How to open a private album on Xiaomi smartphones: all ways

Hidden albums in Xiaomi smartphones are a secure section of the gallery where users can move sensitive photos and videos. MIUI (It's from version 12 and up), but it's not always obvious how to access them, especially if you forgot your password or bought a used phone. In this article, we'll discuss all the official and alternative methods of opening a private album, including the nuances for different versions of the firmware.

It's important to understand that a private album is not just a file folder, but a system partition protected by hardware encryption, and its contents are not displayed in standard file managers or copied when you back up through Mi Cloud. If you're facing an access problem, don't rush to reset your phone to factory settings, try the solutions below first.

What is a private album on Xiaomi and where it is stored

Private Album (or Private Safe in International Version) MIUI) — It's a secure storage for media files that is integrated into the standard Gallery app:

• 🔒 Access only by password, pattern lock or fingerprint (if configured).
• 📁 Files are physically stored in encrypted form in the system folder /data/system/users/0/private/.
• 🚫 Not visible in Explorer or when connected to PC via MTP.
• 🔄 When resetting the phone to factory settings, the album content is deleted without the possibility of recovery.

Unlike regular folders, hidden albums are not backed up in Google Photos or Mi Cloud, but this is for added security, but it creates a risk of data loss if you do something wrong. For example, if you forget your password, it will be extremely difficult to restore access to files, even through the use of a file. ADB or Fastboot.

On devices with MIUI The 14th and newer private album may be called the Secure Folder, but the principle of operation remains the same).

Official method: login via password or biometrics

The easiest method is to use the same authorization method that you set up when you made the album.

1. Open the Gallery app (the icon with the color circle).
2. Scroll down to the Albums section or click on three horizontal lines (☰) top-left.
3. Find the Private Album (or Secure Folder in the new versions).
4. The system will ask for a password, a pattern lock, or a fingerprint.

If you use a fingerprint, make sure it is added to the security settings (Settings) → Passwords and security → On some models (Xiaomi 12 Pro, Redmi Note 11) you may need to enter first PIN-lock screen code and then confirm biometrics.

Make sure your phone is connected to the internet (to sync your account)

Check if the fingerprint function is enabled in the settings

Try the standard lock screen password (sometimes it matches)

Update the Gallery app to the latest version in the Mi App Store-->

What if your password doesn't fit? You may have changed it in your security settings.

• 🔢 Introduce the last used PIN-lock-screen.
• 📱 Reboot your phone and try again (sometimes helps when your system crashes).
• 🔄 Update MIUI to the latest version - in the new firmwares, bugs with authorization are corrected.

💡

If you forget your password but remember your pattern lock, try entering it in Safe Mode. → Safe regime → Reboot. After you log in, change the password in the album settings.

Alternative methods of access without password

If you don't remember the password and can't recover it through standard means, there are workarounds left, but they require technical skills and can lead to data loss. MIUI 14 and later, these methods may not work due to hardware encryption at the chipset level (Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and later).

Here are the possible options:

Method 1: Reset via Mi Account (for the purpose of MIUI 12–13)

If the album was linked to a Xiaomi account, try:

1. Go to account.xiaomi.com and log in.
2. Find the Devices section → [Your phone] → Data management.
3. Select the option to Reset a Private Album (if available).

⚠️ Note: This method will delete all files from the album without recovery. Use it only if other methods have not worked.

Method 2: Extracting through ADB (for advanced users)

If the phone is on debugging USB, You can try copying files through the command line. Connect the phone to the PC and do it:

adb shell


su




cp -r /data/system/users/0/private/ /sdcard/Download/private_backup/




exit

The files will appear in the Download folder on internal memory, but they will be encrypted. /data/system/locksettings.db.

What to do if a private album disappears after an update MIUI

After major updates (e.g., with the MIUI 13 on MIUI 14) Users sometimes experience the disappearance of a private album:

• 🔄 Automatic migration to a Secure folder (new storage format).
• 🐛 Firmware bug that causes album to be hidden from interface.
• 🔧 Reset Gallery settings after update.

Decisions:

1. Check out the new folder: Open the Gallery → Albums. → Secure folder.
2. Reinstall Gallery: Remove app updates to Settings → Annexes → gallery → Remove updates.
3. Clear the cache: In the same gallery settings, click Clear the cache and reboot the phone.

If the album is missing after being reset to factory settings, you can't restore it -- the files are deleted along with the encryption keys. The only chance is if you backed up through Mi. PC Suite (rarely for hidden albums).

💡

Before any update MIUI Make sure to transfer important files from the private album to the regular storage.

How to transfer files from a private album to a regular storage

If you need to make room or back up, files from a private album can be exported. Here's how to do it safely:

1. Open the gallery. → Private album and log in.
2. Select the necessary files (long press → ticks).
3. Press three points (⋮) In the upper right corner and select Export.
4. Specify the folder to save (for example, DCIM → Camera).

⚠️ Note: Exported files will lose their original creation date and metadata (geotags, camera information). If this is critical, use third-party applications such as FX File Explorer with root folder access (root required).

For automatic synchronization with the cloud:

• 📱 Nana MIUI 14+ Enable the option of Sync with Mi Cloud in the settings of the private album.
• 🌐 On i.mi.com, check the Private Files section.

If you are planning to sell a phone, don’t forget to completely clean up your private album.

1. Open the album and delete all files manually.
2. Go to the Album Settings → Delete the album.
3. Perform reset to factory settings (Settings) → The phone. → Reset).

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Users often encounter problems with private albums, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

Another common problem is that the gallery freezes when you try to open an album.

• 📂 Large number of files (over 1000). Solution: break the album into several parts.
• 🗑 Solution: Delete suspicious files through Safe Mode.
• 🔄 Design theme conflict Solution: Return the standard theme to Settings → Screen. → Theme.

If the gallery is constantly giving out an error Unfortunately, the gallery has stopped, try:

adb shell pm clear com.miui.gallery

This command will reset the application settings, but will not delete the files themselves.

Security: How to protect a private album from hacking

Xiaomi’s private album is secure, but there are ways to make it even safer.

• 🔐 Use a complex password (at least 8 characters with numbers and letters) and avoid dates of birth or simple combinations like 123456.
• 👆 Enable two-factor authentication for your Xiaomi account (even if the album isn’t synced to the cloud).
• 📵 Turn off Show notifications in the album settings so no one sees the preview files.
• 🔄 Update regularly MIUI — In new versions, vulnerabilities are closed.

⚠️ Warning: Do not keep only copies of important documents (passports, tickets, contracts) in a private album. Even with hardware encryption, there is a risk of data loss due to a chipset or firmware failure. Better duplicate them in an encrypted archive on a PC or in cloud storage with client encryption (for example, Cryptomator).

If you suspect someone has tried to hack your album (for example, there have been multiple failed password attempts)

1. Change the album password and lock screen password immediately.
2. Check the list of connected devices in your Xiaomi account (Settings) → Xiaomi account → Security).
3. Remove suspicious apps from Settings → Annexes → Application management.

On HyperOS devices (new firmware generation for Xiaomi 14 and later), the private album is integrated with the Xiaomi Shield security system. This adds an additional layer of protection, but makes it difficult to restore access if you lose your password, in which case the only way out is to contact an authorized service center with proof of ownership of the device.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions