How to install applications on a memory card Xiaomi Redmi 4X: 3 working methods

Xiaomi Redmi 4X, with its modest 16-32 GB of internal memory, is still a popular choice among budget devices. But what to do when the space is running out and you don’t want to delete your favorite apps? Transferring programs to a microSD card seems like a logical solution — but in MIUI, this process has its own nuances. Unlike “pure” Android, Xiaomi firmware limits the ability to install applications on an external drive, but you can still circumvent these restrictions.

In this article, we will look at three proven methods: standard portability through settings (with MIUI limitations in mind), advanced ADB for forced installation on SD, and alternative options for optimizing memory without portability. You will learn which applications can be moved and which will remain in internal memory, how to avoid errors when working with adoptable storage, and why some programs after transfer may run slower.

Important: the manual is relevant for the Redmi 4X based on MIUI 9-14 (Android 6-7). On newer versions of Android, some steps may differ, we will mention this too. If your smartphone runs on MIUI 12+, please note the section on alternative solutions.

Why? MIUI restricts the installation of applications SD-map?

Unlike stock Android, where the function of adoptable storage (conversion) SD-The internal memory card is available from version 6.0, Xiaomi is deliberately blocking this possibility in its firmware:

• 🔹 Performance: Class memory cards UHS-I Class 10 is still slower than the built-in eMMC memory, which can slow down applications.
• 🔹 Security: MIUI Encrypts data in internal memory and SD-It is more difficult to do this map - the risk of data leakage is higher.
• 🔹 Stability: Not all applications work properly with external drives, especially if the card suddenly turns off (for example, when retrieving).
• 🔹 Marketing: Xiaomi stimulates the purchase of devices with a large amount of internal memory.

However, some applications can still be migrated through standard settings, and there are workarounds for the rest.

Method 1: Standard Transfer through MIUI Settings

This is suitable for some applications that support portability, usually lightweight utilities, games with small cache or programs that do not require constant work in the background (for example, Google Maps, Telegram, VK).

Steps for transfer:

1. Open the Settings → Applications.
2. Select the app you want to migrate (like Facebook).
3. Slip on Warehouse.
4. If the option is available, the Change button (or Move to) will appear. SD-Press it.
5. Confirm the action and wait for the process to be completed.

⚠️ Note: After porting some features of the application may work slower, especially if the memory card class 4 or lower:

• 📌 Widgets will stop working (Android does not support widgets with the SD-map).
• 📌 Notifications may be delayed.
• 📌 Auto-update of the application will be disabled.

Use a memory card not lower than Class 10|Make a backup copy of important data|Charge your phone at least 50 times%|Check the vacant space for SD-card (minimum 1 GB)

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A critical nuance for Redmi 4X: If there is no button in the application settings "Move to" SD-map, so the developer blocked this possibility in the manifesto APK. This will only help with the method of ADB (see next section).

Method 2: Forced SD installation via ADB (for experienced)

If standard portability is not available, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a debugging tool that allows you to manually specify where to install applications, which requires connecting your phone to your computer and basic command line knowledge.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/Linux/macOS.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).li>
• 📦 Installed drivers Xiaomi and ADB (You can download from the Android Developers website).
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI (tap 7 times) → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Redmi 4X to your computer and allow debugging (a request will appear on your phone screen).
2. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (Linux/macOS) in the folder with ADB.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
4. Find out the batch name of the application (for example, for WhatsApp it is com.whatsapp). This can be done through the App Inspector app or by commanding: adb shell pm list packages | grep "app name"
5. Move the app to SD-Map command: adb shell pm set-install-location 2 This command sets a global rule: all new applications will be installed by default on the computer. SD. To return back, use pm set-install-location 0 (internal memory).
6. To transfer an already installed application, use: adb shell pm move-package com.whatsapp 2 Replace com.whatsapp with your application's batch name.

⚠️ Note: This method does not guarantee 100% success.Some applications (e.g. Google Play Services or Google Play Services) MIUI Systems are not fundamentally portable. MIUI settings may reset.

Method 3: Formatting SD-The card is an internal memory (adoptable storage)

This method theoretically allows the use of SD-map as part of the internal storage, but on Redmi 4X s MIUI However, some users manage to bypass the restriction through custom recovery (e.g., the system is officially blocked, TWRP). Let’s take a closer look at the process – but remember that this is an informal solution with risks to data.

Pre-launch warnings:

• 🚨 All data on SD-The map will be destroyed during formatting.
• 🚨 The speed of the card can drop significantly (especially if it is not). UHS-I).
• 🚨 After the map is extracted, some applications will stop working.
• 🚨 Xiaomi does not provide support for such manipulations – the risk of “bricking” lies with you.

Instructions (for experienced users only!):

1. Install TWRP Recovery on Redmi 4X (instructions are available on the 4PDA or XDA Developers forum).
2. Download and transfer the Adoptable Storage Enabler archive to your phone (for example, from here).
3. Boot to TWRP (clip Power + Volume up when turned on).
4. Install the downloaded archive through Install.
5. Reboot to the system and go to Settings → Warehouse → SD-map.
6. Select Settings → Format as internal memory.
7. Confirm the action and wait until it is completed (may take 10–30 minutes).

After formatting SD-The map will become part of the internal storage, and new applications will be installed on it by default:

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Before formatting SD-Cards as internal memory check its speed using the application A1 SD If the recording speed is below 10 MB/s, it is better not to use this method - applications will slow down.

Alternative ways to free up memory without transferring to SD

If none of the above methods are suitable, consider alternative memory optimization options on the Redmi 4X:

• 🧹 Cache Clearing: Go to Settings → Apps, select the program and click Clear Cache. For bulk cleaning, use CCleaner or Files by Google.
• ☁️ Cloud Storage: Move photos and videos to Google Photos, Mi Cloud or Yandex Drive. Set up automatic download.
• 🔄 Lite versions of applications: replace "heavy" programs with lighter analogues: Facebook Lite instead of Facebook; Messenger Lite instead of Messenger; Twitter Lite (PWA) instead of a formal client.
• 🗑️ Remove Duplicates: Use Duplicate Files Fixer or the built-in Cleanup utility MIUI.
• 🔧 Disabling Unnecessary System Applications: Through Settings → Annexes → Find unnecessary services (e.g. Mi Video, Mi Music) and disable them (Stop button).

It’s also worth checking which apps take up the most space:

1. Go to Settings. → Warehouse.
2. Click on the App category.
3. Sort by size (slip on the icon) ⋮ top-right).
4. Remove or clean the most “glutty” programs.

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Even if you can’t transfer the app to SD-card, its data (for example, uploaded files in Telegram or Spotify cache) can be manually moved through the file manager. /Android/data/ to the memory card and create a symbolic link (root rights will be required).

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When working with the transfer of applications to SD-mapping 4X We often face typical problems. Let's look at the most common problems and the ways we can solve them:

⚠️ Note: if, after transferring the application to SD-The map has stopped updating through Google Play, try it:

1. Put it back in your inner memory.
2. Update through the store.
3. Move it back to SD.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions