Modern Xiaomi smartphones running on the shells MIUI and HyperOS, often face a shortage of internal memory, despite the declared volumes of drives. Users are looking for ways to expand the functional space, and one of the most effective, albeit hidden from the ordinary eye, methods is forced transfer of data to an external drive. Standard system settings often block this ability, but special tools allow you to bypass these limitations.
In this article, we will discuss in detail how Xiaomi can move applications to an SD card using the powerful Activity Launcher system tool. This is not just a file manager, but a guide to the hidden menus of the Android operating system, where the engineering settings available to developers are located. We will look at secure algorithms that will help free precious gigabytes of internal memory without losing the stability of the device.
It should be noted that the process requires care, because working with system activities involves interfering with the standard behavior of the operating system. Not all applications support portability, and some system components may not work correctly when placed on an external medium. However, for heavy games, social networks and multimedia applications, this method is a salvation, allowing you to significantly extend the life of a smartphone with a small amount of internal storage.
Preparation of the file system and memory card
Before you start manipulating Activity Launcher, you need to make sure your memory card is ready to work as an application memory extender. Conventional formatting as a portable drive may not be enough. Android requires settings to correctly transfer executable files. If the card was previously used on another device, it is better to pre-clean it.
Insert a MicroSD card into your Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone slot. Go to the settings menu and find the storage section. Here it is important to choose the correct mode. In some versions of firmware, the "Use as internal storage" function is available, but even if it is missing or you do not want to encrypt the card for use only on this device, the correct file system is critical.
⚠️ Warning: The memory card as an internal storage will make it unreadable on other devices without being completely reset.
For maximum compatibility, it is recommended to use cards of UHS-I standard or higher with a speed class of at least 10. Slow memory cards can become a “narrow neck”, which will cause applications to run for a long time and run with delays. After physical installation, check that the system sees the full volume of the drive and it appears as available storage.
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Use only memory cards from trusted manufacturers (SanDisk, Samsung, Kingston). Cheap counterparts often have real capacity claimed, which will lead to data loss when porting heavy applications.
Installation and configuration of Activity Launcher
The main tool of our instruction is Activity Launcher, a free, open source application that allows you to run any activity hidden deep inside the Android system. It does not require Root rights for the basic functionality, making it safe and accessible to a wide range of users.
Once installed, launch the app. You'll see a list of all the programs installed. The interface may seem overloaded, as it displays all the system components, including Google's hidden services and MIUI system processes. For ease of search, use the built-in search bar at the top of the screen. We need to find the specific system activity responsible for managing applications.
Type "Applications" or "Applications" into the search box. In the results list, look for a item that leads to the standard application management menu, but with extended rights. Often it can be an activity with a name like com.android.settings.Settings$ManageApplicationsActivity or similar. This is where the functionality that Xiaomi developers hid from the average user in the standard settings interface hides.
- 📲 Download Activity Launcher from Google Play Store.
- 🔍 In the search for the application, type in “Applications” or “Manage Applications».
- ⚙️ Find the activity that opens the list of all installed programs.
- 🚀 Run the activity found to access the hidden menu.
It is important to understand that Activity Launcher does not create new features, but only opens access to existing, but hidden interfaces. MIUI Developers have completely removed the code responsible for transferring to the SD-But in the vast majority of cases, the functionality that's needed is simply hidden, not removed.
Finding the Hidden Application Management Menu
The most difficult step is to find the activity that allows you to change the installation location. The standard settings menu often does not show the "Change" button for storage. In Activity Launcher, you need to be careful. Look for activities related to the com.android.settings package. Often the desired option is hidden in an activity that is simply called "All Apps" or has a technical name.
Try also searching for "Storage" or "Storage." Sometimes the functionality you want is listed as a separate memory management activity. There may be a few similar items in the list. By trial and error (this is safe if you just open the menu), find the interface where the application list shows the amount of space they occupy and, most importantly, the location button.
Why can the menu be different?
If you find an activity that opens the application list but no port button, try looking for an activity called App Information (com.android.settings.applications.InstalledAppDetails). Running this activity for a particular application can open a full property menu where the option to change the storage will be available. This is a more point-based, but often more efficient method.
| Type of activity | Probability of success | Difficulty of search | Risks. |
|---|---|---|---|
| ManageApplicationsActivity | Tall. | Medium | Low. |
| InstalledAppDetails | Medium | Tall. | Low. |
| StorageSettings | Low. | Low. | Average. |
Remember or write down the name of a successful activity. In the future, it will save you time. Some users even create desktop shortcuts for specific hidden activities through the Activity Launcher itself, so that they can quickly access advanced memory management.
Algorithm of transferring applications to SD-map
Once you successfully opened the hidden app management menu, the practical part begins: select from the list the heavy app you want to migrate. It can be social networks, navigators or games. Click on the program name to open the App Information page.
On this page, look for the "Storage" or "Memory" section. If you're lucky and the hidden menu works correctly, it should show a "Change" button or a drop-down list with a choice of storage location. SD-The system will warn you that some features may not work correctly - this is the standard warning of Android.
☑️ Transfer process
The data copying process will start, depending on the size of the application and the speed of your memory card, while you do not turn off the screen or start other heavy tasks, after completion, the status of the application will change, and the space in the internal memory of Xiaomi will be available to the system.
⚠️ Warning: Do not remove the memory card while the ported applications are running, this can cause them to crash and, in rare cases, damage the application database.
Limitations and technical nuances of work
Despite its apparent simplicity, the method has its limitations, which every Xiaomi user should be aware of. Since Android 6.0, Google has implemented a security model that restricts applications from accessing external drives. Many modern programs simply do not know how to work with external drives. SD-The maps, because their developers did not put such an opportunity in the code.
In addition, the speed of reading and writing on SD-cards, even high-speed cards, are usually inferior to the speed of the built-in memory eMMC or UFS. This means that applications transferred to the map can be launched on the 10-20% For heavy graphics games, this can be a critical factor causing friezes or long levels loads.
Also worth considering is that MIUI system updates can reset these settings. After a major firmware update, you may have to repeat the procedure again via Activity Launcher. Some critical system applications don't have portability at all, and that's fine - they have to stay on a fast internal drive for the phone to work smoothly.
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Only transfer user applications with a large amount of data (cache, media files), system utilities and frequently used messengers are better left on internal memory for speed.
Alternative methods of memory release
If transferring through Activity Launcher has proved impossible for specific applications or you are experiencing instability, there are alternative ways to do this: First of all, use the built-in Cleanup feature in Xiaomi’s Security app, which can find large files and duplicates that take up space.
The second method is to set the default data saver, go to the camera and messenger settings (Telegram, WhatsApp) and specify SD-This won't take the app itself, but it will free up gigabytes that normally take up photos, videos and voice messages.
- 🗑️ Clean the cache of heavy apps regularly through settings.
- ☁️ Use cloud storage for photos and videos (Google Photos, Xiaomi Cloud).
- 📂 Reconfigure the ways of saving in messengers on SD-map.
- 📵 Remove unused applications and their residues.
The third option for advanced users is to use ADB-By connecting the phone to a computer, you can force the installation of applications to change, but this method requires a PC, installed drivers and command line knowledge, making it less accessible than working with Activity Launcher.
adb shell pm set-install-location 2This command puts the system into priority setting mode on an external map, but remember that this is a global setup, and it can affect the operation of all new programs installed. Use it with caution and be able to return the default value (0) if something goes wrong.