How to put a second space on Xiaomi Android: an expert guide

Xiaomi’s mobile devices have long since ceased to be just phone calls, becoming powerful multimedia centers where a huge amount of personal and work information is stored. Owners of Redmi and Poco smartphones often face the need to strictly separate digital content to separate work chats from personal communication or hide private photos from prying eyes. The second space feature in the shell of MIUI and the new HyperOS offers an elegant solution to this problem, creating a second phone inside your current device.

This technology allows you to run a parallel operating environment with your own set of applications, Google accounts, contacts and gallery, which are completely isolated from the main profile. Data separation takes place at the system level, which ensures a high level of privacy and security of your information. You no longer need to buy a second smartphone or constantly switch between accounts in messengers, because the system itself manages these processes.

In this article, we will discuss in detail how to activate this mode, what are the nuances of its operation on different versions of firmware, and how to properly transfer files between spaces. We will touch on performance issues, since running two system environments requires certain CPU and RAM resources, and will also consider situations where a standard function can be hidden by the manufacturer, and what alternative ways to achieve a similar result.

What is the second space and why is it necessary?

At its core, the second space is a full-fledged guest profile with enhanced rights and full personalization. Unlike the simple guest mode, which is often reset once released, the second space stores all the data, settings and installations of applications until the user decides to delete them himself, it is the perfect tool for those who use one flagship Xiaomi for both work and personal life.

The main purpose of implementing this function by developers MIUI It was about improving digital hygiene and safety, and when you switch to operating mode, your phone becomes a corporate device: notifications from personal chats are undisturbed, and games and entertainment content are hidden. This helps to keep your focus and not mix workflows with personal time.

And it's also often used as a safe, and you can install bank apps, private photo albums, or messengers with second accounts that are protected by a separate password, a pattern lock, or a different fingerprint than the main one, and even if someone unlocks your phone in your presence, they can't get into the second space without you knowing.

⚠️ Attention: The second space takes up additional internal memory. The system reserves space for installing system files and application cache, so on devices with a 32 or 64 GB drive, the free space can run out faster than usual.

📊 What purpose do you plan to use the second space for?
To separate work and personal life
To hide private photos and files
To install a second copy of the game or social network
To test questionable applications
I don't need to, I'm just studying.

System Requirements and Device Compatibility

The second space feature is native to the MIUI shell, starting with certain versions, and continues to evolve in the new HyperOS operating system. However, the availability of this option depends on the model of your device and the region for which the firmware was released. Global versions (Global ROM) sometimes have differences in the settings menu compared to the Chinese versions (China ROM).

For stable operation, it is recommended to use devices of medium and high price segment. Budget models with a minimum amount of RAM (2-3 GB) may have difficulty with simultaneous background operation of two spaces, which will lead to constant reboots of applications or slowdown of the interface.

Below is a table showing the approximate distribution of support for the function according to the series of devices and the amount of memory:

Device seriesMinimum RAM capacityMIUI versionStability of work
Xiaomi Flagman (11, 12, 13, 14)6 GB and higherMIUI 12+Tall.
Redmi Note (Pro/Pro+)4GB and higherMIUI 12.5+Medium/High
Poco (F and X series)6 GB and higherMIUI 13+Tall.
Budget Redmi (A/C Series)3GBMIUI 12+Low/Not present

It is important to understand that even if the phone model is technically powerful, the lack of a menu item may be due to software limitations of a particular region, for example, in some European builds, the feature may be renamed or moved to the special features section.

