Modern smartphones like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 have become a digital extension of our identity, storing huge amounts of sensitive information. Device owners often face the need to separate work and personal content without buying a second gadget. The second MIUI shell space solves this problem by creating a completely isolated environment inside the same case.
Imagine you have two different phones in your pocket, one with work chats, corporate email and banking apps, and the other with games, social media and personal photos, and you switch between these worlds instantly with a fingerprint or password, making the experience as user-friendly and secure as possible, and it's not just a folder with hidden files, but a full-fledged copy of the operating system with its own settings and accounts.
Redmi Note 9 owners will appreciate this feature especially because it has enough performance to make two parallel systems work, and understanding the mechanics of this feature allows not only organizing data, but also significantly improving digital hygiene.
What is the technology of the second space?
Technologically, Second Space is a guest mode implementation, but with enhanced functionality and data retention. Unlike a temporary guest account, which is often cleared after exit, the second profile in MIUI stores all installations, logins and files until it is manually deleted by the user, which creates the effect of two independent smartphones running on the same hardware.
Each space has its own file system, which means that the applications installed in the main profile are not visible in the second one, and vice versa, unless you allow the transfer yourself. This is critical for security: malware accidentally entering your personal space will not be able to access the work documents located in the main profile. Xiaomi system strictly delimits access rights at the kernel level of the operating system.
⚠️ Note: When you delete the Second Space, all data inside it will be irretrievably lost.Be sure to back up important files or transfer them to the main profile before cleaning the profile.
Using two spaces also helps fight digital procrastination, so you can customize your profile so that you only have a set of productivity tools on hand during work hours, and all the entertainment content stays behind the second door, which psychologically separates work and rest time, even if you're physically using the same device.
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The second space is not just a hidden folder, but a full-fledged isolated copy of the system with its own applications and settings of the Google account.
Step-by-step instructions for activation and creation of a profile
The process of enabling this feature on the Redmi Note 9 is as simple as possible for developers and takes only a few minutes. To start, you need to go to the main menu of the device settings. Find a section that is usually called About Phone or Advanced Settings, but in current versions of MIUI it is often listed in a separate menu item or inside the category Special Features. However, the classic path lies through the Settings → Second Space menu.
Once you log in to the menu, the system will invite you to see what the function can do. By clicking on the "Enable Second Space" button, you will start the process of creating a new profile. The system will ask you to configure the login method. This can be a separate password, a pattern lock, or, most conveniently, a separate fingerprint. Assigning a specific finger to enter the second profile allows you to switch between modes instantly, simply by putting your finger to the scanner on the locked screen.
☑️ Pre-activation check
After you set up your authentication methods, you'll switch, you'll see the standard Android welcome screen, like the phone just out of the box, you'll need to re-select the language, connect to your Wi-Fi and log into your Google account, and you'll need to use a separate account for the Second Space so that contacts and photos don't get mixed up between profiles.
Security settings and unlocking methods
Data security in Space Two is based on strong account isolation, and the key here is to set up the locking methods correctly. In Redmi Note 9, you can set one finger to the main profile and the other to the second, which is not only convenient, but also serves as an additional layer of secrecy: an outsider who knows your master password may not even know that the second layer of protection exists.
In addition to biometrics, it is important to set up a complex password or a long graphical key to log in to the settings of the space itself, which will prevent accidental change of system settings or deletion of the profile by children or colleagues who took the phone in their hands. The MIUI security menu also includes the Hide Second Space feature, which removes the switch icon from the notification curtain and the main profile settings menu.
- 🔒 Use different fingerprints to instantly switch between work and personal mode without entering passwords.
- 👁️ Activate the function of hiding the icon of the application “Second Space” in the privacy settings for maximum privacy.
- 📱 Do not use the same passwords to log into your primary and secondary profiles to avoid compromising both spaces.
It is worth noting that resetting the main profile settings will not affect the data of the second one, and vice versa, if you do not select the complete deletion function. However, if you forget the password from the Second Space, it will be almost impossible to restore access to data without losing information, since Xiaomi adheres to a high security policy of user data.
