How to find a hidden album on Xiaomi Redmi 9: all ways to access hidden photos and videos

Have you accidentally hidden important photos in a hidden Xiaomi Redmi 9 album and now you can't find them? Or suspect someone has hidden files on your phone? Hidden albums in MIUI are not just a privacy feature, but a potential black hole for forgotten images. Unlike the iPhone, where hidden media files are hidden, but are accessible through the album "Hidden", on Redmi 9 everything is different.

The problem is that Xiaomi uses multiple levels of file hiding, from standard landscape hiding in the Gallery to system folders with Explorer-only access or even ADB. In this article, we’ll break down all the working methods, from obvious to little-known, including methods for MIUI 12, 13 and 14 without superuser rights. Importantly, some folders can be empty if you’ve never used the concealment feature — that’s okay.

1.Standard Hidden Album in Xiaomi Gallery

The easiest way to do this is to check the built-in concealment feature in the Gallery app, which is the default feature on Redmi 9, but many users don't even know it exists.

1. Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner (menu).
3. Select Hidden Album or Private Safe (in English firmware).
4. Enter a password, fingerprint or pattern lock (if you have).

If the album is empty, it means one of three: 1 You never hid files through the Gallery; 2 Files were hidden in another way (see the following sections); 3 The album was dropped after a MIUI update (rarely, but it does).

⚠️ Note: If you haven’t set a password for a hidden album, but the system requires it, it’s a sign that someone else has activated the feature. → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the data (photos will not be deleted).

2. search for hidden files through File Manager

The System App Explorer (or File Manager) on Redmi 9 allows you to access hidden folders that are not displayed in the Gallery.

1. Open Explorer (Icon with Blue Folder).
2. Go to Categories → Images or Videos.
3. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select Show Hidden Files.
4. Check the folders: 📁.Hidden – Standard folder for hidden files MIUI; 📁.nomedia – files excluded from media scanning; 📁 MIUI/Private — Alternative storage for Private Safe; 📁 DCIM/.thumbnails — Miniatures, sometimes containing "lost" files.

If you don't have folders, don't be alarmed. They're only created when you first use the concealment function, for example, the.hidden folder will only appear after you manually move the file through Explorer.

Enable hidden files |.hidden folder at the root of the storage | MIUI/Private | DCIM/.thumbnails | Android/data system folder (requires ROOT)

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3. Hidden files in the Private Safe folder (MIUI 12 and later)

Starting with MIUI 12, Xiaomi has implemented Private Safe, an analogue of Personal Storage on other Android devices, which operates separately from the standard hidden album and can contain files that are not displayed in the Gallery.

1. Open the Settings. → Confidentiality.
2. Choose Private Safe (may be called Personal Storage).
3. Sign in with a password, fingerprint or PIN-code.
4. Check the tabs Photos, Videos and Documents.

The peculiarity of Private Safe is that files are encrypted and not accessible through Explorer without unlocking. If you forget the password, you can only restore access by resetting all settings (data in the storage will be lost!).

4. System folders: where MIUI hides files from the user

Xiaomi uses several system folders that don't appear in standard file managers, and you'll need either ROOT Explorer or ADB (no ROOT) to access them.

*To access Android/data without ROOT, you can use ADB with the command:

adb shell "run-as com.android.providers.media ls /data/data/com.android.providers.media/databases"

This command will show the media provider databases where links to hidden files can be stored.

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If you don’t want to use ADB, install FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer, which can show system folders without ROOT, but with limitations.

5. Recover hidden files after resetting or updating

After resetting or updating MIUI, hidden albums can disappear. In fact, files often remain on the device, but lose their attachment to the Gallery.

1. Check the MIUI/Backup/Private folder – sometimes the system backs up hidden files.
2. Use DiskDigger or Recuva (via PC) to scan internal memory for “lost” files.
3. Check out the Mi Cloud cloud: 🌐 Go to i.mi.com; 📁 Go to the Gallery section → Basket or Hidden; 🔍 Turn on the filter by date – it is possible that the files were synced before reset.

If files were permanently deleted, try recovering them with data recovery software (e.g. EaseUS MobiSaver), but the odds depend on how much data was written to the phone after being deleted.

⚠️ Note: When recovering files via PC, do not connect your phone in mode MTP (standard file transfer. Use the mode PTP (camera ADB, to avoid overwriting data.

6. Hidden albums in third-party apps

Many Redmi 9 users install third-party galleries or file managers that create their own hidden storages.

• 📱 Google Photos: Archive or Recycle Bin (stores files up to 60 days);
• 🔒 KeepSafe, Vaulty, GalleryVault: These applications create encrypted folders that are not visible in Explorer;
• 📂 ES Explorer:.nomedia folder at the root of the storage;
• 🌐 Telegram, WhatsApp: Media files from secret chats are stored in the /storage/emulated/0/Android/media/org.telegram.messenger/Telegram.

To find files from these applications: 1) Open the application settings and find the Hidden Files or Private Mode section; 2 Use the search function in the Keyword Explorer (e.g. vault, hidden, private).

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The side of the file hiding application often creates its own folders with the prefix. (dot). enable the display of hidden files in Explorer to see them.

7. Advanced methods: ADB and ROOT-access

If standard methods don't work, then there are heavy methods, which require technical skills, but allow you to find even deep-hidden files.

Method 1: ADB (without ROOT)

Connect your phone to your PC, turn on USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap → Back to Additional → For Developers) and follow the commands:

adb shell


su (if there is ROOT)




find /storage/emulated/0 -name ".*" -type d

This team will find all the hidden folders in the main storage.

Method 2: ROOT-access

With superuser rights, you will have access to system partitions where MIUI can store backups of hidden files. Use Root Explorer or Mixplorer to search by path:

• /data/media/0/.hidden;
• /data/user_de/0/com.android.providers.media/databases (database);
• /data/system/users/0 (user settings)

⚠️ Note: Delete or modify files in system folders /data and /system This can cause your phone to fail. Before experimenting, make a backup copy through TWRP Or Mi Flash Tool.

FAQ: Frequent Questions About Hidden Albums on Redmi 9