How to Find and Open a Hidden Album on Xiaomi Redmi 9: 5 Verified Ways

Why Hidden Albums Are Appearing on Xiaomi Redmi 9 and Where to Find Them

Hidden folders with photos and videos on Xiaomi Redmi 9 are not a system bug, but a deliberate MIUI feature, which the manufacturer added to protect sensitive files from prying eyes, such as when you hand over your phone to friends or colleagues but don’t want them to see personal photos, but many users face the opposite problem: they forget where they hid files, or can’t find the album after resetting.

In MIUI 12-14 (relevant to Redmi 9), hidden data is stored in three locations: 1 within the standard Gallery application (hidden partition with password), 2 in the.nomedia system folder (not displayed in the gallery, but available through the file manager), 3 in the Mi Cloud storage (if synchronization was enabled).

In this article, we will analyze all methods of access - from the simplest to the most technically complex.

⚠️ If you didn’t set a password for hidden albums yourself, but they suddenly appeared – it may be the result of a virus or incorrect work. MIUI. In this case, after restoring access, be sure to check the phone with an antivirus (for example, Avast Mobile Security or built-in Security from Xiaomi).

Method 1: Opening a Hidden Album through a Standard Gallery

The most obvious and safe method is to use the built-in Gallery app. On Redmi 9, it supports Hidden Albums with installation capability. PIN-It's a code or a pattern lock. Here's how to get there:

1. Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) top-right.
3. In the drop-down menu, select Hidden Albums.
4. If you ask for a password, enter it. If you forget, go to Method 4.

If the Hidden Albums item is not on the menu, it means:

• 🔹 You never hid files through the Gallery (they are hidden in another way).
• 🔹 Function disabled in settings MIUI (see method 3).
• 🔹 Installed custom firmware without support for hidden albums.

Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone

Update the Gallery app through Google Play

Reboot the phone.

Make sure that the files are not deleted.-->

Method 2: Find hidden files through the file manager

If the Gallery doesn't display hidden photos, they can be found manually through Files (or any other file manager, like Solid Explorer). Hidden folders in Android usually have a dot at the beginning of the name (like.nomedia or.hidden). On Redmi 9, they are most often located in two ways:

/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Gallery/cloud/private/


/storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails/

Search instructions:

1. Open the Files app (folder icon).
2. Go to the Category → Images or Videos tab.
3. Tap it on three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Show hidden files.
4. Manually check the folders: 📁 MIUI/Gallery/cloud/private/ — It contains files hidden through the gallery. 📁 DCIM/.thumbnails/ — Miniatures, sometimes containing deleted or hidden images. 📁 Pictures/Screenshots/.hidden/ — if you hid screenshots.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files with the.nomedia extension, they are responsible for hiding folders from the Gallery. If you delete such a file, all photos from the folder will again become visible in the gallery, but this may disrupt the work of some applications.

Method 3: Enables the display of hidden folders in MIUI settings

Sometimes hidden albums don't show up because of a password, but because of system constraints. MIUI has a separate setting that controls the visibility of protected files, to activate it:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the gallery in the list and tap it.
3. Select Permissions → Warehouse.
4. Make sure that both switches are on: Read and Write.
5. Go back to Settings → Additional → File Manager.
6. Activate the option to show hidden files.

Yes, after the update MIUI| Yes, due to reset | Yes, for another reason | No, never-->

Method 4: Reset the password of the hidden album (if you forgot)

If you have set a password for hidden albums but have forgotten it, you can restore access in two ways: through your Mi Account account or reset Gallery settings. Warning: resetting will delete all hidden files from the album, but they will remain in the folders of the phone (see Method 2).

Method 1: Through Mi Account

1. Open the gallery. → Hidden albums.
2. On the password entry screen, do you forget your password?
3. Enter the username and password from your Mi Account (the same as for the cloud).
4. Follow the instructions for resetting.

Method 2: Reset Gallery settings (will remove all hidden albums!)

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the gallery and tap it.
3. Select Warehouse. → Clear the data.
4. After that, all hidden albums will disappear, but the files will remain in the folders (see Method 2).

💡

Before resetting your password, copy all files from the MIUI/Gallery/cloud/private/ and DCIM/.thumbnails/ folders to a secure location (e.g. on a PC) that will save them even after the Gallery data is cleared.

Method 5: Recover Hidden Files from Mi Cloud

If your Redmi 9 was enabled to sync with Mi Cloud, the hidden photos could be automatically uploaded to the cloud to find them:

1. Open the Mi Cloud app (or go to i.mi.com).
2. Sign in with your Xiaomi account.
3. Go to the Gallery section → Albums.
4. Check the Private or Hidden folder (if any).
5. Download the files back to your phone.

If there are no hidden files in the cloud, but you are sure that sync has been enabled, try:

• 🔄 Update the cloud page (sometimes files are not uploaded immediately).
• 🔄 Check the Recycle Bin in Mi Cloud – there may be deleted photos.
• 🔄 Make sure your phone is syncing enabled: Settings → Accounts. → Mi Cloud → gallery.

⚠️ Note: If you don’t remember the Mi Account password, don’t try to restore it through third-party services. Xiaomi blocks accounts after 5 failed login attempts, and unlocking can take up to 30 days. Instead, contact Xiaomi with proof of ownership of the device (check or check). IMEI).

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When working with hidden albums on Redmi 9, users often make mistakes that lead to data loss, and here are the most common ones and ways to prevent them:

Another common problem is the duplication of hidden files, such as when you restore it from a backup or transfer it from another phone, and to avoid that, use duplicate applications like Files by Google or Duplicate Files Fixer to find duplicates.

💡

Always check hidden folders for important files before resetting your phone or updating your MIUI. Even if you didn't use the hidden album feature, the system could automatically back up there.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions