How to watch a personal album on Xiaomi Redmi Note 9: all ways to access hidden photos

Why photos disappear from the main gallery and how to get them back

You took a picture on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9, but you can't find it in the standard gallery? Most likely, the file got into a personal album - a protected MIUI storage, where screenshots of bank cards, documents with confidential data or photos marked as "private" are automatically moved. This feature works on the basis of MIUI 12-14 and is designed to protect personal information from prying eyes.

The problem is that the entrance to a personal album is not always obvious: its icon can be hidden in the gallery menu, and access is blocked by a password or fingerprint. Moreover, after resetting settings or updating the firmware, the path to the album sometimes changes. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to access hidden photos on Redmi Note 9 in 2026, including workarounds for cases when standard methods do not work.

Important: If you have previously configured a Hidden Folder (MIUI), the algorithm will be different – read about this in a separate section below.

Method 1: Standard access through MIUI Gallery

The easiest way is to use the built-in Gallery app. Here's how to do it:

1. Open the Gallery app (a icon with colorful photos).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines in the upper right corner (menu).
3. Select Personal Album or Private Safe (in English version of firmware).
4. Enter the password, PIN-use a fingerprint or code if requested.

If there is no personal album on the menu, it means:

• 🔍 You use a third-party gallery (Google Photos, Simple Gallery, etc.) – go back to the standard one.
• 🔒 The album is empty - check out the other ways below.
• 📱 You have an outdated version. MIUI (Below 12) - Update the firmware in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.

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If the MIUI Gallery has been removed or disabled, restore it through Settings → Applications → Application Management → Show all applications → Gallery → Enable

Method 2: File Manager (File Manager)

The personal album stores files in a secure folder, but if you have root rights or special settings, you can find them manually.

1. Open the Explorer app (or Files by Google if standard remote).
2. Go to the root directory of internal memory (click Device or Internal Storage).
3. Follow the path: MIUI → Gallery → Private or (for newer versions of MIUI): Android → data → com.miui.gallery → files → Private
4. Files in this folder will have.nomedia or.enc extensions – they need to be renamed (remove the extension) or copied to another folder.

⚠️ Warning: Without root rights, you'll see the Private folder, but you won't be able to open the files, they're encrypted:

• 🔓 Unlock the bootloader and get root (risk of loss of warranty).
• 📲 Use the official method through the Gallery (Method 1).
• 💾 Make a backup copy through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset and restore on another device.

Method 3: MIUI Hidden Folder (Secure folder)

Starting with MIUI 12.5, Xiaomi replaced the "Personal Album" with the "Hidden Folder" version, and if you have this version of the firmware, the algorithm is different:

1. Open the phone settings.
2. Go to Confidentiality. → Secure folder.
3. Enter the password from your Mi Account (if you don’t remember, restore it via account.xiaomi.com).
4. Tap to Show Content – a list of hidden files will open.

Features of this method:

• 🔐 Access is linked to your Mi Account, not your phone password.
• 📁 Files are stored in the cloud and synced between Xiaomi devices.
• 🚫 Without the Internet, you can not open the folder (you need to check the Xiaomi server).

Method 4: Restoring access after resetting settings

If you've done Hard Reset or changed your firmware, you can lose access to your personal album.

1. For MIUI 11-12: Set the lock screen password identical to the one before the reset. Open Gallery → Menu → Personal Album → Enter the old password.

For MIUI 12.5+:

• Sign in to the same Mi Account you used earlier.
• Go to Settings → Privacy → Secure folder.

⚠️ Note: if the password from the personal album was different from the lock password and you forgot it, you can not restore access - the files will remain encrypted:

• 📧 Check backups in Mi Cloud (if sync was enabled).
• 💻 Connect your phone to your PC and try scanning memory with programs like DiskDigger or Recuva (the odds are low due to encryption).

Method 5: Alternative Apps to View

If the standard methods don't work, you can use third-party tools.

When using third-party conductors:

1. Enable the display of hidden files in the application settings.
2. Look for folders called Private,.hide,.secure.
3. If your files have a.enc extension, try renaming them.jpg or.png.

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The application side does not guarantee access to encrypted MIUI files. They are only effective for files hidden manually (via.nomedia) or moved without encryption.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Redmi Note 9 users often face the following problems when working with a personal album:

1. No Access Error: Reason: Gallery storage is disabled. Solution: Settings → Applications → Gallery → Rights → Warehouse → Allow.
2. The folder is empty, but space is occupied: Reason: files are there, but are not displayed due to a cache failure. Solution: clear the Gallery cache in Settings → Apps → Gallery → Storage → Clear the cache.
3. Fingerprints are not working: Reason: biometrics settings are lost. Solution: delete and add the fingerprint again to Settings → Password and security → Fingerprints.

⚠️ Note: If you see a message saying “This feature is not available in your region:

• 🌍 You have a global firmware (EEA), wherein MIUI limited.
• 📲 Solution: Refuse the phone to the Chinese or Indian version MIUI (risk of loss).
• 🔄 Alternative: Use third-party apps to hide files.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions