Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones, working in the field of marketing, SMM or just leading several business projects, often face a severe restriction of the MIUI operating system or the new HyperOS. Standard functionality of “Cloning applications” allows you to run only one additional copy of the program, which together makes only two accounts.
Fortunately, the Android architecture allows you to bypass the software limitations of the manufacturer using deeper system tools. Creating a third clone is not magic, but the competent use of the capabilities of spaces or the command line of ADB. In this article, we will discuss the most effective and safe methods to expand the functionality of your device without losing warranty and stability.
It is worth noting that the process requires care. Incorrect actions can lead to version conflicts or incorrect display of icons. Before starting any manipulations, make sure that you have the latest version of MIUI installed and all the necessary applications are updated through the official GetApps store or Google Play.
Why the system limits the number of clones
The restriction on creating only one clone of the application was deliberately built by Xiaomi developers, the main reason being to optimize resource consumption, each clone running is actually a separate process that consumes RAM and charges the battery.
WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber have security mechanisms that can block the work of unofficial modified customers, and MIUI tries to prevent potential conflicts that can arise when trying to run three identical processes with the same digital signatures.
⚠️ Note: Using third-party cloning techniques may cause a temporary suspension of your messenger account due to suspicious activity.
However, Xiaomi’s current smartphone processors have enough power to handle three or more running copies of heavy apps, and the restriction is more software-based than hardware-based, giving us the ability to get around it.
Method One: Using the Second Space Mode
The easiest and most legal way to get a third clone is to use the built-in Second Space feature, which creates a completely isolated environment on your phone, effectively turning one smartphone into two independent devices.
To activate, go to Settings → Second Space and click Enable. You will be asked to create a separate password or fingerprint to log in to this environment. After switching, you will see a clean desktop where you need to log in to your Google or Mi Account again.
Install the application you need in Space Two. Now you have:
- 📱 The main application in the main space.
- 📱 Application clone (through standard cloning function).
- 📱 The third instance in the Second Space.
This method is the most stable, as it does not require root rights, but it has a significant drawback: notifications from Second Space can come with a delay if the system decides to “sleep” to save energy.
☑️ Configuring the Second Space
Method Two: Advanced Cloning through ADB
For users who don't want to create a separate space and prefer to have all the icons on one screen, there's a more technical method: it requires connecting a smartphone to a computer and using USB debugging, which allows you to create clones at the system level, bypassing the standard interface constraints.
First, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on the MIUI version seven times. Then, in the “Additional” menu, turn on “Debugging on USB.” It is also important to enable the option “Debugging on USB (security settings)” if it is available in your firmware version.
Connect your phone to your PC and start the console with ADB installed. Enter a command to check the connection:
adb devicesIf the device is determined, you can proceed to create a clone. The command depends on the version of Android and the shell, but the basic syntax for creating a new user (which will work as a clone) is as follows:
pm create-user --profile-of 0 CloneUserOnce you have created a profile, applications can be installed in all spaces or migrated to existing ones, which requires careful attention, since working with the pm (Package Manager) system commands affects the deep layers of the OS.
⚠️ Attention: When working with ADB Be very careful when you're using commands. A syntax error can cause data to be deleted or a device to reboot cyclically.
Comparison of cloning techniques
The choice of method depends on your technical skills and use goals. For a typical user who just needs to distinguish between work and personal, Second Space will suit. For advanced users who need complete control and no switching between profiles, the method with ADB or specialized launchers will do.
Let’s look at the main differences in the table below:
| Parameter | Standard clone. | Second space | ADB/Root methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of copies | 1 + 1 (Original + Clone) | Unlimited (actually) | Depends on the method. |
| Difficulty setting up | Low. | Medium | Tall. |
| Impact on the battery | Minimum | Medium (background processes) | High. |
| Stability of work | Tall. | Tall. | Medium/Risky |
As you can see from the table, Second Space is the only official way to get a stable third clone without risking losing warranty. The other methods are experimental and may stop working after a firmware update.
What if the clone does not start?
Set up notifications and energy saving
The most common problem with the third clone is the lack of notifications, the MIUI and HyperOS system aggressively kills background processes to save charge, and in order for the third clone to work fully, you need to manually configure each instance of the application.
Go to Settings → Applications → All Apps. Find your clone (it can be called “Application (Clone)” or have a profile marking). Go to Energy Saving and select “No Limits” mode, which will prevent the system from stopping the process.
Then turn on auto-start. In the same app settings menu, find Auto-Start and activate it. Without this step, the messenger will not be able to connect to the network until you manually open the application. It is also recommended to pin the application to the list of recent tasks by pulling the app card down and pressing the lock.
- 🔋 Select “No Limits” mode in the battery settings.
- 🚀 Enable Auto Start for Instant Connection.
- 🔒 Block the app from the multitasking menu (recent tasks).
- 📢 Allow display on top of other applications in special features.
These actions ensure that you don’t miss an important message on any of the three accounts, but be prepared for the fact that smartphone autonomy can decrease by 15-20% due to the constant activity of three network connections.
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Use different themes for clone icons to visually distinguish them from each other and not send a message from the wrong account.
Possible problems and solutions
There may be specific errors in the operation of three or more clones, and users are most likely to experience a second or third clone stop logging in, giving a network error or an endless download lap.
This is often because Google Play services cannot properly handle requests from multiple identical apps at the same time.The solution is to clear the data from Google Play and Google Play Services. Go to Settings → Apps → Show All → Google Play Services → Memory → Clear all data.
Another problem is the version conflict: if the main application has updated automatically and the clone (especially in Second Space) is still on the old version, the work may be disrupted.
⚠️ Warning: Don’t try to install modified versions of WhatsApp (GBWhatsApp, WhatsApp Plus) along with the official ones.This is almost guaranteed to lock your numbers with the messenger’s security service.
If nothing works, try removing all the clones and re-create them in a strict sequence: first the main app, then the standard clone, and only then activate the Second Space.
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The stability of the three clones depends on the amount of RAM. On devices with 4 GB of RAM and less, the use of three active copies of heavy messengers can lead to system lags.
Alternative solutions for multi-accounting
If Xiaomi’s built-in methods seem too complex or unstable, there are alternatives: Some apps, such as Telegram, officially support adding multiple accounts within a single app. Telegram’s settings allow you to add up to three (or more with Premium) accounts by switching between them in a single click.
Other services can be used with container applications, such as Parallel Space or Multiple Accounts, which create a virtual environment within a single application, but these solutions are often overloaded with advertising and consume even more resources than native MIUI methods.
Using business versions of apps can also solve the problem, for example, WhatsApp Business can be installed in parallel with the usual WhatsApp and its clone, thus obtaining three working numbers without using the Second Space.
Choose the method that best suits your use case: containers are suitable for one-time tasks, Second Space or ADB is suitable for permanent operation.