How to put a password on the app on the TV Xiaomi: 5 working ways

Xiaomi TVs with Android TV or PatchWall offer ample opportunities for personalization, but often become the focus of attention of children or outsiders who can accidentally (or intentionally) change settings, delete important files or make purchases in applications. Putting a password on a separate application is not as obvious as on a smartphone, because the manufacturer does not always provide such a feature out of the box.

In this article, we will analyze all available ways to protect applications on Xiaomi. TV — from built-in tools (parental control, binding to Mi Account) to workaround solutions using third-party launchers and ADB-We will pay special attention to the nuances for different versions of firmware and models (for example, Mi). TV 4S, Mi TV Q1, Redmi Smart TV), We also know why some of the methods may not work on Google TVs. TV (for example, Xiaomi TV A Pro).

If you’re looking for a way to block not only app launches, but also access to settings or purchases – there’s an FAQ at the end of the article answering typical Xiaomi TV security questions. And for those who are ready to experiment, we’ve given instructions on limiting apps through ADB (with risk warnings!).

1. Built-in parental controls: age limit

The most obvious and safe way to protect apps is to use parental controls, which are on all Xiaomi TVs with Android TV or PatchWall.This method does not block apps with a password directly, but allows you to limit access to them by age rating or completely hide them from the menu.

To set up parental control:

• 📺 Go to Settings. → Accounts and security → Parental control.
• 🔒 Install. PIN-code (often used by default 0000 or 1234, but you need to change it!).
• 👶 Select a user profile (such as “Child”) and set age limits for apps.
• 🔄 Apps that do not meet the age rating will be hidden or blocked.

⚠️ Note: This method does not work for all apps, such as YouTube or Netflix have their own age settings, which may conflict with the system settings. PIN-code, it can disable control in 10 seconds.

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If you forgot. PIN-Parental Control Code, can be reset via Settings → Annexes → All applications → Parental control → Clear the data, but it will remove all the restriction settings!

2. Blocking through Mi Account: Device binding

If your Xiaomi TV is tied to your Mi Account, you can use it to remotely lock your device or restrict the installation of new apps, which does not protect already installed programs, but prevents the installation of new ones without your knowledge.

How to set up:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Security → Mi Account
2. Make sure your TV is linked to your account (if not, sign in).
3. On your smartphone, open the Mi Home app or go to account.xiaomi.com.
4. In the Devices section, find your TV and activate the "Request Confirmation for New Apps" option.

Now, when you try to install a new app (for example, through Google Play), a notification will come to your TV to ask you to confirm the action, which does not block the launch of already installed programs, but protects against unauthorized installation.

3. Third-party launchers: alternative shells with a password

Since the standard PatchWall or Android TV shell does not support passwords for individual apps, you can install an alternative launcher with this feature.

• 🛡️ ATV Launcher – allows you to hide applications and install PIN-launcher.
• 🔐 TV Launcher – supports blocking applications and folders.
• 📱 Nova Launcher (requires manual configuration for the TV-interface).

To install a third-party launcher:

1. Download. APK-launcher USB-drive (for example, from the APKMirror website).
2. Connect the flash drive to the TV and open the File Manager → Install from APK.
3. After installation, go to Settings → Applications → Default Launcher and select a new launcher.
4. In the launcher settings, set up a password for the desired applications.

⚠️ Note: Not all launchers are optimized for remote control. For example, Nova Launcher may require a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard connection. In addition, some launchers conflict with Google Play Services, which leads to update errors.

4.Using ADB: Blocking applications through commands

For advanced users, there is a way to block the launch of applications via Android Debug Bridge (ADB).This requires connecting the TV to the computer and executing commands in the terminal.The method works on all Xiaomi TV models, but has risks (for example, you can accidentally delete the system application).

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on USB debugging on your TV: Settings → About TV → Software Version (click 7 times in a row until the message “You are a developer” appears) → Return to Settings → For developers → Debugging on USB (enable)
2. Connect the TV to your computer via USB (or Wi-Fi if supported).
3. Open the terminal on your PC and execute the commands: adb devices adb shell pm hide com.example.app (replace com.example.app with the batch name of the application, for example, com.netflix.ninja for Netflix).

To unlock the application, use the command:

adb shell pm unhide com.example.app

⚠️ Attention: Pm commands hide/unhide They only work on supportive firmware. ADB root on some Xiaomi models TV (Like Mi. TV 5 Pro) it may be necessary to unlock the bootloader, which cancels the warranty, and after restarting the TV, the lock may be reset.

5. Creating a separate user profile

On Xiaomi TVs with Android TV 9.0 and later, you can create a separate profile with limited rights, where only the apps you select will be available.

How to set up:

• 👤 Go to Settings. → Accounts and security → Users.
• 🔄 Select "Add User" and follow the instructions.
• 🔒 In the new profile, install the apps that should be available and block the installation of new ones.
• 🔑 To switch between profiles, you will need to enter PIN-Password or code from Mi Account.

This is a method that is convenient for families with children: you create a “child” profile with access to YouTube Kids or Cartoon Network only, and protect the main profile with a password, but some applications (such as Google Play Movies) can be accessed in both profiles.

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Multiplayer is the only official way to restrict access to applications without third-party software, but it requires manual configuration for each profile and does not block system utilities (such as Settings).

6.Batch-by-pass: what to do if nothing works

If none of the above methods are suitable (for example, there are no parental controls on a TV with Google TV and ADB is not supported), workarounds remain:

One of the most radical solutions is to turn off the Internet on the TV through router settings (for example, on a schedule), which will prevent the installation of new applications and online purchases, but will make streaming services useless, and the alternative is to use a guest Wi-Fi network with limited rights.

If you are willing to go to extreme measures, you can remove unnecessary apps through ADB:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.example.app

But remember: system applications (such as Google Play Services) can not be removed – this will lead to a failure of the TV!

FAQ: Frequent questions about blocking apps on Xiaomi TV