Memory Card Issues

Smartphones of the Chinese brand “Xiaomi” are distinguished by a favorable ratio of price and functionality. And one of their advantages is the ability to purchase a gadget with a powerful processor and a good amount of RAM and ROM for a relatively small amount. But even 32, 64 and 128 gigabytes of RAM, typical for the flagships of 2016-2017, are not enough for everyone. especially since some of them are occupied by system applications and the operating system. To increase the volume of ROM, expanding the ability to install new programs, storing photos, music and memory cards allow. With their help, the size of the information store can increase several times. But sometimes the Xiaomi smartphone does not see the memory card, and this problem requires the user to search for a suitable solution, which depends on its cause.

Types of Memory Cards

Modern smartphones allow you to expand the ROM using a memory card of one of three types:

• microSD memory holds up to 4 GB of data;
• microSDHC flash drives up to 32 GB are the next generation and are one of the best options for the price;
• microSDXC cards can be up to 2 TB in size.

In addition to this classification, there is another division of additional memory. into classes. So, Class 2 supports speeds up to 2 MB / s, Class 4. up to 4 MB / s, 6th and 10th. respectively, 6 and 10 MB / s. The choice of the second class is recommended only in cases where flash memory is used to store only text documents. Class 10 is required when recording in FullHD format on a card.

How to insert a memory card

In the list of Xiaomi smartphones, you can find models of different types and in almost any price category. from budget Redmi 4A phones and outdated Xiaomi Redmi 3 to Xiaomi Redmi 4 Pro and flagship Xiaomi Mi6, the cost of which is comparable to Apple gadgets. And almost every one of them allows you to use simultaneously two SIM-cards. However, the place for the microSD-card does not go as a separate slot, so you will have to sacrifice one SIM card to expand the ROM.

The process of installing a flash drive for Xiaomi consists of several steps:

1. A cover is sought on the smartphone’s body, behind which are slots for SIM cards and microSD cards.
2. A clip is inserted into the hole on the cover (the manufacturer suggests removing it not manually, but with the help of a special device).
3. With a little effort, the device is pressed until it clicks.
4. The tray is pulled out of the case and cards are installed in the corresponding slots.

For Xiaomi Redmi 4x and Redmi 3 Pro models, the sizes of SIM cards will be the same, for some Xiaomi smartphones they may differ (for example, nano-sim and micro-sim). However, flash memory is installed approximately the same for any model. from Redmi Note 4x to the new Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus. To complete the SD card connection, the tray closes neatly. also until it clicks.

If the phone does not see the memory card

The problem with flash memory often lies in problems with the drive itself. To verify this assumption, you should install a microSD-card on another device. another gadget, tablet or in a card reader of a laptop. If the card works, then the problem is already in the smartphone.

The popular reasons that Xiaomi Redmi 4a or another model of the Chinese brand does not read a microSD drive include:

Software crash. The problem is solved by rebooting the gadget or, in rare cases, by flashing the Android system. although the latter method is quite complex and radical.

The lack of smartphone support for a specific flash drive. for example, some microSD cards do not always support Xiaomi Max, and most smartphones have memory size restrictions (for example, 32 or 64 GB).

Worn contacts in the slot where the card is installed. The issue is resolved by contacting the service. Although sometimes it’s enough to try several times to remove the drive and reconnect.

Sometimes the cause of the problem with the cards is viruses or an unsupported format (NTFS or FAT32). You can correct the situation by removing the USB flash drive from the phone and formatting it on another device. for example, on a PC. Although you can try formatting the card on the smartphone itself. if the gadget allows you to perform this operation, the drive will be guaranteed to work. True, all the data stored on it will not be saved. and if the flash drive is read by another device, it’s worth moving (or copying) all the valuable information to it.

Installing applications on an SD card

New applications can be automatically installed on the flash drive immediately after it is placed in the appropriate slot. If this does not happen, the settings will have to be set manually. To select the part of the memory in which the program data will be stored, set the “SD card” item in the “Memory” menu of the smartphone.

To transfer already installed applications to the card, you need to perform the following actions:

1. Go to system settings.
2. Select “All applications”.
3. Find the right program and go into its properties.
4. Click on the “Transfer to SD card” button.

If installing and moving a specific application to a USB flash drive is not possible (and the properties do not even have such a menu item), you can use third-party utilities. Helps to transfer applications to the memory card Clean Master program, distributed free of charge and does not require root-rights to work. Good and effective migration solutions are offered by Link2SD and Folder Mount utilities. But their launch requires “superuser rights”, the presence of which on the device makes it more vulnerable to viruses.