Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO smartphone owners often face the challenge of restricting access to certain software, whether it’s to hide personal emails, protect banking data from children, or simply clean up their workspace. MIUI’s shell (and its new version of HyperOS) offers built-in, powerful tools to do this without installing third-party software.
The Chinese brand’s systematic approach to security not only allows you to set passwords for startup, but also completely hide the presence of applications from the menu. The built-in “Application Lock” feature uses a system security service that ensures stable operation even after a device is rebooted, unlike third-party launchers. In this article, we will discuss all available methods for protecting your digital space.
Use of the built-in "Security" application
The main tool for access management in the Xiaomi ecosystem is the system application Security. This is where the core of your smartphone protection resides. To get started, you need to open this shortcut, which is the default in the Tools folder or on the home screen.
Once you start the app, scroll down to Privacy Protection or Tools, and you're interested in App Lock. When you first sign in, the system will ask you to create a special password or use a pattern lock. Importantly, this password may be different from the screen unlock password, which adds an additional layer of protection.
Once you have the access code installed, you will be asked to select the applications you want to protect, and you can tick the boxes against messengers, gallery, bank clients, or any other software, and once confirmed, the selected applications will only open after you enter your password or scan your fingerprint.
⚠️ Note: If you forget the password from blocking applications, you can only restore access through the linked Mi-account or reset your phone settings, which will delete all data.
In the locker settings (Settings in the upper right corner), you can activate the "Unlock by fingerprint" function, which greatly speeds up access to protected data, allowing you to open it with a single touch if your finger is already registered in the system.
☑️ Blocker setup
Hiding applications from the desktop
Sometimes, simply locking the login isn't enough, and you have to get the app icon out of sight completely. The MIUI and HyperOS shells have a hidden application engine that works in conjunction with the lock. To activate this feature, go back to the Security app and find the Hidden Apps section.
Unlike standard locking, hidden apps disappear from the menu and desktop, using a special gesture or command in the search bar to call them, and you can configure the app to appear only when you enter a specific search query or code word.
This method is ideal for programs that you rarely use but want to keep secret, but it is worth remembering that an experienced user will be able to find them through system settings or task manager, so the combination of concealment and password protection is the most reliable.
- 🔒 Hiding the icon prevents accidental launch and curious glances.
- 🔍 Access is made through a search or special gesture in the launcher.
- 🛡️ It is recommended to combine with password protection for critical data.
To return the application to a prominent place, you just need to go back to the hidden application settings and switch the corresponding switch to the inactive state, and all data inside the program is stored in full.
How to call a hidden application without an icon?
Second Space Mode for Total Insulation
If you want to not just password-close your app, but create a completely separate environment with other accounts and photos, use the Second Space feature, which is the analogue of the second profile on Android, deeply integrated into Xiaomi.
The second space creates a virtual clone of your smartphone, which will have its own settings, your Google account, your apps and your gallery, and you can switch between the main and second space through settings, notification panel or a special fingerprint (if you assign it for a quick login).
The apps installed in the second space are completely invisible to the first, and vice versa. It's ideal for separating work and personal life, or for handing over a phone to a child without fearing for your data. You can even ban file transfers between spaces for maximum privacy.
To activate, go to Settings → Additional Settings → Second Space. The system will create a new environment, and you can configure it like a new phone. All data between spaces is isolated at the file system level.
| Parameter | Application lockdown | Second space |
|---|---|---|
| Level of protection | Launch password | Complete data isolation |
| Visibility of the icon | Visible (password required) | Hidden in the main profile |
| Battery consumption | Minimum | Above (two profiles are working) |
| Difficulty setting up | Low. | Medium |
Time limits (Digital well-being)
Modern versions of Android, which are based on Xiaomi, have built-in Digital Well-Being, which allows you to limit the time spent on the app, rather than block it forever, and is useful for combating social media addiction or controlling children's time spent playing games.
You can find these settings by Settings → Digital Well-Being and Parental Control. Here you can set a timer for a specific application. When the time limit expires, the app icon will turn grey and you won’t be able to run it until the next day (or until the restriction is manually removed).
This feature also allows you to set Do Not Disturb mode and analyze smartphone usage statistics, so you can see how much time is spent on YouTube, Instagram or gaming per day, which is often a revelation to the owner.
The MIUI implementation feature allows you to flexibly adjust your schedule, for example, you can block entertainment apps during business hours from 9:00 to 18:00, leaving only messengers and email clients available.
⚠️ Attention: Parental Control within Digital Well-being requires you to install a separate Family Link app on your child’s device for remote restriction management.
Blocking through Do Not Disturb Mode and Focus
Another layer of control is focus modes, which, while it doesn't lock the application with a password, it effectively removes notifications and limits functionality to help you focus, and HyperOS has made these features much more advanced.
You can create a scenario where notifications from selected applications are blocked at a specific time or place, the screen can darken and distractions disappear, and this is a software lockdown of attention, not data access.
To set up, go to Settings → Digital Well-Being → Focus Mode, where you can select apps that will be blocked (become uninteractable) while the mode is activated, usually social media and games.
- 📵 Effectively blocks notifications and background activity.
- ⏱️ Allows timers for productive work.
- 🎮 Great for limiting children’s playing time without removing games.
Focus modes are a gentle way of self-control, not requiring a password every time, but creating a psychological barrier to flipping through the tape aimlessly.
💡
Use the Do Not Disturb mode with automatic on schedule so that nightly notifications do not wake you up, and the smartphone screen does not interfere with sleep.
Third-party solutions and their limitations
Xiaomi’s built-in tools are usually enough for 95% of users, but there are situations where more specific functionality is needed, such as locking on a schedule with different passwords or hiding system settings, in which cases users turn to third-party apps from Google Play.
Popular solutions like AppLock or Norton App Lock offer more flexible settings, such as taking photos of an attacker when you enter a password incorrectly or changing the subject of the blocker, but using such programs has its own risks.
The main problem with third-party blockers on MIUI is an aggressive energy saving system, which can kill the blocker process in the background, and the protection will stop working at the most inopportune moment, and to avoid this, you need to manually allow auto-start and operation in the background.
Third-party applications also require broad permissions, including access to use other applications on top of everyone, creating a potential security vulnerability if the software developer is unscrupulous.
⚠️ Warning: When installing third-party blockers, be sure to check permissions and reviews. do not give access to the microphone or camera to unverified applications under the guise of a "security feature».
If you still decide to use third-party software, set up an exception for it in the battery: Settings → Applications → All applications → Blocker Name → Charge Savings → No restrictions.
💡
The built-in MIUI/HyperOS protection is preferable to third-party counterparts due to deep integration into the system and the absence of energy saving problems.