How to install the application on the flash drive Xiaomi Redmi: 3 proven ways

Why aren’t apps installed on the default flash drive?

Xiaomi Redmi smartphones based on MIUI Initially, they do not support the installation of applications directly to SD-Map - this feature is blocked by the manufacturer. The reason is the Android architecture: starting with the version 6.0, Google has restricted the ability to fully port applications to external drives due to performance and security issues. 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10 And other models have workarounds.

In this article, we will discuss three working methods: official transfer through settings (with restrictions), use of the system. ADB for forced mounting, as well as manual copying APK-It is important to understand that not all applications will work correctly after porting, especially for system utilities and games with high requirements for data readability.

Before you start, check:

• 🔹 The format of your flash drive: FAT32 (Up to 4GB per file) or exFAT (recommended for modern smartphones). NTFS unsupported!
• 🔹 Card speed class: minimum Class 10 or UHS-I steady-work.
• 🔹 Free space: applications are required to 20-30% extra cache space.

Method 1: Official transfer via MIUI settings

The simplest, but limited method is to use the built-in “Move to” function. SD-It is not available for all applications and only works with those that support adoptable storage).

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the application you want (such as Telegram or VK).
3. Press Warehouse. → Move it to SD-Card (option only active for compatible programs).
4. Confirm the action and wait until the process is completed (it can take up to 5-10 minutes).

Limitations of the method:

• 🚫 It does not work for system applications (Google Play Services, MIUI Launcher and others.).
• 🚫 Widgets will stop working after the transfer.
• 🚫 When removing the flash drive, the application will be unavailable.

⚠️ Warning: After transfer, the application can run slower – read/write speed SD-Cards are lower than the built-in memory eMMC/UFS. Tests show a drop in productivity on 15-40% depending on the class of the card.

Method 2: Forced transfer through ADB (for advanced)

If the official method didn’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) — A debugging tool that allows you to force applications to be mounted on a flash drive, USB-Cable and Involved Mode for Developers".

Steps:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect your smartphone to your PC, install it ADB-Drivers and open the command line in the folder with the platform-tools.
4. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your Redmi.
5. Run a port command (replace package.name with application ID, such as com.whatsapp): adb shell pm move-primary-storage /storage/XXXX-XXXXX XXXX-XXXX is your flash drive ID (you can find out the adb shell ls /storage command).

Important nuances:

• 🔧 Not all apps support this method – some (Facebook, Instagram) can crash.
• 🔧 After restarting the smartphone, the transfer can be reset (solved by repeating the command).
• 🔧 For games (PUBG, Genshin Impact is not suitable – it requires high speed data access.

Method 3: Manual installation of APK on a flash drive

If the first two methods did not work, you can go a workaround: APK-The application file and install it directly from the flash drive is suitable for applications that do not require integration with the system (for example, instant messengers, browsers, simple games).

Step-by-step:

1. Download. APK-file from a reliable source (recommended by APKCombo or APKMirror).
2. Connect the flash drive to your smartphone and move the.apk to any folder (like Download).
3. Open MIUI Explorer, find the file and click on it.
4. Allow installation from unknown sources (Settings → Applications → Special Access → Install Unknown Applications).
5. Follow the instructions of the installation master.

Critical: Apps installed in this way won’t automatically update through Google Play, but you’ll have to manually download new versions of the APK or migrate them back to internal memory for updates.

⚠️ Attention: Installation APK From unverified sources, it can cause a smartphone to get infected with viruses (SHA-1) on sites like VirusTotal before installation.

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If the app doesn’t start after installing from a flash drive, try clearing its cache in Settings → Apps → [Name] → Storage → Clear the cache. Sometimes it helps to reboot your smartphone.

What if the application does not work after the transfer?

Even after successful transfer, some programs may be unstable, such as flying out, slowing down, or not saving data, and these are typical problems and solutions.

• 🔄 App crashes when you start: Try to clear the data (Settings) → Annexes → [Name of name] → Warehouse → Clear the data. If it doesn't work, transfer it back to the internal memory.
• 🐢 Slow work: The problem is the speed of reading the flash drive. Replace the card with a model with a class UHS-I U3 or A2 (For example, SanDisk Extreme).
• 📱 Widgets are missing: Widgets do not work with applications on SD-Move the program back or use alternative launchers (Nova Launcher).

If none of these methods worked, consider alternative options:

• 🔹 Use Google Drive (Mi Cloud) to free up space.
• 🔹 Transfer only media files (photos, videos, music) to the flash drive through the Explorer MIUI.
• 🔹 Buy a smartphone with a large amount of memory (for example, Redmi Note 13 Pro)+ 512GB).

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The most stable work after transfer to the flash drive: messengers (Telegram, Viber), browsers (Chrome, Firefox), offline maps (Osmand, Maps.me). Games and social networks often fail.

How to return the app back to internal memory?

If the transfer to the flash drive caused problems, you can easily return the application to the main storage.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the desired application and click Storage.
3. Tap Transfer to internal memory (if the option is inactive, use ADB with the adb shell pm move-primary-storage /data command).

Once returned, the app will restore all features, including widgets and automatic updates. However, user data (save games, cache) can be reset – back up in advance through Settings → System → Backup.

FAQ: Frequent questions about installing on a flash drive