Xiaomi’s Second Space: How to Create and Customize for Work and Personal Life

Xiaomi’s modern smartphones offer a unique feature that allows you to split your device into two independent workspaces.This solution is ideal for those who want to separate working applications from personal ones, protect sensitive data or simply organize the chaos of hundreds of installed programs.The second space works like a full-fledged second smartphone inside your Redmi, POCO or Mi, but without having to buy an additional device.

The feature is available on most models running MIUI 12 and later, including the popular Xiaomi 13/14 series, Redmi Note 12/13 and POCO F5/X5. Each space has its own settings, wallpaper, apps and even accounts - the perfect solution for multitasking. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to activate the second space, what limitations exist, and how to use it most effectively.

What is the second space and why is it necessary?

Second Space is Xiaomi’s proprietary technology, which creates an isolated environment on your smartphone, essentially two independent user profiles with different user profiles:

• 📱 Applications — each space has its own set of installed programs
• 🔐 Data – Files, photos and documents do not overlap
• 🎨 Settings – Wallpaper, themes, sounds and even accounts Google/Mi are different
• 🔒 Security – you can set a separate password or fingerprint to log in

Main use cases:

• 💼 Work and personal life – keep corporate messaging and email separate from social media
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Use – Give your child access to secure apps only
• 🛡️ Testing – Test new programs without risk to your primary profile
• 🔄 Phone Sale – Show a Buyer a ‘Clean’ Space Without Your Data

It’s important to understand that the second space is not the same as guest mode in Android.The guest has a greatly reduced experience, whereas Second Space provides a full copy of the system with the ability to install any applications.

What Xiaomi models support second space

Second Space is available on most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices running MIUI 12 and higher, but there are important nuances:

To find out if your smartphone supports the function:

1. Go to Settings → Special Opportunities
2. Scroll down and find the Second Space section.
3. If there is no item, check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone

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Some models have hidden the function, so to find it, search for "second space" or "second space" in the settings.

Step-by-step: how to create a second space

The setup process takes no more than 5 minutes. Follow the instructions carefully to avoid errors:

1. Open the settings on your Xiaomi smartphone.
2. Go to the Special Features section (some firmware may be called Additional).
3. Find and select the second space.
4. Click Create a second space and confirm the action.
5. Set a password or fingerprint to log in (a mandatory step!).
6. Wait until the process is completed (usually takes 1-2 minutes).
7. You can now swipe between spaces on the lock screen or through the notification bar.

After creating the second space, you will get:

• 📲 Clean desktop with basic applications
• 🔄 The ability to install any program regardless of the main profile
• 🔒 Separate privacy and security settings

⚠️ Warning: When you create a second space, the system reserves about 3-5 GB of memory. If the device has less than 10% of the available space, the function may not be available.

How to Switch Between Spaces

Switching between the main and second spaces is done in several ways:

Method 1: Through the lock screen

1. Unlock the phone.
2. Swipe left/right on the lock screen (depending on the MIUI version)
3. Select the desired space and enter the password

Method 2: Through the notification panel

1. Swipe your finger down from the top of the screen.
2. Find the icon Second Space (two circles)
3. Slip on it and select a space to switch.

Method 3: Through settings

You can go back to Settings → Second Space and manually select the active space.

Visually distinguish spaces can be by:

• 🎨 Different Desktop Wallpaper
• 🔠 Different widgets and app icons
• 📊 Different contents of the notification panel

Configuring and optimizing the second space

Once you've created the second space, you need to set it up properly.

1. Personalization

• 🎨 Set unique wallpaper for each space (Settings → Wallpaper)
• 🔔 Set up individual notification sounds (Settings → Sounds)
• 🌙 Activate a dark theme in only one space for visual separation

2. Application management

By default, the second space contains only the basic applications.

1. Open Play Market in the Second Space
2. Install the apps you want (they won’t be visible in the main space)
3. To clone applications, use Settings → Applications → Dual applications

3. Security

Recommended measures:

• 🔒 Set different passwords for each space
• 🚫 Turn off Google data sync in the second space if it's for testing
• 📱 Activate Settings → Privacy → Block applications for sensitive programs

⚠️ Warning: Some banking applications (e.g., SberBank Online) may block the second space, recognizing it as an “unsafe environment,” in which case use the main space for financial transactions.

4. Data synchronization

Important: files between default spaces are not synchronized to communicate:

• 📁 Use cloud services (Google Drive, Mi Cloud)
• 🔌 Connect. USB-The storage device will be visible in both spaces.
• 📧 Send files to yourself by email

Common Problems and Their Solutions

When using the second space, users often face typical problems, and here's how to solve them:

If the second space has stopped working after the MIUI update:

1. Reboot the phone.
2. Check for updates in Settings → About Phone → System Update
3. Reset the settings of the second space (data will be saved)

To remove the second space completely:

1. Go to Settings. → Second space
2. Select to delete the second space
3. Confirm the action and wait until the completion (takes 1-2 minutes)

⚠️ Warning: Deleting the second space will lead to the permanent loss of all data and settings in it. Pre-backup important files via Mi Cloud or Google Drive.

Alternatives to the second space on Xiaomi

If your model doesn’t support Second Space or you don’t like the feature, consider alternative solutions:

1. Android Guest Mode

The basic Android feature available on all devices:

• ✅ Easily enabled via notification panel
• ❌ Very limited features (no applications can be installed)

Activation: Settings → System → Users → Guest

Annexes for cloning

Programs like Parallel Space or 2Accounts create isolated environments.

• ✅ Works on any device
• ❌ Could slow down your phone
• ❌ Not as stable as Xiaomi's native solution

3. Dual Apps (Dual Apps)

MIUI function, which allows to clone messengers:

• ✅ No need to create a second space
• ❌ Works only with supported applications (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.)

Activation: Settings → Applications → Dual applications

4. User profiles (Android 12+)

The new Android feature available on the latest versions of MIUI 14:

• 🔹 Allows you to create full user profiles
• 🔹 More flexible setup than guest mode
• 🔹 Requires Android 12 and Newer

Comparison of alternatives:

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Xiaomi’s second space is the most balanced solution for most users, offering maximum data isolation while maintaining high stability.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi's second space