How to transfer applications to a memory card in Xiaomi: all the ways and nuances

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a shortage of internal memory, especially if the device is budget or released a few years ago. One obvious way to solve the problem is to transfer applications to a microSD memory card. However, in MIUI this feature does not work as straightforwardly as in other firmware. In some cases, the option is not on the menu at all, and sometimes the transfer leads to errors in the program.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to transfer applications to SD-map in Xiaomi, including official methods through settings, workarounds for models without support for function, as well as alternative solutions for freeing up memory. MIUI, which often cause failure, and explain why some applications cannot be transferred to an external drive.

If you've tried to migrate apps and you've encountered errors, don't despair. At the end of the article, you'll find FAQ Solving the most common problems, as well as tips for optimizing memory without using SD-map.

Why Xiaomi can’t transfer all apps to a memory card?

Many users are wondering why MIUI There is no possibility of transferring some applications to SD-map, although in older versions of Android, this feature worked.It's about Google's security policy and the features of Xiaomi's firmware:

• 🔒 Limitations of Android 6.0+: Starting with Marshmallow, Google has banned the portability of system apps and those that use Android Runtime (ART) This is true of most modern programs.
• 📱 MIUI Adoptable Storage: In some versions MIUI Adoptable Storage (conversion) SD-cards to part of internal memory) disabled or is not stable.
• 🚫 Secure applications: Bank clients, encrypted messengers (such as WhatsApp, Telegram with secret chats) and games with anticheats (PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact block transfer for security reasons.
• ⚠️ Data corruption risk: When transferred to cheap or slow SD-maps (class below) UHS-I) Applications can slow down or fly off.

It is important to understand that even if you see the button "Move to the SD-"map" in the application settings, this does not guarantee successful transfer. 10 pro POCO X3 Pro part of the data will still remain in the internal memory, and the process itself can take up to a certain time. 10-15 minute.

⚠️ Attention: Transfer of applications to SD-The card can cause data loss when the drive is removed or damaged. Always back up important files before manipulating the memory.

Official method: transfer via MIUI settings

If your Xiaomi model supports the portability of applications to your home SD-This is done through the standard menu. MIUI 12/13/14 and most modern devices (Redmi) 9/10/11, POCO F3/F4, Mi 11 Lite and others.).

Steps for transfer:

1. Put it in. SD-card to slot (if you use a hybrid slot, note that SIM-map will be unavailable).
2. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
3. Select the desired application from the list.
4. Click on Warehouse (or Memory in some versions).
5. If the option is available, a button will appear to Move to SD-Card (or Change with the choice of storage device).
6. Confirm the action and wait for the process to be completed (may take a few minutes).

After transferring some of the data (cache, updates) can still remain in internal memory. To check which files take up space, use the built-in Memory Analysis in Settings → Memory.

Adoptable Storage: How to do it SD-cardboard

If your Xiaomi model does not have an option to port applications, you can try formatting. SD-This is an Adoptable Storage, which runs on pure Android, but in a very simple way. MIUI However, on some devices (e.g. Redmi) 5/6 or Mi A2 Android One can be used with it.

Instructions:

1. Put it in. SD-phone-card.
2. Go to Settings. → Memory. → SD-map.
3. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Storage Settings.
4. Tap format as internal memory (if available).
5. Confirm the formatting (all data on the map will be deleted!).
6. After formatting, select Transfer Data to move supported applications.

This method has serious disadvantages:

• 🔄 The card cannot be retrieved without losing data (it will become part of the system).
• 🐢 The speed of the application may decrease if SD-slow-card.
• 🚫 Not all apps will support portability (especially games and system utilities).

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 8 Pro) POCO F2 Pro) Adoptable Storage is hidden. Attempts to enable it through ADB They can lead to disruptions in work. MIUI.

Transfer applications over ADB (for power users)

If standard methods do not work, you can try to transfer applications to the SD-Map with Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This method requires connecting the phone to a computer and basic command line knowledge.It is suitable for models where the portability option is hidden but technically supported (Redmi Note). 7/9, Mi 9T etc.).

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and install ADB drivers (you can download from Google or via the Mi Unlock Tool).
4. Open the command line (or Terminal) macOS/Linux) and type in adb shell pm set-install-location 2 This team is setting up SD-Map as a preferred location for new applications.
5. To migrate an already installed app (e.g. Facebook), use: adb shell pm move-package com.facebook.katana (replace com.facebook.katana with your app's batch name).

List of packet names of popular applications:

If the pm move-package command returns the error [NOT_MOVED: Operation not allowed, means the application cannot be moved for the reasons described in the first section of the article.

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To find out the batch name of any application, install App Inspector from Google Play or use the command adb shell pm list packages | grep "name" (for example, grep "face" for Facebook).

Alternative ways to free up memory without SD-map

If porting applications to a memory card is not possible or doesn’t solve the problem, consider alternative ways to free up space:

• 🧹 Cache Clearing: Go to Settings → Memory. → Clean and delete unnecessary files. MIUI There is a built-in Deep Cleanup tool that finds large temporary files.
• ☁️ Cloud Storage: Move photos and videos to Google Photos, Mi Cloud or Yandex Drive. Xiaomi Gallery has the option to automatically upload media files to the cloud.
• 📁 Manual File Transfer: Music, Documents and Downloads Can Be Moved to SD-A card via any file manager (e.g., Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).
• 🎮 Optimization of games: In Settings → Annexes → Games can be disabled auto-update and clear the cache of heavy games (Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile).
• 🔄 Factory reset: The last resort if the memory is clogged with system debris.Pre-backup through Settings → The phone. → Backup.

Important: B MIUI 14 added the function "Memory Extension" (Memory Extension), which uses a part SD-card-like RAM. This doesn't free up space for applications, but it can speed up the system. → Additionally. → Expansion of memory.

What are they? SD-Maps are suitable for Xiaomi: recommendations for choosing

If you plan to use it SD-The application port card, its speed and reliability are critical. 4/6 Not only will apps slow down, but they can also lead to write errors:

• 🏆 Best choice: Maps UHS-I U3 or A2 (For example, SanDisk Extreme, Samsung EVO Plus.They provide read/write speeds of 90MB/s.
• 🚫 What to avoid: Cards without speed markings, fakes (check through the H2testw), and drives with a capacity of more than 512 GB – many models Xiaomi do not support such large volumes.
• 🔍 Check before buying: Use CrystalDiskMark (on PC) or A1 SD Bench (on Android) for speed testing.

Comparison of popular SD-maps for Xiaomi:

If you use SD-Adoptable Storage, choose high-resourced models (e.g. SanDisk High Endurance) as they are designed to overwrite data frequently.

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Applications are only suitable for transfer SD-class A2 or U3. Class cards A1 or below lead to lags and errors.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When transferring applications to SD-Xiaomi users often face problems. Let's consider the most common mistakes and ways to fix them:

• ❌ "Not enough space on the device" during transfer: Reason: On SD-The card is not enough free space or it is formatted in FAT32 (Maximum file size: 4GB Solution: Format the card in exFAT or NTFS (via PC and try again.
• ❌ "Application cannot be ported": Reason: Application is portable (bank clients, some games).Solution: Try to transfer only a part of the data (cache, media files) through the file manager.
• ❌ App crashes after transfer: Reason: Slow SD-map MIUI. Solution: Return the application to internal memory or replace the card with a faster one (class) A2).
• ❌ Option “Move to” SD-Map" inactive: Reason: Firmware blocks function. Solution: Try the method with ADB (section 4) or update MIUI last-minute.

If the app stopped updating through Google Play after the transfer, try:

1. Put it back in your inner memory.
2. Update through Play Market.
3. Move it back to SD-map.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) 9A or POCO C31) portability SD-The card can lead to malfunctions in the work MIUI In this case, it is recommended to use alternative launchers (for example, Nova Launcher).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions