How to Hide Notification Content on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to Setup Privacy

Showing notifications on a locked Xiaomi screen is a convenient feature, but it carries risks for privacy. Imagine if you leave your phone on a table in a cafe and it pops up on the screen. SMS From a bank with a confirmation code or a chat message with personal details. According to a 2023 Kaspersky study, 38% of personal data breaches occur through spied notifications on smartphone screens.

Fortunately, MIUI offers several layers of protection, from full text hiding to selectively displaying only trusted applications. In this article, we will break down all available methods, including hidden settings that work even on older versions of firmware, learn how to set up privacy for individual messengers, why some applications ignore system limitations, and what to do if the settings are reset after the MIUI update.

It's important to understand that not only is notification hiding about security, it's also about comfort. For example, you can leave Telegram notifications visible, but you can hide the content of emails from Gmail or transactions from SberBank Online. The flexibility of MIUI settings allows you to create the perfect balance between convenience and privacy.

1. Basic privacy settings in MIUI

To start with, the basics are the built-in MIUI tools that are available on all Xiaomi devices, starting with MIUI 10, which allow you to hide the text of notifications on a locked screen, but leave app icons and the number of new messages visible.

To activate this mode:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar
2. Select Notifications on the locked screen
3. Activate the switch Hide the contents of notifications

This method works for all applications at once, but has a limitation: on some models (for example, the Redmi Note 10 Pro) after the reboot, the settings may be reset. If you encounter this problem, check for MIUI updates - in versions 14.0.5+, the bug was fixed.

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On smartphones with AMOLED-In the case of screens (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Ultra), hidden notifications may still be partially visible due to pixel highlighting. To completely eliminate data leakage, disable Always On Display in the screen settings.

If you need more flexible management, move to the next section – there we’ll look at privacy settings for individual apps.

2. Selective concealment of notifications for specific applications

MIUI allows you to customize the notification display for each application, which is useful if you want to hide the content only for instant messengers or banking services, leaving the remaining notifications visible.

Instructions for setting:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management
2. Select the desired application (for example, WhatsApp or VKontakte)
3. Go to the Notifications section
4. Activate the switch Hide content on the locked screen

Please note that some applications (such as SberBank Online or Tinkoff) have their own privacy settings, which may conflict with the system settings, in which case the settings of the application itself take priority.

For applications that don't lend themselves to standard setup, there's a workaround, which is to use Do Not Disturb mode with exceptions, and we'll talk about that in one of the next sections.

3. Hiding notifications through "Second Space Mode"

If you need to completely isolate some notifications (e.g., work chats from personal ones), use the Second Space feature in MIUI, which creates a separate user profile with its own settings and applications.

How to set up:

1. Go to Settings → Special Opportunities → Second Space
2. Create a new space and select the applications that will be available in it
3. In the notification settings of the second space, activate the option to Hide notifications on the main screen.

The advantage of this method is that notifications from the second space will not appear on the main lock screen, even if you did not hide their contents. However, note that switching between spaces will require you to enter a password or use a fingerprint.

⚠️ Note: Second Space is not available on all Xiaomi models, but is not available on the Redmi A series of budget devices. POCO M. The full list of supported models can be found on the official website MIUI.

4.Use of the “Do Not Disturb” mode for selective concealment

Not only does MIUI's DND mode turn off notifications, but it also allows you to customize notifications to be displayed for specific scenarios, for example, you can only hide the content of notifications during business hours or when you're connected to a specific Wi-Fi network.

Step-by-step:

1. Open Settings → Sound and vibration → Do not disturb
2. Select the Schedule or Rules (depending on the version of MIUI)
3. Create a new rule and specify conditions (for example, from 9:00 to 18:00)
4. In the Notifications section, select Hide Content
5. Add exceptions for important applications (calls, alarm clocks)

This is especially useful for those who want to automate notification hiding, for example, you can set up a rule that will activate when you connect to an office Wi-Fi network or when your phone is connected to a Mi Band while you sleep.

Correct schedule |Added exceptions for important contacts |Manual mode checked |Content concealment set up, not complete disabling of notifications-->

5. Hiding notifications via ADB (for advanced users)

If standard methods don’t work (for example, on custom firmware or older versions of MIUI), you can use ADB commands. This method requires connecting the phone to a computer, but gives maximum control over notifications.

Instructions:

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times on the version to unlock the developer menu)
2. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell settings put global hide_sensitive_notifications 1
3. To reverse the cover-up, use: adb shell settings put global hide_sensitive_notifications 0

This method hides notifications at the system level, including those that normally ignore standard settings (such as notifications from system applications Mi Account or Security). However, after a phone reboot, the settings can be reset – to fix the changes, you will need to edit system files (which requires root access).

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB-commands can cause system failures. Before experimenting, back up your data through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

Problems and Solutions: Why Notifications Are Not Hidden

Even after setting up correctly, some notifications may continue to appear, and the reasons and ways to address them are considered:

If none of the methods worked, check:

• 📱 Version MIUI: older versions MIUI 12 Some functions may not be available
• 🔒 Application rights: Some applications (such as Truecaller) require additional permissions to manage notifications
• 🔄 Cash system: cleaning the cache in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Three points. → Cleaning the cache sometimes solves the problem

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If the notifications of a particular application are not hidden, check its privacy settings first, and then the system permissions. Often the problem lies in the conflict between them.

7. Alternative ways to protect confidentiality

In addition to hiding notifications, there are additional measures to protect personal data on Xiaomi:

• 🔐 Encryption of the device: activated in Settings → Additionally. → Encryption and accounts slows down the phone. 5-10%, but makes data inaccessible without a password
• 👤 Hidden Albums in Gallery: Transfer Personal Photos to Hidden Folder (Long Press) → Move it to a hidden album)
• 📡 VPN For notifications: some messengers (e.g. Signal) allow you to route notifications through VPN, hiding them from the provider
• 🔄 Autoclean notifications: in Settings → Notifications can be configured to automatically delete notifications via 1-24 hour

For maximum protection, we recommend combining several methods, such as hiding notifications on the lock screen + encrypting the device + using second space for working applications.

Frequently asked questions