How to Hide a Xiaomi App: All Ways Without Root (including MIUI 14)

Why Xiaomi Users Want to Hide Apps – and How to Do It Right

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones offer many personalization features, but not all of them are obvious. One of the frequent requests is how to hide an app on Redmi, POCO or Xiaomi’s flagship 13/14 models. The reasons range from wanting to get system utilities (like Mi Video or Mi Music) out of sight to having to hide personal correspondence or financial apps from outsiders.

It's important to understand: concealment ≠ It's going to be deleted. It's going to continue to run in the background, it's going to take up space in memory, it can send notifications, but it's going to disappear visually from the menu, the search, and the list of recently opened programs. In this article, we're going to look at 5 working methods -- from standard tools. MIUI to third-party solutions, including nuances for different versions of the shell (from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14).

Warning: Some methods may conflict with security features (e.g. Second Space or App Lock).If you use a corporate phone or an employer-administrator device, hidden applications may be detected through the use of a security device. MDM-Profiles (Mobile Device Management).

Method 1: Built-in Hidden Applications in MIUI

The easiest and safest method is to use the standard MIUI tool, which is available on most devices starting with MIUI 10, but the interface may vary depending on the version.

1. Open the settings (the gear icon on the desktop).
2. Go to the Appendix section → Application management.
3. Slip on the three dots in the top right corner and select Hidden Apps.
4. Turn on the switch next to the desired application.

The application will then disappear from:

• 📱 Main screen and application menu
• 🔍 Search results (including through Google Search)
• 📋 List of recently opened programs (unless manually run)

Limitations of the method:

• ⚠️ Does not work for system applications (such as Settings or Phone).
• ⚠️ The hidden app will still be visible in Settings → Annexes.
• ⚠️ In some models (for example, POCO F5) The feature can be called App Hide and is on a different menu.

How to return a hidden app? Repeat steps 1-3 and turn off the switch. If the app doesn't show up, restart your phone or clear the launcher's cache (Settings → Applications → Launcher → Clear the cache).

Method 2: Use of Second Space (Second Space)

Second Space is designed to separate personal and business data, but it can also be used to hide applications, a technique that is suitable if you want to not just hide an icon, but completely isolate an application (such as a messenger or banking software) from the main profile.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings. → Second Space.
2. Create a second space (you will need to create a separate password or a pattern lock).
3. After the reboot, select Second Space on the lock screen.
4. Install or transfer the desired applications to the second space only.

Pros of the method:

• 🔒 Complete isolation: apps won’t be visible in the main space even through search.
• 📱 You can customize individual wallpaper, sounds and notifications for the second space.
• 🔄 Quickly switch between spaces through the notification panel.

⚠️ Warning: If you forget the Second Space password, it will be impossible to restore access without resetting your phone to factory settings. Xiaomi does not provide official unlock tools.

How to hide Second Space? In the second space settings, turn off the option to Show Switch Notification, so that outsiders won’t see that there is a second space on the phone (but switching between them will become less convenient).

Method 3: Hiding through folders or alternative launchers

If the built-in methods don't work, you can use workarounds, one of which is putting the application in a folder without a name, with a transparent icon, which doesn't hide the application completely, but makes it less visible.

How to do this:

1. Create a folder on your desktop (click the app icon → Folder).
2. Move all the apps you want to hide to it.
3. Delete the name of the folder (tap on the text → Delete).
4. Install a transparent folder icon (use apps like Icon Changer from Google Play).

Alternative launchers (like Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher) offer more hiding options:

• 📂 Hide Apps (Hide icons from the menu).
• 🔍 Set up exceptions for search.
• 🎨 Customization of icons and folders.

Important: Some launchers may conflict with gestures MIUI (For example, swipe up to call the app menu. Check compatibility on forums before installing. 4PDA or XDA Developers.

Method 4: Disabling applications via ADB (for advanced)

If you need to hide a system application (such as Mi Browser or GetApps) that cannot be removed or disabled by standard methods, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the phone to your computer and basic command line knowledge.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your phone: go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install it. ADB-Drivers and open the command line.
4. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
5. To disable the app, use: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.example.app Replace com.example.app with the batch name of the app (you can find it through App Inspector on Google Play).

Examples of packet names:

• com.miui.browser — Mi Browser
• com.xiaomi.mipicks — GetApps
• com.miui.video — Mi Video

⚠️ Warning: Disabling system applications may cause the phone to run unstable, interface errors, or inability to update MIUI. For example, disabling com.miui.securitycenter will deprive you of protection from viruses.

Method 5: Hiding through App Lock (App Lock)

The App Lock feature in MIUI is designed to block access to applications, but it can also be used to indirectly hide the application, and if the application is blocked by a password, its icon is hidden by default from the menu (on some versions of MIUI).

How to set up:

1. Go to Settings → Apps → App Lock.
2. Set a password or pattern lock (unless previously configured).
3. Select the apps you want to block.
4. Enable Hide notifications (so they don’t appear on the lock screen).

Nuances:

• 🔐 The application will be visible in the Settings → Applications, but will not run without a password.
• 📱 Nana MIUI 14 Hiding the icon works only for applications installed by the user (not system).
• 🔄 If you forget your password, you can reset it through your Mi Account (linked to your phone).

💡

To increase protection, in the App Lock settings, enable Hide content in recent tasks, so even if someone unlocks the phone, they won’t see screenshots of hidden apps in the multitasking menu.

What to do if the hidden app is still visible?

Sometimes even after all the methods are applied, the application continues to manifest itself in the system, and here are the typical reasons and solutions:

If nothing helps:

• 🛠️ Try resetting the launcher settings (Settings) → Annexes → Launcher → Warehouse → Clear the data).
• 🔄 Restart your phone – sometimes it resets the cache of system services.
• 📱 Check if administrator profiles have been installed (e.g., from antiviruses or antiviruses). MDM), which can block the cover-up.

💡

On devices with MIUI 14 and Android 13+, some concealment techniques may not work due to new security restrictions, in which case use Second Space or third-party launchers.

FAQ: Frequent questions about hiding apps on Xiaomi