The Xiaomi Redmi 8 is still a popular budget smartphone, but owners often face the need to hide individual applications — whether messengers, banking programs or games. Unlike the flagship models with MIUI 14, there is no built-in feature “Hidden apps” in its pure form, but this limitation can be circumvented in at least five ways.
In this article, we will look at the current methods for Redmi 8 (codenamed olive) tested on MIUI 12.5-14 (including global and Chinese firmware), not only standard system tools, but also little-known tricks with ADB, third-party launchers and even physical icon hiding.
1. Hiding through the "Second Space" (official method)
The most reliable way to do this, without root rights, is to create a second user space, which can be used to set duplicate applications that are isolated from the main profile, and minus: it eats up to 1-1.5 GB of memory and requires a separate setup.
How it works on Redmi 8:
- 🔄 Go to Settings. → Special facilities → Second space.
- 📱 Click "Create a Second Space" and follow the instructions (you will need to create a separate password).
- 🔍 After creation, switch to the second space via the notification panel (user icon).
- 📥 Install the application again – it will only be available in the second space.
⚠️ Note: When you delete the second space, all data in it (including hidden applications) will be permanently erased!
Archiving of applications (without deletion)
The Archive feature in MIUI allows you to remove the application from the menu, but save its data. The icon will disappear, but the program will remain in the system and be available through search, suitable for temporary hiding.
Instructions:
- Press your finger on the app icon → select “Archive”.
- Confirm the action (the application will disappear from the desktop).
- To return: open Settings → Applications → Archived.
Make sure that the application is not system-based.
Check the space available (need ~50MB)
Turn off auto-update the app in the Play Market
Remember the name for the search.-->
⚠️ Note: Archived applications continue to work in the background and can send notifications. To completely disable them, go to Settings → Notifications and manually block alerts.
3. Use of third-party launchers
Launchers like Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher allow you to hide icons without system changes, advantage: you do not need to create a second space or archive applications. → Annexes.
The following is a step-by-step configuration for Nova Launcher:
- 📥 Install Nova Launcher from Play Market.
- 🔧 Hold your finger on the desktop → "Settings Nova" → "Hidden applications".
- 🔍 Choose the programs you want to hide.
- 🔄 Restart the launcher (swipe down on the desktop) → "Reboot").
| Launcher | Support for concealment | You need a Premium? | Visibility on the app menu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Launcher | Yeah (in settings) | No. | Hidden completely. |
| Apex Launcher | Yes (through Hidden Apps) | No. | Hidden but visible in search |
| POCO Launcher | Partially (folders only) | No. | Not completely concealed. |
| Microsoft Launcher | No. | — | — |
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If after installing Nova Launcher application icons are completely gone, check the settings "Desktop Grid" - sometimes reset the number of rows / columns.
4. Hiding through ADB (for Advanced)
The method for those who are not afraid of the command line, allows you to completely remove the icon from the system, but the application will remain on the installed list, requires a computer and enabled debugging over USB.
Instructions:
- Turn on Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times to become a developer).
- Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging via USB.
- Connect your phone to your PC, open cmd (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux) and type: adb shell pm hide com.example.app (replace com.example.app with your application’s batch name).
- To return the icon: adb shell pm unhide com.example.app
⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB Before experimenting, check the application's batch name through the App Inspector.
How to find out the packet name of the application without root?
5. Physical hiding of icons (without software)
If you just need to remove the icon from your eyes, but leave the application working, use these tricks:
- 📁 Untitled folders: Create a folder, delete its name (click on it) → "Delete the name") and put unnecessary icons in it. The folder will look like a transparent square.
- 🖼️ Transparent widgets: Install the widget UCCW, Create an empty widget and put it over the icon.
- 📏 Shift to second screen: Move the icon to the far right screen – most users don’t look there.
⚠️ Note: These methods do not protect against accidental discovery through a search system or menu of recent applications. ADB.
6.Reset launcher settings (if something went wrong)
After experiments with hiding the icons can disappear, the launcher to start glitching, and folders to open incorrectly, in which case the reset of the launcher will help:
- 🔧 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
- 🔍 Find the "Luncher" (or "Launcher", "MIUI Launcher").
- 🗑️ Press "Storage" → "Clear the data" and "Clear the cache".
- 🔄 Reboot the phone.
After reset, all icons will return to their places, and hidden through ADB or launchers applications will remain invisible.
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The launcher reset does not affect applications hidden through the "Second Space" or "Archivement" - they must be returned separately.