How to hide the app icon on Android Xiaomi

Owning a modern smartphone implies a lot of personal data, which is often accessed through desktop app icons. In the ecosystem of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO, developers have focused on privacy, implementing several layers of protection for user information. However, not everyone knows that the standard feature of “Hidden Applications” has been eliminated in new versions of the MIUI and HyperOS shell, which raises a lot of questions for users accustomed to the old interface.

The privacy situation on the Chinese manufacturer’s devices requires a deeper dive into the system settings, and if you had to select the right program from the settings menu, now the algorithms have changed, due to the strengthening of security policies and the change in the structure of the Android operating system.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to remove the program icon from view, while maintaining full access to data through special passwords or biometrics. You will learn about built-in shell tools, working with security folders and the capabilities of third-party launchers, which can be a great alternative to standard methods.

Understanding these mechanisms will not only allow you to hide unnecessary programs in sight, but also significantly improve the level of protection of your device from prying eyes. We will look at the nuances of each function, so you can choose the most suitable option for your smartphone model.

The evolution of privacy features in MIUI and HyperOS

For a long time, users of Xiaomi devices have used the convenient application hide feature, which was in the Settings menu and was available through a swipe in the Security app. However, with the release of the global versions of MIUI 12.5 and subsequent updates to MIUI 14 and HyperOS, the developers decided to reconsider the approach to hide programs, this was done in order to unify the interface and meet the requirements of the Google Play Store, which do not always allow for deep changes to the system launcher.

At the moment, if you try to find the classic hide menu, you may find that it is missing. This does not mean that the feature is gone completely, it has been transformed or moved to other parts of the system. In some regions and on certain models (especially Chinese versions of firmware), the old method still works, but you should not rely on it in the global build.

The key change was to shift the focus to using Second Space and Hidden Mode in a gallery or explorer, and to introducing password-access folders, which makes the concealment process safer, but a little less obvious to the average user. It's important to understand which version of the shell is installed on your device, because the tools available depend on it.

It’s worth noting that the lack of a Hide App button in the usual place is not a bug or a system error. This is a conscious decision by the company’s engineers to standardize the user experience. So finding a solution to the problem of “how to hide the app icon on Xiaomi Android” now requires resorting to alternative methods, which we will discuss in detail below.

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If you upgraded to HyperOS and lost the usual privacy settings, check for updates for the system application “Security” in the GetApps store, sometimes functions return with patches.

Use of Hidden Mode in Gallery and Guide

One of the most effective built-in tools for hiding sensitive data is the Hidden Album feature in the Gallery and a similar option in File Explorer. Although these features were originally designed to protect photos and documents, they also allow you to hide application shortcuts when used in conjunction with shortcuts or moving. APK-files, but most often this means hiding the media files themselves associated with applications.

However, there is a nuance: In some versions of the shell, you can hide entire folders through Explorer where application data can be stored. To activate this feature, you need to open the Explorer application, go to the settings and select Hide files. Once you set a password or fingerprint, certain folders will become invisible in the overall structure of the file system.

To use this method, follow the following steps:

• 🔒 Open the standard “Conductor” app on your smartphone.
• ⚙️ Go to the settings menu (usually three bars or dots in the corner) and find Hide Files».
• 🔑 Create and enter a security password that will be used to access hidden content.
• 📂 Select files or folders that you need to hide from prying eyes.

It's important to understand that this method hides files, not the application icons themselves, on the desktop. However, if an application stores data in a particular folder, hiding it provides an additional level of privacy.

⚠️ Warning: Forgotten passwords from a hidden album or guide are extremely difficult to recover without a linked Mi Account.Make sure you remember the check question or have access to the phone number specified when setting up the account.

Method of creating folders with password access (App Lock)

The closest analogue to the classic application hiding in modern Xiaomi shells is creating secure folders on the desktop, which allows you to group applications and set a separate password, a pattern lock or a biometric check to enter the folder. Although the icons remain visible, the contents of the folder are securely protected.

