How to put a password to the gallery Xiaomi Redmi: hide the photo from prying eyes

Have you ever given a phone to a friend to show you a photo but were afraid they would scroll through the gallery? or stored personal photos on a Xiaomi Redmi smartphone that colleagues or relatives wouldn't want to see? Password protection of the gallery is not paranoia, but a reasonable measure of privacy in an era when the smartphone contains all our privacy.

In this article, we’ll break down three official ways to block access to the gallery on Redmi (including Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4/X5 and others with MIUI 12-14). You’ll learn how to set a password, fingerprint or face unlock, and what to do if you forget the code. Important: the methods work even on phones without root rights – no risk to guarantee!

But before we get to the instructions, let's see why standard folder hiding in a gallery isn't enough, because hidden albums in MIUI are easy to find through a file manager or by connecting your phone to your computer, and the password provides full system-level protection.

Method 1: Protection through Application Lock (most reliable)

The app lock feature is built into MIUI and allows you to block access to any program, including the gallery.This method works on all Redmi with the MIUI 10 firmware version and newer (i.e., 99% of current devices), the main advantage is that the protection works even if an attacker reboots the phone or tries to bypass the lock through safe mode.

To activate the lock:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application lock.
2. If the function is used for the first time, the system will prompt you to specify a pattern lock or PIN-code (select a reliable but memorable option).
3. In the list of applications, find the Gallery (or Google Photos if you use it) and move the slider to the right.
4. Confirm the action with a fingerprint or password (if already configured).

Now, every time you run the gallery, you'll need to unlock it, and note that if you're using dual applications (a cloning function in MIUI), you'll need to set the lock separately for each copy.

Remember your password or save it in your password manager|Make sure your fingerprint is added to the system|Check that the gallery is updated to the latest version|Disable the auto-renewal of the gallery in the Play Market (so that the settings do not get lost)-->

Method 2: Hidden albums with a password (for individual photos)

If you block the entire gallery too radically, you can use the Hidden Albums feature with additional password protection, which is suitable for Redmi on MIUI 12-14 and allows you to hide only selected photos, leaving the rest available.

Instructions:

• 📁 Open the Gallery, select the photos you need (clasp your finger on one picture and mark the rest).
• 🔒 Press More (three dots) → Move it to a hidden album.
• 🔑 When first used, the system will request PIN-code (4-6).
• 👁️ To view hidden photos, open the gallery side menu and select Hidden Albums – you will need to enter a password.

This is a convenient way to hide only a portion of the content, but remember that hidden albums are not protected from access through a file manager or PC connection. For complete security, combine this method with Application Lock.

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If you often move photos to a hidden album, add a shortcut for quick access: pinch the gallery icon on your desktop → Hidden albums.

Method 3: Third-party applications (for advanced users)

If the built-in MIUI features are not enough, you can use third-party programs, for example, AppLock or GalleryVault offer advanced settings: face lock, fake password for distraction, automatic concealment of notifications.

How to set up AppLock:

• 📥 Install the app from the Play Market (check that the developer is DoMobile Lab).
• 🔐 Set a master password and add a fingerprint.
• 📱 In the list of applications, mark the Gallery and Files (to block access through the manager).
• ⚙️ In the settings, enable Hide notifications and Disable deletion (so that the attacker can not uninstall the program).

Third-party apps have the advantage of being flexible, such as setting different passwords for different albums or enabling automatic locking when you connect to a specific Wi-Fi network (e.g., at work).

What to do if I forget my gallery password

The way you recover depends on the method of locking you used:

⚠️ Warning: If you forget your password for App Lock and your Mi Account is not set up, the only way to do this is to reset your phone to factory settings, and that will delete all the data, including photos! PIN from hidden albums: Try entering the last password you use (sometimes the system cache works). → Accounts. → Mi Account → Password recovery (only works with a linked account). For third-party applications (e.g. AppLock), use the email recovery feature specified during registration. In extreme cases, you can try to extract photos through your computer by connecting Redmi in File Transfer mode (MTP). Hidden albums are usually stored in the.hidden or.nomedia folder on the internal drive, however, if the gallery is locked through the Application Lock, the files will be encrypted. Built-in "Applications lock"|Hidden albums with a password|Third-party applications (AppLock, etc.)|I'm not blocking the gallery.|Another option--> How to bypass gallery locking (only for the owner of the phone!) This section is exclusively for phone owners who have lost access to their data.We do not recommend using these methods to hack into other people's devices - this violates the law and privacy policy. If you forgot your password but your phone is tied to your Mi Account, try it: 🔄 Reset password through Settings → Accounts. → Mi Account → Security. 📱 Use the Find Device feature on i.mi.com (allows you to unlock your phone remotely). 🔧 If nothing helps, reset through Recovery Mode (squeeze Power). + Volume up when the phone is off). ⚠️ Attention: On phones with MIUI 13/14 and enabled function Data Protection (in account settings) reset to factory settings can block the device on the 72 In this case, only the official Xiaomi service center with proof of ownership will help. Frequent errors and how to avoid them Many Redmi users face problems when setting up a password for a gallery: 🚫 Fingerprint not working: Make sure it is added to Settings → Passwords and security → Fingerprints on some models (Redmi Note) 8 Pro, POCO F1) The sensor may not recognize wet or dirty fingers. 🔄 Password resets after update: Before update MIUI Make a backup of the lock settings in Settings → Additionally. → Backup. 📁 Hidden photos are visible in the file manager: Install File Manager+ from Xiaomi and enable the option to Hide system files. 🔒 App lock does not block the gallery: Restart the phone and check if the feature is disabled in Settings → Special facilities → Simplified mode. If the gallery is still not blocked, try clearing the app cache: Settings → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the cache. It won't delete the photo, but it can solve the problems with the lock. 💡On the phones with MIUI 14 and later, App Lock may conflict with Google Play Protection. If the gallery is blocked accidentally, turn off app scanning in Google settings. FAQ: Can I put a password on a separate folder in the gallery, and not on the entire application? Yes, but only if you use hidden albums (mode 2) or third-party applications like GalleryVault. Built-in "App Lock" blocks access to the entire gallery. Will the lock work if you take it out? SIM-- Yes, the gallery password is tied to the device, not to the network. SIM-But if you do a full reset, all the locks will be removed (except those tied to the Mi Account). Can you lock the gallery in the face on Redmi? MIUI Unlocking the gallery in the face is not available, but you can use third-party apps (like AppLock) that support this feature, and for this, the phone must have facial unlock set up in the basic security settings. What if the gallery stopped opening the photo after blocking? This may be due to conflict with other security applications (e.g. antiviruses. Clear gallery data to Settings → Apps → Gallery → Storage. Update gallery and MIUI to the latest version. If the problem persists, back up the photo and reinstall the gallery. Can I password Google Photos? No, Google Photos does not support password blocking at the application level. However, you can: Hide the photo in the Archive (they will not be displayed in the main stream). Use App Lock to block access to Google Photos as a whole. Move sensitive photos to the standard gallery and block it from MIUI.