Why You Should Move Genshin Impact to the World SD-map?
MiHoYo’s Genshin Impact is one of the most resource-intensive mobile games to date. It takes up about 15 to 20 GB of internal storage once installed, and with updates, that amount is only growing. For Xiaomi smartphone owners with limited built-in storage capacity (such as the Redmi Note 8 Pro or 64 GB POCO X3 NFC), this becomes a serious problem: the system begins to slow down, and free space is catastrophically lacking.
Delay the game SD-The map seems like a logical solution, but there are pitfalls here, because Android, by default, doesn't allow you to install apps on external media in exFAT or exFAT format. NTFS — But even this method does not guarantee the stable operation of Genshin Impact: the game can lie, fly out or even refuse to run. In this article, we will discuss all working methods of transfer, including bypassing restrictions. MIUI and optimizing productivity.
It’s important to understand that not all Xiaomi models support Adoptable Storage, and some firmware (e.g., MIUI Global based on Android 12+) block this feature at the system level. We tested the instructions on devices from Redmi 9 to Xiaomi 13 and identified key dependencies. If your smartphone is not in this range, check compatibility at the end of the article.
Requirements for SD-Installation map for Genshin Impact
Not every microSD is suitable for porting a game. Genshin Impact actively works with files during gameplay, so the card must meet strict criteria:
- 🔹 Speed class: minimum UHS-I (U3) or V30. Class 10 cards without markings UHS They will not work, the game will slow down.
- 🔹 Volume: from 64 GB (optimally 128 GB and above). On the map 32 GB of space is enough only for the game itself without stock for updates.
- 🔹 Format: exFAT (recommended) or NTFS. FAT32 It does not support files larger than 4GB, which is critical for Genshin Impact.
- 🔹 Brand: Preference Samsung EVO Plus, SanDisk Extreme or Kingston Canvas Go! Plus. Cheap no-name cards often fake speed class markings.
Before buying, check the card for authenticity with H2testw (Windows) or F3 (Linux/macOS). Counterfeit can have a real write speed below the stated 5-10 times, which will make the game unplayable. Also note that once the card is formatted as internal memory, it will not be used in other devices without complete cleaning.
⚠️ Note: If your Xiaomi smartphone supports portable storage only, and not adoptable storage, then transferring Genshin Impact is technically possible, but can be fraught with constant lag. Link2SD.
Method 1: Formatting SD-The card is an internal memory (adoptable storage)
This is Google’s official way of letting Android take over SD-the card as part of the built-in storage device. MIUI This feature is often hidden or disabled. Here's how to activate it:
- Put it in. SD-Map to smartphone. Open the settings. → Memory.
- Tap by the name of the card (for example, SD-card: 128 GB and select Settings → Formatting as an internal.
- Confirm the action. The system will warn you that all data will be erased, you can agree.
- After formatting, restart the device.
If you don't have a formatted internal, your firmware is blocking it.
What to do if you don’t have Adoptable Storage?
After formatting the card as internal memory:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Genshin Impact → Memory.
- Click Change and select SD-card.
- Confirm the transfer. The process can take 10 to 30 minutes depending on the amount of data.
⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi devices (e.g, POCO F3) post-game SD-This is because of the speed limit of reading/write on external media, and the solution is to use a card with support. UHS-II or transfer only the game cache (see Method 3).
Buy a U3/V30 class card with a volume of ≥64 GB|
Check the authenticity of the card via H2testw|
Format the card in exFAT on PC (if new) |
Insert the card in the smartphone and wait for recognition |
Activate debugging by USB (If the Adoptable Storage option is hidden)-->
Method 2: Link2SD Transfer (for root users)
If your Xiaomi doesn’t support Adoptable Storage or you want more flexible port control, you can use the Link2SD app.This method requires root rights, but allows you to transfer individual parts of the game (for example, only data or cache).
Instructions:
- Install Link2SD from Google Play and provide root access.
- In the main menu of the app, find Genshin Impact and tap it.
- Select Create a link → Application data and Cash.
- Indicate. SD-map as a target storage and confirm the action.
Advantages of the method:
- 🔹 You can only transfer heavy files (for example, com.mihoyo.GenshinImpact_files), leaving the apc in internal memory.
- 🔹 No need to format the card as an internal one – exFAT is enough.
- 🔹 The ability to “freeze” unnecessary background game processes to save battery life.
Disadvantages:
- 🔸 Requires an unlocked bootloader and root, which deprives of warranty.
- 🔸 On some firmware MIUI (for example, MIUI 13) Link2SD It may not work properly with game files due to SELinux limitations.
💡
If after transferring via Link2SD, the game starts to fly out when downloading, try in the application settings to turn off the option "Autocommunication when installing" and manually transfer only the Android/obb/com.mihoyo.GenshinImpact folder.
Method 3: Transfer cache and additional files without root
If the previous methods do not work, you can transfer to SD-At least some of the game's data, such as cache and update files, will be freed up by 5 to 10 GB of internal storage.
Instructions:
- Connect your smartphone to your PC via USB (in File Transfer mode).
- Go to the Android/obb/com.mihoyo.GenshinImpact folder on the internal drive.
- Copy all files from this folder to SD-map (Android/obb/com.mihoyo.GenshinImpact).
- Remove the original files from the internal memory.
- In the game, go to Settings → Additionally. → The path to the files and point a new path to the SD-map.
This method doesn't work on all versions of the game, but it often works on devices with MIUI 12.5+. The main advantage is that you don't need to format a map or get root.
Formatting as an internal memory |
Link2SD (with root) |
Manual cache transfer |
I haven't tried it yet.|Another method-->
Optimizing performance after transfer
Even after the successful transfer of Genshin Impact to the SD-The game can run slower than the internal memory to minimize the lag:
| Problem. | Decision | Applicable to |
|---|---|---|
| Long loading of textures | Turn off Low-quality textures in game graphics settings | All models. |
| Slowing down in battle | Set FPS to 30 instead of 60 | Redmi Note 10/11, POCO X3/X4 |
| Departures during change of locations | Move it back to the internal memory folder com.mihoyo.GenshinImpact_files | Devices with UFS 2.1/2.2 |
| Phone overheating | Limit FPS through Game Turbo in MIUI | All models. |
Additional advice:
- 🔹 Use it. MIUI Optimization (included in Settings) → Special facilities → Useful features) to prioritize game resources.
- 🔹 Clean the game cache regularly through Settings → Memory. → Clear the cache.
- 🔹 If the game lays on POCO F3 Xiaomi 11T, Try to turn off Adaptive Brightness in the display settings.
💡
On devices with Snapdragon chipset 7xx/8xx (Like Redmi. K40 Xiaomi 12) transference SD-downsize FPS on 10–15%. In this case, it is better to free internal memory in other ways (for example, by removing unnecessary applications or transferring media files).
Frequent mistakes and their solutions
When you transfer Genshin Impact to SD-Xiaomi users are facing typical problems, and here are the most common and ways to fix them:
- 🔸 “Not enough memory” error when updating: Solution: Temporarily transfer the game back to internal memory, update, then move back to internal memory SD-map.
- 🔸 The game does not start after transfer: Solution: Check that the folder com.mihoyo.GenshinImpact on SD-The card has 755 rights (through the root file manager).
- 🔸 Brakes when loading the world: Solution: Turn off background loading of textures in the game graphics settings.
- 🔸 SD-Card not recognized as internal: Solution: Check that the card is formatted in exFAT (not FAT32!) and repeat the process through ADB (see spoiler above).
If none of these methods worked, consider alternatives:
- 🔹 Buy a smartphone with a large amount of memory (for example, Xiaomi) 13T 256GB).
- 🔹 Use miHoYo Cloud Cloud Storage for backups (but this won’t solve the space problem).
- 🔹 Remove other heavy games (such as Honkai: Star Rail or Call of Duty Mobile).