Modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO store a huge amount of personal information, access to which is desirable to restrict from prying eyes. Often there is a need to remove certain programs from view, whether it is bank customers, personal correspondence or just games, so as not to confuse colleagues or children. Android operating system with the shell MIUI or HyperOS has a powerful built-in functionality that allows you not only to put a password for launch, but also completely remove the icon from the general menu.
There are several ways to do this, each with its own features and security layers. Hidden Apps is a regular shell feature that hides shortcuts in a special section that is only accessible by gesture. A more radical method is to block applications completely, which requires you to enter a password or fingerprint at each run, making it impossible to use the program without authorization. The choice of the specific method depends on how strictly you want to restrict access to data.
In this article, we will take a look at the algorithms for all current firmware versions, including new security updates. You will learn how to activate hidden mode, how to configure access to it and what to do if standard tools do not fit. Proper privacy settings on your smartphone is the first step to digital hygiene and protecting your personal data from prying glances.
Activation of the built-in Hidden Mode on Xiaomi
The most elegant solution for Xiaomi users is to use the native Hidden Apps feature, which does not remove the program, but only hides its icon from the main menu and the list of recent tasks, accessing such programs through a special gesture in the Security app or through a search, making their presence on the device invisible to the casual user.
To activate this feature, you need to go to the standard system application Security (green icon with lightning), which is pre-installed on all devices of the brand. At the bottom of the screen, find and click on Hidden Applications. If you see this section for the first time, the system will prompt you to create an unlock password and link it to your Mi Account in case you forget. This is a critical step, since without a password or link to your account, it will be impossible to restore access to hidden data.
Once you create a password, you will see a list of all installed programs, you just need to switch the switch against the apps you want to hide. It is important to know that on new versions of MIUI 14 and HyperOS, the path can be changed to Settings → Applications → Hidden applications. Once activated, the icons will disappear from the desktop, but will remain accessible through a special login.
⚠️ Warning: Do not hide system services or critical Android components through this interface, as this may result in unstable interface performance or cyclical device reboots.
☑️ Checking the hidden mode settings
How to Enter Hidden Applications and Use Them
Once you've hidden the programs you need, the question is, how do you run them now? There's no standard shortcut on the desktop, and a global search for the name may also not yield results depending on your privacy settings.
Open the Security app and go to the Cleanup tab. On this screen, spread two fingers from the center of the screen in different directions (the gesture "pick out" or "zoom out"). The screen will change slightly, and you will see a list of hidden applications. By clicking on the icon, you can start the program in normal mode.
An alternative and faster way to access is to use the Mi Search search bar or global search. Enter the exact name of the hidden application or a pre-set access code (if such an option was configured in the hidden mode settings), the system recognizes the request and launches the program, bypassing the need to enter a password every time the settings have the appropriate permission.
- 🔍 Finger-dividing gesture in the application Security - the main method of access.
- 🔑 Entering a code word in the search bar is a fast alternative.
- 📱 Hidden Apps widget – you can add to your desktop for quick login (requires authorization).
What to do if the gesture does not work?
Blocking application launch with a password or fingerprint
If your goal is not so much to hide the fact that the program is there as to prevent it from being run by unauthorized persons, then App Lock is perfect. It leaves an icon in place, but when you try to open the program you need to verify your identity, and it's a great way to protect messengers, a gallery or banking applications from children or friends who took a phone "just look at a photo."
You can set up through the same Security app. Find the "App Lock" section and create a separate password (this may be different from the unlock password). Next, select the programs you want to protect. Now, every time you run the selected software, the system will request a pattern lock, PIN-code.
In the lock settings, you can activate the function “Hide the content of notifications.” In this case, even if a message comes to the blocked application, only the text “Content is hidden” will appear in the notification curtain, which further increases the level of privacy.
| Type of protection | Visibility of the icon | Authorization required | Level of secrecy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hidden regime | Hidden on the menu | When entering the section | High-pitched |
| Application lockdown | Seen on the desktop. | Every time you launch. | Medium. |
| Second space | Separate desktop | When entering profile | Maximum |
Use of the Second Space for Maximum Insulation
For users who need to radically divide their digital lives into “personal” and “working” (or “secret”), Second Space is the most powerful tool, and in fact, it creates a second, fully independent profile inside your smartphone with its own apps, files, Google accounts, and settings.
Switching between spaces is instantaneous and can be tied to different fingerprints, such as unlocking the right thumb with the right thumb and opening the left thumb with the hidden Second Space, and for an outsider, the phone looks like a normal device with a set of neutral applications.
Find this feature in Settings → About Phone (or Advanced Settings, depending on the MIUI version) → Second space. The setup process takes a few minutes, as the system creates a virtual copy of the Android environment. In this space, you can install individual copies of social networks, hide personal photos and store confidential documents.
The main advantage of the method is complete data isolation, and even if someone accesses the main profile and starts to go through files, they will not be able to physically see the data stored in the Second Space without knowing the password or fingerprint to log in to it, a level of security comparable to having two different smartphones.
💡
The second space is a full copy of the Android system inside your phone, providing maximum data isolation from the main profile.
Hiding through third-party launchers and applications
Xiaomi’s regular tools are effective, but sometimes users need a more flexible approach or their firmware version limits functionality, in which case third-party launchers (desktop shells) and specialized “calculator” utilities that mask access to hidden content come to the rescue.
Popular launchers like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher often have built-in features to hide apps from the list of all programs (App Drawer).However, it is worth remembering that they hide the icon only in their interface; in system settings and through Google search, the application will still be visible.
Calculator Vaults are an interesting class of programs that look and work like a calculator, but if you type in a certain numeric code and press "equal," you open up a hidden store of files and applications, and this is an example of social engineering in data protection: even if someone unlocks a phone, they'll see only a boring computing interface.
- 🎨 Launchers only hide icons in their menus, but do not protect against direct launch.
- 🧮 Safe calculators mask access under the guise of a utility, increasing stealth.
- 📂 File managers with encryption function allow you to hide APK-file.
⚠️ Note: When using third-party launchers on new versions of Android, there may be restrictions in the operation of navigation gestures or animations, as MIUI Strictly monitor system processes.