How to put a password for the album in the gallery Xiaomi: all ways to protect photos

Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones store thousands of personal photos, from family snaps to sensitive screenshots. But what if the phone falls into the wrong hands? The standard MIUI gallery doesn't block albums by default, which means anyone can open your photos in a couple of clicks. Fortunately, the firmware has built-in security tools, as well as third-party solutions with advanced features.

Many users mistakenly believe that it is enough to hide an album through the gallery menu — but this does not protect files from access through the file manager. Others install third-party applications, unaware that MIUI has its own encryption system with a link to the Mi Account. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods, from a standard password to hidden folders with double authentication.

Important: the methods work on all modern Xiaomi devices (including Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 13 and newer) with MIUI 14/15 firmware based on Android 13/14. For older versions (MIUI 12 and below), some features may be missing - check availability in the settings.

1. Built-in Album Protection in MIUI Gallery

The most reliable way is to use the built-in Secure Albums feature in the standard gallery, which encrypts files at the system level and links access to your Mi Account or biometric data, the advantage of which is that photos will not be visible even through the file manager or when you connect to a PC.

To activate the protection:

1. Open the Gallery app (flower icon).
2. Choose the album you want to block (or create a new one).
3. Tap it on. ⋮ (three points) in upper right corner → Protect the album.
4. Enter the password from Mi Account or set up a fingerprint/face (if supported).

Once activated, the album will disappear from the main list. To access it, go to Albums → Secure and authenticate. Attention: If you forget the Mi Account password, you can't restore access to the protected photos without resetting your phone to factory settings.

Make sure your phone is tied to Mi Account|Update the gallery to the latest version in Google Play|Check the free space (encryption requires ~10% reserve)|Disable "Show hidden files" in the file manager settings-->

2. Use of hidden folders (without password, but with disguise)

If you don't need a password, but you just need to hide the album from prying eyes, use Hidden Folders, which doesn't encrypt files, but makes them invisible in the standard gallery interface, and is suitable for temporarily hiding photos that don't contain critical information.

Instructions for hiding the album:

1. Open the gallery and select the album you want.
2. Press. ⋮ → Hide the album.
3. Confirm the action (password is not required).

To see the hidden photos again:

1. Go to the Gallery → Albums → Hidden.
2. Keep your finger on the album. → Show the album.

⚠️ Note: Hidden albums remain accessible through any file manager (e.g. Files by Google or Mi File Manager.

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3. Third-party applications for gallery lock

If built-in MIUI features aren’t enough, install specialized applications that offer advanced options: dual authentication, fake password (for emergency access), autolock by timer, and even login attempts.

Top.-3 Proven applications for Xiaomi:

• 🔒 AppLock (by DoMobile Lab) - blocks not only the gallery, but also individual photos / videos. There is an "invisibility" mode (the application icon masquerades as a calculator).
• 📁 GalleryVault – creates an encrypted storage with fingerprint support and PIN-You can hide files directly from the system gallery.
• 🛡️ KeepSafe – Cloud-based backup of protected photos + the function of "self-destruction" when incorrectly entering the password.

How to set up AppLock:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open and set the master password (save it in a safe place!).
3. In the Applications section, select the Gallery and activate the lock.
4. In the settings, enable Hide notifications and Disable screenshots.

⚠️ Warning: Third-party apps may conflict with optimization MIUI. If after installation the gallery started to brake, add the application to the list of exceptions: Settings → Annexes → Permits → Auto-start.

4. Encrypting folder through file manager

For tech-savvy users, there is a way to secure the album at the file system level, requiring manual configuration, but ensuring maximum privacy – files will be encrypted according to AES-256 standard and not available without a password even when connecting the phone to a PC.

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with encryption support, such as Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer.
2. Go to the photo folder (usually /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Camera).
3. Select the files you need. → ⋮ → Encrypt.
4. Enter your password (minimum 8 characters, with numbers and special characters).

Once encrypted, the original files will be replaced with archived files with the.enc extension.

1. Open the file manager.
2. Select the encrypted file → Decipher.
3. Enter the password.

5.Creating a fake album to distract attention

A psychological trick that works 90 percent of the time: create a false album with innocuous photos (like memes or screenshots of articles) and leave it in plain sight. Put your real personal data in a secure storage facility, a technique that is especially useful if your friends or colleagues often pick up your phone, see "nothing interesting" and don't dig deeper.

How to implement:

• 📂 Create a new album in a gallery (name it neutrally, for example, "Working Materials").
• 🖼️ Add 10-15 random photos from the Internet.
• 🔐 Block real albums in one of the ways above.
• 🔄 Periodically update the contents of the fake album to avoid arousing suspicion.

You can also install Hide It Pro, which is disguised as an audio player or calculator, and it creates a hidden storage that you can quickly access through a secret gesture or code.

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If you often have to show photos from your phone to outsiders, prepare a clean album with neutral content in advance, so you avoid awkward situations when someone accidentally flicks the gallery further than necessary.

6. Backup of protected photos

Password protection won't save your albums from system failure or phone theft. To avoid losing important photos forever, set up automatic backups to an encrypted cloud. Xiaomi users have two reliable options:

Method 1: Mi Cloud with encryption

• 🌥️ Go to Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
• 📸 Turn on the gallery sync.
• 🔒 Activate the option to Encrypt backups (requires a password from your account).

Method 2: Google Photos with a Confidential Album

• 📱 Set up Google Photos and log in to your account.
• 🔐 Create a Closed Album (available in Privacy Settings).
• 🔄 Enable autoload only for selected folders.

⚠️ Note: when using Mi Cloud, make sure that Find Device is activated. If your phone is stolen, you can remotely erase all data, including protected albums.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi album blocking

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The most reliable way to protect is to combine built-in MIUI encryption and backup to an encrypted cloud. Don't rely on just one method!