Have you ever encountered a situation where photos or videos on your Xiaomi suddenly disappeared from the main gallery? Or maybe you had to hide personal photos from prying eyes, but now you can’t find them? MIUI has a built-in hidden album feature that works in an unobvious way – many users do not even know it exists until they are faced with the problem of “missing” content.
In this article, we will explore all the possible ways to access the hidden album on Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones, from standard methods through the Gallery app to advanced solutions using ADB and file manager. Particular attention will be paid to changes in the latest versions of MIUI 14/15, where the logic of the hidden album has been reworked. You will also learn how to restore access to files if they “disappeared” after resetting or updating the system.
What is a Hidden Album on Xiaomi and How Does It Work?
A hidden album in MIUI is not just a folder with a password, but a whole system of content protection integrated at the operating system level, unlike third-party applications like KeepSafe or Vaulty, this mechanism:
- 🔒 Encrypts files – images and videos are stored in encrypted form, even if they are extracted through the TWRP.
- 📱 Linked to Mi Account – without authorization in the original profile, access may be restricted.
- 🔄 Syncs with the cloud – when the option is enabled, hidden files are reserved in Mi Cloud (but not displayed in the web version!).
- 🛡️ Protected from screenshots in some versions MIUI The system blocks the creation of screenshots inside the hidden album.
It is important to understand that a hidden album is not 100% reliable storage, for example, when you reset your phone to factory settings without exporting files, files can be lost, and in addition, in versions of MIUI 12-13 there was a bug that sometimes duplicated hidden media files in the main gallery after the update.
The Standard Way: How to Open a Hidden Album Through the Gallery
The easiest method is to use the built-in Gallery app (not to be confused with Google Photos!) and the instructions are relevant for MIUI 14/15:
- Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
- Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) top-right.
- In the drop-down menu, select Hidden Album (or Private Safe in global firmware).
- The system will ask for a password, fingerprint, or pattern lock – use the same unlock method as for the lock screen.
If Hidden Album is not on the menu, the function is disabled to activate it:
- Go to Settings → Privacy → Hidden album.
- Activate the slider and set the protection method (it is recommended to use the same password as for unlocking the phone).
Make sure you use a standard gallery instead of Google Photos.
Check if the function is enabled in Settings → Privacy
Try rebooting your phone if the album doesn't show up
Update the Gallery app through the Mi App Store-->
⚠️ Note: In some regional firmware (e.g. India), the hidden album is called Private Safe and may be in the Tools section of the Gallery menu. If you don't find this item, try changing the system's language to English (Settings). → Additional settings → Language & input).
Alternative methods of accessing hidden files
If the standard method didn’t work (for example, after resetting or changing the firmware), try these options:
1. through the File Manager (File Manager)
Hidden files are stored in a secure folder, but it can be found manually:
- Open Explorer (or any file manager with root rights, such as Solid Explorer).
- Go to /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/PrivateAlbum/ or to newer versions of MIUI: /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.gallery/files/PrivateAlbum/
- The files are encrypted and have the.enc extension. To view them, you need to transfer to the main gallery through the Hidden Album Management menu.
2. via ADB (for advanced users)
If the phone doesn’t unlock or the hidden album is damaged, you can try extracting files via ADB:
- Connect your phone to your PC and activate Debugging via USB (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).
- Enter in the command line: adb shell ls /data/media/0/MIUI/PrivateAlbum/ or for newer versions: adb shell ls /data/media/0/Android/data/com.miui.gallery/files/PrivateAlbum/
- To copy files to PC: Adb pull /data/media/0/MIUI/PrivateAlbum/ C:\Xiaomi_Private\
The files extracted through ADB will be encrypted, and decrypting them will require the original password from the hidden album and specialized software (for example, MIUI Private Album Decryptor).
3. via Mi Cloud (if backup is enabled)
If you have previously activated the hidden album sync with the cloud:
- Go to i.mi.com and log in.
- Select the Gallery section → Hidden album.
- Download the necessary files on the PC (they will be in original form, without encryption).
What to do if the hidden album is empty?
Why a Hidden Album May Not Open: Common Problems
Even if you know exactly where to look for hidden files, access to them can be blocked.
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| There is no "Hidden Album" item in the Gallery | The function is disabled in settings or removed in regional firmware | Enable Settings → Privacy or install global firmware |
| Asks for a password, but it doesn't fit. | Resetting settings or changing the unlock method | Restore access via Mi Account or reset password via Find Device |
| Files in the PrivateAlbum folder have an.enc extension and do not open. | Files are encrypted, decryption is required | Use the original password and MIUI Decrypt Tool |
| The hidden album was empty, but the files were | Synchronization error or database damage | Check out Mi Cloud or restore backup |
⚠️ Note: If you reset your phone to factory settings without first exporting hidden files, it will be extremely difficult to recover them. TWRP, But it requires an unlocked bootloader and technical skills.
How to transfer files from a hidden album to a regular gallery
If you need to make hidden photos or videos visible again, follow this instruction:
- Open the Gallery → Hidden album and log in.
- Select the desired files (long press → tick).
- Tap on three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Move to a regular album.
- Confirm the action – the files will be copied to the main gallery and removed from the hidden album.
Alternatively, if the first one does not work:
- Connect your phone to your PC and activate File Transfer (MTP) mode.
- Go to the PrivateAlbum folder (the path above).
- Copy files with the.enc extension to any other folder (for example, DCIM/Camera).
- On the phone, open the Gallery → Settings → Restore media files – the system will automatically decrypt and add them to the main gallery.
💡
If you get a file corrupt error when you transfer files, try exporting them to the Mi Cloud first and then downloading them back, which often helps you bypass local encryption errors.
Security of the Hidden Album: Myths and Reality
Many users mistakenly believe that the hidden album in MIUI provides complete privacy.
- 🔓 Reset vulnerability: After resetting to factory settings, file access is lost if there was no backup.
- 🖥️ PC Connection Risk: Files in the PrivateAlbum folder can be copied even without unlocking your phone (although they will be encrypted).
- 📱 Access through TWRP: In custom recovery, you can extract encrypted files, but to decrypt them, you will need a key.
- 🔄 Cloud Sync: Mi Cloud stores backups of the hidden album, but they are only available through the original account.
For truly confidential data, it is recommended:
- Use third-party applications with strong encryption (such as Cryptomator or VeraCrypt).
- Store backups on an encrypted external drive.
- Disable the hidden album sync with Mi Cloud if you don’t trust cloud services.
💡
The hidden album in MIUI protects files from random viewing, but is not a full-fledged encrypted storage. For critical data, use specialized open-source solutions.