What to do if you forget your password?
Application management and data portability
One of the most useful features is the ability to clone apps, so you can install, for example, a second WhatsApp or Telegram in the Second Space by linking it to a different phone number, which allows you to have two active messengers on the same device without using third-party clone programs, which are often unstable or contain ads.
The tool that we use to move files between spaces is a tool that we use in the Second Space app, which has a button called "Transfer Data," which allows you to transfer photos, videos, documents, even installed apps from the main profile to the second, and it's fast, because the files are not uploaded to the Internet, but simply change their permissions to access the phone's file system.
However, there are limitations. Some banking applications may not work properly in the Second Space if they detect that a superuser or modified system has rights, although this is rare on stock MIUI. It is also worth considering that notifications from applications in the second profile may come with a delay if the system decides to aggressively optimize the power consumption of background processes.
| Parameter | Main space | Second space |
|---|---|---|
| Access to contacts | Complete. | Isolated (my own list) |
| Google Account | Basic | Separate (recommended) |
| File system | Sees only your files. | Sees only your files. |
| Notifications | Complete. | Can be filtered. |
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To transfer large volumes of photos, use the “Transfer Data” function inside the Second Space menu, not Bluetooth, to save file metadata.
Features of the notifications and calls
Working with notifications in Redmi Note 9 with activated Second Space is addictive. By default, when you are in the main profile, notifications from the second profile do not appear on the lock screen and in the curtain. This provides concentration, but can lead to the missing of an important call. To avoid this, you need to configure the display of notifications.
In the Second Space settings, you can allow calls and messages from the second profile to be displayed in the first one, in which case, when you call an incoming SIM card tied to the second profile (or messenger), the phone will show a standard incoming call window, but with a note or in a separate style. After the conversation is completed, you will remain in the main profile, unless you switch specifically.
It is important to bear in mind that SIM-The cards are managed at the hardware level, but their settings are distributed, so you can assign which SIM card is used for the Internet in the main profile and which is used in the second one, which is convenient for splitting the data plans: For example, the main profile uses unlimited Internet, and the second – a corporate SIM card with limited traffic only for work tasks.
⚠️ Warning: If you turn off notifications from Second Space, you won't see missed calls until you switch to the appropriate profile.Be careful when waiting for an important call.
Impact on productivity and battery
The use of two parallel environments inevitably affects the resources of the device. Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 is equipped with a Snapdragon 730G processor and enough RAM to comfortably cope with this task. However, if the second space runs "heavy" applications or games, they will consume the CPU resources, even if you are using the main profile right now.
Battery consumption increases in proportion to the number of active applications. If both spaces are running permanent messaging, geolocation and email clients, device autonomy can decrease by 15-20% compared to using a single profile. MIUI tries to optimize this process by freezing applications in an inactive space, but you can not completely stop the background activity, otherwise you lose communication.
To minimize the load, it is recommended to manually close applications in the second space when they are not needed, also disable automatic updates to applications in Google Play for the second profile if it is set up, or limit background data transfer for heavy programs, which will help maintain a balance between functionality and battery life.
How to remove or temporarily disable the function
If the second profile is no longer necessary, it can be easily deleted, and you need to go to the Second Space settings (via the Security app or system settings) and select Delete the second space. The system will warn you that all data, including photos, contacts and installed applications, will be erased. Once confirmed, the profile will disappear, and the free space on the disk will return to the main memory pool.
There's also the option to temporarily disable the function without deleting the data. In some versions of MIUI, there's a "Switch Off" option that just hides the profile and stops all of its processes, and the data is stored. To access it again, you just need to activate the function in the settings again, which is a good way to freeze your work profile for the duration of your vacation.
When deleting your profile, make sure you do not lose access to important accounts.If the second profile was used as the primary for two-factor authentication (receiving) SMS-If you delete the code, you may lose access to your services. Always check if you have moved everything you need before final deletion.