How to remove 2nd space on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

Modern Xiaomi smartphones come with many useful features, one of which is Second Space, which allows you to create an isolated environment on your device, almost a separate smartphone inside your gadget, with its own apps, photos and accounts. Users often turn to this option to separate work and personal lives or to install games with modifications without affecting the main system.

The process of deactivating and completely removing the second space may seem unobvious, as the developers of MIUI and HyperOS hid this feature quite deep in the settings menu. Wrong actions can lead to the loss of important data stored in an isolated profile, or temporary system failures. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the steps, cautions and nuances associated with the elimination of an additional profile.

Before you take any drastic action, you need to understand that deleting the second space is a file system operation, and all the data stored in that profile will be permanently erased, so the first and most important step is to back up your important information if you need it.

Preparation for deletion and backup of data

When you go to the deletion procedure, it's important to understand the scale of the change. The second space on Xiaomi works as a full user profile with its own file structure. When you initiate the deletion process, the system suggests moving files to the main space, but this mechanism doesn't always work perfectly with all types of data, especially with messenger cache and game saves.

It is recommended to manually check the contents of the gallery and download folder in the second space. Often users forget about screenshots, received documents or audio files that were downloaded exclusively to an isolated profile. Automatic porting may ignore some file formats or files located in non-standard directories.

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Before removing the second space, copy the WhatsApp or Telegram folder manually through the file manager, as when automatically transferring the history of correspondence may not be saved correctly.

Also worth paying attention to authorized accounts. If the second space was a login to a Google account or Mi Account with contact sync enabled, make sure that the numbers you need are stored in the cloud, not just in the profile memory. Once the space is deleted, it will be impossible to restore contacts from local memory.

• 📸 Take screenshots of important app settings in the second profile.
• ☁️ Check the sync status of Google and Mi Cloud.
• 📂 Manually copy documents from the Download folder to the main space.
• 🔒 Remember passwords from apps installed only in the second space.

Standard method of removal through system settings

The primary and most secure method of removing the second space is built into the Android operating system interface with the MIUI shell. First, switch to the main space, since deleting the profile from inside yourself is technically impossible.

Next, the algorithm of actions requires attention. The path to function may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic remains the same. You need to find a section that is responsible for special features or additional functions of the system, usually located in the general settings of the device.

Once you log into the second space management menu, the system will issue a warning that all data will be deleted, which is the critical point when you need to make sure that you have it again. By pressing the delete button, you give the system a command to format the dedicated memory partition.

⚠️ Note: If the Remove Second Space button is inactive or missing, you may have Switch Between Spaces enabled through the sidebar. Try first to disable the Quick Access shortcut in the second space settings, and then look for the Remove button.

The deletion process can take from a few seconds to a couple of minutes, depending on the amount of data accumulated.At this time, it is not recommended to interrupt the smartphone or try to run heavy applications.The system should complete the cleanup of the file tables and free up space in the main memory.

Alternative methods and work with labels

In some versions of Xiaomi firmware, users are faced with a situation where the standard menu does not display the uninstall option, or access to it is difficult, in which case you can search by settings. At the top of the Settings menu, there is a search bar where you can enter the query “Second space” or “Second space”.

Search results often offer a direct jump to the desired profile management point. If you can’t navigate through the search menu, try using the Security app, which is pre-installed on all smartphones of the brand, and it can also duplicate space management functions, although new versions of HyperOS often remove this option from there.

There's also a method of cleaning through recovery mode, but it's radical and requires resetting the entire phone to factory settings, and it's the only way to remove the second space if the system isn't working properly, but it will also cause data loss in the main profile, and it's only worth resorting to in extreme cases.

• 🔍 Use the Settings Search for Quick Access.
• 🛡️ Check the Security app for duplicate features.
• 🔄 Rebooting the device sometimes returns missing menu items.
• ⚙️ Reset to factory settings removes all spaces at once.

Problems in removal and ways to solve them

Despite the simplicity of the procedure, Xiaomi users often face technical difficulties. One of the common problems is the freezing of the removal process. The screen can go out, and the phone can remain in a standby state. In this situation, you should not panic and immediately remove the battery (if it is removable) or forcefully reboot the device.

Often the reason for the inability to delete a profile is an active process in the background, for example, if a large file is downloaded in the second space, cloud synchronization or application updates are being updated, the system will block the deletion to prevent damage to the database, you must wait for all operations to be completed or you must force the processes to stop.

Another common situation is the “Not enough memory” error when trying to transfer data: the system tries to create a temporary copy of the files of the second space mainly before deleting, and if the free space on the disk ends, the process is interrupted, in which case you need to free up at least 5-10 GB of free space in the main profile before starting the operation.

⚠️ Note: If after a failed attempt to delete the second space stopped opening, but did not completely disappear, do not immediately try to reset the settings. Try to boot the phone in safe mode and repeat the removal procedure from there to exclude the influence of third-party applications. 1. Turn off the phone. 2. Turn it on and when the logo appears MI, press the volume down button. 3. Hold until full load.

Effects of Removal on Performance and Memory

Many users are wondering how much the deletion of the second space affects the smartphone. From the file system perspective, deleting the profile frees up a significant amount of space. However, unlike simply deleting files, there is a change in the structure of the memory partitions, which may require defragmentation, which modern smartphones conduct automatically in the background.

After removing the second space, you may notice a slight improvement in performance, especially on models with less RAM, because the system no longer needs to reserve resources and index files for additional user environments.

It's important to note that once you delete it, it can be more active for a while, and it's a process of optimizing storage and redesigning index tables, so in the first hours after you delete it, you don't have to make any sense of the loss of autonomy or speed, but you have to give the system time to stabilize.

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