Owning a modern smartphone involves storing vast amounts of sensitive information, from bank data to personal correspondence. Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices offer advanced privacy protection tools, but many users still don’t know how to use it correctly. Blocking apps is not just a whim, but a necessary security measure in an environment where the phone often ends up in the hands of children, colleagues or just lies on a desk in a public place.
There are several layers of protection, each of which solves its own problems: you can simply hide the icon from prying eyes, set a password to launch a particular service or completely freeze system software that cannot be removed by standard methods. In this article, we will discuss all the available methods, from built-in MIUI functions to advanced techniques for power users.
It is important to understand that blocking applications on Xiaomi often requires a Mi Account account and sync enabled, since security settings are tied to a cloud profile. Don’t neglect this requirement, otherwise, when you reset your settings or reflash your data, let’s look at how to prepare the device for setting restrictions.
Use of the built-in tool "Application Protection"
The most reliable and easy way to restrict access to selected programs is to use the regular system function. MIUI This method does not require the installation of third-party software and works at the system level, which guarantees stability and minimal consumption of battery resources. → Annexes → Application protection.
When you first start up, the system will ask you to create a unique password or use fingerprint/face unlock. Importantly, this password will be different from the screen unlock password, although you can make them the same for convenience. Once you set the pin, you will be asked to select a list of programs that will only open after confirming your identity.
This section allows you to configure access options flexibly, you can allow locked apps to open without a password for 15 seconds after unlocking your phone, which is convenient for frequent use, and you can also hide the content of notifications for protected programs so that the text of messages does not appear on the lock screen.
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Use different passwords to unlock the screen and to protect apps to increase security in case someone recognizes your primary pin.
It’s worth noting that some system applications, such as Themes or Security, can be blocked by default or require special rights. If you forget your application protection password, you can only restore it through your Mi Account account linked to your device, another argument in favor of mandatory authorization in the manufacturer’s cloud services.
Hiding applications through the “Hidden Apps” mode
If your goal is not so much to protect data with a password, as to remove unnecessary icons from the desktop so that your eyes do not turn up or get caught by children, use the hidden application mode. This method is often used by parents to restrict children's access to YouTube or games, or by adults to hide financial apps from prying eyes. → Annexes → Hidden applications.
The way it works is simple: you pick the programs you want to hide from the list, and then they disappear from the desktop and from the menu of all the apps, and to get into the hidden section, you have to make a special gesture on the desktop: spread two fingers to the sides (plug out), and a hidden folder will open, protected by the same password as Application Protection.
- 🔒 Hidden applications do not appear in the system search and do not show notifications on the lock screen.
- 👶 Perfect for parental control, hiding access to entertainment content.
- ⚙️ To work the function, you need to activate “Advanced Settings” in the hidden application menu.
⚠️ WARNING: When you clear the system cache or reset the launcher settings, the list of hidden applications can be reset and icons will reappear on the desktop.
In the newer versions of the HyperOS shell, the hidden application management interface has been slightly changed, but the logic has remained the same. If you can’t find this feature, make sure that the device region settings do not select “Russia” (sometimes the features are limited to a region), but, for example, “India” or “USA”, although in recent updates this dependence is minimized.
Blocking system applications and freezing
Many users are faced with the problem of pre-installed software that cannot be removed in the usual way. These applications often work in the background, battery and collecting data. MIUI It may not be enough and help is coming. ADB-commands or specialized software.
Freezing the app means it stays in the phone’s memory but stops working completely: no processes start, no notifications come in, no charge is consumed (ADB). You'll need a computer, USB-cable and on-line debugging USB on the Developer Menu.
The process is this: connect your smartphone to your PC, open the command line, and type in a command to find the name of the package of the desired application. Then use the command to disable.
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.example.packageWhere com.example.package is the name of the application package to be blocked. Be extremely careful: disabling critical system components (such as telephony service or system UI) can lead to a bootloop (cyclic reboot) of the device.
| Type of application | Can I remove/freeze? | Risk to the system | Recommended method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Services (Play Market) | No (critically) | High-pitched | Don't touch it. |
| Pre-installed games | Yes. | Low. | ADB/Removal |
| System launcher | No. | critical | Forbidden. |
| Xiaomi Apps (Mi Browser) | Yes (with caution) | Medium. | ADB/Disconnection |
How to return a remote application via ADB?
Third-party solutions: AppLock and analogues
If the built-in MIUI features are not enough for you or you want to get advanced functionality (for example, a photo of an attacker when you enter a password incorrectly), you should pay attention to third-party applications from Google Play.
The main advantage of these solutions is cross-platform and cloud backup settings. If you change your phone from Xiaomi to Samsung, your lock settings will remain, and many of them are able to mask their icon as a system (for example, as a calculator or File Manager), which provides an additional level of secrecy.
- 📸 Selfie Protection: Takes a photo of someone trying to find a password.
- ⏱️ Use timer: allows you to limit the time spent in a particular application.
- 🎭 Hidden Mode: The ability to create a fake error window when trying to open a secure application.
However, the use of third-party blockers has disadvantages: they require permanent permissions to use over other windows and access to use the device, which can negatively affect autonomy. In addition, the MIUI system is known for its aggressive energy savings and can at any time “kill” the process of the blocker, leaving the application unprotected.
⚠️ Warning: When installing a third-party AppLock, be sure to add it to the battery exception list (Settings) → Battery → Battery retention → No restrictions, otherwise the protection will stop working in a few hours.
Parental Control and Digital Well-Being
When it comes to blocking apps on a child’s phone, there are often few built-in password protections, and parents need complete control: time limits, blocking purchases, and filtering content. Android has a built-in Digital Wellbeing feature, and Google Family Link is best suited for remote management.
Family Link allows you to completely block the launch of certain applications on your child’s device, set time limits (for example, 1 hour per day for games), and even remotely lock the entire phone.
Unlike simple password blocking, it's a whitelist, and you decide which apps are available and which aren't. Trying to remove parental controls or bypass the lock will notify you instantly, and it's the most effective way to keep children safe in the digital space.
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For comprehensive child protection, use the bundle: built-in MIUI protection (to hide settings) + Google Family Link (to manage time and access).
Frequent problems and ways to solve them
Despite the system’s cleverness, Xiaomi and Redmi users may experience typical locking problems, often with resets after a system update, or the app no longer requiring a password, most of which are due to launcher errors or version conflicts.
If Application Protection stopped asking for a password, try clearing the security application itself (without deleting it). Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Security → Memory → Clear the data. This will return the protection settings to factory settings and you will have to reset the password, but the feature should work correctly.
Another common problem is that you can't block some system applications, such as Calls or Messages, which are designed by developers because blocking these components can disrupt emergency services, and in such cases, you can only rely on locking the device's screen.