How to set a password for the Xiaomi gallery: 3 proven ways

Protecting personal photos and videos from prying eyes is a pressing task for Xiaomi smartphone owners. Even if you don’t put your phone in the wrong hands, random access to the gallery can lead to awkward situations. Fortunately, the manufacturer has built-in tools to block content, and for advanced features you can use third-party solutions.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can set a password to a gallery, from standard MIUI features to reliable Google Play apps, how to hide individual files, lock an entire gallery, or create a “secret album” with two-tier protection, and the instructions are suitable for Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13 and other MIUI 14/15 devices.

Important: The methods vary in security, for example, the built-in Secure Album feature is vulnerable when you reset your phone to factory settings, while third-party apps like GalleryVault offer cloud-based password backups.

Method 1: Built-in "Secure Album" in MIUI

The easiest way to hide photos is to use the standard Secure Album feature available on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12 and later, which does not require additional apps to be installed, but has a limitation: the album will be available after you enter the password from your Mi Account account.

To activate the function:

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Slip on three dots in the top right corner and select Protected Album.
3. Click Enable and confirm the action through Mi Account.
4. Select photos/video to hide and click Add.

Now, the files will only be available after logging in, and please note that if you log out of your Mi Account or drop your phone, access to the album will be lost.

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If you have forgotten your Mi Account password, restore it via account.xiaomi.com before blocking the album, otherwise the files will be permanently deleted when you reset your phone.

Method 2: Block the entire gallery through App Lock

If you want to block access to the entire gallery, rather than individual files, use the built-in App Lock feature, which is suitable for MIUI 13/14/15 and allows you to set a password, fingerprint or pattern lock.

Instructions for setting:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Blocking applications.
2. Activate the function by following the prompts on the screen.
3. In the list of applications, find the Gallery and enable the lock.
4. Select the type of protection: Password, Fingerprint or Face.

Now, every time you open a gallery, you'll be asked for a confirmation, which is more secure than the Secure Album, because the password is stored locally and not tied to the Mi Account.

Remember your password or save it in your password manager | Check that your fingerprint is added to your system | Make sure Face Unlock works in the dark | Backup important photos

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Method 3: Third-party applications for hiding photos

For users who want maximum privacy, we recommend installing specialized applications, which offer additional features: file encryption, calculator masking, cloud password backup.

Top.-3 apps:

• 🔒 GalleryVault – supports encryption AES-256, fake PIN-masking-code.
• 📂 Hide Something creates “invisible” folders that are accessible only through a secret gesture.
• 🔐 KeepSafe – syncs with the cloud, there is a function “Break-in Alert” (notification of unsuccessful login attempts).

To hide the photos through GalleryVault:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Set a master password (at least 8 characters).
3. Import files from the gallery to a secure storage facility.
4. Activate the option “Steganography” to mask the application as a calculator.

GalleryVault|Hide Something|KeepSafe|Embedded facilities MIUI|Don't hide the pictures.|Other-->

Comparison of Gallery Protection Methods

Each method has its pros and cons. Below is a comparison table that will help you choose the best option.

Important: If you use third-party apps, disable autosynchronization of the gallery with Google Photos or Mi Cloud. Otherwise, hidden files can be duplicated in the cloud and become available without a password.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Many users have problems configuring gallery protection, and let's look at common mistakes and how to fix them.

⚠️ Note: If you blocked the gallery through App Lock but disabled biometric authorization, the password will be asked every time you open the app.This can drain the battery faster due to constant checks.

Common problems:

• 🔄 Reset Mi Account Password – If you forget login details, restore them via account.xiaomi.com before blocking the album.
• 📱 Fingerprint is not working – check if it is added to Settings → Passwords and security → Fingerprint.
• 🔒 The application does not hide files - give it permission to access the storage in Settings → Annexes → Permits.
• ☁️ Files are visible in the cloud – disable autoload in Google Photos or Mi Cloud.

Additional security measures

In addition to blocking the gallery, we recommend that you take additional measures to protect your privacy:

1. Turn off notifications from the gallery – go to Settings → Notifications → Gallery and deactivate the preview display on the lock screen.
2. Set up automatic thumbnail cleaning — in some firmware, sketches of photos remain cached even after deleting files. Use applications like SD Maid to clean.
3. Encrypt backups – If you copy photos on a PC, use password archivers (7-Zip, WinRAR).
4. Check application permissions – in Settings → Applications → Permissions revoke storage access from unreliable programs.

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The combination of MIUI (App Lock) and third-party applications (like GalleryVault) provides maximum protection, so you create two layers of security: one for random access, the other for targeted hacking.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions