How to watch the hidden album on Xiaomi Redmi Note 7: all ways of 2026

Why Hidden Albums Are Not Shown in the Gallery

Hidden albums on Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 are a standard feature MIUI, It allows users to hide personal photos and videos from prying eyes, but many people face the problem of the hidden files suddenly disappearing from the interface, although they physically remain in the device's memory. MIUI before the wrong display settings.

Unlike current models (like the Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5), where hidden folders are integrated into the standard Gallery, the Redmi Note 7 (released in 2019) has this feature implemented through a separate Hidden Folder app. If you don't find hidden albums, chances are they're just hidden deeper than you think - or access to them is blocked by system settings.

It's important to understand that hidden files are not deleted from the device, they just become invisible to standard applications, they can be restored without loss of quality, if you know where and how to look. Below we will discuss all the current ways from basic to advanced, including working with ADB and manual search through system folders.

Method 1: MIUI Standard Gallery (if the album is simply hidden)

The first thing to check is whether the hidden folder display in the Gallery itself is disabled. On the Redmi Note 7 with MIUI 10-12, this option can be reset after updating or clearing the cache.

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
• 🔍 Click on three dots in the upper right corner → Select Settings.
• 👁️ Scroll down to Show Hidden Files and activate the switch.
• 🔄 Return to the Gallery's main menu and update the album list (pull the screen down).

If the hidden photos do not appear, try an alternative way:

1. In the Gallery, go to the Albums section.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the list – sometimes hidden folders appear under the caption Other or Hidden.
3. Click on the folder with the lock (if any) and enter the password / fingerprint.

⚠️ Note: If you have previously installed third-party galleries (such as Google Photos or Simple Gallery), they may conflict with the System Gallery. MIUI. In this case, hidden albums can only be seen in the original app.

Method 2: Hidden Folder (official MIUI method)

On Redmi Note 7, hidden albums are managed by default through a separate Hidden Folder app (in Russian firmware, it can be called Hidden Folder), which is pre-installed in the system, but its icon is often hidden from view.

How to find and open:

• 🔍 Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔎 In the search box, enter Hidden Folder (or Hidden folder in Russian).
• 📂 Click on the found application → Open up.
• 🔐 Enter your password (if you have set it) or use your fingerprint.

If the application is not in the list, it means:

• ❌ It was removed (which is unlikely because it is system software).
• ⚙️ The function of hidden folders is disabled in the settings MIUI (see next method).
• 📥 Requires firmware update (on versions) MIUI 10.3 Hidden Folder may not work properly).

Find the app in Settings→Applications|Check for MIUI |UI Updates to make sure the function is not disabled in Settings→Privacy |Try to reset Gallery settings-->

Method 3: Search through the file manager (manual method)

If standard methods don’t work, you can manually find hidden files through system folders, and any file manager with access to root directories (such as Mi File Manager, Solid Explorer, or FX File Explorer) will do.

Where to look:

How to enable the display of hidden folders in Mi File Manager:

1. Open the file manager.
2. Press the three dots at the top. → Settings.
3. Activate the option to show hidden files.
4. Go back to the root directory (/storage/emulated/0/) and check the folders in the table above.

⚠️ Note: Do not rename or move files from the HiddenFolder folder directly - this may result in their loss the next time you open the Hidden Folder application.

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If the file manager doesn’t show hidden folders, try using Total Commander with root permissions or connect your phone to your PC via USB in file transfer mode (MTP).

Method 4: Use of ADB (for power users)

If hidden albums aren’t displayed even through a file manager, you can try accessing them using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that requires connecting your phone to your computer and basic command line knowledge.

Step-by-step:

1. 🖥️ Install. ADB Tools on PC.
2. 📱 On the phone, activate the Developer Mode (7 times click on the Version) MIUI In Settings→The phone).
3. 🔌 Connect Redmi Note 7 to PC USB, Select the File Transfer Mode.
4. 🐍 Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (macOS/Linux) enter:

adb devices

(Your device should be displayed. If not, install the Xiaomi ADB Driver.)

adb shell


ls /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/HiddenFolder

(This command will show the contents of the hidden folder. If the folder is empty, try:

ls /storage/emulated/0/.hidden

To copy files to the PC:

adb pull /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/HiddenFolder/ C:\HiddenFiles

(Replace C:\HiddenFiles with the path you want on your computer.)

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB It can cause phone malfunctions if you type the wrong commands. /system or /data without backup – this can cause the device to freeze.

Method 5: Restoring access through resetting Gallery settings

Sometimes hidden albums are lost due to a failure in the Gallery or Hidden Folder app, in which case resetting these applications to factory settings will help.

How to reset:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 Find the Gallery (or com.miui.gallery).
• 🔄 Press Warehouse. → Clear the data and clear the cache.
• 🔐 Repeat the same thing for the Hidden Folder app (com.miui.hiddenfolder).
• 🔄 Reboot the phone.

After the reboot:

• Open the gallery and check if hidden albums have appeared.
• If not, run Hidden Folder and log in again (you may need to enter a password or fingerprint).

This method doesn’t delete the files themselves, it only resets the display settings. However, if you used the Hidden Folder password and forgot it, access to the files will be blocked before the phone resets to the factory settings (which will result in the loss of all data!).

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Resetting Gallery settings is the safest way to regain the visibility of hidden albums, but it won't help if files have been physically moved or deleted.

What to do if nothing works: Extreme measures

If all of these methods fail, radical methods remain, and should only be used if the hidden files are critical and you are willing to take risks.

Options:

1. Reset to factory settings (full phone cleaning): 🔄 Settings → The phone. → Resetting settings. ⚠️ All data will be deleted, including hidden files, unless it has been previously copied!
2. Use of Recovery Mode (for Advanced Users): 🛠️ Download your phone to Recovery Mode (clip the power supply) + Volume up when the phone is off). 🔧 Choose Mount → Enable MTP and connect your phone to your PC to manually search for files.
3. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center: 📞 If files are critical (such as documents or evidence), professionals can extract them using professional software. 💰 Service paid, but the chances of recovery are higher than with independent actions.

Before resorting to extreme measures, make sure that:

• 📁 You have checked all possible folders through the file manager (including the file manager). /DCIM/.thumbnails and /Pictures/.nomedia).
• 🔍 Try a keyword search (e.g., type in a file manager search for.jpg or.mp4).
• 📱 Installed an alternative gallery (like Google Photos or QuickPic) – sometimes they see files that don’t show up MIUI.

FAQ: Frequent questions about hidden albums on Redmi Note 7