How to Put a Password on a Photo in Xiaomi: The Complete Guide 2026

Smartphone photos are not just files, but part of your personal life. In an era where Xiaomi is a leader in the Android market, privacy is becoming a particularly pressing issue. Have you ever given your phone to a friend to show you a photo but worried they'd scroll through the gallery? Or were you afraid that if you lost your device, someone else would have access to your photos? In this article, we'll look at all the current ways to password protect photos on Redmi, POCO and other Xiaomi smartphones, from built-in MIUI features to third-party solutions.

It's important to understand that approaches vary depending on the firmware version and model. For example, owners of flagship Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Redmi Note 12 Pro+ have access to advanced security settings, whereas on budget models like the POCO M5 some features may not be available. We will take these nuances into account and offer alternatives for each case, and you will learn how to avoid typical errors that cause the password in the photo to stop working after the system update.

1. Built-in "Secure folder" function in MIUI

The most reliable and easiest way to hide a photo is to use the built-in Secure Folder (formerly called the Private Folder) feature, which is available on all Xiaomi devices with MIUI 12 and later, including the latest versions of MIUI 14/15. Files in this folder are encrypted at the system level and do not appear in the standard gallery.

To activate it:

• 📱 Open the Files app (yellow folder icon).
• 🔒 In the lower menu, tap on the Secure folder (if there is no item, update the firmware).
• 🔑 Set your password (we recommend using a combination of 8).+ numeral).
• 📤 Move the desired photos to the folder through the Add Files button.

Check out the MIUI version (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version)

Set a strong password (do not use your date of birth)

Make a backup of important photos before moving

Turn off autosynchronization with Google Photos for these files-->

Advantages of the method:

• 🔐 System-level encryption – files are not visible even through a PC connection.
• 🚀 Quick access via notification panel (you can add a shortcut).
• 📱 It works without the Internet and third-party applications.

⚠️ Note: If you forget the password from the Secure folder, it will be impossible to restore access to files without completely resetting the phone. Xiaomi does not provide a recovery service for this feature.

2. Hiding photos through "Private Mode" in the Gallery

The standard Gallery app on Xiaomi has a Private Mode feature that allows you to hide individual albums. PIN-This is a method that is convenient if you need to quickly hide several pictures without physically moving them.

Instructions:

1. Open the gallery and select a photo/video.
2. Press. ⋮ → Hide (or additionally) → Private album in new versions).
3. Install. PIN-Use biometrics (if supported).
4. Hidden files will be available in the Albums → Private section.

Limitations of the method:

• 🔍 Files remain in the phone’s memory and can be found through the file manager.
• 📎 When resetting settings PIN It is reset, but the files remain in place.
• 🔄 Does not work with cloud services (photos remain visible in Google Photos).

Built-in MIUI Protected folder

Hiding through the Gallery

Third-party applications (such as KeepSafe)

Cloud services with password

Not protecting photos.-->

3. Third-party applications for photo protection

If Xiaomi's built-in features aren't enough, you can use specialized applications, which offer additional features: false passwords, calculator masking, remote data erasure.-3 solutions tested for compatibility with MIUI 14/15:

Before installing, check the permissions of the application, for example, if the program requests access to SMS or Contacts, this is suspicious, the optimal set of permissions for photo protection: Storage, Camera (to create new images inside the application), and Biometric data.

⚠️ Note: Some apps (e.g. GalleryVault) may conflict with Xiaomi’s energy-saving settings. Once installed, add them to the AutoRun list and Without battery restrictions in your security settings.

4. Protection of photo through archivers with password

If you need to send photos by email or save them to the cloud, but restrict access, you can use password-enabled archivers, a method that is suitable for Xiaomi of any generation, as it does not require special firmware features.

Step-by-step:

1. Install an archiver (such as RAR or 7-Zip from Google Play).
2. Select a photo in Files or Gallery, click Share → Compress.
3. Select the ZIP format with a password or RAR.
4. Set a strong password (use a password manager like Bitwarden for generation).
5. Delete the original photos after archiving (optional).

Pros of the method:

• 🔐 Compatible with any device (including PC).
• 📦 You can store archives in the cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud) without the risk of leakage.
• 🔧 Encryption algorithms are supported AES-256 (into 7-Zip).

Cons:

• ⏳ Additional time for archiving/unpacking.
• 📱 Inconvenient to view the photo directly - you need to unpack the archive.

💡

Use a combination of random words for your archive password, such as Coffee$Uzon!Paris2026. This password is easy to remember, but difficult to match.

5. Cloud services with password protection

If you sync photos with cloud services (like Google Photos or Mi Cloud), they can also be protected, but there are nuances: the clouds themselves do not provide a password function for individual files, but you can use workarounds.

Method 1: Passworded Albums in Google Photos

• 📁 Create an album and add a photo to it.
• 🔗 Share the album on the link, but set access only for certain people.
• 🔑 Use a password manager to generate complex code and send it to the recipient separately.

Method 2: Encrypted containers in Mi Cloud

Mi Cloud does not support file passwords, but you can:

1. Archive a photo with a password (as in section 4).
2. Upload the archive to Mi Cloud.
3. Delete local copies (optional).

⚠️ Note: When using cloud services, be aware that platform administrators can technically access your data even if it is archived (E2EE), For example, in Proton Drive.

6. Password reset and access restoration

What if you forget your password from a Secure folder or a third-party application? Unfortunately, in most cases, you can't recover without losing data.

For the MIUI Secure folder:

• 🔄 Resetting your phone – deletes all data, including files in a secure folder.
• 📞 Calling for Xiaomi support won’t help – company doesn’t provide recovery services.

For third-party applications:

• 🔑 Use the password recovery function via email (if supported).
• 📧 Check backups in the cloud (if they were enabled in the app settings).

To avoid data loss:

• 🔐 Store passwords in managers like Bitwarden or KeePass.
• 📀 Regularly back up protected photos to an external drive.
• 📱 Set up two-factor authentication for cloud services.

💡

The only reliable way not to lose access to protected photos is to pre-backup to an external medium or to encrypted cloud storage.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo protection on Xiaomi