Hiding WhatsApp notifications on Xiaomi lock screen: full guide

Have you ever found yourself in the awkward situation when someone accidentally saw the content of your private messages on WhatsApp on a locked Xiaomi screen?In the era of hyperlink, privacy is becoming a luxury — but not for owners of smartphones with MIUI. Hide messenger notifications on the lock screen in just a few taps, and today we will analyze all the available ways: from basic system settings to fine-tuning WhatsApp itself.

The problem of leaking personal information through notifications is relevant for all Xiaomi models, from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. Even if you use a fingerprint or facial recognition, the content of messages can be displayed before unlocking the device. In this article, you will find current solutions for MIUI 12, 13, 14 and 15, including workarounds for older versions of the firmware.

Xiaomi offers multiple levels of notification configurations: system-level (Settings → Notifications), app-level (Settings WhatsApp → Notifications), and even incognito mode in some models, and we analyzed all the options and selected the most reliable ones without having to install third-party apps or gain root access.

Why are WhatsApp notifications visible on a locked screen?

By default, MIUI is set to be as informative as possible: it shows not only the fact that a message has been received, but also the full text, the name of the sender, and even an avatar. This is convenient when the phone is on the table and you want to quickly assess the importance of the message, but this transparency becomes a vulnerability in public places or at work.

Reasons for displaying notifications on a locked screen:

🔓 Default privacy settings: Xiaomi does not hide the content of notifications for user convenience.
📱 Version. MIUI: In the firmware older MIUI 12 option to hide the text of notifications may not be available.
🔄 WhatsApp updates: After messenger updates, individual notification settings are sometimes reset.
🔒 Absence PIN-Lock screen code: Without basic protection, the system believes that displaying notifications is safe.

Important: On devices with MIUI 14+ and Android 13+, the “Confidential Notifications” feature has appeared, which automatically hides the text of messages from prying eyes – but it only works with the fingerprint scanner or facial recognition turned on.

📊 How often do you experience a problem of leaking personal data through notifications?

Constantly.

Sometimes.

It's happened before.

Never.

Method 1: Hiding notification text through MIUI settings

The most reliable and versatile method is to use built-in MIUI tools, which works on all current firmware versions (from MIUI 12 to MIUI 15) and does not require additional applications.

Open the settings on your Xiaomi.
Go to Notifications and Status bar (in some versions, just Notifications).
Slip on the Notifications item on the lock screen.
Select Hide Notification Content or Do Not Show Notifications (depending on the MIUI version).
To fine-tune your app settings and find WhatsApp in the list.
Set the switch to Hide text or Show without details.

After applying these settings, only the WhatsApp icon and sender name (if not disabled) will appear on the lock screen, but not the message itself. To completely hide notifications, select the option Do not show notifications - but then you will not even see the fact of receiving new messages.

Make sure that the phone is installed PIN-code

Check the version of MIUI in the Settings section → About the phone

Update WhatsApp to the latest version on Google Play

Backup important chats on WhatsApp-->

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO X3 Pro or Redmi 9A) post-update MIUI 13 may miss the item "Hide the contents of notifications." In this case, use Method 3 (settings inside WhatsApp) or update the firmware to the current version.

Method 2: Use of the “Confidential Notices” mode (MIUI 14+)

MIUI 14 and later has an advanced feature called “Confidential Notifications,” which automatically hides text messages when the device is locked, paired with biometric authentication (fingerprint or facial recognition) and provides an additional layer of protection.

How to activate:

Go to Settings. → Confidentiality.
Select Confidential Notices.
Turn on the switch at the top of the screen.
In the list of applications, find WhatsApp and activate this feature for it.
Set additional parameters: 🔒 Hide on the lock screen – the text will be visible only after unlocking. 👤 Show me only – notifications will only be displayed when fingerprint scanning.

The advantage of this method is that it doesn’t require manually hiding every notification — it can tell you when to show full text and when to limit it to an icon — but it’s only available on Android 13+ and MIUI 14+ devices.

MIUI version	Support for “Confidential Notices”	Alternative method
MIUI 15	✅ Full support	Method 1 or 3
MIUI 14	✅ Full support	Method 1 or 3
MIUI 13	❌ No, only on Android 13+)	Method 1 or 3
MIUI 12	❌ No.	Method 1 or 3

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If you have MIUI 13 or older but don’t have the “Confidential Notifications” option, try manually updating Google Play.

Method 3: Set up notifications inside WhatsApp

If MIUI system settings don’t work, you can limit the notifications directly to WhatsApp itself, which works on all versions of Android and doesn’t depend on Xiaomi’s firmware, but it has a limitation: you can’t hide the message completely, because the messenger icon will still be displayed on the lock screen.

Instructions:

Open WhatsApp and tap on three dots in the upper right corner.
Select Settings → Notifications.
Turn off the Switch Show notifications (if you want to hide them completely) or:
Slip on Tone and vibration → Notifications on the lock screen.
Select Hide text messages or Do not show notifications.
For additional protection, turn off the Message Preview in the same menu.

Please note that if you choose to not show notifications, you won’t even see the number of new messages on the app icon. To balance privacy and convenience, choose Hide text messages and leave audible alerts.

⚠️ Note: In some regions (e.g. EU) due to data protection laws (GDPR) WhatsApp notification settings may vary. If you don't have "Notifications on the Lock Screen," update the app or use Method 1 (settings) MIUI).

What to do if WhatsApp settings are reset after the update?

When WhatsApp updates, individual notification settings are sometimes reset. To avoid this: 1. Before updating, take a screenshot of the current notification settings. 2. Once updated, manually return all settings (usually repeat steps from Method 3). 3. If the problem repeats, turn off the automatic WhatsApp update to Google Play and update the app manually every 1-2 months.

Method 4: Disable notifications for specific chats

If you only need to hide notifications for certain contacts or groups (such as work chats or family conversations), you can set exceptions directly to WhatsApp, which is convenient when you don’t want to turn off alerts completely, but need additional privacy for individual correspondence.

How to set up:

Open the chat room for which you want to change the settings.
Slip on the contact name or group name at the top of the screen.
Select Notifications (or Disable Notifications in older versions).
Set the switch to the No Sound position or Turn off notifications.
For a more subtle setting, select Setup and turn off the option to Show notifications on the lock screen.

This method allows you to save notifications from important contacts (such as family members or project colleagues), while hiding messages from everyone else, and the downside is that you have to configure each chat separately, but you have full control over what notifications are visible on the locked screen.

💡

Disabling notifications for individual chats is the best option if you only need to hide part of the correspondence, which does not affect system settings and works independently of the version of MIUI.

Method 5: Using Second Space (Second Desktop)

For users who want maximum privacy, Xiaomi offers a Second Space feature – a separate desktop with its own apps, settings and notifications. You can install WhatsApp only in Second Space, and then notifications will not appear on the main lock screen.

How to set up:

Go to Settings → Special Options → Second Space.
Create a second desktop and set a separate password for it.
In Second Space, install WhatsApp (the app will be duplicated).
Configure WhatsApp notifications in Second Space according to the instructions in Method 1 or Method 3.
On the main desktop, remove or disable notifications for WhatsApp.

Xiaomi users with MIUI 14+ also have a “Private Mode” feature (Settings → Privacy → Private Mode), which allows you to hide notifications from certain applications when connecting to specific Wi-Fi networks (for example, at work).

⚠️ Note: If you use WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp Desktop, remember that sessions remain active even after your phone is locked.Always end sessions on computers in public places via WhatsApp → Settings → Linked Devices.

FAQ: Frequent questions about WhatsApp notifications being hidden on Xiaomi

Can WhatsApp notifications be hidden only for certain contacts?

Yes, this is possible in two ways: via WhatsApp chat settings (see Method 4). Using the Privacy Notices feature in MIUI 14+, where you can configure exceptions for individual applications. Note: in the first case, notifications will be hidden completely, in the second - only the text of messages.

Why do notifications appear on the lock screen again after the MIUI update?

This is a well-known problem with Xiaomi – after major system updates (e.g., from MIUI 13 to MIUI 14), some privacy settings are reset. To avoid this: Before updating, take screenshots of current notification settings. After updating manually return all settings (see Method 1 or Method 3). Check if WhatsApp permissions have reset to Settings → Apps → Permissions.

Does this work for POCO and Redmi?

Yes, all of the methods described are applicable to POCO and Redmi devices, as they run on the same MIUI firmware. Exceptions are custom firmware models (e.g., POCO F1 on Pixel Experience), where the settings may differ. For POCO with MIUI for POCO (e.g., POCO X5 Pro), use the same instructions as for standard MIUI. The firmware version can be checked in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.

How to turn off WhatsApp notifications completely, but leave the sound?

Unfortunately, on WhatsApp and MIUI There is no separate option to turn off visual notifications while saving audio. But you can use a workaround: In WhatsApp settings (Settings) → Notifications) turn off Show notifications. MIUI (Settings → Sounds and vibrations → Notifications: Turn on sound for WhatsApp; install a third-party notification management app (like Notification History Log) that will duplicate the audible alerts; this is not ideal, but it saves audio signals without displaying text on the screen.

What to do if there is no “Hide Notification Content” item in MIUI?

If you're in your version MIUI There is no option to hide the text of notifications, try the following solutions: 🔄 Update your firmware to the latest version through Settings → Updating the system. 📱 Use the settings inside WhatsApp (see Method 3). 🔒 Install a third-party notification management app (like Nottif Log or Heads Off). 📌 Check if the option is hidden behind additional settings: sometimes it is in Settings → Notifications → For older devices (e.g. Redmi 5 or Mi) A1) You may need to reset to factory settings with subsequent updates.