How to Passport Photos on Xiaomi: Step-by-step instructions for all models

Why to Pass Pass a Photo on Xiaomi Smartphones and How It Works

Personal photos on your smartphone are like a diary you carry with you, but unlike a paper notebook, digital photos can be accidentally seen by outsiders: colleagues, friends who take a phone to "see cats," or even attackers when you lose a device. Passing a photo on Xiaomi creates an additional barrier between your memories and others' eyes.

Xiaomi offers several built-in protections, but not all users are aware of them. Moreover, some methods (for example, hidden folders in MIUI) work not obviously: photos disappear from the main gallery, but remain available through the file manager. In this article, we will analyze 5 working methods - from standard functions to third-party applications with encryption - and also tell you how to avoid typical configuration errors.

It's important to understand that the password in the photo is not a panacea. If an attacker gets physical access to an unlocked phone, they can bypass the protection through an engineering menu or reset, so combining the password in the photo with a lock screen and encryption of the device gives maximum security.

Method 1: Hidden folder in the standard MIUI Gallery

The easiest method is to use the built-in Hidden Folder feature in the Gallery app. It is available on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12 and later, including the Redmi Note 11, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13 and others. Photos from this folder are not displayed in the main tape, but remain on the device.

To activate the function:

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select Settings.
3. Scroll down to the Hidden Folder section and turn on the switch.
4. Set a password (you can use a fingerprint or a pattern lock).
5. Return to the gallery, select the photos you need, click More → Hide.

Now the photos will only be available after you enter the password in the Albums → Hidden folder section.

⚠️ Note: Hidden photos remain in the folder DCIM/.hidden They can be found through any file manager (e.g. Mi File Explorer) if you know the path. Use encryption for full protection (see Method). 3).

Backup of important photos|Make sure the password is different from the screen lock|Remember the path to the hidden folder (.hidden)|Disable the display of hidden files in the file manager-->

Method 2: Protecting through the "Secure Folder" in MIUI

MIUI offers a more robust tool, the Safe Folder, which, unlike the hidden folder in the gallery, encrypts files and stores them in an isolated space, and is available on devices with MIUI 13+ (e.g., Xiaomi 12T, Redmi K50).

How to set up:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Secure folder.
2. Create a folder by following the prompts (a password or biometrics will be required).
3. Open the Gallery, highlight the photo, click Share → Secure folder.
4. Files are copied to a secure storage and deleted from the original folder.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔒 Encrypting files at the system level (even when connecting to a PC via a computer) MTP file is not visible).
• 📱 Support for biometrics (fingerprint or Face) ID).
• 🔄 Automatic backup in Mi Cloud (optional).

However, there are limitations:

• ❌ Does not work on devices with MIUI 12 and older (update required).
• ❌ When you reset your phone to factory settings, files in the Safe Folder will be deleted irrevocably.

💡

If you don’t see the “Secure folder” option in the settings, upgrade MIUI to the latest version via Settings → About Phone → System Update.

Method 3: Encrypting photos through third-party apps

If built-in MIUI features aren't enough, use specialized applications that offer advanced options: encryption using the AES-256 algorithm, masking for other programs (for example, a calculator), self-destruct when you enter a password incorrectly.

Top.-3 Proven applications for Xiaomi:

Instructions for setting up (for example KeepSafe):

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Create an account and set a master password.
3. Click + → Import photos and select files.
4. Enable the option to Remove Originals (optional).
5. Activate Masking in the settings (the application will appear as a calculator).

⚠️ Note: When using third-party apps, disable autosynchronization of photos from Google Photos or Mi Cloud. Otherwise, unencrypted copies may remain in the cloud.

Standard facilities MIUI|KeepSafe|GalleryVault|LockMyPix|Other-->

Method 4: Archiving a photo with a password (ZIP/RAR)

If you want to send photos by email or save them on a flash drive, but still protect them, use archive with a password. This method is suitable for Xiaomi of any generation, since it does not require special MIUI functions.

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with archiving support, such as Mi File Explorer or ZArchiver.
2. Select the photo in the DCIM/Camera folder.
3. Press Compress and select the ZIP or RAR format.
4. In the compression window, activate the option Encrypt and set the password.
5. Delete the original photo (optional).

Pros of the method:

• 📦 The archive can be stored anywhere (cloud, flash drive, PC).
• 🔐 Password protects not only viewing, but also editing files.
• 🔄 Compatible with any device (not even Xiaomi).

Cons:

• ❌ You need to remember the password - when lost, it is impossible to restore data.
• ❌ Unpacking is required to view (inconvenient for frequent views).

Method 5: Cloud Storage with Protection (Mi Cloud, Google Photos)

If you sync your photos to the cloud, set up additional security right there, like in Mi Cloud you can create a private album, and in Google Photos you can use the Locked folder feature.

For Mi Cloud:

1. Open the gallery and go to the Albums.
2. Click Create an album → Private album.
3. Add a photo and set a password.
4. Enable cloud sync in the album settings.

For Google Photos:

1. Open the Google Photos app.
2. Go to the Library → Utilities → Blocked folder.
3. Set up access by password or biometrics.
4. Move the photo to the folder (they will automatically be deleted from the main feed).

Warning:

⚠️ Attention: Even in blocked folders of cloud services, photos are stored on remote servers. If your Mi or Google account is hacked, an attacker will gain access to the images. Use local encryption for maximum privacy (Method 3).

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Many Xiaomi users have problems configuring photo protection, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

1. Password is forgotten and photos are not available. If you used a Safe folder in MIUI, reset your password through Settings → Accounts → Mi Account → Access Restoration. For third-party applications (such as KeepSafe), use the recovery function by email.
2. Hidden photos are visible in the file manager. Turn off the hidden file display: in Mi File Explorer, go to Settings → Show hidden files and deactivate the option. For security, rename the.hidden folder to something neutral (for example,.backup).
3. After the MIUI update, the Safe Folder disappeared, which is a bug in some versions of MIUI 14, so you can upgrade to the latest stable firmware or use the alternative, GalleryVault.
4. The archive won't open. Check the file extension (it should be.zip or.rar). If the archive is damaged, try restoring it to WinRAR on your PC with the Recover option.

Another common problem is cloud sync, and if you hid a photo in a gallery, but you didn't turn off autoloading in Google Photos, you could leak copies to the network to check:

1. Open Google Photos in your browser.
2. In the search box, type:photo.
3. View the results – if there are hidden pictures, delete them and turn off autosynchronization in the app settings.

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Before setting up photo protection, always back up your PC or external drive, which will save data in case of crashes or accidental deletion.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo protection on Xiaomi