Home / Personal Album / Xiaomi Mi 9: All ways to access hidden photos

You lost access to your personal album on your Xiaomi Mi 9 and don't know where to look for hidden photos? This problem is familiar to many Xiaomi smartphone owners, especially after updating MIUI or resetting. Unlike the standard gallery, the personal album (or "Private Album") is hidden deeper - it is not always visible in the main menu of the Gallery app.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can find a personal album on Xiaomi Mi 9, including hidden folders in the file manager, MIUI settings, and even restore access through your Xiaomi account. You’ll also learn why the album may disappear and how to prevent future data loss. If you’ve used Secure Storage or manually configured privacy, here’s a solution for your case.

Important: the search algorithm depends on the version of MIUI (for example, MIUI 12 and MIUI 14 are different paths) and whether you used password protection or fingerprint protection.

1. Standard method: search in the Gallery app

So, to start with the obvious, check the built-in Gallery app, and in most cases, the personal album is hidden behind an extra gesture or button, and here's how to find it:

1. Open the Gallery app (an icon with colorful photos).
2. Scroll down to the "Albums" or "Category" section.
3. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select "Private Album" or "Hidden Albums».
4. If you request a password, enter the one you set when setting up your privacy.

⚠️ Note: If you don’t see the “Private Album” item on the menu, it could mean:

• 🔹 The album is empty (you didn't add photos to it).
• 🔹 Function disabled in settings MIUI.
• 🔹 You use a third-party gallery (such as Google Photos) that does not support private Xiaomi albums.

If this method did not work, move to the next section, where we will consider alternative methods.

2. Search through "Secure Storage" in MIUI

On the Xiaomi Mi 9 with MIUI 10-14, personal files can be stored in a special secure storage, a separate encrypted memory area.

1. Go to Settings. → Passwords and security.
2. Select “Secure Storage” (or “Private Storage” in newer versions).
3. Enter the password from your Mi Account or the screen lock pin.
4. Inside you will see the Gallery folder – there are your hidden photos.

💡 Useful tip: If you forget the password from the secure storage, it can be reset via Settings → Xiaomi account → Security but it will delete all data inside the storage! first try to restore access via Mi Cloud.

In some firmware, the path may be different. For example, in MIUI 12.5, the secure storage has been moved to Settings → Special features → Privacy. If you don't find a point, search by settings (the magnifying glass icon at the top).

3. Manual search in file manager: where personal album files are stored

If MIUI doesn't show hidden albums, you can find them manually through the File Manager, and personal photos are usually stored in one of these folders:

• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/PrivateAlbum/ — standard-position MIUI 10–12.

To see the hidden folders:

1. Open the File Manager (yellow folder icon).
2. Press three points (⋮) → «Settings» → Enable "Show hidden files».
3. Take one of the paths above.

⚠️ Warning: Do not rename or move files from the.PrivateAlbum folder manually! This can disrupt the gallery and lead to loss of access to the album. If you need to transfer photos, make a copy through the File Manager and leave the originals in place.

4.Restore access through Mi Account (if the album is missing)

If your personal album has disappeared after resetting or updating, you can try to restore it through Mi Cloud.

1. Make sure you’re logged in to the same Xiaomi account that was used when making the album.
2. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
3. Turn on the sync for the Gallery (if it is turned off).
4. Wait 5-10 minutes and check the "Private Album" section in the gallery.

Critical information: If you logged out of your Mi Account or dropped your phone without a backup, photos from your personal album could be permanently deleted, in which case only specialized data recovery software (such as DiskDigger or Recuva) will help, but the odds depend on whether the new data was recorded in the phone’s memory.

If the synchronization didn’t work, try:

• 🔄 Reinstall the Gallery app through Settings → Annexes → Application management → gallery → Remove updates.
• 📱 Reset the gallery cache (Settings) → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the cache).
• 🔧 Update MIUI Up to the latest version (sometimes bugs with private albums are fixed in new builds).

Check if gallery sync is enabled in Mi Cloud

Make sure you use the same Xiaomi account as before.

Clear the Gallery app cache

Try to log into the secure storage via Settings

Contact Xiaomi Support (if the album contains critical data)-->

5. Alternative methods: third-party applications and ADB

If the standard methods don't work, you can try third-party tools.

Method 1: Applications for viewing hidden files

Install one of these apps from Google Play:

• 🖼️ QuickPic (alternative gallery with support for hidden albums).

Once installed, give the app access to the storage and look for the.PrivateAlbum or MIUI/Private folders.

Method 2: Access via ADB (for advanced users)

If you have experience with ADB, you can try extracting files directly:

adb shell


su




ls /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/PrivateAlbum/

If the folder exists, copy its contents to the PC:

adb pull /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/PrivateAlbum/ C:\Backup\PrivatePhotos

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB It requires unlocked bootloader and root rights. Wrong commands can damage the system. If you're not sure, you better contact the service center.

Method 3: Recovery via PC

Connect the Xiaomi Mi 9 to your computer in file transfer mode (MTP) and use programs like EaseUS MobiSaver or Dr.Fone to scan internal memory, which can find deleted or hidden files even if the album folder is empty.

💡

Before using third-party data recovery applications, turn off mobile internet and Wi-Fi on your phone, which will prevent deleted files from being overwritten with new data and increase the chances of successful recovery.

6 Why a Personal Album May Disappear and How to Prevent It

A personal album on Xiaomi Mi 9 is often lost for the following reasons:

• 🔄 Update MIUI: After major updates (for example, with the MIUI 11 on MIUI 12.5) The folder structure may change and the album may become unavailable.
• 🔧 Resetting: When you return to factory settings without a backup, all data in the protected storage is erased.
• 🔒 Change your Mi Account: If you logged out or changed your profile, access to private files is blocked.
• 📱 Removing System Applications: Removing or Disabling Gallery or Security MIUI Could disrupt the album's performance.
• 🛠️ File system damage: Rarely, but occurs after a phone is turned off or memory is out of order.

To avoid future data loss:

1. Make regular backups through Mi Cloud or Google Photos.
2. Do not remove Xiaomi system applications (especially Gallery and Security).
3. Before updating MIUI, check to see if important files from your private album are saved.
4. Use a secure password for Secure Storage and don’t forget it.

💡

The most common reason for losing access to a personal album is to reset your settings without backing up.Always sync important photos with Mi Cloud or transfer them to your PC before resetting!

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

Let’s look at the typical problems and ways to solve them:

If none of the methods did not help, and photos are critically important, contact the Xiaomi service center with the following information:

• Phone models (Mi 9).
• Versions of MIUI (find in Settings → About phone).
• Actions after which the album is missing (update, reset, etc.).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions