How to open a personal album on Xiaomi Redmi 9: all ways to access hidden files

The personal album on Xiaomi Redmi 9 smartphones is a secure storage for photos and videos that is hidden from prying eyes. Many users face the problem when they forget the password or can not find this section in the gallery. In this article, we will examine all possible ways to open a personal album, from standard methods to alternative solutions for loss of access.

The thing about Redmi 9 is that the personal album feature is implemented through the standard Mi Gallery app. Depending on the firmware version (MIUI 11/12/13/14), the interface may be slightly different, but the general logic remains the same. If you've never set up a hidden album, it may just be disabled in the settings, which we'll talk about.

It's important to understand that a personal album is not a standalone app, but a built-in gallery function, and you can't delete it or transfer it to another memory without special manipulation, and if you're trying to restore access after you reset your phone, you'll need additional steps, which will be discussed below.

1. Standard way of opening a personal album

If you remember a password or pin, accessing hidden files takes only a few steps. Here is a step-by-step guide for Xiaomi Redmi 9:

1. Open the Gallery app (an icon with colorful photos).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) top-right.
3. In the drop-down menu, select Personal Album (or Private Safe in English).
4. Enter a previously set password, fingerprint or pattern lock.

If the Personal Album item is not on the menu, it means that the function is not activated.

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → gallery → Gallery settings.
• 🔒 Find the Personal Album option and activate the slider.
• 🔑 Set a password (minimum 4 digits) or use biometrics.

On some MIUI firmware, a personal album may be called Hidden Files or Safe Box. If you don't find this section, try updating the Gallery app through Google Play or Mi App Store. The app version should be at least 2.1.0.3 for the feature to work properly.

2 What to do if you forget the password from your personal album

Resetting the password of a personal album on Redmi 9 is one of the most common problems. Unfortunately, Xiaomi does not provide an official way to restore access without resetting data.

⚠️ Note: All methods except the first will result in the deletion of files from a personal album.If photos are critical, try to first find a password (for example, commonly used combinations: date of birth, last digits of the phone number).

• 🔄 Mi Account Reset: If your phone is tied to your Xiaomi account, sometimes logging out and re-signing in helps. → Xiaomi account → Get out, then log in again. This method only works on the MIUI 12 and below – in new versions it is disabled.
• 📱 Reset Gallery settings: Go to Settings → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the data. This will delete all the settings of the application, including the password of the personal album, but the files will remain in the memory of the phone (they can be found through the file manager).
• 🔧 Hard Phone Reset: Full Reset to Factory Settings (Settings) → The phone. → Resetting) will delete all data, including files in your personal album. Use this method only if other options have not helped.

If you've previously backed up through Mi Cloud, you can try to recover photos from the cloud after a reset, but your personal album only syncs to the cloud if this option has been manually enabled in the gallery settings.

3. Alternative ways to access hidden files

If standard methods don't work, you can try to get around the limitations through system tools, which are a little bit more effortful, but sometimes help you get back to the files.

Method 1: Through a File Manager

The personal album stores files in a secure folder, but it can be found manually:

1. Open any file manager (e.g., Mi File Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Gallery/cloud/private/.
3. If the folder exists, copy the files to another location (for example, to a memory card).

Note: the folder may be hidden. In the file manager settings, enable the display of hidden files (Settings → Show hidden files).

Method 2: ADB (for advanced users)

If you have access to debugging via USB (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times to activate Developer Mode, then enable Debugging over USB), you can try getting files via ADB:

adb shell


su




cp -r /data/media/0/MIUI/Gallery/cloud/private/ /sdcard/Backup/




exit

This command will copy files from a personal album to a Backup folder on internal memory. The team requires root rights, which can be obtained on Redmi 9 through unlocking the bootloader and installing a customized Recovery (for example, TWRP).

Method 3: Through Backup

If you've ever backed up through Mi PC Suite or Google Photos, check the archives on your computer. A personal album could be included in the backup even if you didn't notice it. Backup files are usually stored in.miui or.ab format and can be unpacked with special utilities (such as Mi Backup Extractor).

4 Why a Personal Album May Not Open

Sometimes users find that a personal album is not displayed in the gallery menu at all, and the reasons may be different:

If the problem occurred after the MIUI update, try to roll back to the previous firmware version. To do this, download the desired version from the official Xiaomi website (link) and swipe your phone through System Update → Three dots → Select a firmware file.

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Before rolling back the firmware, back up all data through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset. This will save your photos, contacts and messages even if something goes wrong.

5 How to transfer files from a personal album to another phone

If you want to save photos from your personal album when changing your phone, there are a few ways to do this:

• 📤 Export through gallery: Open your personal album, highlight the files you want, click Share and select Save to Gallery. Files will appear in the main album.
• 🖥️ Transfer to your computer: Connect Redmi 9 PC-only USB, Enable file transfer mode (MTP) and copy the folder. /MIUI/Gallery/cloud/private/.
• ☁️ Sync with Mi Cloud: Enable gallery backup in Xiaomi account settings, then restore files to your new device.

If you transfer files to another Xiaomi smartphone, you can use the Mi Mover feature, which automatically transfers your personal album if both phones have this option enabled.

⚠️ Note: When transferring files through third-party cloud services (such as Google Photos or Yandex Drive), your personal album will be unpacked into a regular folder.

6: Security of a Personal Album: How to Protect Files

The personal album on Redmi 9 provides basic protection, but it can be enhanced by:

• 🔐 Use a complex password: Avoid simple combinations like 1234 or 0000. The best option is a 6-digit pin code.
• 👆 Two-factor authentication: Link a personal album to a fingerprint or facial recognition (if the feature is supported by your firmware).
• 🔄 Regular backup: Set up automatic sync with Mi Cloud or copy files to a memory card.
• 🚫 Restrict application access: In security settings (Settings) → Confidentiality → Special permissions) deny other applications access to the gallery.

If you store sensitive data on your personal album (like document scans), consider additional encryption, and you can use third-party apps like KeepSafe or Vaulty that offer more protection than a standard MIUI gallery.

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A personal album on Xiaomi Redmi 9 is not a completely secure storage. For critical files, it is recommended to use specialized encrypted containers or hardware solutions (for example, encrypted flash drives).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)