Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face the challenge of removing unnecessary icons from their desktop or hiding access to certain apps from prying eyes. MIUI shell and its up-to-date version of HyperOS offer powerful tools for controlling program visibility, but they’re not always obvious to the beginner. In this article, we’ll look at all the available ways, from creating hidden folders to using the system’s “Hidden Space.”
Hiding shortcuts is not only a way to clean up the interface, but also an important security measure: By removing icons of banking apps, galleries with personal photos or messengers from the home screen, you make it much harder to access your data in the event that a stranger uses the phone. Standard Android methods do not always allow you to do this flexibly, but Xiaomi engineers have provided several layers of protection.
It’s important to understand that different versions of firmware may have different menu layouts. We’ll look at the universal methods that work on most current models, including the Redmi Note series and Xiaomi’s flagship. Before you start manipulating, make sure your phone is charged so that the setup process doesn’t break down halfway.
Use of the function "Hidden space"
The most reliable way to hide the shortcut on Xiaomi’s Android is to use a built-in system feature called “Second Space,” which creates an isolated environment inside your smartphone that works like a separate phone with its own apps, files and accounts.
To activate this feature, you need to go to the Settings menu and find the Special Options section, and that's where the switch that starts creating the second environment hides, and when you turn it on, the system will suggest you set the input: it can be a separate password, a pattern lock, or even a fingerprint other than the main one.
When you hide an application in this space, its icon disappears completely from the main screen of the main system, access to it only after switching the profile, which is ideal for storing sensitive information, since the data in the Hidden Space is encrypted separately.
- 🔒 Complete isolation of data from the main system.
- 📱 Ability to install different wallpapers and sets of applications.
- ⚡ Quickly switching over notification panel or fingerprint.
- 🛡️ Protection with a password other than the main one.
⚠️ Note: If you forget the password or pattern lock from the “Hidden Space”, it will be almost impossible to restore access to data inside it without resetting the settings of this area.
Users often confuse this feature with a simple guest mode, but Hidden Space runs deeper than that, it doesn't just restrict rights, it creates a virtual copy of the system. The applications installed here are not visible in the main system's Task Manager, which provides a high level of privacy.
Hiding through the built-in conductor
If your goal is to hide files, photos, documents, not the applications themselves, then MIUI has an encryption mechanism built in, accessible through a standard file manager, which allows you to make certain folders and files invisible, which can only be opened through a special input in the explorer.
To use this feature, open the Explorer app and go to Images or Documents. Swipe from the bottom of the screen up and hold it for a few seconds. The screen will display a lock icon that signals you to go into hidden file mode.
Once you have a password or a Mi Account, you can move any files there, but it's worth noting that this method hides the content, but doesn't necessarily hide the shortcut of the application itself through which the file is opened.
☑️ Security check of hidden files
An important nuance is that hidden files are not displayed when connecting the phone to the computer through the USB-It's a file transfer cable that only becomes available when you log in directly to your device, and it protects your data even when you physically connect your smartphone to your PC.
Hiding shortcuts with third-party launchers
Xiaomi’s standard launcher doesn’t always provide flexible settings to hide specific icons without creating a second space, and in such cases, third-party shells like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher come to the rescue, allowing you to manage the visibility of each item on your desktop.
Once you have an alternative launcher installed and assigned to the primary launcher, you have access to advanced interface settings. Most of the time, the hide feature is in the desktop editing menu or in the application group settings, and you can select any shortcut and just turn it off.
However, the use of third-party launchers on HyperOS and newer versions of MIUI can have limitations: The system can impose the use of a proprietary shell by requiring additional permissions or resetting default settings after a reboot, a fee for deep integration of Xiaomi services.
Why can’t the new Xiaomi launchers work?
However, for power users, it's a great way to customize the interface, so you can create a group of applications that will only be visible when you type in a certain code or gesture, which gives you more freedom than standard system tools, but takes time to set up initially.
Restriction of access through “Application Protection”
Often users are looking for a way to hide the label when they really need to just deny access to the app without deleting it, and the ideal solution is Application Protection, which doesn't hide the icon visually, but makes the app useless to an outsider without a password.
You can activate the protection through the Settings path. → Annexes → Application protection. Here you select a list of programs that will only open after you type in. PIN-If you try to open an application, it will block the input.
| Type of protection | Visibility of the icon | Action required | Level of security |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application protection | Seen. | Launch password | Medium. |
| Hidden space | Hidden. | Switching profile | High-pitched |
| Hiding at the launcher | Hidden. | No (or gesture) | Low. |
| Disabling the application | Hidden from the menu | Incorporation in settings | Medium. |
The advantage of this method is that it doesn't require second copies of applications or complex interface settings, it's a quick here-and-now solution, and even if the icon is visible, an attacker won't be able to use the functionality of the program.
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Use different fingerprints for the main sign-in and for application protection if your smartphone supports multiple biometric profiles, which will allow you to quickly open protected programs with your finger.
Removing shortcuts without removing applications
There is another simple method that many users forget about: On Android, you can remove the shortcut from the desktop without removing the app itself from the phone’s memory. The program stays installed and continues to work in the background, but its icon disappears from the screen.
To do this, you need to pinch the application icon on the desktop and select the Remove option (basket icon or cross), but do not drag it to the item "Delete application." In some launchers, you click on a menu where you select "Delete from desktop", after which you can find the program only through a general list of all applications (swipe up) or through a search.
This is good for Xiaomi or Google system applications that can't be removed by standard means, but that interfere with the screen. You clean up the visual noise while keeping the system functional. However, remember that the icon will still be present in the general list of applications.
If you want to hide the app completely, including its presence in the general list, standard Android tools do this without root rights. Therefore, the combination of removing the shortcut from the desktop and setting a password for launch (through Application Protection) is the optimal balance between convenience and security.
⚠️ Note: When removing the system app shortcut, make sure you know how to return it.Resetting the launcher settings or searching the All Apps menu will help restore access to the icon.
Disabling system applications
For advanced users who want to get rid of unnecessary Redmi or Xiaomi system components (such as Mi Video, Mi Music or advertising services), there is a “Disable” feature. This does not remove the application, but hides its icon and prevents it from launching.
Find the application in Settings → Applications → All applications. Select it from the list and click Disable. If the button is inactive, then the application is critical to the system and should not be touched, otherwise the system will warn of the consequences.
Once you turn it off, the icon disappears from everywhere, the app stops consuming battery in the background and updates, and you can only return it by going back to the settings and selecting "Enable," which is a powerful tool for cleaning the interface from the preinstalled software.
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Disabling system applications is the most effective way to remove unnecessary icons, but requires caution not to disrupt the system.