How to Move Applications to the SD card in mi phones

Moving Applications to the SD card in mi phones

I recently bought a Xiaomi Redmi 1s  It’s a really good and wonderful phone. Just take the fact that it has an incredible speed given by its 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of total memory, a wonderful processor…. It’s quite remarkable, I must say.

The only problem of this piece of technology is the fact that it doesn’t allow the storage of applications in the external SD card. Yes, it’s a fact. This important detail isn’t present in Redmi 1S – sadly.

If you Google the subject, desperately trying to find a solution, you will probably get very confused. There are same attempts for solving the problem, but they lack explanation – and, in most cases, they simply don’t work…

But if you look carefully, you’ll be reduced to three main choices:

1) Using the android app Foldermount

2) Using a combination of WSM Manager and WSM XExtStorage

3) Using the android app Link2SD

I’ll cut to the chase: number 1 doesn’t work entirely with the majority of your apps, and number 2 is very restrictive, messy, confusing, and does have compatibility issues. Trust me – I know.

That leaves us with number 3.

And, if you do it right, it really works – like a charm.

Either way, if you choose any of these options, you have to do first the most important thing: to root your mobile phone. There’s no way around it – sorry. And you have to install the Super SU(Super User) in your system.

Now, if you want, let’s get started.

First: to root your phone.

I strongly advise for you to install TWRP Recovery, from Team Win Recovery Project. It will make the process much easier.

So, download the TWRP_2.8.0.0.zip file, and save it on your PC.

Do a full backup of your phone if you want.

Now:

1) Go to the “Settings > Developer”options, and enable USB debugging mode.

2) Make sure that your Android battery is full charge or near about 50-70% battery level.

3) Connect your phone to the PC with USB cable and move the TWRP_2.8.0.0.zip file on your phone internal storage - to the folder 'Computer\HM 1S\Internal storage' (root of internal storage, meaning the top most folder).

4) Once the file is saved, disconnect the phone from your PC safely (use 'Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media' from USB icon in Windows SysTray), and go to the menu “Tools > Updates”. There push the options menu in the phone touching the 3 stripes button, and choose “Select Update Package”. Choose the zip file, and hit the Update button. Now the process will start and the phone will reboot.

We’re done with TWRP.

Now, let’s root it and install Super SU.

1) Download the file update.zip to your PC

2) Connect your phone to the PC with USB cable and move the update.zip file to your phone internal storage - to the folder 'Computer\HM 1S\Internal storage' (root of internal storage, meaning the top most folder). If there’s already one file with the same name, replace it, but renaming the older one first.

3) Disconnect your phone properly from USB (use 'Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media' from USB icon in Windows SysTray).

4) Go, again, to the menu “Tools > Updates”, touch again the 3 stripes button we talked about, and choose the option“Reboot to recovery mode”.

5) The phone will reboot, and enter in theTWRP console. There, choose the Installoption, and select the update.zip file in the list. Apply the flash/execute button. It will install the zip file. Go to Home, andReboot System.

6) After the phone is turned on again, go to the Security icon. Choose Permissions, and enable Root Permission. Go out.

7) Now let’s install Super SU. Move theSuperSU_redmi1s.zip to the internal storage – the same mentioned folder – after connecting via USB cable. Unplug safely. Go again to “Tools > Updates”, and choose – as explained – the “Reboot to recovery mode”. After reboot, again inTWRP, choose Install, pick the SuperSUzip file, and flash/execute it. Go Home andReboot System again.

8) Theoretically, it’s done!!! Your phone is now rooted. And you should have theSuper SU icon in your mobile phone already.

9) Just to be sure, go to PlayStore, and download a Root Check – there are several good ones, like the one fromJRummy Apps Inc. After installing it, check if your phone is really rooted. Just in case…

Now for the Link2SD part…. Ready?

First of all, you have to make two different partitions on the external SD card – oneFAT32 and one ext2.

To do this, you’ll need a Windows application named MiniTool Partition Wizard. You will find it easily on Google (try http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html). After installing it on your PC, insert your SD card to the card reader and browse it on your Personal Computer. Back up all your files to the computer because partition SD card will wipe out all your data. Now follow these steps:

1) Launch Mini Tool in your computer, and then locate your SD card. Make sure to select SD Card, but NOT to select your computer’s hard drive.

2) Right-Click and choose Delete.

3) Right-Click and Create “FAT32″ partition. Be sure to make the file size bigger than the 

2nd part. For instance, if your card has 8 GB of size, make this partition with 6 GB. If you have 16 GB, make it 12 GB long.

4) Select “Create as: PRIMARY”. Press OK.

5) Next, right-click and Create an “ext2”partition. Use the remaining space in the card.

6) Select “Create As: PRIMARY” also. PressOK.

7) Left-Click the “Apply” button on the top left corner and wait for it to finish the process.

8) Put back your SD card to your mobile phone and switch it ON.

9) Now, download and install Link2SD. My advice is to install also Link2SD Plus to get the professional application (it’s affordable).

10) Launch Link2SD and you will be prompted to choose between ext2, ext3, ext4 and FAT32. Select ext2. Before this popup, probably Super SU will ask you to allow always root access to Link2SD – accept it.

11) A message will prompt “mount script created“.

12) Reboot your mobile phone now. OpenLink2SD and if the message doesn’t show up, you have succeeded in partition SD card.

13) Go to Link2SD > Settings > Mark the “Auto link”. We’re done.

14) NOTE: if you have to repeat the steps all over again because, for instance, you formatted the SD card again with different partitions sizes, you can re-mount the card in the menu, in “Recreate mount scripts”.

That went pretty well, don’t you think so?

Now, let’s use Link2SD.

When you open it, the list of the phone installed programs will be displayed. Choose one. In the screen, you’ll have the option to “Create Link”. Do it. In the next screen, be sure to mark the three files:applications, dalvik-cache and library files. Click OK, and you’re set – the selected files were transferred to the external SD card! You could try the “Move to the SD card” option bellow on the screen, but it surely won’t work, since the Redmi doesn’t haveapp2sd installed. Repeat this procedure with the rest of the applications you want to move.

You can check that your internal memory has indeed increase in the phone Settings. Or you can also check it in detail insideLink2SD, in “Storage Info” (this will show you the current state of your internal memory, FAT32, and ext2partition). Have fun with your  mi devices