How to completely remove the second space on Xiaomi Redmi Note 5: 5 proven ways

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 with Second Space allows you to separate personal and work data on a single device. However, over time, this option may become unnecessary — it takes up memory, slows down the system or simply interferes. Deleting the second space seems to be an easy task, but in practice users face errors, freezes or even data loss.

In this article, 5 working methods to remove the second space on the Redmi Note 5 (including the Redmi Note 5 Pro and Redmi Note models) 5A), And also, you know, you can look at the typical problems: why is space not deleted through settings, how to recover data after reset, and what to do if the system gives you an error called com.android.secondspace. MIUI 12–14.

What is the second space on Xiaomi and why remove it

Second Space is a virtual partition in a smartphone’s memory that works as a separate user profile.

• 📱 Your applications (you can duplicate messengers, social networks, games)
• 🔑 Individual Google accounts, Mi Accounts, passwords
• 📁 Isolated files (photos, documents, downloads)
• 🎨 Unique interface settings (wallpaper, sounds, themes)

On the Redmi Note 5, the second space is implemented at the system level, so simply deleting the /data/secondspace folder through the file manager won't work - it will lead to crashes.

• ⚠️ Occupied space: space reserves up to 5-10 GB of memory, even if not in use.
• 🐢 Slowdown: Second-space background processes load the Snapdragon processor 636/625.
• 🔄 Update conflicts: after upgrade MIUI The second space may not open.
• 🔓 Security: if the device is sold or transferred to another user.

⚠️ Attention: Deleting the second space will lead to the permanent loss of all the data in it — applications, photos, messages. If you want to save information, first transfer it to the main space through Settings. → Second space → Data portability.

Method 1: Remove via standard MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in deletion function, which is suitable if:

• 📱 The device is stable (no freezes)
• 🔓 You remember the password from the second space.
• 📦 There is no critical data (or it has already been transferred)

Step-by-step:

1. Open the settings (the gear icon on the desktop).
2. Scroll down and select the Second Space.
3. Click Remove the second space (the last item on the menu).
4. Enter the password from the second space (if requested).
5. Confirm the action by clicking Remove in the pop-up window.

The system will automatically restart. Once turned on, check if the icon of the second space has disappeared in the notification curtain and user switch menu.

Move important data to the main space |Remember the password from the second space |Check battery power (minimum 30%) |Disable VPN/proxy (can block system processes) | Make a backup of the main space (via Mi Cloud or locally)

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⚠️ Warning: If after deleting the notifications in the curtain there is a button to switch spaces, perform a forced reboot: pinch the power + Volume up for 10 seconds. That'll reset the interface cache.

Method 2: Recovery mode (if the standard method does not work)

If the second space is not removed through settings (button is inactive or error occurs), use Recovery mode. This method will work even if the system crashes, but requires caution - incorrect actions can lead to a complete reset of the device.

Instructions:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press Power + Volume up for 5-7 seconds at the same time until the Mi logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select the language (if requested), then go to Wipe & Reset.
4. Select Delete Second Space (or similar, depending on the version of MIUI).
5. Confirm the action and wait for the process to be completed.
6. Restart the device via Reboot → System.

💡

If there is no point in Recovery to remove the second space, try doing Wipe Cache first, then try again. This often solves the problem with stuck system processes.

Method 3: Remove via ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work and access to Recovery is limited, Android Debug Bridge (ADB) will help.This method requires connecting a smartphone to a computer and basic command line knowledge.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/Linux/macOS
• 🔌 USB-cable (original, without damage)
• 📦 Installed drivers Xiaomi and ADB Tools
• 🔓 Included debugging by USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap to unlock the developer menu, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB)

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the smartphone to the computer and confirm the debugging permission on the device screen.


2. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (Linux/macOS) in the folder with ADB.




3. Enter a command to check the connection:




adb devices




(Serial number of the device must be displayed)




4. execute a command to remove the second space:




adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.secondspace




5. Reset the device:




adb reboot

If the team doesn’t work, try an alternative:

adb shell


su




rm -rf /data/secondspace/*




exit




exit

⚠️ Attention: Command rm -rf It completely clears the second space folder, and if you don't back up, the data will be lost without recovery, and you also need root rights that can void the warranty.

Method 4: Completely reset your settings (if other methods don’t work)

If the second space is not removed by any of these methods, then hard reset remains, a radical method that will return the smartphone to the factory settings, but also completely remove all data from the main and second space.

How to perform the reset:

1. Back up important data (contacts, photos, messages) through Settings → System → Backup or Mi Cloud.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Select Delete All Data (or Factory Reset in the English version of MIUI).
4. Enter the device password (if requested).
5. Confirm the reset and wait for completion (it will take 5-10 minutes).

Once rebooted, the device will be as new as it is, without the second space and other user data, and you will need to reconfigure the Redmi Note 5, including the Mi Account login.

💡

Resetting to factory settings is the only way to guarantee that a second space is removed if it was created with errors or damaged by viruses. However, after reset, the device may require re-activation via Mi Account (anti-theft protection).

Method 5: Uninstall via Fastboot (for advanced users)

If the smartphone does not turn on or got stuck on the Mi logo after the failed removal of the second space, Fastboot mode will help. This method requires an unlocked bootloader and can lead to a loss of warranty.

Instructions:

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press Power + Volume down until the screen with the hare in the hat-eared (Fastboot mode) appears.
3. Connect your smartphone to your computer and open the command line in the folder with fastboot.
4. Check the connection: fastboot devices
5. Run the command to delete the second space: fastboot erase secondspace If the command is not supported, use: fastboot format:ext4 userdata (this will completely clear the user data section, including the main space!).
6. Reboot the device: fastboot reboot

After this procedure, the Redmi Note 5 will reboot to the “out of the box” state, and you will need to reconfigure the device, including the binding to the Mi Account.

Typical errors and their solutions

When removing the second space on the Redmi Note 5, users often face the following problems:

If none of these methods worked, it may be the damaged firmware, in which case the only thing that helps is to flash through the Mi Flash Tool and clean the data completely, and you can find the Redmi Note 5 firmware instructions in a separate guide.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the second space on Xiaomi