Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone owners often face the need to isolate certain programs from the main desktop.Second Space in the MIUI or HyperOS shell allows you to create a completely independent environment that functions as a separate smartphone inside your device, and is the perfect tool to separate work and personal accounts, as well as to run applications that do not work properly on the main system.
The main challenge that users face is that the standard data portability mechanism does not always work correctly for all types of software. Some Android system limitations do not allow you to simply drag and drop the label, requiring a deeper understanding of the system architecture. In this article, we will discuss all the available methods, from regular tools to the use of special utilities that guarantee the result.
Isolating apps is not only necessary for order on the screen, but also for improving security. Using Second Space, you can hide banking apps, messengers or games from prying eyes, protecting them with a separate password or biometrics. Let's take a detailed look at how to organize this process without losing data.
Why you need to move applications to an isolated environment
Creating a separate profile on one device solves a lot of practical problems. One is privacy. You can keep the main system unlocked for quick access, while the second space will be closed by additional security. PIN-This is especially true if you give a phone to a child or a colleague.
Second, application portability is often required for compatibility: Some older programs or modified versions of games may conflict with updates to the main MIUI system. Running them in an isolated space with other system libraries often eliminates crashes and errors.
- 🔒 Complete data isolation: photos, contacts and call history in Second Space are not visible in the main profile.
- 🔋 Energy saving: background processes of isolated applications don’t consume battery power when you’re in the main space.
- 📱 Software testing: the ability to safely install dubious applications without risk to the core system.
⚠️ Note: When migrating banking applications, be aware that some banks may block entry from devices that have circumvention tools or emulators installed, which are sometimes used to create second spaces.
Also worth noting is the convenience of managing notifications, which means that by moving intrusive apps to the Second Space, you can completely disable their notifications while in the main profile, and only check them when you switch to hidden mode yourself, which helps to keep focus and avoid distracting yourself with unnecessary messages.
The standard method of transfer through the MIUI settings
The easiest and safest way to do this is to use the built-in relocation feature that Xiaomi developers have designed, which requires no third-party software and guarantees system stability, but is not available for all applications, as it depends on the security policy of the software itself.
First, you need to activate the Second Space function itself, if it is not already enabled. Go to Settings → Second Space → Enable. The system will ask you to set an unlock method (fingerprint, face or password) that will differ from the main one. Once you create a profile, you will be in a clean environment ready to fill.
☑️ Preparation for transfer
To migrate the application from Space Two, open the standard Migration app (or find the Move Apps label on your desktop). The system will offer a list of programs available for cloning. Choose the right ones and confirm the action. The process will take from a few seconds to a couple of minutes depending on the size of the program cache.
It's important to understand that the standard method creates a copy of the application, which means that the data is not automatically synchronized between spaces. If you progressed to the game in the main profile, in the Second Space you will have to start over, if the game does not support cloud saves, which is a key difference from simply creating a shortcut.
| Type of application | Support for the transfer | Data retention | Risks of blocking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social media | Tall. | Re-entry required | Low. |
| Banking applications | Medium | Re-binding is required | Medium. |
| Games | Tall. | Depends on the account. | Low. |
| System utilities | Low. | Not applicable. | High-pitched |
Use of Dual Apps (Cloning)
If your goal is to just run a second account (like WhatsApp or Telegram) rather than create a completely isolated environment with a separate desktop, Dual Apps is a better fit. It's built into MIUI and works at the system level, creating a clone of the selected application.
Unlike Space Two, cloned apps are displayed in the general program list, but have a special icon. To activate the function, go to Settings → Applications → Dual applications. Here you will see a list of supported programs. Once activated, a copy with an orange icon will appear on the desktop.
Secret codes for hidden Dual Apps settings
The advantage of this method is that both apps run in parallel and can receive notifications at the same time even when the screen is turned off, but the resource intensity of this approach is higher. Two instances of the messenger running consume more RAM, which on budget models Redmi can cause slowdowns.
It's worth noting that the list of cloned applications is limited to the shell developer, and if the program you want isn't on the list, you can't add it to the regular tools, and in these cases, users often resort to creating a full Second Space, where there are no restrictions on installing the software.
Transfer through third-party utilities (Parallel Space and analogues)
When Xiaomi’s built-in capabilities aren’t enough, specialized emulator apps like Parallel Space, 2Accounts, or Multiple Accounts come to the rescue, creating a virtual sandbox within a single user profile, simulating the presence of a second device.
The way these utilities work is by swapping system identifiers for the applications they run inside, you install Parallel Space from Google Play, you add the program to it, and it runs in an isolated container, and you get around the limitations of the Dual Apps list.
- 🚀 Flexibility: You can clone almost any application, even if it is not supported by the system.
- ⚙️ Settings: Advanced permission and access control for each clone.
- 📉 Autonomy: Some utilities are able to “freeze” cloned applications when they are not in use, saving battery life.
However, this method has a significant disadvantage: advertising and resource consumption: free versions of such programs are often oversaturated with advertising modules that can slow down the smartphone, and they require broad permissions to access data, which calls into question the security of personal information.
⚠️ Warning: Do not use third-party cloners to log into major social media or bank accounts.Risk of data leakage via advertising SDK, built into the free versions of these utilities, remains high.
For users who are critically important to stability, it is recommended to use paid versions of such programs or look for open source analogues that do not contain advertising trackers, which will reduce the load on the processor and increase the level of security of your data.
Problems in transfer and ways of their solution
The transfer or cloning process is not always smooth, and the most common problem is that the app fails to run in Space Two, often due to emulation protection built into the program code, in which case the app may be launched immediately after launch or require an update to Google Play services.
Another common error is version conflict: If the main profile has a beta version of the application installed, and in the Second Space you are trying to install a stable version from the store, the system can block the installation. APK-The files are compatible or identical.
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If the application crashes after transfer, try to find the Special Opportunities section in the Second Space settings and force the process to stop, then clear the cache in the Second Space, not mainly.
Notification problems are solved through battery settings. MIUI aggressively saves charge, so background processes in Second Space can get killed. Go to Settings → Battery → Applications (already in Second Space), select the desired program and set No Limits mode.
Sometimes users find that the camera or microphone is not working in the cloned application, this is solved by checking the permissions, make sure that in the Second Space you have given the appropriate permissions, and it is also worth checking whether the Do Not Disturb mode or the Game mode is turned on, which can block access to the hardware.
Impact on smartphone performance and battery
Running multiple application instances inevitably affects the device's resources. Double load falls on RAM. If your Xiaomi smartphone has less than 4 GB of memory, active use of Second Space can lead to frequent reboots of background applications of the main profile.
The processor also experiences increased load, especially if both spaces are running heavy tasks, such as navigation or video, in which case the device can heat up faster than usual, and it is recommended to monitor the temperature of the case when using the function actively.
For the battery, the background activity in the Second Space is consumed separately, and even if you don't use the second profile, the messengers running there will maintain a permanent connection to the server, which can reduce battery life by 10-15% per day.
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To minimize the impact on the battery, use the Freeze function or force applications to close in the Second Space when you don’t need them at the moment.
Optimizing work can be done by turning off synchronization for secondary accounts or limiting background data transfer, especially for older smartphone models where hardware resources are limited, and by setting up properly, you can balance functionality and autonomy.