How to hide applications on Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite: all the ways from standard to advanced

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is still a popular smartphone among users who value balance of price and functionality. However, over time, the device accumulates a lot of unnecessary applications, from MIUI system services to randomly installed games. Their presence not only clutters the desktop, but can also affect privacy or performance. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to hide applications on the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite, including built-in shell tools and third-party solutions.

It's important to understand that hiding applications doesn't equal removing them. Hidden software continues to take up space in memory, consume resources in the background (if not forcedly disabled), and may appear in search results on the system. But visually it will disappear from the menu and from the desktop, which already solves most of the problems. We'll look at methods of varying complexity, from basic to requiring technical skills, so that each user finds the right option.

1. Hiding applications through the standard MIUI launcher

The easiest way is to use the built-in MIUI shell capabilities. The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite has either the POCO Launcher or the classic MIUI Launcher installed by default (depending on the firmware version), both of which support the application hide feature, but with nuances.

To hide the app:

1. Long press on the free space on the desktop and select Settings (cog icon).
2. Go to Hide Apps (in some versions – Application Management → Hide).
3. Check the necessary programs and confirm the action.

The applications thus concealed:

• ✅ Disappear from the menu and from the desktop
• ✅ They will not appear in search by system (unless you use global search)
• ❌ Remain on the list All apps in the phone settings
• ❌ May continue to send notifications (unless disabled separately)

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If Hide Apps is not in the launcher settings, upgrade to the latest stable version of MIUI for Mi 8 Lite. In versions below MIUI 10, this feature may not be available.

2.Use of the “Second Space” regime

MIUI offers a unique Second Space feature that allows you to create an isolated environment with a separate set of applications, contacts and files, a method that is suitable if you want to not just hide applications, but completely separate personal and work data.

Algorithm of settings:

1. Open Settings → Special Opportunities → Second Space
2. Follow the second space wizard (you need to set a password).
3. After creation, navigate to the second space through the notification bar (user icon).
4. Install or move the applications you want to hide from the main space.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔒 Complete isolation of data between spaces
• 📱 The ability to use different wallpapers, settings and accounts
• 🔄 Quickly switching through the notification curtain

⚠️ Note: When using the second space, some system features (such as Google Pay or banking apps) may require additional setup due to changed device identifiers.

3. Hiding through third-party launchers

If standard MIUI tools are not satisfied, you can install an alternative launcher with advanced concealment features.

• 📱 Nova Launcher (Nova Hide Apps plugin)
• 🛡️ Apex Launcher (Integrated Hiding Function)
• 🔍 Microsoft Launcher (Hide Through "Personal Folders")

Let’s look at the Nova Launcher:

1. Install Nova Launcher from Google Play.
2. Install the Nova Hide Apps plugin.
3. In the launcher settings, select App & widget drawers → Hide apps.
4. Mark the desired applications and apply the changes.

Download APK from the official website (if not in the Play Market)|Make a backup of the current launcher settings|Disable battery optimization for launcher in settings MIUI|Check compatibility with the Android version-->

Third-party launchers offer additional opportunities:

• 🔐 Hiding system applications (such as Mi Video or Mi Music)
• 📂 Grouping Hidden Applications into Protected Folders
• 🔄 Automatic concealment on schedule

⚠️ Note: Some launchers (for example, POCO Launcher may conflict with system services MIUI Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite, causing animations to freeze. Before installing, check the reviews for your firmware version.

4. Disable applications through system settings

If the goal is not only to hide but also to stop unnecessary applications from working, you can turn them off through system settings, especially for pre-installed MIUI services that cannot be removed without root rights.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Choose the app you want (such as Mi Browser or Mi Pay).
3. Click Disable (the button will only be active for system applications).
4. Confirm the action in the dialog window.

What happens when you turn off:

• ✅ The app disappears from the menu and stops working.
• ✅ System resources are released (RAM and CPU)
• ❌ Application files remain in the device memory
• ❌ Some system services may be automatically enabled after an update MIUI

On Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite with firmware MIUI 12.5+ Disabling some applications (e.g. com.xiaomi.midrop) can block the Quick File Transfer (Mi Share) function even in other applications. MIUI.

5. Advanced methods: ADB and root access

For advanced users willing to work with technical tools, deeper concealment techniques are available: They require a PC connection or root permissions, but allow you to completely remove system applications or hide them at the OS level.

Method 1: Disconnection through ADB

This will require:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB driver
• 📱 Included Debugging by USB smartphone
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original)

Steps:

1. Connect the Mi 8 Lite to your PC and open the command line in the folder with ADB.
2. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices
3. Get a list of all packages: adb shell pm list packages
4. Disable an unnecessary app (e.g. Mi Browser): adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.browser

Method 2: Removing system applications from root

If root access is obtained on the device, you can use:

• 📌 Root Explorer – for manual removal APK-file /system/app
• 🛠️ Titanium Backup – to freeze or remove backup apps
• 🔧 SD Maid – to clean up the remnants of remote applications

⚠️ Note: Removing system applications on Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite may result in bootloop ( looped boot) or loss of functionality (for example, the disappearance of the "Themes" item in the settings after deleting com.android.themes).Always back up via TWRP before such operations.

6. Hiding icons without removing apps

If the task is simply to remove icons from the desktop, but leave applications working, you can use:

Method 1: Move to a hidden folder

• 📂 Create a folder on your desktop and call it “.hidden” (the point at the beginning will make it hidden in some launchers).
• 📱 Move unnecessary icons there.
• 🔍 In the launcher settings, turn off the display of folder names.

Method 2: Using the "Tags" widget

Some launchers (like Nova) allow you to replace application icons with shortcuts, which can then be selectively hidden.

1. Click on the app icon for a long time and select Change.
2. Select the option to Create a shortcut (if available).
3. Remove the original icon by leaving only the shortcut, which is then hidden through the launcher settings.

Method 3: Masking for system icons

With applications like Icon Changer, you can replace the icon of an unnecessary application with a system icon (for example, Settings or Phone), and then hide it in a folder with other system shortcuts.

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

When hiding applications on Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite, users encounter typical errors.

The problem with the "double applications"

Some versions of MIUI for Mi 8 Lite may have a ghost icon, an unnamed icon, that leads nowhere, after hiding the application through the launcher, due to a launcher caching error.

1. Clear the launcher cache in Settings → Apps → [Your launcher] → Memory → Clear the cache.
2. Reset the device.
3. If the problem persists, reset the launcher settings to standard.

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Before any manipulation of system applications on Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite, back up through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset. This will restore the system to work in case of an error.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions