How to password the application on Xiaomi Redmi 9: a complete guide with pictures and secrets

Protecting personal data on a smartphone is not a luxury, but a necessity in 2026. Especially when it comes to the Xiaomi Redmi 9, one of the most popular budget smartphones, which is often used by several family members. Have you ever given your phone to friends to show photos but worried that they will accidentally open your messages or a banking application? Or maybe your child takes a smartphone for games, risking getting into unwanted sections? In this article, we will examine all possible ways to password applications on Redmi 9 - from standard MIUI features to hidden chips and third-party solutions.

It’s important to understand that Xiaomi Redmi 9 runs on the proprietary MIUI shell, which offers multiple layers of protection. But not all users know that in addition to locking the screen, you can protect individual applications — whether it’s messengers, a gallery or even system settings. We tested all methods on current firmware versions (including MIUI 14 and HyperOS) and selected only working solutions, and we will also tell you what hidden MIUI settings allow you to bypass the limitations of standard locking if you need to protect system applications like Contacts or Phone.

1. Standard application blocking through "Privacy Protection"

The easiest and most obvious way to do this is to use MIUI's built-in Privacy Protection feature, which is available on all Redmi 9 firmware versions (including global and Chinese) and doesn't require superuser rights. Here's how it works:

Go to Settings → Privacy Protection → App Lock. The system will suggest creating a password to lock (if it doesn’t already exist) or using a fingerprint/face recognition. Note: this password will be separate from what you use to unlock the screen! This is convenient if you want to give access to the phone, but limit the launch of specific programs.

• 🔒 Types of lock: PIN, pattern lock or password (minimum 4 characters)
• 📱 Supported applications: All user-generated (WhatsApp, Telegram, banks) + Some Systems (Gallery, Notes)
• ⚙️ Restriction: Does not work for Settings, Phone and Messages in standard mode
• 🔄 Reset: When resetting the phone to factory settings, the lock is removed

⚠️ Note: If you forget the password from blocking apps, it can only be reset through a full phone reset! Xiaomi does not provide official ways to recover this password without losing data.

Once the function is activated, a lock icon will appear next to the blocked applications. When you try to open, the system will require password or biometric authentication. It is convenient that you can configure automatic locking after 5/10/30 minutes of inactivity or immediately after closing.

Make sure the phone has a lock screen password installed.

Update MIUI to the latest version (minimum MIUI 12)

Check that your fingerprint/face is added to the system (if you plan to use it)

Make a backup of important data in case of resetting-->

2.Second Space function for complete isolation

Few people know, but MIUI has a unique Second Space feature that creates a completely isolated copy of the system with separate applications, contacts and even wallpaper. This is the perfect solution if you need to not just password one application, but completely hide an entire group of programs.

This is activated like this: Settings → Special Features → Second Space, the system will offer you to create a separate profile with your own password.

• 🔐 Set different passwords for the main and second spaces
• 📲 Hide any applications, including system (Phone, Messages, Gallery)
• 🔄 Quickly switch between swipe spaces on the lock screen
• 📱 Use different accounts Google/Xiaomi in every space

The main advantage of this method is complete data isolation: applications in the second space will not be displayed mainly and vice versa. This is especially useful if you want to hide working messengers from family or personal data from colleagues.

3.Use of AppLock from Third-Party Developers

If you don't have enough built-in MIUI features, you can use third-party apps, and the most popular solution is Doma Mobile's AppLock (available on Google Play), which offers advanced features:

• 🔒 Block any applications, including system (Phone, Settings, Play Store)
• 📷 Hiding photos and videos in a secure storage
• 🔄 Automatic locking by time or location
• 📱 Support for fake password (shows false content when you enter)
• 🛡️ Protection against removal through Settings → Device administrators

The installation is simple: download the application, run and select programs to block.

⚠️ Note: Some versions of AppLock contain ads that can even appear on a locked screen. To avoid this, download the Pro version or use modified versions. APK from trusted sources (e.g. APKMirror).

For maximum protection, we recommend:

1. Install AppLock as a device administrator (in security settings)
2. Disable notifications from blocked applications
3. Set up security issues to restore access
4. Regularly update the application (developers often close vulnerabilities)

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If AppLock suddenly stops working after the MIUI update, try clearing its cache in the app's settings or reinstalling it. Often this is due to a change in security policy in newer versions of the shell.

4.Blocking through Digital Well-Being (hidden method)

Little-known fact: MIUI has a Digital Well-Being feature that was originally designed to control the time of application use, but it can be adapted to block access!

Go to Settings → Digital Well-Being → Toolbars → App Timer. Here you can:

• ⏱️ Set a time limit for using the application (for example, 1 minute)
• 🔒 After the time expires, the application will be blocked before entering the password.
• 📱 It works even for system applications such as Settings or Phone.

This method is not as reliable as specialized blockers, but has its advantages:

• ✅ Does not require the installation of third-party applications
• ✅ It works on all versions. MIUI (including)
• ✅ You can set different limits for different days.

The downside is that the lock is automatically removed after the phone is restarted, but it's a great way to limit children's access to games or social media for a certain amount of time.

5. Protection through "Guest Mode" (for temporary access)

If you need to give the phone to someone for a while, but you don't want to set up a permanent lock, use Guest Mode.This is a temporary restricted-access profile that is created in seconds.

Activates like this: swipe down the notification bar → click on the user avatar → select Guest. In this mode:

• 📱 Only basic applications are available (Phone, Messages, Camera, Browser)
• 🔒 All your personal data, instant messengers and banking applications are completely hidden
• ⏱️ The mode is automatically reset after restarting
• 📴 No access to Settings and File Manager

This is the perfect solution for cases when you need to quickly hand over the phone to a colleague to call, or a child to play an offline game.

6. Advanced protection: encrypting folders with applications

For tech-savvy users, there is a way to block access to applications at the file system level, which requires super-user rights, but provides maximum protection.

The point is, you encrypt the /data/app folder, where all the user applications are stored.

1. Get root access (for example, through Magisk)
2. Install an encryption application (such as Cryptomator or Solid Explorer)
3. Create an encrypted container and move it there APK-file
4. Set up automatic mounting when entering a password

⚠️ Note: This method can lead to unstable system operation if encryption is applied to system applications.We recommend testing it only on non-critical programs and having a backup of data.

Advantages of this approach:

• 🔐 Absolute protection – without a password, apps won’t even be seen on the list
• 🛡️ It works even if the attacker gets physical access to the phone.
• 🔄 You can encrypt selectively (for example, only banking applications)

The downsides are the complexity of the setup and the risk of losing access to data if it is mistaken, which is only suitable for experienced users who are ready for experimentation.

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For most users, standard locks through Privacy Protection or Second Space are enough, and root-access and encryption methods should only be used if you need a military degree of protection.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When setting up app locks, users often face typical problems, and here are the most common ways to solve them:

Another common mistake is using simple passwords like "1234" or "0000." There are no limits to the complexity of the password to lock applications in MIUI, so many people put primitive combinations. Remember: if someone picks up your phone, they can brute-force it in a few minutes.

Also, many forget that biometric authentication (fingerprint or face) is less secure than a password. In Redmi 9, the fingerprint scanner is not the most perfect, and sometimes it works on other people's fingers (especially if they are wet or dirty). If you need really serious protection, use a complex alphabetic numeric password.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions