Where to look for hidden folders in the Xiaomi Gallery: a complete guide with pictures and commands

Have you ever encountered a situation where photos or videos suddenly disappear from the Xiaomi gallery, even though the phone's memory shows that files are taking up space? Or maybe you need to find system screenshots that don't show up in the standard album? Hidden folders in MIUI are one of the most confusing features of the firmware that the manufacturer specifically masks from users. In this article, we will not just show you where to look for these folders, but also explain why they are hidden, how to make them visible without rights, and what to do if important files are lost after the root update.

Complicating the problem, Xiaomi regularly changes the structure of media storage in new versions of MIUI (especially after the release of MIUI 14 and HyperOS). What worked on the Redmi Note 10 may not work on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. We tested all methods on current models of 2023-2026 and selected only working methods - from simple (through file manager) to advanced (via ADB).

Why Xiaomi is hiding folders with photos and videos

At first glance, Xiaomi seems to be making things harder for users by hiding files, and there are actually three reasons why it's so important:

• 🔒 System data protection. /MIUI/screenrecorder or /DCIM/.thumbnails They contain cache and temporary files that are not designed for manual editing, and their accidental deletion can cause malfunctions in the camera or gallery.
• 📁 Optimizing storage. MIUI It automatically sorts media files by type (screenshots, downloads, stories from messengers) and hides them from the main stream so as not to clog the gallery. For example, photos from Telegram or WhatsApp are stored in hidden folders by default.
• 🛡️ Confidentiality. Some folders (e.g, /Pictures/Screenshots/Private) It may contain sensitive data that MIUI Hiding from prying eyes when transferring a phone to another person.

Interesting fact: Xiaomi with HyperOS (new firmware instead of HyperOS) MIUI) The structure of the hidden folders has changed. Now some of the media files are stored in the /storage/emulated/0/Android/media/com.miui.gallery, In the old versions, they were in /DCIM/Camera. This is important to consider if you have updated your phone. 2026 year.

⚠️ Attention: Folder /data The root directory contains critical system files, which cannot be opened without root rights, and attempts to access through the root directory are not possible. ADB This can cause your phone to reset to factory settings. /sdcard/data — They're different directories!

Method 1: Search through the standard MIUI file manager

The simplest method that works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models without any additional software. You don’t need root rights or a computer – only built-in Explorer (called Files or File Manager).

Instructions:

1. Open the Files app (an icon with a blue folder).
2. In the top menu, tap three points (⋮) and select Settings.
3. Activate the Show Hidden Files switch (in some versions of MIUI, this item is called Display System Files).
4. Go back to the root catalogue (/storage/emulated/0/) and open the folders: DCIM → There may be hidden albums like.thumbnails or Camera/Private. Pictures → Screenshots folders (screenshots), WeChat or Telegram (media from messengers). MIUI → screenrecorder (screen recordings), extra_screen (supplementary screenshots).

If the folder you want isn't on the list, try manually entering its path in the Explorer search bar, for example, for hidden screenshots, type /Pictures/Screenshots/.hidden.

Is it possible to display hidden files in the settings

DCIM/.thumbnails folder (cache of thumbnails)

MIUI/screenrecorder folder (screen recordings)

Android/media folder (media from applications)

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Method 2: Using Third-Party File Managers

The built-in MIUI Explorer doesn’t always show all hidden folders, especially if they’re protected by the system, and in such cases, a third-party application like Solid Explorer, FX File Explorer, or Total Commander will help. These programs have advanced access rights and can display files that MIUI hides “at the kernel level.”

Step-by-step instructions for Solid Explorer:

1. Install the app from Google Play and open it.
2. In the upper left corner, tap on the icon. ☰ and select the Root Catalogue (/).
3. Go to /storage/emulated/0/ (this is the phone's internal memory).
4. In the upper right corner, click on the icon. 🔍 Enter the folder name (e.g..nomedia or Private).
5. If the folder is not displayed, turn on the application settings: 🔓 Root access (if you have superuser rights). 👁️ Show hidden files. 📂 System directories.

Solid Explorer has the advantage of cloud storage, and if the hidden files are synced to Google Drive or Mi Cloud, you can find them right in the app without having to log in.

Built-in MIUI File Manager|Solid Explorer|Total Commander|FX File Explorer|Other-->

Method 3: Search through ADB (for power users)

If the first two methods didn’t work and files are critical (like lost photos), you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires a computer and basic command line knowledge, but gives access to all folders, including those that are blocked by MIUI.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 📱 USB-cable (preferably original from Xiaomi).
• 🔧 Installed drivers ADB (You can download from the official Android website).
• 🔄 Included debugging by USB on the phone (path: Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to tap the version number → return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Commands to find hidden folders:

adb shell


ls -la /storage/emulated/0/ | grep "^\." # Shows all hidden folders in the root directory




find /storage/emulated/0/ -name ".nomedia" -type f # Looks for.nomedia files that hide media from the gallery




ls -R /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/# Recursive view of the DCIM folder

If you need to copy files to your computer:

adb pull /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails ~/Downloads/thumbnails_backup

⚠️ Note: Rm or delete commands to ADB They can permanently delete files, including system files. Never run them without a backup! Use only ls, find and pull for secure browsing.

Method 4: Viewing Hidden Media through Google Photo Gallery

If the hidden files are media (photos, videos), you can try to find them through Google Photos.This app ignores some of the limitations of MIUI and can display files that are not visible in the standard gallery.

How it works:

1. Install Google Photos from Play Market (if not already installed).
2. Open the app and wait for the sync to complete (may take a few minutes).
3. Slip on the search icon (magnifying glass) and enter the request: 📸 Screenshots – Show all screenshots, including those in hidden folders. 🎥 Video - will display screen recordings from /MIUI/screenrecorder. 📁 Folders. → select the Device → Scroll down to the Hidden Folders section.

Save it to the device.

Download

Important: Google Photos doesn't show files that are locked by the.nomedia system file. If the folder contains such a file, the media from it won't show up even here.

Method 5: Manually Create a.nomedia File to Hide Folders

If you have to hide a folder from a gallery (like personal photos), you can create a.nomedia file. It's a standard Android engine that MIUI also supports. Gallery and other media players will ignore folders with such a file.

How to create.nomedia:

1. Open any file manager (embedded or third-party).
2. Go to the folder you want to hide (for example, /Pictures/Private).
3. Create a new text file: In Solid Explorer: tap on "+" → File → call it.nomedia (point at the beginning is mandatory!). In MIUI File Manager: click on three dots → Create → File → type in the name.nomedia.

Restart the phone – after that, the folder will disappear from the gallery, but will remain accessible through the conductor.

To return the folder visibility, simply delete the.nomedia file.

💡

If you often work with hidden files, create a shortcut for the folder on the home screen. To do this, in the file manager, press the folder → Add to the home screen. Now access to it in one tap!

What to do if hidden files are missing after the MIUI update

One of the most common problems with upgrading MIUI 13→14 or switching to HyperOS is that hidden folders disappear, because the new firmware version transfers media files to other directories or changes access rights.

1. Check out the new folder structure: In HyperOS, photos from messengers can be in /Android/media/app cover instead of /Pictures. Screenshots are now stored in /Pictures/Screenshots/HyperOS.
2. Restore files via Mi Cloud: Go to Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud → Gallery. Enable sync and wait for files to download. Open Mi Cloud in your browser on your PC — there may be backups of hidden folders.

Use Recovery Programs to Recover

• 🛠️ DiskDigger – scans memory for deleted files.
• 🔍 Recuva (for PC) – connect your phone in drive mode.