How to Passbook Album in the Gallery on Android Xiaomi

Xiaomi’s modern smartphones store thousands of personal moments, from family holidays to work documents. Device owners often face the need to restrict access to a certain part of the media library to protect privacy. The standard MIUI gallery and the new HyperOS shell offer powerful built-in tools to solve this problem without installing third-party software.

The process of hiding albums is based on the Hidden Album feature, which is integrated into the system security application, which allows you not only to set a password, but also completely remove selected folders from public access, making them visible only after the actions are performed. Below we will discuss in detail all the stages of setting up and nuances of this feature.

It’s important to understand that system-level data protection provides a higher level of security than simple calculator apps. Xiaomi’s biometrics and system passwords work in conjunction with encryption, making it almost impossible for unauthorized access to your files without unlocking the device.

Preparation for data protection settings

Before you start hiding specific folders, you need to activate a general privacy protection mechanism in the system, which is a basic level of security that you will need to access all the hidden functions of the phone. Without a pre-set common password or Mi Account binding, the album hiding function may not work correctly or be available.

Go to your smartphone’s Settings menu and find the Apps section, and this is where you’re interested in App Protection, and this module is responsible for blocking access to specific programs, such as Gallery, Messages or Notes, using a fingerprint or a pattern lock.

When you first activate, the system will prompt you to choose the type of lock you use, you can use the same password as you used to unlock the screen, or you can create a unique code. PIN-code other than the main one to provide an additional layer of protection in case the phone is already unlocked.

⚠️ Attention: If you forget the password from the hidden album and do not link the Mi Account, it will be almost impossible to restore access to photos.

Once you set your password, make sure that the Application Protection switch is activated. Now, when you try to open a gallery or other secure applications, the system will ask for proof of identity, which is the first line of defense for your data from prying eyes.

Creating a Hidden Album in a Standard Gallery

The main method of hiding media files on Xiaomi is to move them to a special secure storage, which does not delete files, but changes their visibility status and access path. First, open the standard Gallery app and go to the Album tab.

To activate a hidden album, swipe across the screen from the bottom up, and this is a signature gesture control that opens the hidden partition. If you're doing this for the first time, the system will ask you to set a password or use your fingerprint to log in, and after successful authorization, the hidden album interface will appear.

Now you have to move the photos or videos you want to see, and you can do that in two ways: One is to open the photo you want to see in normal mode, click three dots in the corner of the screen, and select "Add to Hidden Album," and the other way is through the file management menu inside the gallery itself, highlighting several objects at once.

Once moved, files will disappear from the main tape and only be accessed via the swipe described above. The album list will feature a special section, often marked with a lock icon or a hidden symbol. System encryption ensures that even when you connect your phone to your computer in file transfer mode, this data will remain unblocked.

Use of the Second Space Function

For those who need more radical data separation, Xiaomi offers a “Second Space” feature, which is not just a hidden folder, but a fully isolated environment inside a smartphone, working as a separate user in the Android operating system.

To enable this feature, go to Settings and search for “Second Space” or find this item in the advanced settings. When activated, a new work environment is created with its own set of applications, its own gallery and its own settings. You can switch between the main and second space through settings or a special widget on the lock screen.

The second space is ideal for situations where you don't just hide an album, but completely separate, such as working files from personal files or giving your child a phone without fear for sensitive data, and in this mode you can set a separate login password that will immediately open the phone in the second space, bypassing the main one.

Using Second Space will require more device resources, because it actually runs two instances of the system. However, the level of privacy is maximum. Photos taken in the second space are not visible by default in the first, and vice versa.

Access settings via fingerprint

Entering a password every time you need to see a hidden photo can be uncomfortable. Xiaomi system allows you to use biometrics for quick access. To set up, go to Settings -> Passwords and security -> Privacy.

In the privacy section, find the item that controls access to hidden files or a second space, where you can activate your fingerprint, you will be asked to apply your finger to the scanner several times for calibration, and then you will enter the hidden album with one touch.

It is important to note that for this feature to work, the fingerprint sensor must be serviceable and the finger dry and clean. If you use an on-screen scanner, make sure that there are no protective films on the screen that distort the signal, or they are specifically certified to work with the sensor.

💡

Use different fingers to enter the main phone and to enter the hidden album, which will allow you to quickly open the desired area depending on which finger you hold to the scanner.

You can also find the option in the security settings, "Show Notice of Wrong Password," and if someone tries to match the code to your hidden album, the system will take a hidden photo of the intruder and send you a report, which is a powerful anti-espionage feature built into the shell.

Comparison of data protection methods on Xiaomi

The choice between a hidden album, application protection, and a second space depends on your goals, and each method has its advantages and limitations, and to help you define it, we've compiled a comparative table of key characteristics.

As you can see from the table, the standard Hidden Album is the middle ground for most users, requiring no additional software that might contain ads or viruses, and is deeply integrated into the system, but for the storage of documents of national importance, it is better to consider more serious encryption methods.

Using third-party apps from Google Play can be justified if you need specific features, such as a fake password opening an empty gallery, or automatically deleting photos after several failed typing attempts.

Access Restoration and File Management

What to do if you forget the password from a hidden album? If you have linked your Mi Account, the recovery process will take a couple of minutes. On the password entry screen, click "Forgot the password" and follow the instructions for resetting via the SMS or email specified in the account.

If the account is not tied, the only way to reset all privacy settings is to delete hidden files, which is why backing up hidden photos to a cloud service or computer before resetting your phone settings is a critical step if you are not sure about your memory.

The same functions are available to manage files inside a hidden album as in a regular one: creating subfolders, renaming, deleting. However, Favorites can work differently without displaying hidden photos in the general favorite list, which is an additional security measure.

⚠️ Note: When cleaning the gallery cache or deleting the application data, the hidden albums are not deleted, as they are stored in a secure system partition. However, resetting the phone to factory settings without first unlocking and transferring the files will lead to their irretrievable loss.

Moving files back from the hidden album is similar: you open the hidden partition, select a photo, and select the option “Delete from the hidden album”, and then the files are returned to the general gallery feed and become visible to all applications and widgets.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

💡

Using Xiaomi’s built-in security tools is more efficient and safer than installing unknown locker apps from the store, as system protection works at a deeper OS level.