How to put a password on the application in Xiaomi: all ways to protect

Protecting personal data on Xiaomi’s smartphone is a key challenge for users who want to keep their messages, photos or banking apps safe from prying eyes. The built-in App Lock feature in the MIUI shell allows you to restrict access to selected programs using a password, fingerprint or facial recognition. But how to properly configure this feature so that it works effectively and does not create unnecessary inconvenience?

In this article, we will discuss all the available ways to set passwords for applications in Xiaomi, including hidden settings and alternative methods for older versions of MIUI. You will learn how to avoid typical configuration errors, which applications should be protected first, and what to do if you forget the password from App Lock.

Why you need to put a password on the application in Xiaomi

The smartphone has become a repository of the most sensitive information: instant messengers, bank card details, personal photos and videos, and even if you don't put your phone in the wrong hands, the risks remain:

• 🔓 Random Access: Children or colleagues can open the app while you’re distracted.
• 📱 Data Leakage: If your phone is lost or stolen, attackers will gain access to all your accounts.
• 💳 Financial risks: banking applications and wallets without protection – easy prey for scammers.
• 👤 Social Engineering: Even people close to you can use your accounts without permission.

Xiaomi's App Lock fixes these problems, but it needs to be configured correctly, for example, many users mistakenly believe that it's enough to protect only messengers, forgetting about Settings, where you can reset all passwords. PIN-We're going to show you how to avoid these errors.

⚠️ Warning: If you use the App Lock with facial recognition, make sure the feature works in poor lighting conditions. Otherwise, access to the apps may be blocked even for you.

How to protect applications in Xiaomi: a comparison of methods

There are several options available in MIUI to block applications, each with its pros and cons. Let's look at them in the table:

Important: If you choose facial recognition, turn off the "Unlock with your eyes closed" option in your security settings. This will prevent your phone from unlocking while you sleep.

Step-by-step: how to set a password for the application in Xiaomi

The process of setting up the App Lock may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI, but the general scheme remains the same. We will show a universal way for MIUI 12/13/14.

1. Open the settings on your Xiaomi smartphone.
2. Go to the Appendix section → Application locking (App Lock).
3. If the feature is used for the first time, the system will suggest setting the main password for App Lock. Come up with a reliable combination (at least 6 characters) and confirm it.
4. Then you'll see a list of all the apps you've installed, and you'll want to select the ones you want to protect by switching the switches to the On position.
5. Set up additional parameters: 🔒 Autolock: The time it takes for the application to be blocked after being folded. 📱 Hiding notifications: the content of the notifications of the protected applications will not appear on the lock screen. 🔄 Reset password: link Mi Account to restore access.

If you want to use biometrics (fingerprint or facial recognition), go to Settings → Password & Security → Fingerprint data (or Face Recognition) and add it to the system.

Make sure the version MIUI function|Create a password (not a date of birth!)|Add a backup unlock method (fingerprint or Mi Account)|Check the work of biometrics in different conditions-->

Hidden settings App Lock: what can be configured additionally

Many users don't know that App Lock has advanced options that make protection more secure.

• 🔐 Blocking Settings: You can prevent changes to your phone settings without password.This will prevent you from disabling App Lock through the menu.
• 📡 Prohibition Wi-Fi/Mobile data: Restricting access to applications when connecting to certain networks (useful for parental control).
• 🔄 Auto Unlock: Disable protection for selected applications in secure locations (e.g., at home).
• 📵 Incognito mode: hides icons of protected applications from the menu (available only through search).

To open these settings:

1. Go to App Lock.
2. Stick to three points (⋮) top-right.
3. Select Additional Settings.

One of the most useful hidden options is "Disable Launch from Notifications," which blocks apps from opening from notification panels, which is often used to bypass App Lock.

Which apps should be protected first

Not all programs require protection, but there are some that contain critical information, and we've compiled a list of priority applications to block.

Less critical, but recommended to block applications:

• 📅 Calendar (may contain confidential meetings).
• 📍 Maps (Google Maps, Yandex.Maps – Location History).
• 📝 Notes (often store passwords or important records).

⚠️ Warning: Do not protect system applications like Phone or Messages if you use them for emergency calls. In a critical situation, locking can prevent quick access.

What to do if you forget your App Lock password

It is not uncommon for you to forget your App Lock password, and recovery methods depend on whether your Mi Account is linked to your phone:

Method 1: Recovery with Mi Account (if tied)

1. On the App Lock password entry screen, tap Forgot your password.
2. Enter your Mi Account (email and password).
3. Confirm the reset via SMS or email.
4. Set a new password for App Lock.

Method 2: Recovery (without Mi Account binding)

If the account is not tied, the only way is to reset the phone hard, which will delete all the data, so use the method only as a last resort:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up to enter Recovery Mode.
3. Select Wipe Data → Factory Reset (manage volume buttons, confirmation – power button).
4. After the reboot, the phone will look like new.

To avoid such a situation in the future:

• 🔑 Link Mi Account to Security Settings.
• 📝 Write the password from App Lock to a secure location (for example, to the password manager).
• 🔄 Update regularly MIUI — Recovery options are added in new versions.

💡

If you’re afraid to forget your password but don’t want to attach Mi Account, use a combination that’s easy to remember but hard to match as your App Lock password, such as the first letters of a line from your favorite song + the year your Xiaomi released (example: “TbM2023!”).

Alternative ways to protect applications in Xiaomi

If you don’t like the built-in App Lock (for example, due to limited settings in older versions of MIUI), you can use third-party solutions.

Third-party blocking applications

Popular programs with advanced functions:

• 🔒 AppLock (by DoMobile Lab) – support for fake password, lock by geolocation.
• 🛡️ Norton App Lock – Integration with antivirus, keylogger protection.
• 📱 Smart AppLock – flexible locking rules (by time, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth).

2. Hidden folders and the Blacklist

MIUI has a Second Space feature that creates a separate desktop with its own applications and data.

1. Go to Settings → Special Opportunities → Second Space.
2. Create a second profile and move the apps you want to hide to it.
3. Set a password to switch between spaces.

3. Data encryption

For maximum security, you can encrypt the entire contents of the phone:

1. Open Settings → Password and Security → Encrypt your phone.
2. Install. PIN-code.
3. Connect your phone to charge (the process can take 1-2 hours).

Once encrypted, the data will be protected even when physically accessing the phone (for example, if someone takes out the flash drive and tries to read it on a PC).

💡

Blockers may conflict with MIUI. Disable the built-in App Lock before installing it and check for compatibility in app reviews.

FAQ: Frequent questions about blocking apps in Xiaomi