How to hide the text of notifications on Xiaomi Redmi 8: from instant messengers to system alerts

Xiaomi Redmi 8 is still a popular budget smartphone, but its owners often face a problem: the content of notifications is displayed directly on the locked screen. It is not just annoying — can cause awkward situations when outsiders see your private messages, notifications from banking applications or work emails. Fortunately, MIUI offers several ways to hide the text of notifications, and we will analyze them all, from basic settings to hidden functions.

It is important to understand that the methods differ depending on the firmware version (MIUI 10/11/12) and the notification type (system, messenger, social network, etc.). For example, you can hide the text of the SMS through the Messages application settings, and for Telegram or WhatsApp you will need a separate setting. In this article, you will find unique combinations of parameters that are not described in the standard Xiaomi documentation – they will help to hide notifications even in cases where the usual methods do not work.

Why notifications are displayed on the lock screen

By default, Redmi 8 shows notification text on a locked screen for user convenience, part of MIUI's philosophy of giving priority to quick access to information, but this "transparency" has the downside:

• 🔓 Security: Anyone can read your messages without unlocking your phone.
• 📱 Privacy: Notifications from banking applications, work chats or personal correspondence are made available to outsiders.
• 🚨 Spam: Advertising Notifications Ruin the Look of the Lock Screen.

The newer versions of MIUI (starting with 12) have a "Confidential Mode" feature, but Redmi 8 with MIUI 10/11 doesn't have one.

⚠️ Note: If you use third-party launchers (such as Nova Launcher or POCO Launcher, notification settings may vary. In this case, return the standard launcher first. MIUI in the settings of the Topic → Launcher.

Method 1: Hiding notifications through lock screen settings

The easiest method is to disable sensitive notifications on a locked screen, which works for all applications at once, but has a limitation: some system notifications (such as low battery power) will still show up.

To hide the text of the notifications:

1. Open Settings → Lock screen and password.
2. Select Notifications on the lock screen.
3. Switch the slider to Hide the contents of notifications.
4. In some versions of MIUI, you can choose to Show only app icons here, which is an even more reliable option.

Once the changes are applied, only the app icons (such as WhatsApp or VK) will be displayed on the lock screen, but not the message text itself. However, this method does not hide notifications in the notification panel - this will require a separate setup (see Method 3).

Open lock screen settings

Selected item "Notifications on the lock screen"

Activated mode "Hide the contents of notifications"

Reboot the phone to apply changes-->

Method 2: Individual settings for each application

If you only need to hide notifications for specific applications (such as instant messengers or banking services), use the app-specific notification settings, which are more flexible because they allow you to leave notifications from less important applications (such as weather or news).

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the application you want to hide notifications for (for example, Telegram or SberBank Online).
3. Press Notifications.
4. Turn off the Show slider on the lock screen or select Hide Content (depending on the MIUI version).
5. For instant messengers (such as Viber), you may need to further disable Preview in the settings of the application itself.

Some apps (like WhatsApp) have their own privacy settings to hide the text of the notifications on WhatsApp:

• 📱 Open WhatsApp. → ⋮ (menu) → Settings → Notifications.
• 🔒 Select Show notifications → Only in the curtain.
• 🔍 Turn off Message Previews.

⚠️ Attention: B MIUI 10 on Redmi 8, some apps (e.g. Gmail) ignore the notification system settings. In this case, you will have to use Method 4 (Do Not Disturb Mode»).

Personal Messages (WhatsApp, Telegram)

Work Letters (Gmail, Outlook)

Bank alerts (Sberbank, Tinkoff)

Social media (VK, Instagram)

System notifications (updates, battery)-->

Method 3: Hiding notifications in the panel (curtain)

Even if you hid notifications on the lock screen, they can still appear in the notification bar (curtain) to completely hide the text, you need to change the privacy settings for the curtain.

How to do this:

1. Open Settings → Notifications and Status bar.
2. Select Notifications on the lock screen (yes, same item).
3. Activate Hide the contents of notifications in the curtain (in some versions of MIUI this item is called Confidential Mode).
4. If you don’t have an option, try turning Incognito Mode into Settings → Additional (not available on all firmware).

After that, the notification curtain will only display app names (e.g., “New Telegram Message”), but not the text itself. Note that this method may not work for system notifications (e.g., about connecting to Wi-Fi).

Method 4: Using Do Not Disturb Mode to Hide Notifications

If previous methods have not worked (for example, due to the features of the firmware), you can use the mode Do not disturb. It does not hide the notifications completely, but allows you to disable their display on the lock screen and in the curtain for selected applications.

Setting:

1. Go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Do not disturb.
2. Select the Rules → Add a rule.
3. Specify the Applications and select the ones you want to hide the notifications (for example, VK or SberBank).
4. Activate Hide Notifications (some versions of MIUI call it No Sound and No Vibration).
5. Keep the rule and turn on the Do Not Disturb mode.

The downside of this method is that notifications will be completely hidden — you won’t even see an app icon — but it’s the only way to hide notifications from stubborn apps that ignore system settings.

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If Do Not Disturb mode does not save settings after rebooting, try updating the Security app via Google Play. Often bugs are associated with an outdated version of this component.

Method 5: Hiding notifications via ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don't work, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a tool for advanced users, which allows you to disable the display of notifications at the system level, but requires a connection to a computer.

Instructions:

1. Enable Developer Mode on Redmi 8: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times)
2. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell settings put global hide_notifications_on_lockscreen 1
4. Use Adb shell settings to hide notifications in the curtain: adb shell settings put global hide_sensitive_notifications 1
5. Reset the device.

This method works on all versions of MIUI, but has risks: misuse of ADB can cause system failures. If you are not sure about your actions, you should turn to Method 1 or Method 2.

Additional privacy tips on Xiaomi Redmi 8

Hiding notifications is only part of protecting your privacy, and here are some more useful settings for Redmi 8:

• 🔐 Application Blocking: Use the built-in Application Protection feature (Settings) → Confidentiality → Application protection) to block access to messengers with a password.
• 📱 Hiding icons: In MIUI You can hide the icons of applications from prying eyes using the function of Second Space or Hidden Applications.
• 🔍 Access Restriction: In Settings → Permissions check which apps have access to your contacts, messages and geolocation.

If you often transfer your phone to other people (for example, to show a photo), turn on Guest Mode:

1. Open Settings → System and device → Additional → Guest mode.
2. Set up restrictions (such as hiding notifications and blocking certain apps).
3. Activate the mode through the notification panel.

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Redmi 8 with MIUI 10/11 does not have the new version's "Privacy Mode" feature, but it can be emulated by a combination of settings from Method 1 and Method 3.

Frequent Questions (FAQ)