Have you accidentally hidden important photos in a hidden Xiaomi album and now you can't find them? Or suspect someone has hidden files in your phone? Hidden albums in the MIUI gallery is a useful feature for privacy, but sometimes it creates problems. In this article, we will discuss all the ways to view a hidden album in the Xiaomi gallery, including models Redmi Note 12, Poco X5, Mi 11 and others with MIUI 12-14 firmware.
Hidden albums can be password protected, fingerprinted, or simply hidden in the depths of settings, and we'll look at official methods through the standard gallery, workarounds for blocked albums, and what to do if you forget your password. Importantly, some ways require knowing your Mi Account, which can be limited to secure data without it.
Why Albums Are Hidden in Xiaomi
Xiaomi’s hidden album feature appeared in MIUI 8 and has evolved since, the main reasons why files might end up in the hidden section:
- 🔒 Manual Hiding by User – You or someone else has specifically moved the photo/video to a hidden album through the gallery context menu.
- 🔐 Automatic protection – some versions MIUI automatically hide screenshots of banking applications or instant messengers (for example, SberBank or Telegram).
- 📱 Transfer from another device – when importing photos from iPhone or other Android devices, hidden albums can migrate to a separate folder.
- 🔄 System failure is rare, but it happens that after the update MIUI Ordinary albums become invisible.
In MIUI 14, the concealment algorithm has changed: hidden files can now be stored not only in a gallery, but also in a secure Private Safe storage (available on models with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chips and later), which makes it difficult to find, but we will show you how to find them anyway.
How to Open a Hidden Album Through a Gallery
The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI tools. The instruction is suitable for all modern Xiaomi smartphones, including the Redmi Note 11 Pro, Poco F4 and Mi 12T:
- Open the standard Gallery app** (an icon with a flower on a blue background).
- Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) in the upper right corner or swipe from right to left to open the side menu.
- At the bottom of the list, look for Hidden Albums** (or Hidden albums in English firmware).
If Hidden Albums is not on the menu, try an alternative path:
- Go to the Gallery Settings → Folders.
- Scroll down and turn on the “Show Hidden Folders” switch.
- Return to the main gallery menu and refresh the screen (pull down).
Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone
Make sure the gallery is updated to the latest version.
Connect your phone to charge (for long-term operations)
Remember the password from your Mi Account (may be required)-->
Important! Some firmware (e.g. MIUI 13 for POCO) have hidden albums called Private Safe or Secure Storage. If you don't find them in the gallery, check the Security app, which may have a separate section for sensitive files.
What to do if a hidden album is password protected
If you've forgotten the password for the hidden album, there are a few options, and let's look at them by their effectiveness:
| Method | Conditions | Risks. | Chance of success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resetting password through Mi Account | Phone is linked to Xiaomi account, there is access to email/phone | No. | 90% |
| Unlocking with a print | Fingerprint added to system before setting password for album | No. | 100% |
| Reset gallery settings | No binding to Mi Account, ready to lose the settings of the application | Loss of data in the gallery (albums, sorting) | 70% |
| Deletion of annex data | Root rights or ADB-access | Loss of all hidden files | 50% |
The most reliable way is to restore access through Mi Account:
- Open “Settings”** → Accounts → Mi Accounts
What to do if your Mi Account is not tied?
⚠️ Warning: Do not use third-party software to crack the gallery password! most of these utilities (e.g., utilities, MIUI Hidden Album Unlocker requires root rights and often contains malicious code. Officially, Xiaomi does not support bypassing protection without user authorization.
Alternative ways: how to find hidden files without a gallery
If standard methods don't work, you can try to get around the limitations through system tools, which are suitable for advanced users and require caution.
Method 1: Viewing through the file manager
The hidden albums are stored in a secure folder in the system, so you can see them.
- Install a file manager with support for root or system folders (such as Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer).
- Go to /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Gallery/cloud/private/ or (for newer versions of MIUI): /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.gallery/files/Private/
- If the folder is empty, check the access rights or try to enable the display of hidden files in the manager settings.
Method 2: Use of ADB (for power users)
If you have access to USB-In this case, you can try to extract files through ADB:
- Connect your phone to your PC and turn it on USB-debugging → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Tap 7 times, then return to the additional → For developers).
- In the PC command line, run: adb shell ls /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Gallery/cloud/private/
- If the folder exists, copy the files to your PC: adb pull /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Gallery/cloud/private/C:\HiddenAlbum
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If ADB can't see the folder, try rooting it first through Magisk. On some models (like the Redmi Note 10 Pro), the system folders are hidden even for ADB without superuser rights.
Method 3: Recovery through backup
If you’ve previously done backups through Mi Cloud, try recovering files:
- Go to Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud → Backup.
- Select the latest copy and check if the gallery data is included.
- Restore only the Gallery section so as not to wipe other settings.
⚠️ Warning: Backup recovery will overwrite current files in the gallery! pre-copy important photos on PC or external drive.
How to Prevent Loss of Access to Hidden Albums
To avoid the problem of blocked albums in the future, follow these guidelines:
- 🔑 Use biometrics, attach a fingerprint or a facial scan to hidden albums, which is more secure than a password that is easy to forget.
- 📝 Save passwords – Write the access code in a secure location (for example, in Google Keep with encryption or KeePass).
- ☁️ Set up autosynchronization – enable gallery backup in Mi Cloud or Google Photos (even hidden albums can be archived).
- 🔄 Check the settings after the updates – after installing the new version MIUI Sometimes privacy settings are reset.
Critical information: On models with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/2 chip (such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Poco F5 Pro), hidden albums are hardware encrypted. Without a password or biometrics, they can not be extracted even through ADB or root - this is a security limitation of Qualcomm.
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If you plan to sell or dump your phone, be sure to transfer files from hidden albums to regular storage. Once reset to factory settings, access to them will be lost forever!
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When working with hidden albums, users often make critical mistakes that lead to data loss.
| Mistake. | Effects of consequences | How to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Resetting phone settings without backup | Loss of all hidden albums and passwords | First, extract files through ADB or file manager. |
| Removal of the Gallery appendix | Hidden albums are not available, even through a file manager | Do not remove standard MIUI applications |
| Use of third-party “hackers” | Viruses, data theft, phone lockdown | Use only official methods. |
| Disconnecting synchronization with Mi Account | Inability to recover passwords through the cloud | Always link your phone to your Xiaomi account |
It is especially dangerous to delete the Gallery app data through settings, and many users mistakenly think it will just reset, but in fact it will result in the total loss of hidden albums, as they are stored in the app’s internal database.
If you delete the gallery data, try recovering files using specialized utilities (such as DiskDigger or Recuva), but the chances are slim – MIUI uses its own encryption for sensitive data.