Where Private Files Are Stored on Xiaomi and How to Find Them: A Complete Guide to 2026

Xiaomi MIUI-based smartphones automatically hide some of the system and user files, from backups to app data. But what if you need to find these private files? You may be looking for old photos from a hidden folder, messenger cache or system logs to debug. In this article, we will discuss legal ways to access hidden data without risking damage to the device.

Many users are unaware that their Redmi or POCO have secure directories that don’t show up in standard Explorer, and the reasons for finding such files vary from recovering randomly deleted data to analyzing the OS. It’s important to understand that some of these files are hidden for a reason — changing them can disrupt the stability of the system. So always back up through Settings → About Phone → Backup before any manipulation.

═══

1. Standard Hidden MIUI Folders: Where and How to Find Them

The MIUI operating shell creates several types of hidden folders that are not visible in a regular file manager, and can be divided into three categories:

• 📁 System Hidden Folders – contain OS data (e.g, /data/system or /miad for advertising identifiers).
• 🔒 Private folders of the user - hidden albums in the gallery (MIUI/HiddenFolder) backup.
• 📱 Application cache – temporary files of messengers and social networks (for example, Android/data/com.whatsapp).

To see some of them, just enable the display of hidden files in the standard MIUI Explorer:

1. Open the Files app (folder icon).
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → Settings.
3. Activate the switch to show hidden files.

After that, folders with a dot at the beginning of the name (for example,.thumbdata or.miui) will appear in the root directory, but system directories will still be unavailable, requiring root or other permissions. ADB-team.

═══

2. Secret folder MIUI Hidden Folder: how to access

One of the most popular features of MIUI is a hidden folder for photos and videos, which is password protected and doesn't show up in the gallery.

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Scroll down to the Album section.
3. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → Hidden album.
4. Enter the password (by default coincides with unlocking the screen).

If you have forgotten your password, you can restore access through:

• 🔑 Resetting password to Settings → Privacy → Hidden album (Mi Account Account Confirmation required).
• 📱 Resetting (deletes all data in a hidden album!).

Files from this folder are physically stored along the way:

/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/HiddenFolder/

But you can only see them in Explorer after you turn on the hidden files (see the previous section).

💡

If the hidden album is not displayed in the gallery, check if it is disabled in the settings: Settings → Privacy → Hidden album → Show in the gallery.

═══

3. Search for hidden files via ADB (no root)

For advanced users, the most reliable way is to use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that does not require superuser rights, but gives access to most hidden directories.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to tap → return to → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).

Mainstream ADB-Teams to Find Hidden Files:

⚠️ Attention: Teams out of the way /data/ You can't work without root rights. You can't delete or change files in your system folders, and that's going to crash. MIUI!

═══

4. File managers with built-in hidden file search

If ADB seems complicated, you can use third-party file managers with extended rights.

• 📂 Solid Explorer – supports root access (root), cloud storage and FTP. It has a built-in search for hidden folders.
• 🔍 FX File Explorer - can show system files without root (via the Internet) ADB-integration).
• 🛡️ Root Explorer is only for root-righted devices, but gives you full control over the file system.

Instructions for Solid Explorer:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open the side menu → Root access (if there is root).
3. Go to Settings → Display hidden files.
4. Use keyword searches (such as.nomedia or hidden).

⚠️ Note: Even with root rights, modifying files to /system or /vendor This can cause a device to blink (loss of performance), such as deleting a file. /system/build.prop Make your smartphone unusable.

═══

5. Search through the recovery menu (for power users)

If your smartphone is not turning on or you suspect viral activity, hidden files can be found through recovery mode, a method that is suitable for devices with an unlocked bootloader.

Steps to Enter Recovery:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. From the recovery menu, select Advanced → File Manager (if you use TWRP).

In TWRP, you will see a complete file system, including:

• 📂 /data/data/ — Application data (for example, Telegram cache or WhatsApp).
• 🔧 /system/ — System files (to change dangerously!).
• 📱 /sdcard/ — User’s internal memory (here are looking for hidden media files).

⚠️ Note: There is no file manager in standard recovery from Xiaomi – custom recovery (e.g., custom recovery) will be required, TWRP). The wrong recovery firmware can turn your phone into a brick"!

💡

Use the recovery menu only if you are confident in your actions, and if you change files to /system or /boot, you will need to completely flash the device.

═══

6. Recovery of deleted hidden files

If hidden files have been deleted, you can try to restore them using specialized utilities.

• 🔄 DiskDigger scans internal memory for deleted photos and documents.
• 📁 Recuva (through ADB) — Works with the connected device as with an external drive.
• 🔍 EaseUS MobiSaver – Supports Data Recovery from Hidden Folders MIUI.

The recovery algorithm:

1. Install the program on the computer.
2. Connect Xiaomi to File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. Select the file type (photos, videos, documents).
4. Run a deep scan.
5. Save the recovered files to your PC (not your phone!).

⚠️ Warning: The more you use your phone after deleting files, the lower your chances of recovering them!

To increase the odds:

• 🛑 Turn off the internet immediately and stop installing apps.
• 📴 Put your phone in flight mode.
• 💾 Use a memory card instead of internal memory for new files.

═══

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When working with hidden files, Xiaomi users often face typical problems:

Another common problem is losing access to the hidden album after resetting.

1. Log in to the same Mi Account as you did before the reset.
2. Check the /MIUI/HiddenFolder/ folder – the files may have stayed in place.
3. If the password doesn’t fit, try resetting it through Settings → Privacy.

═══

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions