Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone owners often face the challenge of hiding personal photos, videos or documents from prying eyes. The standard MIUI shell and its modern version of HyperOS offer powerful built-in privacy protection tools that do not require third-party software installation, making the process of hiding data as fast and secure as possible for the system.
There are several layers of protection, from simply hiding files in a gallery to creating a completely isolated environment with a separate password. The choice of the specific method depends on how critical the information is and who can potentially access the device. In this article, we will discuss all the available methods so that you can choose the best option for your situation.
The use of system features ensures that your data is not shared with third parties through questionable applications.The built-in mechanisms of Second Space and Hidden Folder operate at the deep level of the file system, providing strong protection.
Use of the built-in concealment function in the Conductor
The easiest and fastest way to hide files is to use a full-time file manager, which is pre-installed on all smartphones of the brand, which is ideal for those who want to quickly remove specific documents or media files from public access without creating complex structures.
To activate the function, you need to perform several consecutive actions in the application interface. First, open the File Manager application and go to the Documents or Images section. Then click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Hidden Files.
The system will suggest setting a password or using a fingerprint to access this partition, and once activated, you can move any files there, and they will disappear from the normal lists, becoming visible only after authorization.
- 🔒 Open a three-point menu in the Explorer app.
- 📁 Select the “Hidden Files” option and set the pattern lock.
- 📥 Move the required documents to the hidden folder that appears.
- 👁️ To view again, log in to the menu and enter the password.
⚠️ Note: If you forget the password from hidden files or reset your phone settings without first linking your Mi Account, it will be almost impossible to restore access to this data.
It's important to understand that files in this partition are physically moved to a secure memory area, and they're not just hidden visually, they're encrypted by the shell security system, and this provides a high level of protection even when you connect your phone to your computer in file transfer mode.
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For maximum security, turn on the display of hidden files only while you work with them and immediately hide the folder after use.
Hiding photos and videos through the Gallery
Media content is a special concern, as photos and videos are the ones that most often require privacy, and the Gallery app offers a convenient password-restricted album mechanism that allows you to separate personal and travel photos.
To use this feature, open the gallery and go to the tab Albums. Scroll the list to the bottom, where you will find the item Hidden album. The first time you log in, the system will ask you to agree to the terms of use and set the way to lock.
Once set up, you can move any photos and videos to this album with a single touch, they disappear from the shared tape and are only accessible through a special login, and there is also support for cloud backup for hidden albums, if synced Xiaomi Cloud is enabled.
| Function | Availability | Password required | Synchronization |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hidden album | All models. | Yeah (print/face) | Through the Mi Cloud |
| Hidden files (Conductor) | All models. | Yes (pattern lock) | Locally. |
| Second space | Most models | Yes (separate entrance) | Not synchronizing. |
The feature of the gallery is the ability to quickly access through gestures, you can set up a special action, such as long-clicking on an app icon or swipe at a certain point in the screen to instantly open the hidden partition.
Second Space: Complete Data Segregation
The most radical and effective method of protection is to create a Second Space, which actually creates a second, independent user profile inside your smartphone, which, to the system, looks like having two different phones in the same case.
The second space has its own desktop, its own apps, its own gallery, its own settings, and you can install separate versions of messengers, banking apps, or social networks, and the data in the main and second spaces are completely separated and cannot be seen without special settings.
To switch between profiles, you can use a special widget on the lock screen or assign different fingerprints, for example, unlocking the right thumb opens the main profile, and the left thumb opens the secret one.
- 📲 Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Second space.
- 🚀 Click “Enable Second Space” and follow the instructions of the setup wizard.
- 🔑 Set a separate password or fingerprint to enter.
- 📂 Install the required applications in the second profile.
This method is ideal for situations where the phone can fall into the hands of other people for a long time, and even if someone unlocks the phone under your primary profile, they will not know that the second space and data in it exist.
⚠️ Attention: Creating a second space takes up extra space on the internal drive. 2-3 GB of memory for normal operation of the system.
The second space is deleted via the main profile settings menu, and all data in the second profile will be permanently deleted, so it is recommended to periodically back up important information.
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The second space is the only way to completely hide the presence of apps and their notifications from a prying eye when the phone is unlocked.
Hiding applications through system settings
If creating a full-fledged second profile seems redundant, you can use the application-specific hiding feature, which allows you to remove icons of selected programs from the desktop and menu, leaving them available only through a special input.
To set up, go to Settings, then select Apps, and find Hide Apps. In the list that opens, you'll see all the programs installed. Activate the switch against the apps you want to hide.
Once activated, the icons will disappear from the desktop screens, and you will need to open the standard Security app, scroll down to Hidden Apps and enter a password to access them, and you can also set up quick access through a set of special code in the Phone app.
It is important to note that this method only hides shortcuts. Notifications from hidden applications may still appear in the notification curtain if you do not configure their display separately, so this method is better combined with disabling the preview of the content of the notifications.
Hidden apps don’t appear in the list of recently launched programs if they were opened through a hidden input, which adds an additional layer of privacy when using the device in multitasking mode.
Working with files via computer (ADB)
For advanced users who are not enough standard methods, there is the possibility of managing hidden files through a computer using USB debugging and ADB utility. This method allows you to forcibly hide files with certain extensions or rename system folders.
To start, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on the MIUI build number seven times. After the message “You became a developer” appears, a new section Additional → For developers will appear in the settings menu.
Turn on USB Debugging. Connect your smartphone to your computer and use the command line to rename folders. Adding a dot at the beginning of a folder name (like.secret) often makes it hidden to standard file managers, although system services can see it.
adb shell
mv /sdcard/Pictures/Private /sdcard/Pictures/.private_hiddenUsing the command line requires caution. Incorrectly renaming system directories can lead to unstable operation of applications that expect to find files in standard ways.