Why Xiaomi’s lock screen notifications can be a problem
Xiaomi's lock screen is the first thing people see when you pull your phone out of your pocket. And if it displays private WhatsApp messages, bills you've paid, or confidential work emails, even a brief alert text can reveal too much, from the sender's name to the message fragment.
Compounding the problem, Xiaomi’s MIUI (firmware) defaults to displaying full notifications on a locked screen — unlike many other manufacturers that hide content before unlocking.It’s not just a privacy issue, but also a security issue: attackers can see confirmation codes from SMS or financial transaction data.
Fortunately, MIUI 12-14 has several ways to manage notification displays, from completely disabling them to selectively hiding them for individual applications, and then we’ll go through all the options, including little-known settings and workarounds for older models.
Method 1: Disable notifications on the lock screen through privacy settings
The most reliable method is to use built-in privacy options, which work on all modern Xiaomi smartphones (from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 13 Ultra) and do not require root or third-party applications.
Instructions:
- Open Settings → Applications → Permissions → Notification management.
- Tap on the notification settings on the lock screen (in some versions of MIUI, the item is called Privacy Notifications).
- Choose one of three options: 🔒 Show everything – icons and notification text are displayed (by default). 🔐 Hide the content of notifications – only application icons without text are shown. 🚫 Do not show notifications – the lock screen is completely clean.
The latter option (Do Not Show Notifications) radically solves the problem, but it has a downside: you won’t even see important alerts (like missed calls) before unlocking.
Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone
Close all applications in the background
Make sure your phone is at least 20% charged.
Take a screenshot of the current notification settings (in case of rollbacks)
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⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F3 With custom firmware, the notification settings may not be available on the lock screen. In this case, use Method 3 (setting up for individual applications).
Method 2: Selectively Hiding Notifications for Specific Applications
If you need to hide notifications only from messengers (Telegram, Viber) or banking applications (SberBank Online, Tinkoff), but leave the others visible - use individual settings.
How to do this:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Select the app you want (such as WhatsApp).
- Slip on Notifications → Notifications on the lock screen.
- Set the switch to Hide content or Do not show.
This method is convenient because it allows you to flexibly adjust the visibility of notifications, for example, you can leave open alerts from Gmail (where there is usually no critical information), but hide messages from Signal or corporate Slack.
| Annex | Recommended setting | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| SMS/MMS | Don't show up. | Contains confirmation codes and financial notices |
| Telegram, WhatsApp | Hide the contents | Personal correspondence, but it is important to see the fact of the message |
| Google Pay, Sberbank | Don't show up. | Financial data – maximum confidentiality |
| Gmail, Yandex.Mail | Showing everything | The subject matter of the letter rarely contains confidential information. |
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If the app doesn’t appear in the App Management list, try opening it first and waiting for at least one notification – after that it will appear in the settings.
Method 3: Use of the Privacy Mode (for MIUI 13/14)
The latest versions of MIUI 13 and MIUI 14 have a separate Privacy section that combines all security settings, including notification management, which is suitable for new models (Xiaomi 12T, Redmi K50, POCO X5 Pro and later).
Step-by-step:
- Open the Settings. → Confidentiality.
- Go to Privacy Protection → Notifications on the lock screen.
- Activate Hide Sensitive Content (it automatically hides SMS, calls and notifications from banking applications).
- For full control, tap Manually Setup and select the apps that should be displayed or hidden.
The advantage of this method is that it automatically detects sensitive notifications (such as those with code from SMS or payment data), which the system hides even if you forgot to set up the application manually.
⚠️ Note: Some firmware for the global version (e.g. Xiaomi.eu) may call Privacy Protection a Privacy Protection clause. If you don't find a section, check the system language or update it. MIUI.
Method 4: Disable notifications via ADB (for power users)
If the standard settings do not work (for example, on custom firmware or older models like Redmi 5 Plus), you can use the device. ADB-This method requires connecting the phone to a computer and basic knowledge of working with Android Debug Bridge.
Instructions:
- Turn on USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times, then go back to Additional → For Developers).
- Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux).
- Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
- To hide notifications on the lock screen, do: adb shell settings put global lock_screen_show_notifications 0 Replacement to the standard settings 0 on 1.
Top.-3 apps:
- Notification History Log – keeps a log of notifications and allows you to hide them retroactively.
- Lockscreen Notifications is a flexible visibility setting for each application.
- NLS Lockscreen is a complete replacement for the standard lock screen with themes support.
The disadvantage of third-party solutions is battery consumption and possible conflicts with MIUI system services. Before installing, check user reviews of your model (for example, the POCO X3 Pro may behave differently than the Xiaomi Mi 11).
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Third-party notification apps require Special Access permission (in security settings) without which they won't be able to intercept or hide alerts.
Frequent problems and their solutions
Even after setting up, notifications can continue to show up, and consider typical scenarios and how to fix them:
Problem 1: Settings are reset after rebooting.
Solution: This is typical for MIUI betas. Update firmware to stable version or reset settings through Settings → System → Reset settings → Reset applications.
Problem 2: Notifications from Facebook Messenger or VK are not hidden.
Solution: Some applications ignore system settings. Go to the settings of the messenger itself and turn off the option "Show notifications on the lock screen" (usually in the Notifications → Additional).
Problem 3: Redmi 9A does not have a "Notifications on Lock Screen" option.
Solution: On budget models (Redmi 8A, Redmi 9C), this section can be hidden. Try updating MIUI or using Method 4 (ADB).
Problem 4: After upgrading to MIUI 14, notifications are displayed differently.
Solution: The new version changes the design of the lock screen. Go to Settings → Lock screen → Notification style and choose Classic or Minimalist.