How to open hidden photos on Xiaomi: a step-by-step guide with pictures

Have you accidentally hidden important photos in a Xiaomi smartphone and can’t find them? Or suspect that there are hidden pictures on the device that you didn’t know about? In this article, we will examine all possible ways to detect hidden images, from standard MIUI functions to advanced methods using ADB and file manager. It is important to understand that some photos can be hidden not only by the user, but also by system processes (for example, screenshots from secure applications or messenger caches).

Smartphone makers Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO have integrated multiple levels of file hiding into MIUI firmware, from the basic Hidden Album feature in the Gallery to root-only system folders. We’ll look at methods for all firmware versions (including MIUI 14 and HyperOS), and focus on security to ensure you don’t delete important data by mistake.

1. Standard way: album "Hidden" in the Xiaomi Gallery

The easiest method is to use the built-in photo hiding feature in the standard Gallery app, which works on all Xiaomi models (including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11, etc.) without the need to install additional programs.

To find the hidden photos:

📱 Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
🔍 Scroll down to the Albums section and find the Hidden folder (may be called "Private" in English firmware).
🔓 If the album is password protected, enter the screen unlock code or fingerprint.
🖼️ View hidden images – they can be returned to the main gallery by holding your finger in the photo and selecting Show.

If the Hidden folders are not in the album list, check the Gallery settings:

Slip on the three points in the upper right corner → Settings.
Choose Show Hidden Albums (or Show Hidden Albums).
Restart the app.

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If you do not remember the password from the hidden album, you can reset it only through a full reset (Wipe Data in Recovery).

2. Search through File Manager (File Manager)

Some photos can be hidden not through the Gallery, but by changing file attributes (for example, adding a dot before the folder name in Linux systems). MIUI has a built-in Explorer for this, but it does not always show system files. We recommend using a third-party manager, for example, Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer.

Instructions for the built-in conductor:

📁 Open the Explorer app (Blue folder icon).
🔍 Go to the Category section → Images.
🔄 Turn on the display of hidden files: tap on three points → Settings → Show hidden files.
🕵️‍♂️ Check the following folders: /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/.hidden — standard storage of hidden photos. /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails — Miniatures, sometimes containing deleted images. /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Gallery/cloud/private — cloud-backups.

/storage/emulated/0/Pictures/.hidden|/storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails|/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Gallery/cloud/private|/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.gallery/

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Attention! Do not delete files from Android/data/ or MIUI/ folders, which can cause system applications to crash, and if you find photos there, you better copy them to a safe place.

3.Use ADB to access system folders

If hidden photos are not displayed in either Gallery or Explorer, they may be in secure system partitions, requiring USB debugging (ADB) to find them, a method that is suitable for advanced users, as incorrect commands can disrupt the smartphone.

Step-by-step:

🔧 Enable Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About the phone, tap 7 times on the version MIUI. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers, activate debugging by USB.

ADB Tools

adb shell


ls /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/ -a

This command will show all files, including hidden ones (with a dot at the beginning of the name).

adb pull /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/.hidden/ C:\XiaomiHiddenPhotos

(Replace the path with the current one).

What if the ADB can’t see the device?

1. Make sure USB debugging is enabled and the connection is selected as File Transfer. 2. Install drivers for your Xiaomi model (e.g. from Mi Community site). 3. Try another version of ADB or reboot your PC and smartphone.

⚠️ Note: Adb shell rm or adb shell mv commands can permanently delete files. Always back up before changing system data.

4. Recover deleted or hidden photos through backups

If photos were hidden as a result of a crash or accidental deletion, you can try to restore them from backups. MIUI automatically creates backups of some data, but for full recovery, you can use Google Photos or third-party utilities.

Recovery methods:

Method	Where to find	Limitations
Google Photo	Annex → Recycle Bin (stores files for 30 days)	It only works if the synchronization has been enabled.
Mi Cloud	Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery	5GB Free Limit, Requires Authorization
DiskDigger	Google Play app (requires root for deep scanning)	Restores only miniatures without root
Local backups	/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Backup/AllBackup/	Files are encrypted, special tools are needed.

For recovery from Mi Cloud:

🌐 Go to Settings. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud.
📁 Select the Gallery and check for backups.
🔙 Click Restore and select the desired date.

Every week.|Once a month|Just before the firmware update|Never.-->

5. Search for hidden photos in messenger cache

Many users are unaware that messengers (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) store the photos they receive in hidden folders, which are not displayed in the Gallery, but take up space on the device.

For WhatsApp:

📱 Open the Explorer and go to /storage/emulated/0/WhatsApp/Media/.
🖼️ WhatsApp Images and WhatsApp Video folders contain all media files, including hidden ones.
🔄 To make them appear in the Gallery, create a.nomedia file in this folder (without extension) and restart your phone.

For Telegram:

🔍 Cache folder: /storage/emulated/0/Telegram/Telegram Images/.
🔒 Secret chats are stored in encrypted form – they can only be viewed through the application itself.

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The.nomedia file blocks the folder from being scanned by the Gallery. If you want photos to be displayed, delete this file.

6 Advanced methods: root access and specialized utilities

If all of the above methods fail, the last option is root rights, which will allow you to view all system partitions, including /data/data/, where hidden application data can be stored. However, obtaining root on modern Xiaomi smartphones (for example, Xiaomi 13 or Redmi K60) can lead to loss of warranty and blocking some features (for example, Google Pay or Widevine L1 for watching Netflix in HD).

Instructions for root (on the example of Magisk):

🔓 Unlock the bootloader via Mi Unlock Tool (waiting required) 7-15 days).
📱 Install a custom Recovery (TWRP) for your model.
📦 Download the latest version of Magisk from GitHub.
🔧 Fly Magisk through the recavers and reboot.

After getting root, you can:

🔍 Use Root Explorer to access the /data/data/com.miui.gallery/.
🛠️ Recover deleted files with DiskDigger (full version).
📊 View system application logs where links to hidden media files may be stored.

⚠️ Note: On smartphones with HyperOS (such as Xiaomi 14), the root procedure is different from that of the other devices. MIUI. Use current guides for your firmware to avoid "brick" (breakdown) device.

7 What to do if no hidden photos are found?

If you have tried all the methods but never found the hidden photos, you may:

🗑️ Files have been permanently deleted (e.g., via Secure Delete in Explorer).
🔐 Photos are stored in encrypted form (for example, in applications such as KeepSafe or Vaulty).
📱 The device was reset to factory settings without a backup.

In such cases, we recommend:

Check out other devices (such as Mi Band or Xiaomi Tablet) if you have a synced Xiaomi account.
Contact Xiaomi Support – If you have a backup in the Mi Cloud, they can help with recovery.
Use professional recovery tools (such as Dr.Fone or EaseUS MobiSaver), but note that they are paid and do not guarantee 100% results.

FAQ: Frequent questions about hidden photos on Xiaomi

🔹 Can you hide the photos so that you can’t even find them? ADB?

Yes, if you use encryption applications like Cryptomator or Veracrypt, they create encrypted containers that look like regular files, and without a password, their contents are not accessible even through root.

🔹 Why After Updating MIUI missing hidden photos?

When updating the firmware, sometimes the Gallery settings are reset. Check the /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/.hidden folder - maybe the files are in place, but the album does not appear in the interface, and a microSD cache bug (if the photos were stored on the memory card) could also work.

🔹 How to hide photos from other users on an unlocked phone?

Use the Second Space feature in MIUI: Go to Settings → Special Options → Second Space. Create a separate profile with your own apps and gallery. Move sensitive photos there. The second profile is protected with a separate password.

🔹 Can I recover a photo if my phone is not turned on?

Yes, but it will require: Connect your phone to your PC in Fastboot mode (clamp Volume down) + Power. Use utilities like this. SP Flash Tool or Mi Flash to extract data from internal memory, go to a service center, they can drop the memory chip and read the data directly, and then you can manipulate the firmware on your own in this state, and you can lose data completely!

🔹 Why some hidden photos are blurred?

This is a feature of MIUI, where thumbnails of hidden or protected photos are deliberately blurred into the Gallery interface. To see the original, open the photo in full screen mode (stick on it), if the image remains blurry, it may have been corrupted or encrypted.