Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the need to use multiple accounts in the same messengers, which is relevant for those who share work and personal chats, or for entrepreneurs running several projects at once. Redmi Note 9, based on the shell MIUI, offers built-in tools to solve this problem without installing third-party software.
Cloning allows two independent copies of the same application to run in parallel, each copy has its own settings, notifications and correspondence history, which ensures complete data isolation. Unlike simple account switches, cloning creates virtually a separate copy of the program on your device.
In this article, we will discuss in detail the process of activating and configuring cloned applications, you will learn how to avoid common errors when working with duplicates and optimize battery consumption, which inevitably occurs when you start additional background processes.
The principle of operation of the function "Cloning of applications"
The MIUI cloning technology is based on creating a virtual space inside the operating system, so when you activate a clone for a particular messenger, the system allocates a separate container of data files to it, which means that the cloned application looks like a completely different program with a unique identifier to the operating system.
It is important to understand that not all installed programs support this feature. Usually, only social networks and messengers such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber or Facebook are subject to cloning. System utilities and games, as a rule, do not have the option to create a duplicate in the standard shell settings.
⚠️ Note: Clone apps can consume more RAM. If your Redmi Note 9 has a lot of heavy programs installed, working two copies of the messenger at the same time can lead to accelerated battery drain.
The mechanism is designed so that notifications from both apps come in standard mode, but have visual differences. The clone icon is always marked with a special icon, which allows you to instantly distinguish the main account from the secondary one, this eliminates confusion when sending messages.
Step-by-step instructions for activating cloning
The process of enabling the feature in Redmi Note 9 is as simple as possible for developers and does not require superuser rights. All actions are performed through the standard settings menu, available immediately after unpacking the device.
Go to the settings menu on your smartphone, and you need to find the section that manages the installed programs. The path may vary slightly between versions of MIUI firmware, but the logic remains the same.
☑️ Pre-cloning testing
Follow the algorithm further:
- 📱 Open the smartphone settings.
- 🔍 Find and go to the App section.
- 🔄 Select Cloning of Applications (in some versions) MIUI It may be called the “Dual Appendices»).
- ✅ Activate the switch in front of the desired messenger, such as WhatsApp.
Once the switch is activated, the system automatically creates a shortcut on the desktop, which will have the same icon, but with a little orange icon in the corner, and you can now launch a second app and log in using a different phone number.
Configuring notifications and interface
Once a clone is created, it is important to set up notifications correctly so that important messages are not missed from any account. By default, MIUI can apply aggressive energy savings by blocking the background operation of the secondary application, which leads to delays in receiving messages.
To work properly, open the cloned app settings. You need to prevent the system from killing the process in the background. It is also recommended to enable autorun for a secondary copy if you want to receive notifications immediately after the screen is turned on.
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To keep icons from merging, use the built-in Themes feature. Change the cloned app icon to a different color or style through the Theme Editor → Icons menu.
Visual design is also subject to adjustment, so you can change the theme for the clone to make it different from the main one, which is especially useful if you use both accounts frequently and want to visually separate the contexts of the conversation.
- 🔔 Go to Settings. → Notifications and status bar.
- 📲 Find the cloned app in the list.
- 🔊 Make sure sound and vibration are on for both instances.
Note that notifications can be customized for each account, allowing you to hear whether a message has arrived in a work chat or in a personal one without even looking at the screen of your smartphone.
Comparison of System Cloning and Third-Party Solutions
Users often wonder why Xiaomi's built-in tools exist when there are third-party clonaiser apps? The answer lies in optimization and security. System cloning works at the core level of the shell, which provides better stability.
Third-party applications, such as Parallel Space or 2Accounts, create their own virtual environment, which often leads to increased resource consumption and advertising inside the interface, and they also require broad permissions to access your data.
Below is a table comparing key operating parameters of the built-in MIUI function and third-party counterparts:
| Parameter | Systemic cloning of MIUI | Third-party annexes |
|---|---|---|
| Stability of work | Tall. | Medium |
| Battery consumption | Optimized | Elevated |
| Advertising | Absent. | Often present. |
| Security of data | Tall. | Depends on the developer. |
Using native Redmi Note 9 tools ensures that your communications remain within a secure perimeter, and third-party solutions can transfer metadata about your contacts to their servers for analytics.
Possible problems and ways to solve them
During operation, users may encounter a number of typical problems, most often due to the fact that the cloned application ceases to receive notifications or crashes at launch, this often happens after updating the MIUI firmware.
If the clone stopped working, the first thing you do is try to clear the cache, don't delete the data unless you want to lose your secondary account history, just reset the temporary files, which often solves the problem of hanging.
⚠️ Note: When you delete the main application, the cloned version will also be deleted automatically. First, deactivate the cloning function in the settings if you want to save the second account data.
Another common problem is that it is impossible to verify in banking applications or corporate messengers, and some security services identify the cloning environment as potentially dangerous and block the entrance.
What if the clone does not start?
To solve notification problems, use the Security → Battery menu. Find a clone in the list and select No Limits mode. This will prevent the system from limiting the background activity of the program.
The impact of cloning on the performance of the Redmi Note 9
The Redmi Note 9 is equipped with a Snapdragon 730G processor and various RAM options (4 or 6 GB). Running duplicate applications puts additional strain on the processor and RAM. In normal use cases, this is imperceptible, but in heavy tasks can manifest.
If you actively use navigation, games or video shooting, having multiple running copies of messengers in the background can lead to micro-latency interface.
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For owners of versions with 4 GB of RAM, it is recommended not to keep more than 2-3 cloned applications active at the same time in order to avoid system brakes.
To minimize the impact on performance, regularly clean the memory of running applications, and don't keep clones of programs you rarely use on, but instead activate the cloning function only for services you need all the time.
In the long run, the constant operation of many background processes can slightly accelerate the wear of the memory storage device due to log and cache operations, but for the modern user this factor is secondary to the usability of two numbers.