Why did some new models lose the settings of the second space?
In the latest updates MIUI 14 and HyperOS developers have begun to gradually abandon the classic second space in favor of lighter analogues, such as “Cloning applications” or hiding applications to optimize the system on devices with different hardware. However, on most models, the function can still be found through the search in the settings.“The step-by-step instruction for activating the function The process of enabling the second space on Xiaomi smartphones is as unified as possible, but the path to it may vary slightly depending on the interface version. Before starting the procedure, make sure that your device is charged at least 30-40%, since the initial configuration and indexing of files may require energy. Usually the path is this: find and click on the gear icon, then scroll down to the About Phone or Additional Settings section. MIUI The next step is to find the "Second Space" option, and if you don't see it right away, use the search bar at the top of the settings screen and type in "Second Space" or "Second Space" and the system will prompt you to go to the menu. ☑️ Checklist before activation Make sure that the minimum is free 2 GB of memory Check battery charge (more than) 30%)Remember or write down the main unlock password Make sure you have a stable Internet connection to download components: 0 / 4 After clicking on the button "Enable" or "Add a second space", the system will start preparing. You'll be asked to create a password or set up a biometric unlock (fingerprint) to enter the second space. It's critical to remember this password, because without it, you can't recover access without completely resetting. At the setup stage, you can choose whether to create a desktop switching shortcut. It's a handy tool that allows you to change your profiles with a single touch, but it can be hidden for more privacy if you don't want others to know about the second profile. After successful activation, you'll find yourself in an environment that visually resembles only your purchased phone, or your old browser history. The first step is to set up the basics: language, time, and most importantly, add a Google account if you plan to download apps from the Play Market. Access is controlled through unique passwords or fingerprints. You can set the system to log in to the main space with one finger (like your thumb) and the second with the other (like your index). This allows you to instantly switch between worlds on the lock screen, just by putting different fingers. In the second space, the Apps section is also available, where you can set up notifications from the second space in the main profile, so that the owner can completely hide the fact of receiving new messages in the second profile. ⚠️ Attention: When setting up your fingerprints, carefully monitor which finger you register for which space. Confusion can lead to you accidentally opening the wrong profile you planned, especially in a stressful situation. To switch between profiles, you can use not only a shortcut on your desktop, but also a control panel. Swipe from top to bottom to open the notification curtain, and find an icon with a person's silhouette or profile switch, which allows you to quickly change the context of your device's use. One of the most useful features is the ability to transfer data between spaces. The system provides a built-in tool for transferring photos, videos, documents and even installed applications. This eliminates the need to connect the phone to a computer or use cloud storage to simply transfer the file. To transfer files, you need to open the Security or Settings app in the second space, find the Data Transfer section and select the type of content. The system will create a temporary tunnel through which files will be copied to the corresponding folders of the main space. The app cloning feature deserves special attention. Although it is often considered separately, in the second space you can install the same messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) as in the main profile, but register them to other phone numbers without using two devices. The process of installing apps in the second space is identical to the main one: you open Google Play or GetApps, find the right program and install it. This doubles the memory consumption for heavy gaming and social networks. Storage/DCIM/Camera (Substantive) Internal Storage/SecondSpace/DCIM/Camera (The second space) Hidden features and subtleties of work in HyperOS With the transition of many Xiaomi devices to the HyperOS operating system, the logic of the second space has changed. The new shell is shifting its focus to deeper ecosystem integration and improved resource management. Users note that switching between spaces has become smoother and background processes are better optimized. HyperOS has the ability to more flexibly customize notifications. Now you can write down the rules in detail: which apps in the second space have the right to wake up the main profile screen and which should run in complete silence, which gives an unprecedented level of control over digital noise, and it is worth noting the work with the clipboard. In the latest security updates, Xiaomi has limited the ability to copy text or links from one space to another without direct user confirmation, which is done to prevent passwords and sensitive data from leaking if malware is running in the second space. 💡HyperOS: Improved process isolation allows the second space to work more stable on devices with 6 GB of RAM, where previously MIUI You may have difficulty with background tasks. Despite the system's debugging, users may encounter a number of difficulties. The most common problem is the inability to find the menu item to activate. As mentioned earlier, this may be due to the firmware region. In this case, change the region in the settings ("Settings" → "Additional" → "Region") to "India" or "China", activate the function, and then return the region back. Often the setting is saved. Another common problem is fast battery drain. The second space, even in the background, consumes resources. If you rarely use the second profile, it is recommended that you completely close the function inside, if you do not need it, you can completely remove it from it when you need it. To do this, go to the second space settings, select “Delete Second Space” and confirm the action. The system will warn that all data, photos and applications inside the profile will be permanently deleted. ⚠️ Warning: Before deleting the second space, be sure to back up important files by transferring them to the main profile. Once the deletion is confirmed, it will be impossible to restore the data by standard means. In rare cases, after deleting the profile, there may be “tails” in the form of empty folders in the file system. To clean them, you can use the built-in cleaner in the Security application or manually check the root directory through the file manager by removing folders with the SecondSpace or Private prefix. If your Xiaomi smartphone doesn’t support native second space or you’re looking for alternative solutions, the market offers a number of proven tools. However, it is worth noting that third-party applications do not provide the same level of system integration and security as the built-in module. MIUI. 📱 Parallel Space is one of the most popular app clowns, allowing you to run copies of programs in an isolated environment, the disadvantage is the presence of advertising and increased battery consumption. 🔒 Shelter is an open source application that uses an Android Work profile.It creates a robust container for applications, but requires more complex initial setup. 📂 Calculator Vault – a solution that masks hidden space under a calculator. Great for storing photos and videos, but less convenient for constant use of messengers. Third-party solutions are justified if you need to clone only one or two applications, not create a whole second system. For full separation of life and work, Xiaomi's native function remains the uncontested leader in convenience and stability. Can you use Second Space on Xiaomi tablets? Yes, the functionality is fully supported on Pad tablets, but because of the large screen, the interface can scale differently. The principle of operation and settings are identical to smartphones. Does the second space affect the speed of the phone? Yes, it affects. Since the two systems actually work on the memory and the age of the processor. On modern Snapdragon 7 and 8 series processors, this is almost invisible, but on budget Helio or Snapdragon 4 series chips, you can see interface slowdowns. Can I hide the space switch icon? Yes, there is an option in the second space settings to "Delete the shortcut." After that, you can only switch through the settings or using a customized fingerprint on the lock screen, which increases privacy. Will the data be saved when you update the firmware? When you update "over the air" (OTA), the data in the second space is usually stored. However, when you switch to the second space, for example, you will switch to the second version of the device from the Android device to the new space 13, you will move to the new space, for example, you will move to the second one, or to the second one, you will move to the new Android device from the space to the second one, for example, you will move to the space to the new version of the device, for example, you will move to the new version 12, or to the new Android device, for example, for example, you will move to the There is no native tool for fully cloning the second space to another device, and when you switch to a new phone, Mi Mover will only transfer the main profile data, and the second profile will have to be created and configured manually.