How to Put a Password on Folders in Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to Hidden Chips

Storing sensitive photos, documents or work files on a Xiaomi smartphone requires strong protection. Even if you have a screen lock, anyone who picks up your phone can access personal data through a file manager. The built-in MIUI tools and third-party solutions allow you to close folders with a password, fingerprint or pattern lock — but not all methods are equally reliable.

In this article, we'll look at 5 working methods, including hidden firmware features that not all users know, how to protect folders without root rights, which apps won't fly after resetting, and why the standard "Secure Album" in the Xiaomi Gallery is not a panacea, and whether you can bypass the protection if you forgot your password, and what to do if the system requires a factory reset.

⚠️ Important: Some of the methods in this article only work on firmware MIUI 12-15 If you have an older version, update the system first through Settings. → The phone. → Update MIUI.

1. Built-in "Secure Album" at Xiaomi Gallery

The easiest way to hide photos and videos is to use the built-in Protected Album feature in the Gallery’s standard app, which requires no additional software installation and works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones with MIUI 10 firmware and later.

To activate the protection:

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Select the photos or videos you want to hide (press your finger on the file → mark the rest).
3. Click on the three dots in the top right corner → select Move to the protected album.
4. When you first use the system will suggest setting a password (you can use a fingerprint or a pattern lock).

⚠️ Limitations of method:

• 📁 It works only for media files (photos, videos), folders with documents or APK-Files can't be hidden.
• 🔍 Files remain in the phone’s memory and can be found through the file manager along the way. /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Gallery/cloud/private/ (if you know where to look).
• 🔄 After resetting the settings, the protection is reset and the files become visible.

💡

If you want to hide files from prying eyes as securely as possible, rename them to a random character set (e.g. abc123.jpg) before moving to Secure Album, which will make it harder to find even when accessing your phone's memory.

2. Encrypting folders through "Secure Storage" (MIUI 14+)

Since MIUI 14, Xiaomi has built-in secure storage that allows you to encrypt not only media files, but also any documents, using hardware encryption and is tied to your Mi Account, making it more reliable than the Secure Album.

How to turn on:

1. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Secure Storage.
2. Click Enable Secure Storage and follow the instructions (you will need to link your Mi Account).
3. After activation, open Files (standard file manager), select a folder or files → More → Move to secure storage.

🔐 Advantages of the method:

• 🛡️ Files are encrypted at the system level and are not visible even through the system. ADB or TWRP.
• 🔄 Sync with the Mi Cloud (if enabled).
• 📱 It works on all devices with MIUI 14+, including Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12, POCO F5.

⚠️ If you forget the password from Mi Account, it will be impossible to restore access to files - they will be deleted after 5 failed attempts to enter.

3. Third-party applications: File Lock and analogues

If the built-in tools Xiaomi does not suit you, you can use third-party programs.

• 🔒 File Lock (from DoMobile Lab) - supports encryption of folders, photos, videos and documents, there is a function of "false password".
• 📁 AppLock – blocks not only files, but also access to applications (for example, to the Gallery or Files).
• 🛡️ Keeping – creates a safe with two-level authentication (password) + print).

📌 How to set up File Lock:

1. Install the app from Google Play (or APKMirror if it’s not in your area).
2. When you first start, set a master password (it is recommended to use a combination of 12+ characters).
3. Select Add Files → Specify folders or individual documents.
4. Turn on the option to Hide the app icon in the settings so that the attacker did not guess about its presence.

⚠️ Risks of third-party applications:

• 🕵️ Some programs (especially those from unknown sources) may steal data instead of protecting it.
• 🔄 After deleting the application, files can remain encrypted without the possibility of recovery.
• 📱 On Xiaomi MIUI Some applications are blocked by the system as “suspicious” (for example, AppLock may require you to disable them). MIUI Optimization through ADB).

4. Hidden folders via file manager (no password, but not obvious)

If you don't need encryption, but just hide the folder from prying eyes, you can use Xiaomi's standard file manager, which doesn't protect data with a password, but makes it invisible when you're browsing.

Instructions:

1. Open the Files app.
2. Find the folder you want to hide and rename it by adding a dot at the beginning of the title (for example,.my photo).
3. The folder will disappear from the general list. To see it again, turn on the display of hidden files in the manager settings (Three dots → Settings → Show hidden files).

🔍 Where to look for hidden folders:

⚠️ Important: This method does not protect files from power users, just turn on the display of hidden folders or connect the phone to the PC to see all the data.

Enable hidden file display | Check path /storage/emulated/0/ for folders with dot | Delete unnecessary temporary files | Disable hidden folders after checking-->

5. Password to folders through the archiver (ZIP/RAR coded)

One of the most reliable ways to protect files is to archive them with a password, which works on any device, including Xiaomi, and does not require special applications (a standard archiver is enough).

How to do this:

1. Install an archiver (such as RAR or ZArchiver from Google Play).
2. Select the folder or files you want to protect.
3. Select the option Add to archive → specify the format ZIP or RAR.
4. In the archiving settings, find Set a password and enter a reliable combination (it is recommended to use different register symbols and numbers).
5. After creating the archive, delete the original files.

🔐 Advantages of the method:

• 🔒 Encrypted archives AES-256 It is almost impossible to hack without a password.
• 📱 Works on any device, including Xiaomi, Samsung, iPhone.
• 💾 You can store archives in the cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud) without the risk of leakage.

⚠️ Deficiencies:

• ⏳ To access files, you need to unpack them every time.
• 📁 Inconvenient for frequent changes (you will have to recreate the archive).

💡

Password archiving is the only method that protects files even when you steal your phone or reset your settings.

6 Root access and applications like Solid Explorer

If you're willing to take drastic measures, you can get root rights and use advanced file managers like Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer.

• 🔐 Encrypt folders at the file system level.
• 📁 Create safes with two-level authentication.
• 🛡️ Block access to files even through ADB.

📌 How to Set Up Solid Explorer with Root:

1. Get root access (for example, through Magisk).
2. Install Solid Explorer and give it root rights.
3. Select the folder → Press More → Encrypt.
4. Enter your password and confirm the action.

⚠️ The risks of root access:

• 🚨 Violation of warranty (if the phone is warranty, the manufacturer may refuse repairs).
• 🛡️ Vulnerability to viruses (root opens access to system files).
• 🔄 Possible disruptions MIUI (Google Pay or banking applications will stop working).

What to do if I forget my password?

If you lose access to secure folders, the recovery options depend on the method of blocking:

🔧 Last Chance: If none of the methods worked, only the factory reset remains (Settings) → The phone. → Resetting settings. However, this will delete all data from the internal memory!

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI After resetting, you may need to enter your old Mi Account password (Factory Reset Protection) if you don't remember it, unlocking your phone will be extremely difficult.

FAQ: Frequent questions about folder protection on Xiaomi