How to hide the application Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC: the full guide

Xiaomi’s Poco series of mobile devices are famous for their performance and flexibility of the MIUI or HyperOS operating system. However, the standard desktop is often filled with icons that you want to remove from prying eyes. Poco X3 NFC users often look for ways to restrict access to certain programs, whether they are bank customers, personal photo galleries or just games that should not be a horn.

There are several effective ways to do this, from built-in security features to creating completely isolated profiles. Hidden mode in the shell of MIUI allows you not only to remove the icon from the desktop, but also to protect access to content with a password or biometrics. This provides a double level of privacy that is critical in today’s smartphone environment.

In this guide, we will discuss in detail all the available methods, their features and nuances of customization on the Poco X3 NFC model. You will learn how to activate hidden mode, how it differs from the second space, and what alternatives exist if standard methods do not suit you. The built-in MIUI functionality allows you to hide applications without installing additional software, which is a unique feature of the Xiaomi ecosystem.

Activation of the built-in hidden MIUI mode

The first and most obvious way is to use the native Hidden Mode feature, which is built into most versions of MIUI for Poco, which allows you to remove application icons from the desktop and place them in a special secure folder. To start, you need to go to the Settings menu and find the Application section.

Then select Hidden Mode and activate the switch at the top of the screen, the system will prompt you to set a special password or use a fingerprint to log in, and after activation, a new icon will appear on the desktop, the appearance of which can be changed in the settings.

To add an app to this mode, you open the hidden mode folder itself, click the + button, and select the programs you want from the list, and then they disappear from the main screen.

⚠️ Note: If you forget the password from the hidden mode, it will be almost impossible to restore access to data inside it without completely resetting your phone settings.

You can use gestures to control hidden programs, for example, in some versions of MIUI, access to hidden mode is done by swiping up on the desktop or by introducing special code in the Phone application. Poco X3 NFC most often uses a separate icon or input code in the call.

Use of the function Second space

A more radical and reliable method is the Second Space feature, which creates a completely isolated environment on your Poco X3 NFC that works as a separate smartphone inside your smartphone, where you can set duplicate applications, configure them independently, and hide any data from your main profile.

Activation is done via the Settings menu → Additional Features → Second Space. Once you create space, you can switch between the main and second profiles using a special shortcut in the notification curtain or through the screen lock settings. All data in the second space is encrypted separately.

The advantage of this method is that you can install the same application twice, one in the main profile for work, the other in the second for personal use, switching between them takes a couple of seconds and does not require a password unless you lock the space itself.

• 🔒 Complete isolation of data and files between profiles.
• 📲 Possibility of installing different versions of one application.
• 🎨 Separate wallpaper and interface settings for each space.
• 🚫 Difficulty of quick access for outsiders without knowing the second profile unlock code.

It’s worth considering that creating a second space takes up part of the device’s internal memory. On the 64GB Poco X3 NFC, this can be palpable if you plan to store a lot of heavy files or games there.

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Use different fingerprints for the first and second spaces, for example, the thumb of the right hand opens the main profile, and the thumb of the left one opens the hidden one.

Blocking applications through Security

If your goal is not so much to hide the icon as to prevent unauthorized access to the application, then Application Lock is ideal. This tool is part of the system application Security and does not require the creation of additional profiles.

To set up, open the Security app (green zipper icon), scroll down to the Application Lock section and enable the function. You will be prompted to create a password or attach a fingerprint, and then you can select from the list any applications that should be restricted.

When you try to open a blocked application, the system will require authentication, which works even if the icon is in a prominent place on the desktop. For the Poco X3 NFC, this feature is optimized and works almost without delay thanks to the fingerprint scanner in the on button.

An important nuance is that the application lock does not hide the notifications on the lock screen. To completely hide the fact of using the program, you need to additionally configure the display of notifications in the Notifications and Status bar section.

Hiding through third-party launchers

Poco X3 NFC owners often install third-party launchers such as Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher.These shells provide advanced customization capabilities, including icon hiding features that can be more flexible than standard ones.

Most modern launchers have a Hidden Apps or Hide Apps section in their settings, and you can go there and select the programs you want to remove from the app menu and desktop, but remember that this is only a visual cover-up; when you search through a global search for Android, the app can still be found.

Some launchers allow you to create secret folders that are accessed by a special gesture or code. This creates the illusion of hiding, but for an experienced user, finding the installed application through the Android settings (Settings → Apps → All applications) will not be difficult.

⚠️ Warning: Third-party launchers can consume more RAM than Poco X3 NFC 6GB version may lead to more frequent unloading of background processes.

Using a third-party launcher is a compromise between functionality and system stability. The standard shell of the POCO Launcher also has basic concealment features, but they are often less noticeable to the average user and require activation in settings.

Features of working with gallery and files

The concealment of photos and videos deserves special attention, as standard methods of hiding applications do not always work effectively with multimedia. MIUI has a feature called Hidden Album, which is integrated into the standard Gallery application.

To hide a photo or video, open the gallery, select the files you want, click the menu (three dots) and select Hide. These files will be transferred to a special album, which can only be accessed through a special gesture (such as finger-sparing in an album) and entering a password.

Other types of files (documents, archives) are hidden by system explorer, and the Files app also has a hidden folder function, but if you hide the Gallery or Files app through hidden mode, access to the hidden data inside will also be limited.

It is important to understand the difference between deletion and concealment: Hidden files take up space on the disk and can be found when connecting the phone to a computer in file transfer mode, unless encryption or use of a second space is enabled.

• 📷 Hidden album in Gallery is available through special gesture.
• 📁 Hidden folders in the conductor require separate authorization.
• 🔐 Files in Second Space are not visible from the main profile, even through a PC.

For maximum security, it is recommended to transfer confidential files to the Second Space and open them there, which ensures that even when you connect to your computer in debugging or transferring files, access to them will be closed without unlocking the second profile.