Xiaomi’s modern smartphones store vast arrays of personal information, from work documents to family photos, that are not desirable to be shared with outsiders. The standard gallery and file manager often offer basic protection, but real privacy requires a deeper setup of MIUI or HyperOS. Device owners often wonder how exactly to restrict access to specific directories without installing third-party dubious apps.
The Android operating system, which is the Chinese manufacturer’s shell, doesn’t have a password set directly to one arbitrary folder in the root directory, but the developers have implemented powerful encryption and concealment tools that achieve a similar, and often more reliable, result, and the only way to password a folder is to literally move its contents to a secure area of the device.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available methods of file isolation, consider the operation of the Hide Files function, the capabilities of the Second Space and the features of the Security application. You will learn how to configure biometric protection and understand how to protect your data from prying eyes when transferring your phone to other people.
Use of the “Hide Files” function in the Gallery
The easiest and most popular way to protect media files is to use the built-in system functionality to hide albums, which requires no additional software installation and works on most models, including Redmi Note and Poco. To activate this mode, you need to open the standard Gallery app and go to the Albums section.
Then you pull the album list down until the lock icon appears. The system will request a privacy password if it has not already been set for the device. The privacy password may differ from the screen unlock password, which adds an additional layer of security. Once you enter the code, a hidden folder will open where you can move any photos and videos.
It is important to understand that files placed in this area disappear from public access and do not appear in other applications.
- 🔒 Press and hold your finger on the album, then select Hide the album from the action menu.
- 🔑 To access hidden files, pull down again in the Albums section and enter the previously installed code.
- 📂 Moving files is done via the Add menu or dragging them from the shared gallery.
⚠️ Note: When resetting your phone to factory settings without first unlocking and extracting files from a hidden folder, access to them will be lost forever, as they are encrypted by binding to your account and password.
This method is ideal for fast protection of photos and videos, but it is not suitable for documents, archives or APK installation files.
Protecting folders through File Manager
To protect documents, audio files and archives, Xiaomi smartphones have a special storage inside the Explorer app (or Files). The principle of operation is similar to hiding in a gallery, but allows you to work with all data formats. You can find this feature by opening the Files app and selecting the Documents category or simply swiping down from the main menu.
Once you have set a privacy password (if it has not been set earlier through the Gallery), you will have access to an isolated space, which you can move files from internal memory or microSD card. The process of moving is as follows: select the desired file, click “More” and select the option “Move to hidden files”.
The peculiarity of this method is that files are physically moved to a secure part of the file system, even when connecting the phone to the computer through a secure part of the file system. USB-cable (MTP), This folder will not be displayed without prior unlocking on the device itself.
It's worth noting that when you move, files disappear from the original directory. If you plan to use hidden documents often, it makes sense to create a folder shortcut on your desktop for quick access, although this will reduce the level of secrecy.
Configure the Second Space (Second Space)
Second Space is a full-fledged second operating system inside a smartphone, and it’s the most radical and reliable way to password a folder, since it’s actually creating a separate user profile with its own apps, files, and settings.
You can activate this function through the Settings menu → Additional settings → Second space. Once enabled, the system will suggest setting up a separate lock screen. You can assign a fingerprint to enter the main and second spaces. For example, the thumb of the right hand opens the working profile, and the left one opens the personal hidden one.
Advantages of using the Second Space:
- 📱 Complete isolation: Applications in the second space don’t see data from the first space.
- 🔐 Independent passwords: Signing into a hidden profile requires separate authorization.
- 📸 Hidden camera: photos taken in the second space do not fall into the general gallery.
⚠️ Attention: The creation of a second space takes up extra space on the internal drive (32-64 GB) this could become critical.
Switching between spaces is done through settings or a special widget on the desktop, ideal for separating work and personal life or for handing over the phone to children without fear of protecting their data.
Restriction of access to applications
Often users don’t want to protect a specific folder, but rather access applications through which to view files (for example, third-party file managers or cloud storage). MIUI There is a built-in function "Application Protection».
It's on the Settings path → Applications → Applications → Application protection. Here you can select a list of programs that will require additional confirmation to run (password, pattern lock or fingerprint). If you hide files through a third-party Explorer, be sure to put protection on it.
Key features of the function:
- 🛡️ Blocking the launch of selected applications.
- 👁️ Hiding notification content from secure applications on the lock screen.
- ⏱️ Set up lock timeout (immediately, after 1 minute, after 10 minutes).
Using this feature in conjunction with hiding files creates a double barrier, and even if someone finds a hidden folder, they can't open the application they need to view it without additional code.
☑️ Xiaomi Security Checklist
Comparison of data protection methods
The choice of the best way to protect depends on the type of data and the use scenario of the device. Below is a table that helps to determine the method that best suits your tasks.
| Protection method | Type of data | Level of secrecy | Accessibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hide the album (Gallery) | Photos, Videos | Medium. | High. |
| Hidden files (Conductor) | Documents, Archives | Medium. | High. |
| Second space | All types of files | Maximum | Medium (requires switching) |
| Application protection | Access to the software | Low (apparent presence of the application) | High. |
For maximum security, it is recommended to combine methods, such as storing sensitive documents in the Second Space, and hiding ordinary personal photos in a standard hidden folder, and encrypting data in the Second Space is done with a separate key, which makes it inaccessible even if you try to hack the main profile.
Frequent problems and their solution
Users may experience a situation where the file hiding function is lost or stops working correctly, often due to a system update or memory cleanup. If the gallery lock icon is missing, try clearing the Gallery app cache through the app settings menu.
In some cases, especially on global firmware versions, functionality may be limited compared to Chinese versions. If the standard methods of password folder fail, you can consider installing secure folders through third-party launchers or using the application protection function to block access to the entire file manager.