How to put a password on the apps in Xiaomi smartphones: the full guide

Protecting your privacy in a Xiaomi smartphone is a task that many users put off until it’s too late. Have you ever given your phone to a friend or colleague to show you a photo and then caught yourself thinking, “What if they went into my messages or a banking app?” MIUI has several built-in app blocking mechanisms, but not everyone knows about them.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to password apps in Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO, from standard App Lock features to hidden Second Space features and trusted third-party solutions. You’ll learn how to protect not only instant messengers and gallery, but also system utilities, and what to do if standard methods don’t work on your model. Importantly, some features may differ depending on the version of MIUI (for example, in MIUI 14 the interface has changed compared to MIUI 12), so we’ll point out the features for each version.

1. Standard application locking via App Lock

The most obvious and common way is to use the built-in App Lock feature (also known as App Lock) that is available on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 8 and higher, but the latest firmware versions (MIUI 13/14) have slightly changed its location and settings. Let's see how this works in practice.

To activate App Lock, go to: Settings → Apps → Application Lock (or Settings → Passwords & Security → Blocking Apps in new versions).The system will ask you to set a master password - this can be:

• 🔢 Pin code (minimum 4 digits, recommended 6)+)
• 🔑 pattern lock (pattern pattern)
• 🔒 Password (alphanumeric combination)

After setting the main password, you can select applications to lock from the list. Please note that some system utilities (such as Settings or Phone) may not appear in the list - this is a MIUI restriction. Newer versions of the firmware also allow you to block certain functions within applications (for example, payments to Mi Pay or changing settings in Google Play).

Set a strong primary password (not date of birth!)

Enable the “Hide Notifications” option for blocked applications

Check that the "Allow access via print" function is active (if necessary)

Add a backup email to restore access-->

⚠️ Attention: If you are using MIUI 14 Xiaomi 13/13 Pro or Redmi Note 12, After the update, the list of blocked applications may be reset. Before updating the firmware, be sure to back up the App Lock settings through Settings. → The phone. → Backup.

2.Use Second Space to completely isolate applications

Xiaomi’s Second Space feature was originally designed to separate personal and work data, but it can be used effectively to protect applications, essentially creating a completely isolated copy of the system with a separate password, settings, and even application data.

• 🛡️ Second Space applications are not visible in the main space (and vice versa)
• 🔄 You can use different accounts. Google/Mi in every space
• 📱 Supports a quick switch between spaces through the notification curtain

To create Second Space, go to: Settings → Special Features → Second Space

The system will prompt you to set a password for the second space (it may differ from the main one). Once created, you will be able to migrate applications between spaces through the Second Space Settings menu.

This is especially useful if you want to hide not only individual applications, but all the activity in them, for example, you can move all banking applications, instant messengers and gallery to Second Space, leaving only "safe" utilities in the main space. Second Space takes up additional memory space (about the same time). 1-2 GB) because it duplicates system files.

Standard App Lock|Second Space|Third-party applications |Do not use lock-->

3. Third-party applications for blocking: pros and cons

If the built-in MIUI features are not enough for you, you can use third-party apps from Google Play.

• 🔐 AppLock (from DoMobile Lab) – supports locking by fingerprint, face and password
• 🛡️ Norton App Lock integrated with Norton Antivirus
• 🔒 Smart AppLock – allows you to block individual functions in applications (for example, purchases in games)

The main advantages of third-party applications:

• ✅ More flexible settings (e.g. locking by time or location)
• ✅ Ability to block system applications that are not available in App Lock
• ✅ Additional features like “feigned failure” (shows an error when trying to enter an incorrect password)

However, there are serious drawbacks: Third-party blocking apps require device administrator rights, which can create security vulnerabilities, and they often show ads (in free versions) and can conflict with MIUI, especially on new models like the Xiaomi 14 or POCO F5.

⚠️ Warning: When using third-party blockers, disable the built-in App Lock to avoid conflicts.Otherwise, you may freeze when unlocking or accidentally reset passwords.

4. Hidden MIUI capabilities: locking through hidden settings

Few people know, but MIUI has hidden security settings that allow you to strengthen application protection, for example, in some versions of the firmware (especially on Xiaomi for the Chinese market), the Privacy Protection feature is available, which runs parallel to App Lock.

To activate hidden settings:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Click on the MIUI version 5 times in a row (you will see a message "You became a developer")
3. Return to the main settings menu and open More →
4. Find the Force GPU Rendering option and turn it on (this is temporary)
5. Now in Settings → Passwords and security may be a new Privacy Protection section

In this section you will find additional options:

• 🔍 Hiding apps from the menu (they will remain in the system, but will not appear in the launcher)
• 🔐 Geolocation locking (apps are only unlocked in certain locations)
• 🕒 Temporary blocking (e.g. blocking games during business hours)

5.Blocking system applications: bypassing MIUI restrictions

One of the main problems with App Lock in MIUI is that you can't block system applications like Settings, Phone, or Messages, so that you can always access the basic functions of the phone.

Method 1: Use of the ADB-team

If you have experience with ADB, you can manually add system applications to the lock list.

adb shell pm hide com.android.settings


adb shell pm hide com.android.contacts

Once these commands are executed, the applications will disappear from the launcher, but remain in the system.

adb shell pm unhide com.android.settings

Method 2: Installation of an alternative launcher

Some launchers (like Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher) allow you to hide system applications from a general view. This does not block access completely, but makes them less visible.

⚠️ Note: Change system applications through ADB It can cause the phone to work unstable or reset after the upgrade. MIUI 14 and newer some teams ADB They may be blocked by default.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after you set up your lock correctly, Xiaomi users face typical problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:

• 🔄 Reset password after update Before update MIUI Backup App Lock settings through Settings → The phone. → Backup → Local backup. If the password is reset anyway, restore the backup.
• 👤 Unlocking by fingerprint does not work Make sure that in Settings → Passwords and security → Fingerprint enabled with "Allow access to blocked applications." If fingerprint is not recognized, re-register it.
• 📱 Applications unlock by themselves This may be due to a conflict with third-party optimizers (e.g. Clean Master.

If none of the methods worked, try resetting the App Lock settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management
2. Find the application lock in the list
3. Click Warehouse → Clear the data
4. Restart your phone and set up the lock again.

💡

If you forgot your App Lock password but you linked your Mi Account, restore access through Settings → Xiaomi Account → Security → Restoring your application lock password. Without an attached account, you will have to do a full phone reset.

7. Alternative methods of data protection

In addition to blocking applications, Xiaomi has other mechanisms for protecting personal data:

• 📁 Hidden folders in Mi File Explorer You can hide files and folders by setting a password on them. → More. → Hide. Hidden files are accessed through Categories → Hidden.
• 📱 Guest mode In some models (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra) guest mode is available, which restricts access to personal data. Activated through the notification curtain (user icon).
• 🔗 Lock-in SIM-Map B Settings → SIM-Maps and mobile networks can be set PIN code for SIM-This won't block apps, but it will protect you from unauthorized calls.

For maximum safety, it is recommended to combine several methods, for example:

1. Use App Lock for instant messengers and gallery
2. Transfer banking applications to Second Space
3. Hide important files in Mi File Explorer
4. Activate two-factor authentication for your Mi Account

💡

The most reliable way to protect is to combine Second Space (for critical applications) + App Lock (for others) + hidden folders (for files), which minimizes the risk of data leakage even when physically accessing the phone.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions