How to view hidden photos in the gallery on Xiaomi: all the ways of 2026

Have you accidentally hidden important photos in the Xiaomi gallery or suspect that someone hid the photos from your eyes? There are several levels of file hiding in smartphones based on MIUI — from standard functions to system folders that do not display in normal mode. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to find and restore access to hidden photos, including little-known firmware chips and workarounds for different models (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13, etc.).

It's important to understand that some methods require super-user rights, while others work without them. We'll highlight the risks of each approach, from data loss to device lockdown. If you're looking for photos hidden by a virus or third-party software, there's a section at the end of this article on secure system scanning.

1. Standard method: Hidden Albums folder in MIUI

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI feature to hide media files, which is available on all Xiaomi smartphones with the MIUI firmware version 12 and later.

1. Open the Gallery app (an icon with a colored rhombus).
2. Slip along three horizontal lines in the lower right corner (menu).
3. Select the Album item → Scroll down to the Hidden Albums section.
4. Enter your password (if you have set it) or confirm it with your fingerprint.

If the folder is empty but you are sure that the photos were hidden in this way, check:

• 🔍 Gallery settings: go to Settings → Hidden albums → Show hidden files.
• 📁 System folders: Sometimes files are moved to.nomedia (more on this below).
• 🔄 Gallery Update: Pull the screen down to update the display of albums.

Method limitation: This method only shows photos that you have manually hidden through the gallery menu. If files are missing after a MIUI update, settings reset or virus activity, read on.

2. Search through file manager:.nomedia and MIUI folders

Android and MIUI hide some folders from the user's eyes by adding a dot to their names (e.g.,.nomedia). These directories are not displayed in the standard gallery, but are accessible through the file manager.

1. Install a file manager with support for hidden files (for example, Solid Explorer, FX File Explorer or built-in Files from Xiaomi).
2. Enable the display of hidden folders: In Solid Explorer: ☰ → Settings → Hidden files → In the standard Xiaomi manager: ☰ → Settings → Show hidden files.
3. Go to /storage/emulated/0/ Look for folders with a dot at the beginning:.nomedia – hidden photos may lie here..MIUI or.miui – system albums..thumbnails – thumbnails (sometimes contain copies of deleted images).

Important: Do not delete files with the.nomedia extension, which is responsible for hiding the contents of the folder from the gallery, and if you delete such a file, all media from this directory will again become visible.

Install a file manager with root support (optional)

Enable the display of hidden files

Check the folders.nomedia,.MIUI, DCIM/.thumbnails

Copy the photos found to a safe place-->

3.Recovery through MIUI Cloud backups

If the photos are missing after resetting or updating, you can try to recover them from the Mi Cloud cloud storage, which works even if you don't remember that you turned on the reservation.

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Sign in with the same account that was linked to the phone when the photo disappeared.
3. Go to the gallery. → Backup copies.
4. Select the last reservation date and click Restore.

If there are no backups, check:

• 📱 Another account: photos may have been uploaded under another Mi Account.
• 🔗 Xiaomi sometimes syncs media with Google Drive (check photos.google.com).
• 💾 Local copies: in the folder MIUI/Backup/AllBackup Old backups can be stored.

Warning: Recovery from Mi Cloud will overwrite the current data in the gallery. If there are important photos on the phone, copy them to your PC first.

4.Use ADB to Access System Folders

If standard methods don't work, you can connect to your phone via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) and manually scan the system directories, which doesn't require root, but you need basic command line knowledge.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install Google’s Platform Tools.
2. Turn on Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times to activate the developer mode).
3. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
4. Connect your phone to your PC, open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux) and execute: adb devices If the device is displayed, type: adb shell ls /storage/emulated/0/ | grep "\." This command will show all hidden folders in the main storage.
5. To copy the contents of the.nomedia folder to your PC: adb pull /storage/emulated/0/.nomedia C:\XiaomiHiddenPhotos

ADB limitations:

• ⚠️ Without root, you can’t scan folders. /data/data/ (where the application data is stored).
• ⚠️ Some Xiaomi models block access to system partitions through ADB (For example, the Redmi Note 11 with MIUI 14).

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If the adb device command doesn’t find your Xiaomi, try reinstalling drivers via Mi USB Driver. On Windows, disabling driver signatures (Test Mode) can also help.

5. Viewing hidden photos through root access

If you are ready to get root rights, you will have access to all system folders, including those where MIUI stores hidden media files. On models with an unlocked bootloader (for example, POCO F4), this can be done without the risk of “bricking”, but on the new Xiaomi 14 or Redmi K60, the process is more difficult due to ARB protection.

Instructions for devices with unlocked loader:

1. Install Magisk via TWRP (see instructions for your model on XDA Developers).
2. Download a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer).
3. Go to /data/system/users/0/ This may store hidden album data.
4. Also check: /data/media/0/MIUI/Gallery/cloud/private/ – sometimes there are photos hidden through the Mi Cloud.

⚠️ Attention: Getting root on new Xiaomi models (2023–2026 This may result in the blocking of Mi Account, loss of warranty and inoperability of Google. Pay/Banking Apps. Create a full backup before the procedure via adb backup or TWRP.

6. Hidden photos after viruses or third-party applications

If the photos are missing after installing a suspicious app or visiting a questionable site, the reason may be:

• 🦠 Encrypted virus (renames files to.locked or.encrypted).
• 🔒 Applications for hiding files (for example, GalleryVault, Hide It Pro).
• 📱 System Glitches After Updating MIUI (particularly relevant MIUI 14/15).

What to do:

1. Virus scanning: Install Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light. Check /storage/emulated/0/ for files with.locked,.crypt extensions.
2. Search for “invisible apps”: Go to Settings → Apps → Application Management → All apps. Sort by installation date – look for suspicious programs (such as those with names like com.hider.gallery).
3. Recuva or DiskDigger Recovery: Connect your phone to your PC in file transfer (MTP) mode. Scan internal memory for deleted files.

⚠️ Note: If the photos are encrypted with a virus, don't pay the ransom. In most cases, the decryption keys can be found on No More Ransom or on the Internet. ID Ransomware. To do this, download one encrypted file and follow the instructions of the service.

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If the photos are missing after the virus, the first thing to do is to disconnect your phone from the Internet (plane mode) and not connect other devices to it – this will prevent the spread of malware.

FAQ: Frequent questions about hidden photos on Xiaomi