Where to look for a hidden album on Xiaomi Mi 9S: from standard settings to ADB-team

Have you ever encountered a situation where photos on Xiaomi Mi 9S suddenly disappear from the gallery, but the space on the phone does not decrease? Or suspect that someone hid the album from prying eyes? Hidden folders and albums on Xiaomi smartphones are not a myth, but a real MIUI feature that many users accidentally activate or even do not know about its existence.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible ways to find hidden albums on the Mi 9S, from basic gallery settings to advanced methods using ADB and file manager. We’ll focus on MIUI system folders that automatically hide media files under certain conditions (for example, after updating or resetting), and learn how to return access to files without the risk of deleting them, even if they are not displayed in standard applications.

Important: The methods will work for other Xiaomi models based on MIUI 10-14, but some folder paths may differ. If your Mi 9S is running custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), some of the instructions will require adaptation.

1. Check the standard settings of the MIUI Gallery

To start with, it's possible that the album isn't hidden at the system level, but is simply disabled in the Gallery app settings. MIUI has a built-in hide-album feature that works without any additional apps.

Open the Gallery app and follow the following steps:

• 📂 Slip along three horizontal lines (menu) in the upper right corner.
• 🔍 Select the Album Item (if it is not active by default).
• ⚙️ Click on the gear icon (Settings) in the upper right corner.
• 👁️ Scroll down to the section Show Hidden Albums and activate the switch.

If this option is disabled, hidden albums will appear in the main list. Note: in MIUI 12 and later, this item may be called Show Protected Files - the functionality remains the same.

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If you don't have albums after you turn on the option, try restarting the Gallery app through the multitasking menu. Sometimes the cache doesn't update instantly.

⚠️ Note: In some versions MIUI Hidden albums are only displayed after you have entered a password or fingerprint (if you have set up security), if you have not set a password, but the system requests it, this may indicate the action of a virus or third-party software.

2. Search for hidden folders through the file manager

If the gallery settings fail, the next place to look is the phone's internal memory. Hidden albums are often stored in system folders whose names start with a dot (e.g.,.nomedia or.hidden) and are not shown by the file manager by default.

To see the hidden files:

1. Open the standard Files (or install Solid Explorer, FX File Manager).
2. Go to the internal memory section or SD-map.
3. Slip on three dots (menu) → Settings → turn on Show hidden files.
4. Go back to the root directory and manually check the following folders: 📁 /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails — Miniatures, sometimes containing originals. 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/.hidden — standard place for hidden photos in MIUI. 📁 /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Gallery/cloud/private — Cloud-based copies with private access. 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.gallery — gallery-cash.

If you find a folder with the files you want but they don't show up in the gallery, delete the.nomedia file (if any) from it.

Make sure there is no file in the folder.nomedia|Copy files to another directory (for example, /Pictures/)|Reboot your phone to update your media index|Check the permissions to the folder (must be rw-r)--r--)

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3.Use ADB to access system partitions

If hidden files are not found in user folders, they could be moved to system partitions that are restricted to access, and you would need ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a debugging tool through your PC, to find them.

Connect Xiaomi Mi 9S computer-mounted ADB-Drivers and execute commands:

adb shell


su




find /data -name".jpg" -o -name".png" -o -name"*.mp4" 2>/dev/null

This team recursively searches for media files in all sections, including system ones.

• 🔐 To work su need root access (on unlocked phones, the command will not work).
• ⚠️ Search /data may take 10–30 minutes - do not interrupt the process.
• 📋 Results will be saved in the console; copy paths to the found files for further retrieval.

If root access is not available, try an alternative method:

adb pull /sdcard/ <path to PC>

This command will copy all internal memory to a computer where you can scan it manually (e.g., via Total Commander with a *.jpg search).

⚠️ Attention: When working with ADB Do not delete or modify files in folders /system, /vendor or /boot — This can cause a device to fail, and if you're not sure about the team, check the forums. XDA Developers or 4PDA.

4. Verification of cloud services and synchronization

MIUI is actively integrated with Xiaomi cloud services, and hidden albums can be stored not locally, but in Mi Cloud, Google Photos or even Tencent WeCloud (for Chinese firmware).

For Mi Cloud:

1. Open Settings → Accounts → Mi Account.
2. Go to Mi Cloud. → gallery.
3. Check out Private Albums or Hidden Files.

For Google Photos:

• 🔍 Open the app and tap on your avatar in the upper right corner.
• 📁 Select Recycle Bin or Archive – sometimes files are moved there automatically.
• 🔒 Check the blocked files (requires) PIN-code).

If you are using Chinese firmware, check:

• 🌐 Tencent Cloud – Hidden albums can sync there by default.
• 📱 QQ WeChat – these messengers have built-in “secret chats” with media files.

Mi Cloud|Google Photo|Tencent We Cloud |Other |Do not use clouds

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5. Third-party applications for finding hidden files

If system methods don’t work, specialized utilities will come to the rescue, scanning memory deeper than standard tools, and often finding files that aren’t available through ADB or file manager.

Recommended annexes:

• 🔍 DiskUsage – visualizes occupied space and helps you find “invisible” files.
• 🕵️ Hidden File Finder – Searches for hidden folders by signatures of media files.
• 🗃️ Root Explorer (requires root) - gives access to system partitions.
• 🔎 ES Explorer (old version) – has a built-in search for the contents of the files.

Example of working with DiskUsage:

1. Install the application and give access to the memory.
2. Select the Internal Memory section.
3. Look for large blocks of data without explicit application binding (e.g., 1-2 GB in the com.android.providers.media folder).
4. Slip the block. → Open in the conductor.

Important: Some applications (such as GalleryVault or Hide It Pro) mask files as other types (such as videos being converted to audio), in which case only manual analysis through a Hex editor (such as Hex Editor from the Play Market) will help.

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The app side can hide files themselves! Before installing, check for reviews for complaints about "disappearance" of media files.

6. Recover deleted or hidden files

If you suspect that the files were not just hidden, but deleted (for example, after resetting settings or updating) MIUI), They can still be restored, and you can do that with tools like DiskDigger, Recuva, or GT Recovery.

Algorithm of action:

1. Stop writing new data to your phone immediately (photos, videos, app installation) – this increases your chances of recovery.
2. Connect the Mi 9S to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. Start Recuva and select the internal memory scan.
4. Specify the file types: JPG, PNG, MP4, HEIC.
5. Wait until the scan is completed (may take several hours).
6. Save the recovered files to your PC, not back to your phone.

To recover directly on your phone, use DiskDigger:

• 📱 Install the application and provide root access (if any).
• 🔍 Select Full Scan (without root only Quick Scan is available).
• 🖼️ Tick the files found and click Restore.

⚠️ Note: Recovered files can be fragmented (especially video). If the photo opens partially or with artifacts, try restoring it through other software (for example, PhotoRec for PC). MIUI, It is likely that the file was overwritten by the system.

7.Frequent reasons for missing albums on Mi 9S

Before blaming viruses or malice, check out the typical scenarios where albums “disappear” on Xiaomi:

If none of these methods worked, the last hope is to ask Xiaomi’s service center to scan the memory at a low level, they have tools to extract data even from damaged partitions, but note that this is a paid service (from 1,500 rubles), and the warranty does not apply to such repairs.

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In 80% of cases, files are not deleted, but simply hidden by the system or moved to the cloud. Start by checking standard folders and Mi Cloud before using sophisticated methods.

FAQ: Frequent questions about hidden albums on Xiaomi Mi 9S