Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face the need to hide private messages from prying eyes. The reasons can be different: the desire to preserve the confidentiality of correspondence, protection from curious colleagues or relatives, or simply a desire for order in the interface. Fortunately, MIUI offers several built-in tools for this task, and if necessary, you can use third-party solutions.
It’s important to understand that hiding SMS is not the same as deleting them — messages remain in the device’s memory but become inaccessible through the standard interface. In this article, we’ll look at 7 proven ways, including hiding through system settings, archiving, using second space, and even methods for those who aren’t afraid to dig into the file system. All instructions are relevant for MIUI 14/15 and Android 13/14, but most of them work on older versions.
Before you start, make sure that your device has the latest updates — some features may be missing or work differently on legacy firmware. Also remember that if you use cloud sync (for example, via Mi Cloud), hidden messages may remain available on other devices connected to the same account.
1. Hiding SMS via built-in Archive function in MIUI
The easiest and safest way to do this is to use the standard Message Archive, which is available in Xiaomi’s Messages app, which does not delete SMS, but only moves them to a separate folder that is not accessible during normal browsing.
To archive messages:
- 📱 Open the Messages app and find the right dialog.
- 🔍 Hold your finger on a message (or multiple messages) to select them.
- 📁 Click on the archive icon (usually a box with a down arrow) in the top panel.
- 🔒 Archived messages will disappear from the main list, but will remain in the Archive folder accessible through the app menu.
To return messages back, go to Archive, select the SMS you want, and click Restore.This method does not require superuser rights (root) and works on all Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO models with current versions of MIUI.
⚠️ Warning: Archived messages still take up space in the device's memory and can be restored through backups. If you want complete privacy, consider encryption or deletion options.
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If the Archive folder is not displayed, update the Messages app via Google Play or Mi App Store. On some firmware, this feature is hidden by default and activated after the update.
2. Use of the "Second Space" to completely isolate messages
The MIUI’s “Second Space” (or Dual Apps) feature allows you to create an isolated copy of any application, including Messages, which means you can set up a separate SMS account that is password protected and not visible in the main interface.
How to set up:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Second Space.
- Select Messages from the list of supported applications.
- Follow the instructions for creating a second space (you will need to set a password).
- Once set up, all SMS received in the second space will be isolated from the main profile.
The advantage of this method is that you can use different methods. SIM-Maps for each space (if your Xiaomi supports Dual) SIM). Please note that some banking and two-factor SMS They can only come to the main SIM-The card is not better to hide important notifications in this way.
| Method | Root is required. | Whether SMSes are maintained | Visibility in backups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archive in annex | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | ✅ You can see. |
| Second space | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | ❌ Hidden (if not synchronized) |
| Hidden folders (via file manager) | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | ✅ Visible on recovery |
| Encryption through third-party applications | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes (encrypted) | ❌ Hidden (unless you know the key) |
3. Hiding SMS through hidden folders in the file system
All messages on Android are stored in the mmssms.db database, which is located along the path /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/. Access to this folder is limited, but if you have a file manager with root rights (such as Root Explorer or FX File Explorer), you can manually move the database to a hidden folder.
Instructions for experienced users:
- 🛠️ Install a file manager with root support (e.g., Mixplorer).
- 🔍 Cross the path. /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/.
- 📂 Create a new folder with a dot at the beginning of the name (for example,.hidden_sms) — These folders are hidden by default.
- 🔄 Move the file mmsms.db in the created folder.
- 🔒 Reboot the device. Messages will disappear from the standard application, but will remain in the file system.
⚠️ Note: Incorrect actions with the file mmsms.db can lead to the loss of all messages or malfunction of the telephony module. → System system → Backup.
What if SMS stopped coming after the move?
4. Applications for encryption and concealment of SMS
If you don't like the built-in MIUI features, you can use third-party apps, such as Signal, Telegram, or specialized tools like SMS Shield and Private Message Box, which allow you to not only hide, but also encrypt messages, adding an additional layer of protection.
Top.-3 concealment SMS Xiaomi:
- 🔐 Signal Private Messenger – Encrypts all messages (including the use of the same code) SMS, If you configure as an application by default).
- 📱 Private Message Box – Creates a secure storage facility for SMS accessed PIN-code.
- 🛡️ SMS Shield – Hide notifications of new messages and block access without password.
To configure Signal to work with SMS:
- Install Signal from Google Play.
- In the application settings, select Settings → Messages and Calls → Messages (SMS/MMS).
- Activate the option to Use as an SMS application by default.
- All your SMS will be automatically encrypted and stored in Signal.
The advantage of this method is that messages are protected by end-to-end encryption and are not stored in a standard Android database. However, note that to receive SMS via Signal, the application must be running in the background.
Standard application Xiaomi|Signal|Private Message Box|SMS Shield|Other/I don't hide-->
5. Disable notifications about new SMS
If your goal is simply to hide the fact that you have received messages from outsiders, just turn off the notifications, and this will not hide the SMS itself, but will make their arrival invisible on the lock screen or in the status bar.
How to disable notifications:
- Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification management.
- Find the Messages app in the list and tap it.
- Turn off the Switches Show notifications and Sound.
- For additional privacy, turn off Show on the lock screen.
If you want to leave notifications only for certain contacts, use the exceptions feature:
- 📇 Open the dialogue with the desired contact in the Messages app.
- 🔔 Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Details.
- 🔕 Enable the option Important Notifications or Notification Sound for this contact only.
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Disabling notifications does not delete or hide the messages themselves, they will still be available in the Messages app, which is only suitable for hiding the fact that they received SMS from outsiders.
Resetting the Messages app settings (last resort)
If you need to hide all messages urgently, but do not want to delete them, you can reset the Messages application settings, which will lead to the fact that the application interface will “forget” the existence of the SMS, but the data itself will remain in the device memory and can be restored through a backup or special utilities.
How to reset your settings:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find the messages in the list and tap it.
- Select Warehouse. → Clear the data.
- Confirm the action. The application will go back to factory settings, and all SMS will disappear from the interface.
⚠️ Note: This method does not physically delete messages – they remain in the file system and can be restored using tools like Dr.Fone or EaseUS MobiSaver.
If you want to return your messages after the reset, restore them from the Mi Cloud backup or Google Drive (if sync is enabled). SMS back-to-app interface.
7 Advanced Methods: ADB and Change of Access Rights
For users willing to work with Android Debug Bridge (ADB), there is a way to hide the Messages app from the menu or restrict access to it.This method does not remove SMS, but makes them impossible to view without special commands.
Instructions for hiding the application through ADB:
- Activate Developer Mode on your Xiaomi (go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times).
- Enable USB debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
- Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command:
adb shell pm hide com.android.mmsTo return the application back, use:
adb shell pm unhide com.android.mmsThis method hides the Message icon from the menu, but does not block receiving SMS. To completely restrict access, you can also change the application rights:
adb shell pm revoke com.android.mms android.permission.READ_SMSAfter that, even if someone finds a way to launch the application, it will be impossible to read the messages without returning the rights.
Install Xiaomi drivers on PC|Enable the developer mode on the phone|Activate debugging by USB|Download the platform ADB (For example, from Google)|Connect the phone to the PC by USB (select the file transfer mode)-->