Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often face the challenge of delimiting their personal and work lives or accessing services that are not available in the current region. The concept of “space” in the MIUI and HyperOS ecosystems is different: it can be a “Second Space” function, app cloning, or even changing the region of the system, and the choice of the right method depends on what kind of problem you want to solve.
In this article, we will look at all the ways you can change the digital environment on your device, look at the regular shell tools that allow you to create an isolated environment with a separate set of applications and accounts, and also touch on the topic of region change, which allows you to access new topics and functions, but requires caution when working with data.
Regardless of the model of your gadget, whether it is a budget Redmi Note series or flagship Xiaomi 14, the principles of the system separators remain similar. However, there are nuances associated with the version of Android and a specific modification of MIUI. Understanding these differences will help to avoid errors in configuration and loss of important data.
What is the Second Space and Why is it Necessary?
Second Space is a unique feature of the MIUI shell that allows you to create virtually two independent smartphones on a single device, not just an app folder, but a fully isolated environment with its settings, gallery, contacts and Google accounts, and a user can switch between the main and second profiles by entering a special password or fingerprint.
The main advantage of this approach is that it's completely confidential, and the applications that are installed in the second space are not visible in the first space, and vice versa, and it's ideal for those who want to hide personal correspondence from colleagues or, conversely, separate work chats from face-to-face communication on weekends, and it works at the core level, providing a reliable delineation of access rights.
It’s worth noting that creating a second profile takes up extra space on the drive. If you plan to install heavy games or store a lot of media in both spaces, make sure you have enough free memory. Otherwise, the device may start to run slower.
⚠️ Note: When you delete the Second Space, all data, photos and applications inside it will be permanently lost.
Many users confuse this feature with a simple guest mode, but guest mode is designed to temporarily transfer the device to another person with a minimum set of rights, while Second Space is your personal, permanent digital twin with its own rules and security settings.
Instructions: How to activate and configure the second profile
The activation of the function takes only a few minutes and does not require superuser (Root) rights. The process is fully automated by the system, you only need to confirm the creation of a new profile and set safety parameters. Before starting the procedure, make sure that the battery charge is at least 30-40% so that the device does not turn off at a critical moment.
To start the process, you need to go to system settings. Find the section responsible for additional functions, because it can be called differently in different versions of the firmware. In the Settings menu → Second space, click the on button. The system will suggest creating a fingerprint or password for a quick switch. This is an important step, because biometrics allows you to instantly change the "faces" of your smartphone.
Once you've set up the first one, you'll be in a clean interface, and you'll need to log in to your Google account (or create a new one) and set up your Wi-Fi. You don't have to copy your main profile data when you first set up, you'll want to do it selectively so you don't litter the space with garbage.
☑️ Checklist of activation of the Second Space
Switching between profiles is done through a notification curtain or a special label on the desktop, so you can set it up so that when you unlock it with a certain finger, the phone knows what space to go into, which adds a level of convenience and security.
Cloning applications against Second Space
Often users are looking for a way to run two accounts from the same social network (like WhatsApp or Telegram) without understanding the difference between cloning and a full-fledged second profile. App Twin is built into MIUI and allows you to create a shortcut copy for favorite programs, which works faster and easier than creating an entire space.
The main difference is the depth of isolation: the application clone uses a common database with the main application, so notifications can come with a delay, and some functions may not work correctly. The second space runs the application on a kind of "clean" device, which guarantees stable operation, but requires more CPU resources.
If your goal is to have two WhatsApp numbers, use a built-in cloner, and if you want to completely hide the fact that certain programs are used, or share corporate and personal Gmail with different security policies, choose Second Space.
| Comparison parameter | Cloning of applications | Second space | Guest mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data isolation | Partial | Complete. | Temporary. |
| Battery consumption | Low. | Medium/High | Low. |
| Difficulty setting up | Minimum | Medium | Minimum |
| Access to files | General gallery | Separate gallery | Limited. |
Usually, these are messengers and social networks, games and utilities often require a full-fledged second profile to run multiple accounts at the same time.
Change of device region: access to new features
Another aspect of the “space change” is the change in geographic region in the system settings. Xiaomi artificially restricts functionality depending on the country, for example, in the European region may not have some themes available in India or China, or vice versa, may not have certain widgets.
The region change is done through the Settings menu → Additional → Region. After choosing a new country, the system interface may be partially rebuilt, changing news feeds, the applications offered in GetApps and the available topics, which often helps to solve problems with the unavailability of certain services or functions.
However, the change in region has consequences: Notification rules may change, as different countries have different energy saving standards (especially for the ROM versions from China and India), and some system applications may require re-authorization.
The Impact of the Region on the NFC
Don’t change your region too often in the hope of finding “secret” features, which can lead to unstable geolocation system services and advertising notifications that don’t match your location.
Access problems and their solution
When using space sharing functions, users often face the problem of file invisibility. A photo taken in the main profile does not appear in the second one, and vice versa. It is a standard security behavior, not an error. To transfer a file, you need to use special tools or cloud services.
To move data between spaces in the Second Space notification curtain, there is a "Move Files" button that allows you to select photos, videos or documents and copy them to your main profile. The reverse process is also possible, but requires confirmation in the main profile.
Notification conflicts sometimes occur, messages from cloned applications may not arrive on time due to aggressive energy saving, and to fix this, you need to go to the battery settings and allow auto-start for a particular application in the second space.
⚠️ Note: If you forgot the password from the Second Space and did not link the Mi-account for recovery, the only way to return access is to completely reset your smartphone to the factory settings (Hard Reset) with the loss of all data.
Also worth mentioning is the problem with contact display: the default phone books are separated. If you need to see all the numbers at once, you will have to manually export contacts from one profile and import them to another, or use sync through Google Contacts by selecting the display of all accounts.
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Use Mi Cloud or Google Drive cloud storage to sync important documents between the main and second space, which is faster and more reliable than manually copying through a file manager.
Alternative methods of data separation
If MIUI is not a good fit for you, there are alternatives, and one is Application Protection, which doesn't create a separate desktop, but it puts a password on the specific program, which is less convenient for permanent use, but effective for quick protection.
Another option is to use third-party launchers or parallel apps from Google Play, such as Parallel Space, which works like a virtual machine within the app, a solution that is universal and independent of the Android version, but often contains advertising and consumes more resources than the native solution from Xiaomi.
For advanced users, there is a method of creating separate user profiles through ADB-And the teams, similar to what they do in pure Android. MIUI This method often works unstable and can lead to a “bootloop” (cyclic reboot), so beginners should not experiment with system commands without a backup.
pm create-user --profileOf 0 --restricted New profileThis command creates a limited profile, but in MIUI it may not have full access to the app store or network settings. Xiaomi’s native “Second Space” is still the most optimized and secure solution for most use cases.
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Xiaomi’s native Second Space is more stable than its third-party counterparts, as it is integrated at the system level rather than emulated on top of Android.