How to view hidden files on Xiaomi: all the ways for MIUI and Android

Have you ever encountered a situation where Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO don't show important files — like system configurations, backups or folders with dots at the beginning of a name? It's not a phone bug: the operating system hides the default service data so that users don't accidentally delete critical elements. But what if access to these files is necessary — to edit hosts, restore deleted data or manually configure applications?

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to display hidden files on Xiaomi devices running MIUI 14/15 and Android 13/14 – from standard Explorer settings to advanced methods using ADB and third-party file managers. Particular attention will be paid to hidden dot folders (for example,.thumbnails or.data), which are not visible even when you turn on the “Show hidden files” option in some versions of MIUI. You will also learn how to avoid typical errors when working with system data and what to do if files disappear after updating the firmware.

Why Xiaomi is hiding files and when to show them

The MIUI operating system (like the standard Android) hides certain files and folders for three main reasons:

• 🛡️ System Data Protection: Folders like /data/system or /system/bin contain critical files, the deletion of which can lead to a "brick" of the device (complete inoperability).
• 🗃️ Service information: Application cache (.cache), thumbnails (.thumbnails) or temporary files (.temp) are not intended for manual management.
• 🔒 Privacy: Some applications (such as instant messengers) store data in hidden folders to protect it from accidental access.

However, there are situations where access to hidden files is necessary:

• 🔧 Manual configuration editing (e.g., hosts file to block ads).
• 📁 Recovering deleted data through folders like /data/recovery.
• 🤖 Debugging applications (access to logcat or /sdcard/Android/data).
• 🔄 Transfer data between firmware (for example, backups) TWRP).

⚠️ Note: Modifying or Deleting Files in Folders /system, /vendor or /data/data rootless can cause applications to crash or data to be lost completely.Always back up before editing.

Method 1: Enable the display of hidden files in a standard MIUI Explorer

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI Explorer (aka Files), but in recent firmware versions, this option may be hidden or not work correctly for folders with dots at the beginning of the name.

1. Open the Files app (the folder icon on the desktop).
2. Go to the Category tab (bottom of the screen) → press three points ⋮ top-right.
3. Select Settings → Additionally.
4. Activate the Toggle to Show Hidden Files.

If the option is not available or does not work:

• 📱 Update the Files app via Google Play (sometimes Xiaomi rolls back versions with this feature).
• 🔄 Restart your phone – sometimes the settings only apply after a reboot.
• 🛠️ Clear the Files app cache in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Files. → Clear the cache.

⚠️ Attention: B MIUI 14+ A standard conductor may not show folders that start with. (dots), even when the option is turned on.

Method 2: Using Third-Party File Managers

If the built-in MIUI Explorer is not working, install an alternative file manager.The best options for Xiaomi are:

Instructions for Solid Explorer (similar to others):

1. Install the application and open it.
2. Click on the icon. ☰ (menu) → Settings.
3. Go to the Display section and activate Show hidden files.
4. For folders with dots (.folder), you may need to additionally enable Show system files (in some versions).

Important: Even with third-party guides, you won’t see the contents of the folders /data/data or /system It's rootless. It takes a way. 4.

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If no hidden files appear after you turn on the option, try going to the root directory (/) and manually entering the folder name in the path bar (e.g. /sdcard/.thumbnails).

Method 3: Viewing Hidden Files via PC (MTP/ADB)

If you need to access hidden files from a computer, there are two options: MTP-mode (like a flash drive) or by ADB (wide-access).

Option A: Connecting to MTP (without root)

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB-cable (preferably original).
2. On your phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the connection notification.
3. On PC, open Windows Explorer (or Finder on Mac).
4. In the address bar, type \\?\ (for Windows) or use Terminal with the command adb shell ls /sdcard (see option B).

Limitations of MTP:

• ❌ Doesn't show the folder. /data and /system.
• ❌ May not display files with dots at the beginning of the name.
• ✅ It works without root, but with limited access.

Option B: Use of ADB (Extended Access)

This method will require:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📱 The phone's on debugging. USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times) → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Commands for viewing hidden files:

adb shell ls -la /sdcard/ # Show all files (including hidden files) on internal memory


adb shell ls -la /sdcard/.thumbnails # View specific hidden folder




adb pull /sdcard/.hiddenfile C:\# Copy hidden file on PC

Example of output (hidden files marked with a point at the beginning):

drwxrwx--x 2 root sdcard_rw 4096 2026-05-20 10:00 .thumbnails


drwxrwx--x 2 root sdcard_rw 4096 2026-05-15 08:00 .data




-rw-rw---- 1 root sdcard_rw  123 2026-05-10 12:00 .nomedia

⚠️ Attention: Adb teams pull/push They may not work for folders. /data For these, use the adb shell su (requires Magisk or TWRP).

Method 4: Getting root permissions to access ALL hidden files

If you want files from /data/data, /system, or other protected partitions, root rights are essential, but there are risks:

• 🚨 Loss of warranty (if the device is under warranty).
• 🔧 Possibility of “brick” in case of incorrect actions.
• 🛡️ Security vulnerability (root opens access to system data for applications).

Instructions for obtaining root on Xiaomi:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi website (requires a Mi Account tied to the phone).
2. Install TWRP or OrangeFox for your model (see instructions on XDA Developers).
3. Sweat Magisk through custom recovery.
4. Install Root Explorer or MiXplorer and give them root access.

After getting root, you can:

• 📂 View and edit any files in the system.
• 🔧 Change system configurations (e.g, /system/build.prop).
• 🗑️ Recovering deleted data through /data/recovery.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 or X-ray) POCO F5) unlocking the bootloader resets all the data. Always back up through TWRP Mi Cloud before the procedure.

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Root rights give you complete control of the system, but only use them if you understand the risks. For most tasks (for example, editing hosts), an ADB or third-party guide is enough.

Method 5: Recover Hidden Files After a Failure or Update

Sometimes hidden files disappear after:

• 🔄 Updates MIUI (Especially a dirty update without a wipe).
• 🧹 Cleaning the cache through Settings → Memory.
• 🛠️ Resetting settings (Hard Reset).

How to restore:

1. Check the Recycle Bin: In MIUI Explorer, go to Categories → Recycle Bin (files are stored there for 30 days).
2. Use.nomedia: If a folder with media files is missing, check if the.nomedia file appears (delete it).
3. Restore from backup:

Lost file scanner

• 🛠️ DiskDigger (for photo/video).
• 📄 Undeleter (for documents).

If the files were in the system folder (e.g. /data/data/com.app), they cannot be restored without root, in which case only a backup of TWRP or Titanium Backup will help.

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To avoid losing hidden files when updating MIUI, copy /sdcard/.hidden to your PC or cloud before you run.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When working with hidden files, Xiaomi users often face the following problems:

Additional advice:

• 🔍 Do not delete files with unknown extensions (e.g..odex,.apk.so).
• 🔄 Don’t edit system files directly – copy them to your PC first.
• 📱 Turn off battery optimization for file managers so they don’t close in the background.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions