the movement button is inactive or absent, it means that the developer of the game has forbidden installation on an external medium, in which case you will have to resort to more complex methods or resign yourself to the removal of the internal space.

Adoptable Storage (Advanced Memory)

Adoptable Storage allows Android to perceive SD-The card is an integral part of the internal storage, in which case all new applications and games will be installed on the USB drive by default. MIUI This function is often hidden, but it can be activated via a computer and command line. ADB.

To start, connect your smartphone to a PC with drivers and platform tools installed. Open the command line and enter the command to check the connection: adb devices. If the device is determined, you can proceed to formatting. Enter the command adb shell sm list-disks to find out your card ID (usually looks like disk:179,XX).

adb shell sm partition disk:179,XX private 100

Once the command is executed, the card will be formatted and encrypted, and it will now be available only for this smartphone, all new games will be automatically installed on it, but there is a risk that if the card fails or is lost, the data will be lost irretrievably, because it is encrypted by binding to a particular device.

Transfer of game data and cache manually

Many heavy games, such as Asphalt, PUBG or Genshin Impact, store the bulk of data (maps, textures, sounds) in a separate folder that can be moved manually, usually Android/obb and Android/data folders, and you can transfer them to a memory card, freeing up gigabytes of space.

Use a file manager, for example, MI File Manager or Total Commander. Find the folder with the game data (often the folder name begins with com.) and move it to the root. SD-Some games can find their files on a new path when they run.

Gameloft or Asphalt games often require creating simlinks (character links) to make the game “think” that the files are in place. This requires Root rights and a Link2SD or FolderSync application. Without superuser rights, this method may not work correctly.

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Before moving the OBB and Data folders, make sure to copy them to your computer or to the cloud, and if the game doesn't start, you can quickly restore the original state.

Comparison of installation and transfer methods

The choice of method depends on your skills and goals. Below is a table that helps you determine the best option for your situation. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, which should be considered before starting the procedure.

If you're not confident, you might want to limit yourself to standard methods or manually clearing the cache. Experiments with partitions and ADB require care. A mistake in the command can lead to data loss or the need to flash the device.

Possible problems and solutions

Often, users find that after transferring the game stops starting or crashes immediately after the logo appears, this may be due to the slow reading speed of the memory card, in which case, try replacing the drive with a more productive counterpart from a proven brand, for example, SanDisk or Samsung.

Another common problem is that the game starts to download files again every time it starts, which happens if the path to the files has changed and the application can't find them at the new address, in which case only returning the files to the original internal memory directory or using specialized software to create pseudo paths will help.

⚠️ Warning: Do not remove the memory card while the game is running or immediately after it is closed.This can damage the save files and lead to corrupt errors in the application database.

It is also worth remembering that some online games with anti-cheat systems can block the launch if they find that their files are on an external medium or have been modified, in such cases, the transfer is impossible without violating the user agreement.

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The speed of the game depends on the speed class of the memory card. 3D-Minimum standard of play — UHS Class 1 (U1).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

⚠️ Note: Regularly back up important game saves to the cloud (Google Play Games, Mi Cloud), as if the memory card crashes, progress can be lost.