Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a shortage of internal memory, the system is getting cache, and popular messengers and games take up gigabytes of space, in such situations, there is a logical desire to transfer heavy programs to a memory card or simply organize the interface.
However, starting with the versions MIUI 10 and later, Xiaomi has changed the security policy of Android. Now, with the standard means of the system, transfer the installed application from internal memory to the internal memory of the device. SD-This is a limit that's made it impossible to map, but it's a limit that's made it very stable, but it's baffling users.
However, there are proven workarounds and alternative solutions: we will discuss how to organize the desktop properly, whether external storage can still be used for programs, and what hidden features of the system will help optimize the place.
Why you can’t transfer applications to a memory card in new MIUIs
Previously, the function of transferring data to an external drive was available in the settings menu of each program. → Annexes → All applications, you will see that the button "Move to" SD-The map is either missing or inactive. It's not a bug, it's the philosophy of Android developers.
The fact is that the read and write speed of modern memory cards is often lower than that of the built-in UFS flash memory. If you move a heavy application, it can start to run slower, cause "freezes" of the interface or even crash shut down. Xiaomi blocks this ability to ensure smooth operation of the MIUI shell.
Technical limitations of Android 10+
In addition, memory cards have a limited resource of rewrite cycles, and when applications are running, they quickly shut down, which can lead to the loss of important data, so the system compulsorily installs all programs in an internal hoard.
Organization of the desktop and folders
If you mean moving the icon, you don't have to limit it. You can create a convenient folder structure, or you can put a frequently used program on the home screen, and you just have to pinch the icon with your finger and drag it to the right place.
HyperOS and older versions of MIUI have editing mode, and with two fingers, put the screens together to see all the desktops at once, which allows you to quickly shortcut between pages, and you can also use folder widgets, which take up less space.
To create a folder, just drag and drop one icon on top of another. The system automatically creates a container that can be renamed. This is the best way to keep the interface clean without using third-party launchers.
Using a memory card as an alternative storage
While the apps themselves are difficult to migrate, you can configure the system to save all the new files downloaded by those apps to the map, freeing up precious internal space, especially for the camera, voice recorder and browsers.
To set up the camera, go to the camera interface, click on the three bars in the corner and select Settings. SD-Now all the photos and videos will be sent to the external drive, bypassing the internal memory.
☑️ Optimizing the space on Xiaomi
You can do the same thing in a file manager. Open standard Explorer, click on the menu, select settings. Specify the default path for saving. This won't move existing files, but new ones will be written correctly.
Special opportunities for data portability
In some cases, the system itself suggests moving the media files of the application. Go to Settings → Storage. If the system finds that the memory is full, it may suggest clearing the cache or transferring large files. This is a regular optimization tool.
And you also have to look at the memory extension feature, which is available on high-volume RAM models, and it takes a piece of RAM and uses it as virtual memory, which speeds up heavy applications, although it doesn't solve the file space problem.
| Type of data | Can I move it to SD? | Transfer method |
|---|---|---|
| Photos and videos | Yes. | Camera settings |
| Music. | Yes. | File manager |
| Annexes (APK) | No (usually) | Only root rights. |
| Cash messengers | Partially. | Inside the app |
It's important to understand the difference between porting an installation file and user data. SD-Map as a target folder when installed from Mi GetApps or Google Play.
Setup of messengers and social networks
The most voracious apps are Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber, which store their correspondence history and media files in internal memory by default, and fortunately, they have their own migration tools in their settings.
In Telegram, the path looks like this: Settings → Data and memory → Use it. SD-Once this option is enabled, all new downloaded files will be saved there. Old files will have to be manually transferred through the file manager.
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Use the Cleanup feature inside Telegram, which allows you to delete old cached files that you've already viewed but that take up space, which is safer than manually deleting files.
On WhatsApp, things are more complicated. On Android 11 and above, folder access is limited. It's recommended that you back up Google Drive regularly and clear the chat rooms of heavy videos, which will free up the megabytes that take up the databases.
Third-party launchers for managing icons
If the standard MIUI shell seems uncomfortable for you to sort apps, you can install a third-party launcher, and popular options like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher give you more flexibility in grouping icons.
However, it is worth remembering that third-party launchers consume more battery resources and can work less stable on Xiaomi, and for their proper operation you need to issue special permissions in the “Protection” or “Security” menu.
⚠️ Warning: Installing launchers from unknown sources may lead to data leakage.Use only verified apps from Google Play Store.
After installing a new launcher, you can create an unlimited number of folders, change the size of the grid, and hide unnecessary system applications from view, although they will physically remain in the system.
Radical Methods: Root Rights and ADB
For advanced users, there is a way to force applications to be transferred through the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) console, which requires a connection to a computer and the inclusion of USB debugging in the Developer Menu.
The pm set-install-location 2 command tries to force the default location to an external storage, but on modern versions of Android, this command is often ignored by the system or is not working correctly.
adb shell pm set-install-location 2⚠️ Attention: Use ADB-Getting a Root license will void the warranty on the device, and inept actions can turn a smartphone into a brick».
An even riskier method is to obtain superuser rights (Root) through Magisk, which allows you to use special modules to transfer any data, but banking applications and Google Pay will no longer work without complex disguise, and Xiaomi’s security system can block some features.
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The safest and most effective way to free up space is not to transfer applications, but to regularly clean the cache and transfer media files (photos, videos, music) to a memory card or to the cloud.