How to enter the second space Xiaomi, if you forgot the password: official and hidden methods

The second space on Xiaomi smartphones is a handy MIUI feature that allows you to create an isolated work environment with separate applications, files and settings. However, if you forget the password from this space, access to it becomes impossible, and standard recovery methods (as in the main profile) do not work here. Unlike unlocking the main screen where you can use a Mi Account account or a graphical key, the second space requires a special approach.

Compounding the problem, Xiaomi doesn’t provide official tools to reset the second space password without deleting data. This is done for security, so that outsiders can’t access your private information. But what if you forget the combination yourself? In this article, we’ll look at all the possible ways, from legal (with data loss) to little-known workarounds that can work on some firmware.

It is important to understand that the effectiveness of methods depends on the version of MIUI, device model and lock type (PIN, pattern lock or password). For example, on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro with MIUI 13, one method will work, and on the Poco F5 with MIUI 14, another. We tested instructions on current versions of firmware (2023-2026), but you can not guarantee 100% results.

1.Official method: resetting the second space through settings

The most reliable, but radical, way is to completely remove the second space and then create a new one, which is suitable for all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models on MIUI 12-14, but all data inside the space will be deleted without the possibility of recovery.

Instructions:

• 🔧 Move to the main space of the smartphone.
• 📱 Open the Settings. → Special facilities → Second space.
• 🔄 Click on “Delete Second Space” (or “Reset” depending on version) MIUI).
• ✅ Confirm the action by entering the password from the main space (not the second one!).

And then you can create a new second space from scratch, and the downside of that is that you lose all the apps, files and settings that you installed inside the remote space, and if you have important data stored there, try alternative ways first.

2. Password bypass through Recovery mode (for advanced users)

If you're ready to experiment, try removing the second space password through Recovery Mode, which requires access to the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) and doesn't work on all devices. On some models (e.g. Redmi Note 9 Pro with MIUI 12.5), this method allows you to reset the password without losing the second space data.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times on the line with the version, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).
2. Download and install ADB Tools on your computer.
3. Open the command line (cmd) in the folder with ADB and enter: adb shell su rm /data/system/secondspace_locksettings.db
4. Restart the device. If it's successful, you don't need a password when you log in to the second space.

⚠️ Note: This method requires root rights (most Xiaomi smartphones don’t have them by default) if you haven’t had root access before, it won’t work. MIUI 14 The path to the lock file may have changed instead of secondspace_locksettings.db remove /data/system/locksettings.db-second.

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC| Enable debugging on USB| Download ADB Tools| Make a backup of the data-->

3.Use of Mi Account to unlock (limited support)

Unlike the main lock screen, where you can restore access through the Mi Account, the second space is not tied to the Xiaomi account, but on some firmware (for example, MIUI 12 for the Redmi Note 8 Pro) there is a loophole:

If you’ve previously synced second-space data to the Mi Cloud (which is unlikely, as this feature is disabled by default), try:

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in.
2. Check the Devices section – if it shows a second space, try resetting your password remotely.
3. If not, this method is not suitable.

In practice, this is extremely rare, as Xiaomi deliberately restricts access to second space through the cloud, but if you have an older model (before 2020 release), the chances are a little higher.

4. Reset via Fastboot (complete cleaning of the device)

If no other method has worked, the last resort is to completely reset the device via Fastboot mode, which will delete all data (including the main and second space), but will return access to the smartphone, a method suitable for any Xiaomi model, but requires a computer and a USB-TypeC cable.

Instructions:

• 🖥️ Turn off your smartphone and press the power button + Loudness down to enter Fastboot Mode.
• 🔌 Connect the device to your PC and start the Mi Flash Tool (download on the official website).
• 📁 Choose a firmware for your model (for example, fastboot_umi_global_images_V14.0.2.0.TJBMIXM_20230310.0000.00_12.0_global Xiaomi Mi 10).
• 🔄 Press Clean All and wait for the process to complete (5-10 minutes).

Once rebooted, the device will be like new, without passwords or second space, minus the loss of all data, including photos, messages and apps in both spaces.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO X3 Pro) after reset via Fastboot, you may need to unlock the bootloader. This requires you to link the device to the Mi Account and wait 72-168 hours (depending on Xiaomi policy.

5. Alternative methods: cheating the system (not always working)

There are little-known tricks that can work on individual versions of MIUI, and they are not guaranteed to work, but it is worth trying if other methods have not worked.

Method 1: Change the language of the system

On some devices (e.g. Redmi 9A with MIUI 12.0.8), changing the interface language resets the password request for the second space:

1. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Language and input.
2. Choose any other language (e.g. English).
3. Restart the device and try to enter the second space.

Method 2: Removal of system updates

If the password was set after the MIUI update, try reverting to the previous version:

• 📉 Download old firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware Updater website.
• 🔄 Install it with Recovery Mode (the instruction is similar to the method with Fastboot, but choose Update instead of Clean All).
• ✅ After the rollback, check access to the second space.

Prevention: How to avoid losing access to the second space

To avoid such situations in the future, follow simple rules:

• 🔐 Use the same password for the main and second spaces (if you’re afraid to forget).
• 📝 Write passwords to a trusted manager (such as Bitwarden or KeePass).
• 🔄 Regularly back up important data from the second space through Settings → System system → Backup.
• 📱 Do not store data that is critically important to access in the second space (e.g. banking applications).

If you often forget passwords, consider alternatives to the second space:

• Private mode in the gallery (Gallery → Albums → Private) - hides only photos and videos.
• Encrypted folders (via File Manager Pro or Solid Explorer)
• Second Space in the Cloud – Some launchers (like Nova Launcher) allow you to create isolated desktops.

💡

If you often switch between spaces, add a quick switch widget to the home screen. To do this, click on the free screen space → “Widgets” → find “Second Space” and drag it to a convenient place.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi's second space

💡

The most reliable way to avoid loss of access is to use the same password for the main and second spaces or store it in the password manager. Alternative unlocking methods work unstable and depend on the version of MIUI.