Where to look for a hidden album on Xiaomi Redmi 7: all ways to access hidden photos and videos

Xiaomi Redmi 7 is one of the most popular budget smartphones with a shell MIUI, which offers users the function of hiding personal photos and videos. However, many people face the problem: how to find these hidden albums if you forgot your password, reset your settings or just don’t remember where they are stored? In this article, we will examine all possible methods of accessing hidden media files, from standard MIUI tools to technical solutions through ADB and file managers.

It's important to understand that hidden albums on Redmi 7 can be stored in different places depending on the firmware version and how they are hidden, for example, files hidden through the gallery and those hidden through third-party applications (like Gallery Vault or KeepSafe) are searched differently, and we'll look at both options, and also tell you what to do if the smartphone is blocked or after resetting.

Warning: some methods require root rights or PC connectivity. If you're unsure of your skills, you'd better consult a specialist to keep your data safe. But most of the methods in this article are safe and suitable even for beginners.

1. Standard method: Search through MIUI Gallery

The easiest method is to use the built-in hidden album feature in the standard Xiaomi gallery, which is available on all versions of MIUI (including MIUI 10/11/12, which was installed on Redmi 7).

Open the Gallery app (an icon with multi-colored squares) in the upper right corner, click three dots (⋮) and select Hidden Albums if you have previously set a password or PIN-The code is accessed, the system will ask you to enter it. Type the code and you will see all the hidden photos and videos.

• 🔍 If Hidden Albums is not on the menu, update the gallery via Google Play or check your display settings.
• 🔐 The default password often matches the screen unlock. Try entering your own. PIN graphical.
• 📁 In some versions MIUI Hidden files can be displayed in the.hidden folder, which can be found through the file manager.

If you forget your password, try resetting it through your Mi Account (if it is linked to your device).

1. Go to Settings → Accounts → Mi Account.
2. Press Security and select Reset Gallery Password.
3. Confirm the action via SMS or email.

💡

If the Xiaomi gallery doesn’t display hidden albums, try clearing its cache: Settings → Apps → Gallery → Storage → Clear the cache. This often solves the problem with missing folders.

2.File Manager Search: Where hidden files are stored

Hidden albums in MIUI are physically stored in the device’s memory, but in special folders with a dot at the beginning of the title (for example,.nomedia or.hidden). To see them, you need a file manager with support for displaying hidden files. We recommend using Mi File Explorer (embedded) or Solid Explorer (from Google Play).

Search instructions:

1. Open the file manager and enable the display of hidden files (in Mi File Explorer: ⋮ → Settings → Show hidden files).
2. Go to the root folder of internal memory (/storage/emulated/0/).
3. Find folders with names:.hidden, the standard storage of hidden MIUI albums. MIUI/Gallery/cloud/private, where files hidden through the cloud can be located. DCIM/.thumbnails, sometimes thumbnails of hidden photos are duplicated here.

Downloads

If there are no folders, try searching by keyword: file managers have a search function (magnifying glass icon) and type.nomedia or private to help you find hidden directories.

3. Access via ADB: for power users

If standard methods don’t work, you can try to extract hidden files via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which is suitable if you have access to a PC and have USB debugging enabled on Redmi 7. Importantly, the method does not require root, but you need minimal command-line skills.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your smartphone: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on MIUI Version until you become a developer!. Return to Settings → Additional → For Developers and enable USB Debugging.

Redmi 7

ADB Tools

Google’s official Platform Tools

Win + R → cmd

adb devices

If the device appears in the list, do:

adb shell ls /storage/emulated/0/.hidden

This will show the contents of the folder with hidden files.

adb pull /storage/emulated/0/.hidden C:\hidden_files

(substitute C:\hidden_files on the right path on your computer).

⚠️ Note: If you run an adb pull command with a Permission denied error, you do not have permission to read the folder, which will require root access or alternative methods (see Section 5).

ADB-The method is universal and works even if the smartphone is locked (provided that debugging was previously enabled). USB). However, it will not help if the files are encrypted by third-party applications.

Enable the developer mode on Redmi 7

Activate debugging over USB

Install ADB drivers on PC

Download Platform Tools from Google

Connect your smartphone with the original cable-->

4. Recover hidden files after resetting settings

If you've done a hard reset on Redmi 7, the hidden albums from MIUI usually disappear. However, files can stay in the device's memory if you haven't formatted the internal storage. Here's how to return them:

Once you reset the.hidden folder doesn't automatically delete it, it just becomes invisible to the system, it can be restored through the file manager or ADB, as described above. If it's not, try using data recovery software like DiskDigger or Recuva (you need a PC connection).

Algorithm of action:

1. Install a root-enabled file manager (such as Root Explorer) on Redmi 7 if you have superuser rights.
2. Move to the /data/media/0/ Search for folders with names.hidden, private or miui_hidden.
3. If you don't have folders, use DiskDigger: Download the app from Google Play. Select Full Root. Mark JPG, PNG, MP4 file types and start a search. Save the files you find to a new folder.

⚠️ Note: Data recovery software only works until the first memory overwrite. If you have actively used your smartphone after reset (installing apps, downloading files), the chances of returning hidden photos are dramatically reduced.

If files were hidden through Mi Cloud, check cloud storage:

1. Sign in to i.mi.com.
2. Go to the Gallery → Cart or Private Albums section.
3. Restore the files to the main gallery.

5 Resetting the hidden album password without losing data

If you forgot the password for a hidden album in the MIUI gallery, but don’t want to reset your smartphone settings, there are several ways to get around the lock: one is using your Mi Account account, the other is editing system files (requires root).

Method 1: Reset via Mi Account (works if the account is linked to the device):

1. Open the gallery and try to enter the password 5 times in a row (the system will block access).
2. Will you see a button for Forgot your password?
3. Select recovery via Mi Account and confirm the action by SMS or email.

Method 2: Edit gallery2.db (root users only):

1. Install Root Explorer or FX File Explorer.
2. Go to /data/data/com.miui.gallery/databases/.
3. Find the file gallery2.db and open it in a text editor (e.g. SQLite Editor).
4. Delete the password string (look for the view record) lock_password=...).
5. Save the changes and restart the smartphone.

If there are no files, try to restore them through DiskDigger.