How to make a hidden album on Xiaomi: all the ways for MIUI 14 and 15

Hidden albums on Xiaomi smartphones are not just a handy feature, but a real go-to for those who value privacy. Have you ever faced a situation where you need to hide personal photos from prying eyes, but do not delete them from the device? Or wanted to save important documents in a safe place that is not accessible to outsiders? In this article, we will examine all the current ways to create hidden albums on Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices – from standard MIUI tools to third-party applications.

It's important to understand that hidden folder functionality has evolved with the firmware versions. If you used to need additional utilities, now MIUI 14/15 has built-in mechanisms with improved protection. But even these have limitations — for example, hidden files can become visible after resetting or when you connect to a computer, we'll tell you how to get around these pitfalls and choose the best method for your model.

Standard Hidden Album at Xiaomi Gallery (MIUI 14/15)

Starting with MIUI 12, the standard Gallery introduced a hidden album feature that works on all modern Xiaomi devices, which requires no additional apps to install and provides basic protection against random viewing.

1. Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
2. Choose the photo or video you want to hide (you can choose multiple files at the same time).
3. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Hide.
4. Confirm the action by entering the screen lock password (if it is installed).

After that, the files will disappear from the main list and will be accessible only through a special section:

• 🔒 How to find hidden files: in the Gallery, swipe down and enter the password in the Hidden Albums field".
• 📁 Limitation: Hidden files remain in the device’s memory and can be found through the File Manager along the way /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.hidden.
• 🔄 Recovery: If you delete a file from a hidden album, it can be returned from the Recycle Bin within 30 days.

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If you don’t have the Hide option in the Gallery menu, update the app via Google Play or GetApps. Older versions of MIUI may not have this feature.

Importantly, this method doesn't encrypt files, it just hides them from prying eyes in the Gallery interface. When you connect your phone to a PC via USB or when you use a file manager, hidden albums can be detected. For full protection, we recommend combining this method with others, which will be discussed later.

Protected folders in MIUI: Enhanced privacy

Since MIUI 13, Xiaomi has introduced the Privacy Safe feature, which offers a more secure level of protection than a standard hidden album, where files are not only hidden from outsiders, but also encrypted with a link to your Mi Account, which means that without your password, you can not access them even through the file system.

How to set up Protected folders:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy → Secure folders.
2. Activate the function and set a password (other than locking the screen).
3. Return to the Gallery, select files and click Move to the Secure folder.

⚠️ Note: if you forget the password from the Secure folders, you can only restore access through the attached Mi Account. When you reset your phone to factory settings, all files in the protected folder will be irrevocably deleted.

Hiding files through Xiaomi File Manager

Few people know, but the standard Xiaomi File Manager has a built-in folder and file hiding feature that works independently of the Gallery, and allows you to hide not only media files, but also documents, APKs and other types of data.

1. Open the File Manager (Blue folder icon).
2. Go to the section where the files are hidden (e.g., Internal Memory → DCIM).
3. Select files or folders, click More → Hide.
4. Confirm the action by entering the screen lock password.

To recover hidden files:

• 🔍 In File Manager, click on three dots. → Show hidden files.
• 🔐 Hidden elements will be marked with gray and a castle icon.
• 📂 To make them visible again, highlight and press More → Show me.

This method is convenient for hiding service files or backups, but has the same disadvantage as a hidden album in the Gallery: the files remain in the file system and can be detected through ADB or when connecting to a PC in MTP mode.

Third-party applications for hiding files: TOP-3 solutions

If you don't have enough built-in MIUI tools, you can use third-party apps, which offer advanced features like encryption, deletion simulation, cloud backup, and even masking for other utilities like a calculator, and we tested dozens of programs and selected the three most reliable ones:

1. KeepSafe – cloud storage with PIN-code

The app creates a secure storage facility where you can import photos and videos, and all files are encrypted according to AES-256 and synced to the cloud (optional).

• 🔐 Two-factor authentication (PIN + print).
• 🌐 Ability to remotely erase data when losing your phone.
• 🎭 The False Mode PIN" — Shows fake files when you enter the wrong password.

2. GalleryVault - masking under the system application

This utility mimics a standard gallery, but with a hidden section.

• 📱 Doesn't require root rights.
• 🔄 Automatic backup in Google Drive.
• 🛡️ Screenshot protection (blocks screenshots from within the app).

3. Hide Something - for advanced users

An open source application that supports:

• 🔗 Encrypting files before hiding.
• 📂 Ability to hide entire folders (including attached folders).
• 🔧 Set up access rights for each file separately.

1. Check reviews and rankings on Google Play (minimum rating is 4.2).

2.Make sure the application has been updated in the last 3 months.

3. read the privacy policy (especially the data retention clauses).

4. Create a backup of files before importing to a third-party storage.

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⚠️ Note: Some file hiding applications (especially the little-known ones) may contain malicious code or data leaks. APK From unverified sources – use only Google Play or the official Xiaomi GetApps website.

Hiding files without applications: manual methods

If you don't want to use additional software, you can hide files manually by renaming them or moving them to service folders, which require knowledge of the Android file system, but work without installing programs.

Method 1: Rename files

Android ignores files whose names start with a dot (e.g..secretphoto.jpg) to hide the file:

1. Connect your phone to your PC or use the root file manager.
2. Rename the file by adding a dot at the beginning: photo.jpg →.photo.jpg.
3. The file will disappear from the Gallery but will remain in the file system.

Method 2: Creating a.nomedia folder

Folders named.nomedia are automatically excluded from scanning media files.

1. Create a new directory in DCIM or another folder called.nomedia (with a dot!).
2. Move the files that you want to hide.
3. Update the data in the Gallery (swipe down).

⚠️ Warning: these methods don't protect files from targeted search.Anyone who knows the way (/storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.nomedia), For real privacy, combine renaming with archiving with archiving. ZIP password-wise.

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Manual methods of hiding files are only suitable for basic cloaking; they do not protect data from power users or specialized software for file recovery.

What to do if hidden files become visible?

Sometimes hidden albums or secure folders suddenly appear on the main interface, which can happen after a MIUI update, a reset or a system malfunction.

• 🔄 Rebooting the device: sometimes a simple reboot helps – after turning on the files again hide.
• 🔧 Reset Gallery cache: go to Settings → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 📱 Access rights check: If files become visible after installing a new application, revoke the permission to access the storage.
• 🔒 Reconfigure protection: for Secured folders, try disabling and enabling the feature again in the privacy settings.

If the problem persists, check:

• Is the phone connected to the PC in file transfer mode (MTP).
• Is the developer mode enabled with USB debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – 7 times press).
• Are there alternative launchers (like Nova Launcher) that can ignore the hideout settings?

FAQ: Frequent questions about hidden albums on Xiaomi