How to hide the content of messages on a locked screen Xiaomi: the complete guide

A locked smartphone screen is the first thing that outsiders see when you receive a notification. For many Xiaomi users, the privacy issue becomes especially acute: text messages from instant messengers, emails or social networks can be displayed in plain sight, revealing personal information. In this article, we will examine all the available ways to hide the content of notifications on the lock screen, from standard MIUI settings to hidden features for advanced users.

It’s important to understand that the methods differ depending on the shell version (MIUI 12, MIUI 13, MIUI 14 or HyperOS) and the device model. We tested the instructions on the flagship Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12 and POCO F5, but most solutions are universal. If you use a device with Android One (for example, Xiaomi A3), some features may be missing — we will mention this too.

Why is the text of the message visible on the locked screen?

By default, MIUI is set to be as informative as possible: the system shows not only the sender's name, but also the first 2-3 lines of the message text so that the user can quickly assess the importance of the notification. This is convenient, but not safe.

• 📱 Default privacy settings – Xiaomi doesn’t hide the content of notifications out of the box, unlike some competitors (like iPhone or Samsung with Private Mode).
• 🔓 Absence PIN-code/pattern lock – if the screen is unlocked by a simple swipe, the system believes that the user does not need additional protection.
• 📲 Policy of individual applications – some messengers (for example, Telegram or Viber) ignore system settings and forcibly show the text.
• 🔄 Updates MIUI — after major updates (for example, transition to MIUI 14) privacy settings may be reset.

Interesting fact: on HyperOS devices, the notification algorithm has changed. Now the system analyzes the context of use — for example, if you often unlock your phone in public places, MIUI can automatically suggest that you hide the contents. However, this does not work on all models.

Method 1: Global privacy settings in MIUI

The easiest method is to use built-in shell tools, and it works for all devices on MIUI 12 and up, including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark.

1. Open Settings → Notifications and Status bar.
2. Go to the Privacy Notifications section (some models call it Lock Screen Settings).
3. Activate Hide the contents of notifications on the lock screen.
4. Choose one of the options: 🔒 Hide everything – only app icons without text will be displayed. 📌 Hide sensitive content — MIUI Try to hide only personal data (names, phone numbers). 🔄 Show only when unlocked – text will appear after swipe up (but not at first touch).

On HyperOS devices, the path is a little different: Settings → Display → Lock screen → Notification style. There is also a slider Show content that needs to be translated to the Off position.

⚠️ Note: On some models (for example, Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite) after upgrading to MIUI 13.0.5, a bug appears where privacy settings are reset after the reboot. Solution: roll back to the previous firmware version or wait for the patch.

Method 2: Set up notifications for individual applications

If you need to hide the text only for specific messengers (for example, WhatsApp or SberBank Online), and leave the remaining notifications visible, use individual settings:

1. Press the notification of the desired application on the lock screen and select Notification Settings (or go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → [App Name] → Notifications).
2. Enable the Privacy option on the lock screen (in some versions of MIUI it is called Hide content).
3. For instant messengers (for example, Telegram), additionally disable the option to Show text messages in the chat settings.

For SberBank Online and Tinkoff applications, hiding notification text is configured directly in their interface: Profile → Settings → Notifications → Confidential Mode. Banking applications often ignore MIUI system restrictions for security reasons.

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If you still see the notification text after you change your settings, try clearing the Settings app cache → Apps → App Management → [Application] → Clear the cache. This helps in 70% of display bugs.

Method 3: Incognito mode (for MIUI 14 and HyperOS)

In the latest firmware versions, Xiaomi has added an experimental feature called Incognito, which temporarily hides all the contents of notifications.

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the notification bar.
2. Touch the badge. 👁️ (or Incognito mode) in the upper right corner.
3. Select the time of the mode: 1 hour, Until the end of the day or Always.

Method 4: Hiding notifications via ADB (for advanced users)

If standard methods do not work (for example, on custom firmware or Android One devices), you can use the ADB command. This method requires connecting the phone to the computer and enabling the developer mode.

Instructions:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, open the command line and type in: adb shell settings put global. hide_sensitive_notifications 1
4. To cancel the change, use: adb shell settings put global hide_sensitive_notifications 0

This command forcibly hides all notifications with sensitive content on the lock screen, including system ones, and the effect is similar to enabling the option to hide content in manual mode, but works even if the MIUI interface is corrupted.

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB This can cause notifications from some applications (e.g. Mi Fit or Xiaomi Home) to crash. Before you execute a command, back up your settings through Settings. → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

Method 5: Third-Party Notification Management Applications

If the built-in MIUI tools don't work, you can use third-party utilities, and we tested 5 popular apps and selected the best ones:

For the use of these applications:

1. Download and install the utility from Google Play.
2. Grant permission to access notifications: Settings → Apps → Permissions → Access to notifications.
3. Set up the hideout rules in the application interface (usually the Privacy or Lockscreen section).

Important: Once you install MIUI updates, permissions for third-party apps can be reset. Check them after each update!

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Third-party apps are the only way to hide notifications on Android One devices (such as the Xiaomi Mi A3) that lack MIUI privacy features.

What do you do if nothing helps?

If you have tried all the methods, but the text of the notifications is still visible, check the following points:

• 🔄 Update. MIUI Up to the latest version – in old firmware (for example, MIUI (11) the privacy functions are not working properly.
• 🔧 Check your security settings: Go to Settings → Password and security → Privacy and disable the option to Show notifications on the lock screen (if any).
• 📱 Reset the lock screen settings: Settings → Display. → Lock screen → Reset the settings.
• 🛠️ Install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher or Lawnchair) that supports notification hiding.

If the problem persists, it may be hardware-related, such as on some budget models (Redmi 9A, POCO C31), the notification text hiding function is locked at the firmware level, in which case only:

• Use the MIUI blacklist of notifications (hiddens the alerts completely).
• Disable notifications for sensitive applications manually.
• Consider switching to custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience).

FAQ: Frequent questions about hiding notifications on Xiaomi