To do this, you'll need to use the launcher functionality: Create a new folder on your desktop, put the apps you want in it, then click on the folder name or hold your finger on it to call the settings menu. If your version of the shell supports folder lock, you can set the password.

The algorithm of actions is as follows:

• 📱 Create a new folder on your desktop and move the apps you want to hide there.
• 🔐 Click on the folder name or use a long press to call the control menu.
• 🛡️ Select the option “Add protection” or “Block folder” (availability depends on the version). MIUI).
• 👁️ Set up access via fingerprint for quick entry.

If a standard launcher doesn't allow you to put a password on a folder, you can use the Security app. In the Application Protection section, you can block the launch of specific programs. This won't hide the icon, but it won't let you open an application without a password, which is often even more reliable protection than simple concealment.

The limitation of this method is that the icons inside the folder are still visible if the folder is open, but when the folder is closed or authorization is required, access to the functionality is closed, a compromise solution that sacrifices complete invisibility for usability.

Application of the “Second Space” regime

Second Space is perhaps the most powerful app hiding tool in the Xiaomi ecosystem, creating a completely isolated environment within a single device, and in fact, you have two smartphones in your hands, one main one and the other hidden one, with its apps, photos, accounts and settings.

Switching between spaces is instantaneous through a special label in the notification curtain or by fingerprint, and if you set the entrance to the second space using a unique fingerprint, no one will guess its existence just by unlocking the phone with your normal finger.

Instructions for setting up the second space:

• 🚀 Go to "Settings» → «Second Space and press "Enable».
• 👤 Create a new profile that is completely separate from the main one.
• 📲 Install in the second space those applications that you want to hide from strangers.
• 🖐️ Set up the second space unlock with a unique fingerprint.

This is ideal for situations where children or colleagues can use the phone, they can only see your main interface, while all sensitive data and applications are in the second space, applications installed in the second space do not appear in the main lists and do not consume the main profile memory.

⚠️ Note: When you delete the second space, all data, applications and files inside it will be completely destroyed.

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The second space is Xiaomi’s only native ability to create a completely hidden environment with a separate set of applications invisible in the main profile.

Comparison of methods of data protection and concealment

The best way to choose depends on your goals: whether you need to make the application invisible, or just close access to it. Below is a table that will help to systematize knowledge about the available methods and their effectiveness.

As you can see from the table, completely hide the app icon on Xiaomi Android without using third-party solutions or Second Space in new versions of MIUI is almost impossible. Native tools are increasingly shifting towards blocking access, rather than visual concealment, this is dictated by security reasons, so that attackers can not take advantage of vulnerabilities of hidden system processes.

Using Second Space is the most comprehensive solution, as it not only hides the icon, but isolates the entire process of the application, while blocking applications through Security is more convenient for everyday use, unless you are critical to the visual invisibility of the icons.

Using third-party launchers to hide icons

If Xiaomi’s built-in tools don’t suit you, there’s always the option of installing a third-party launcher, with programs like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher, or Apex Launcher offering advanced desktop management features, including the ability to hide apps from menus or desktops.

To implement this method, you will need to install the selected launcher from the Google Play Store and assign it to the default application. After that, in the launcher settings (usually under Desktop Settings or Hidden Applications), you can select programs that should not appear in the general list.

The installation and configuration process looks like this:

• 📥 Download and install a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher) from the Play Market.
• ✅ At the first start, agree to make it the main launcher of the system.
• ⚙️ Go to the launcher settings and find the Hidden Apps section).
• 👁️ Select the apps you want to hide and confirm the action.

It should be noted that on the shells of MIUI and HyperOS, third-party launchers can work with restrictions, for example, there may be problems with animations, notification curtains or gesture controls, and the system can periodically reset the launcher settings, requiring re-authorization.

⚠️ Warning: Third-party launchers can consume more battery and RAM resources than the standard Xiaomi launcher.On budget models, this can lead to slower interface performance.

However, for those who want to have full control over the look and feel of their smartphone and hide apps without creating additional profiles, this method remains one of the most flexible: It allows you to hide the icon, but leave the app installed and accessible through search or settings if you know where to look.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)