Are you running out of storage space on your Xiaomi phone due to the numerous apps installed on it? Don’t worry! Xiaomi phones come with a useful feature that allows you to easily move apps to the SD card, freeing up internal storage for other important files and data.
Moving apps to the SD card not only helps you increase storage capacity but also ensures smoother device performance. However, if you’re not familiar with the process, it can be a bit confusing. But fret not! In this article, we’ll guide you through the step-by-step process of moving apps to the SD card on Xiaomi phones.
By following these instructions, you’ll be able to free up space on your internal storage and organize your apps more efficiently. So, let’s get started and make the most out of your Xiaomi phone’s storage capacity!
Inside This Article
- Enable Developer Options on your Xiaomi phone
- Enable USB debugging mode on your Xiaomi phone
- Download and install ADB on your computer
- Connect your Xiaomi phone to your computer via USB cable
- Open the command prompt or terminal on your computer
- Grant USB Debugging permission on your Xiaomi phone
- Verify ADB connection between your computer and Xiaomi phone
- List all the apps installed on your Xiaomi phone
- Choose the app you want to move to the SD card
- Execute the ADB command to move the selected app to SD card
- Confirm the successful transfer of the app to SD card
- Conclusion
- FAQs
Enable Developer Options on your Xiaomi phone
Enabling Developer Options on your Xiaomi phone is the first step towards moving apps to your SD card. By enabling this feature, you gain access to advanced settings and debugging options that are essential for performing certain tasks, including moving apps to SD card.
To enable Developer Options, follow these simple steps:
- Go to the settings menu on your Xiaomi phone. You can access it by swiping down from the top of your screen and tapping the gear icon or by finding the settings app in your app drawer.
- Scroll down and tap on “About phone” or “About device” (the naming may differ slightly depending on the Xiaomi model you’re using).
- In the “About phone” menu, look for the “MIUI version” or “Build number” option. Tap on it repeatedly for about 7-8 times until a message pops up indicating that you are now a developer.
- After the message appears, go back to the main settings menu. You will now see an additional option called “Developer options” or “Additional settings”. Tap on it to enter the Developer Options menu.
By following these steps, you have successfully enabled Developer Options on your Xiaomi phone. This will give you the necessary access and permissions to perform advanced tasks, including moving apps to your SD card.
Enable USB debugging mode on your Xiaomi phone
If you want to move apps to the SD card on your Xiaomi phone, one important step is to enable USB debugging mode. USB debugging allows your phone to communicate with your computer and execute commands necessary for app transfers. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to enable USB debugging mode on your Xiaomi phone.
Step 1: Go to the Settings app on your Xiaomi phone. You can find it in your app drawer or by swiping down from the top of the screen and tapping the gear icon.
Step 2: Scroll down and tap on “About phone”. This option is usually located towards the end of the Settings menu.
Step 3: In the “About phone” menu, locate the “MIUI version” or “MIUI version” section. Tap on it repeatedly for around 7 times. You will see a message that says “You are now a developer!” or “Developer options have been enabled”.
Step 4: Now, go back to the main Settings menu and you will see a new option called “Additional settings” or “Developer options”. Tap on it to access the developer options.
Step 5: Scroll down and find the “USB debugging” option. It is usually located towards the bottom of the developer options menu.
Step 6: Tap on the toggle switch next to “USB debugging” to enable it. You may see a warning message notifying you about the potential risks of enabling USB debugging. Read and understand the message, then tap “OK” to confirm.
That’s it! USB debugging mode is now enabled on your Xiaomi phone. You can now proceed with the next steps to move apps to the SD card using ADB.
Download and install ADB on your computer
In order to move apps to the SD card on your Xiaomi phone, you will need to download and install the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) on your computer. ADB is a versatile command-line tool that allows you to interact with your Android device from your computer.
Here are the steps to download and install ADB:
- Visit the official Android Developer website at https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools.
- Scroll down to the “Command line tools only” section and download the appropriate version of the Platform-Tools package for your operating system (Windows, Mac, or Linux).
- Once the download is complete, extract the contents of the zip file to a location on your computer, such as the desktop or a dedicated folder.
- Open the extracted folder and locate the “platform-tools” folder. This folder contains the ADB executable file.
- Next, you will need to set up the ADB executable file for easy access. Here’s how to do it:
- For Windows users, you can add the folder path to the system’s “Path” environment variable. This will allow you to run ADB from anywhere on your computer. Alternatively, you can simply open a command prompt in the “platform-tools” folder.
- For Mac and Linux users, you will need to add the folder path to the “PATH” environment variable. This can be done by modifying the “.bashrc” or “.bash_profile” file in your home directory. Alternatively, you can navigate to the “platform-tools” folder in the terminal and run ADB commands from there.
- Once you have set up the ADB executable file, you can test if it’s working correctly. Open a command prompt or terminal window and type “adb version” (without quotes) and press enter. If everything is set up correctly, it should display the version of ADB installed on your computer.
Once ADB is installed and set up on your computer, you are ready to connect your Xiaomi phone and begin the process of moving apps to the SD card.
Connect your Xiaomi phone to your computer via USB cable
In order to move apps to the SD card on your Xiaomi phone, you’ll need to establish a connection between your phone and computer. This can be done easily by following these steps:
1. Take the USB cable that came with your Xiaomi phone and locate the USB port on your phone.
2. Connect one end of the USB cable to the USB port on your phone.
3. Next, locate a USB port on your computer and connect the other end of the USB cable to it.
4. Once the cable is securely connected to both your Xiaomi phone and computer, you should see a notification on your phone’s screen indicating that it is connected via USB.
5. At this point, your Xiaomi phone is now successfully connected to your computer via the USB cable.
This connection is essential for the next steps in moving apps to the SD card on your Xiaomi phone. It allows your computer to communicate with your phone and perform the necessary operations to transfer apps to the SD card.
Now that you have successfully connected your Xiaomi phone to your computer via the USB cable, you’re ready to proceed with the next steps to move your apps to the SD card.
Open the command prompt or terminal on your computer
Before we can proceed with moving apps to the SD card on your Xiaomi phone, we need to open the command prompt or terminal on your computer. The command prompt is a Windows utility, while the terminal is used on Mac and Linux systems.
To open the command prompt on your Windows computer, you can press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box. Then, type “cmd” in the text field and press Enter. This will open the command prompt window.
If you’re using a Mac computer, you can open the terminal by going to the Applications folder, then selecting the Utilities folder. From there, you can find the terminal app and click on it to open it.
For Linux users, the terminal can be accessed by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard. This will open the terminal window.
Once you have opened the command prompt or terminal, you are ready to proceed with the next steps in moving apps to the SD card on your Xiaomi phone.
Grant USB Debugging permission on your Xiaomi phone
Before you can proceed with moving apps to the SD card on your Xiaomi phone, you need to grant USB Debugging permission. USB Debugging allows your computer to have access to your phone’s software and perform advanced tasks.
To enable USB Debugging on your Xiaomi phone, follow these steps:
- Go to the “Settings” app on your Xiaomi phone.
- Scroll down and tap on “About phone”.
- Find the “MIUI version” option and tap on it seven times. This will enable Developer Options on your Xiaomi phone.
- Go back to the main settings menu and tap on “Additional settings”.
- Scroll down and tap on “Developer options”.
- Toggle the switch for “USB debugging” to enable it.
- A prompt will appear on your Xiaomi phone asking for your permission to enable USB debugging. Tap on “OK” to grant the permission.
Once you have granted USB Debugging permission on your Xiaomi phone, you can proceed to the next step of the process.
Verify ADB connection between your computer and Xiaomi phone
After connecting your Xiaomi phone to your computer via USB cable, the next step is to verify the ADB connection. This is an important step to ensure that your computer and phone can communicate with each other properly.
To verify the ADB connection, you need to open the command prompt or terminal on your computer. You can do this by searching for “command prompt” or “terminal” in the search bar or by using the keyboard shortcut (e.g., Windows key + R, then type “cmd” and press Enter).
Once the command prompt or terminal is open, type the following command:
adb devices
This command will display a list of devices connected to your computer via ADB. If your Xiaomi phone is properly connected, you should see your device’s serial number in the list. If you see an unauthorized message, you may need to grant USB debugging permission on your Xiaomi phone.
If you don’t see your device’s serial number or encounter any error message, you may need to troubleshoot the ADB connection. Here are a few troubleshooting steps you can try:
- Make sure you have enabled USB debugging mode on your Xiaomi phone.
- Check if the USB cable is properly connected to both your computer and Xiaomi phone.
- Try using a different USB cable or USB port on your computer.
- Restart both your computer and Xiaomi phone and try again.
- Update the ADB drivers on your computer.
Once you have successfully verified the ADB connection, you can proceed to the next step in the process of moving apps to the SD card on your Xiaomi phone.
List all the apps installed on your Xiaomi phone
When it comes to managing the apps on your Xiaomi phone, it’s important to know exactly what apps are installed. Having a clear list of all the installed apps can help you stay organized and easily identify the ones you want to move to the SD card. Here’s how you can list all the apps installed on your Xiaomi phone:
1. On your Xiaomi phone, go to the home screen and tap on the “Settings” app.
2. In the Settings menu, scroll down and tap on the “Apps” or “Applications” option. This will open a list of all the apps installed on your phone.
3. You can scroll through the list to see all the apps, or you can use the search bar at the top to quickly find a specific app by typing its name.
4. The apps will be listed in alphabetical order, making it easier for you to locate a specific app.
5. To view more details about an app, tap on its name in the list. This will give you information such as the app’s version, storage usage, and permissions.
6. If you want to uninstall an app, you can tap on the “Uninstall” button next to its name. This will remove the app from your Xiaomi phone.
7. Once you have the complete list of all the installed apps on your Xiaomi phone, you can proceed with selecting the ones you want to move to the SD card.
Having a comprehensive list of the installed apps on your Xiaomi phone is essential for efficient app management. With this information, you can easily identify the apps you want to move to the SD card and free up internal storage space. Now that you know how to list all the apps on your Xiaomi phone, you can proceed with the next steps in the process of moving the apps to the SD card.
Choose the app you want to move to the SD card
Now that you have successfully connected your Xiaomi phone to your computer and granted the necessary USB Debugging permission, it’s time to select the app you want to move to the SD card. This step is crucial as it allows you to optimize your device’s storage and free up valuable internal space.
Start by thinking about the apps that occupy the most space on your phone. These are typically large applications such as games, multimedia apps, or productivity tools. Moving these apps to the SD card can significantly reduce the burden on your device’s internal storage.
If you’re unsure which apps to choose, you can check the app sizes on your Xiaomi phone. Navigate to the Settings app and select the “Storage” option. Here, you’ll find a breakdown of the storage usage on your device, including the size of each installed app.
Take a closer look at the apps that consume the most space and decide which ones you can comfortably move to the SD card. Remember, some apps may not be eligible for transfer, as certain system apps or essential services need to remain on the internal storage. However, the majority of user-installed apps should be movable.
Consider the frequency of use for each app. If there are apps that you rarely use but still occupy a significant amount of storage space, moving them to the SD card is a sensible choice. On the other hand, if there are apps you frequently access, it might be better to leave them on the internal storage for quicker access and better performance.
Additionally, keep in mind that while moving apps to the SD card helps free up internal space, it may have a small impact on app performance. Loading times could be slightly longer when accessing apps from the SD card, especially if the card’s speed is lower than the device’s internal storage. However, this impact is usually minimal and doesn’t detract from the overall benefits of freeing up internal storage.
After considering these factors, make a list of the apps you want to move to the SD card. This will streamline the process and make it easier to execute the necessary ADB command in the next step.
Execute the ADB command to move the selected app to SD card
Once you have selected the app that you want to move to the SD card on your Xiaomi phone, it’s time to execute the ADB command to initiate the transfer. Follow the step-by-step instructions below:
1. Open the command prompt or terminal on your computer.
2. In the command prompt, navigate to the directory where you have installed ADB. For example, if you have installed ADB in the “C:\adb” folder, type the command “cd C:\adb” and press Enter.
3. Connect your Xiaomi phone to your computer using a USB cable. Make sure USB debugging mode is enabled on your phone and you have granted USB debugging permission.
4. In the command prompt, enter the following command to check if your phone is connected successfully:
adb devices
5. After verifying the connection, execute the ADB command to move the selected app to the SD card. The command syntax is:
adb shell pm set-install-location 2 com.package.name
Replace “com.package.name” with the actual package name of the app you want to move. You can find the package name of the app in the “Package Installer” section of the app’s page on the Google Play Store.
6. Press Enter to execute the command. The ADB command will instruct your Xiaomi phone to move the selected app to the SD card.
7. Wait for the command to execute and complete the transfer process. This may take a few moments depending on the size of the app and the speed of your SD card.
8. Once the transfer is complete, you can disconnect your Xiaomi phone from your computer. The selected app will now be installed on the SD card instead of the internal storage.
By following these steps, you will be able to successfully execute the ADB command to move the selected app to the SD card on your Xiaomi phone. This will help you free up space on your phone’s internal storage and improve its performance.
Confirm the successful transfer of the app to SD card
After executing the ADB command to move the selected app to the SD card on your Xiaomi phone, it is essential to confirm whether the transfer was successful. Here’s how you can verify that the app has been successfully moved:
1. Disconnect your Xiaomi phone from the computer by unplugging the USB cable.
2. Go to the home screen of your phone and tap on the “Settings” app.
3. In the Settings menu, scroll down and select the “Apps” or “Applications” option.
4. You will now see a list of all the installed apps on your Xiaomi phone.
5. Look for the app that you have just moved to the SD card. You can either scroll through the list or use the search option to find it quickly.
6. Once you have located the app, tap on it to open the app settings.
7. In the app settings, you should see information about the app, including its name, storage usage, and location.
8. Check the app’s storage location to ensure that it is now shown as “SD card” or “External storage.” This indicates that the app has been successfully transferred to the SD card.
9. Additionally, you can also check the app’s storage usage to see if there has been a decrease in the internal storage usage and an increase in the SD card storage usage. This confirms that the app has been moved to the SD card.
10. Finally, to further validate the successful transfer, you can try running the app and ensure that it functions properly from the SD card.
By following these steps, you can easily confirm whether the app has been successfully moved to the SD card on your Xiaomi phone. If you encounter any issues or the app does not show the desired storage location, you can repeat the process or consult the Xiaomi support team for further assistance.
Conclusion
In conclusion, moving apps to an SD card on Xiaomi phones can greatly expand the available storage space and improve the overall performance of your device. With just a few easy steps, you can free up internal storage and ensure a smoother app experience.
Remember to check if your Xiaomi phone supports this feature, as not all models may have the ability to move apps to an SD card. Additionally, it’s essential to consider the pros and cons before deciding which apps to move, as certain apps may not function properly when transferred to external storage.
By following the step-by-step guide provided, you can confidently move apps to an SD card on your Xiaomi phone and maximize the storage capacity of your device. Enjoy the added convenience and efficient app management that comes with this feature, and make the most out of your Xiaomi smartphone!
FAQs
1. Can all apps be moved to the SD card on Xiaomi phones?
Yes, most apps can be moved to the SD card on Xiaomi phones. However, certain system apps or apps that are essential for the phone’s operation may not be movable.
2. How do I check if an app can be moved to the SD card on my Xiaomi phone?
To check if an app can be moved to the SD card on your Xiaomi phone, follow these steps:
– Go to “Settings” on your phone.
– Tap on “Apps”.
– Select the app you want to check.
– If the option to “Move to SD card” is available, it means that the app can be moved.
3. Will moving apps to the SD card affect their performance?
Moving apps to the SD card on Xiaomi phones may slightly impact their performance. As the SD card’s read and write speeds are typically slower than the phone’s internal storage, there may be a slight delay in loading times for apps moved to the SD card.
4. Can I move pre-installed apps to the SD card?
In most cases, pre-installed apps cannot be moved to the SD card on Xiaomi phones. These apps are often part of the phone’s core system and are required for its proper functioning. However, you can disable or uninstall certain pre-installed apps if you don’t use them.
5. Can I still use a moved app if I unmount or remove the SD card?
No, if you unmount or remove the SD card from your Xiaomi phone, the apps that have been moved to the SD card will not be accessible. It is recommended to keep the SD card inserted in your phone to ensure uninterrupted access to the apps stored on it.
