How to hide an album with a password on Xiaomi: all ways to protect photos

Why you need to protect your albums on Xiaomi and what risks it covers

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones store thousands of personal photos, from family snapshots to sensitive screenshots. According to a 2023 Kaspersky study, 68 percent of identity leaks are due to the loss or theft of a phone, and another 22 percent are due to third-party access to an unlocked device. The password to an album in the Xiaomi gallery solves both problems: even if someone picks up the pattern lock of the lock screen, your photos will remain under double protection.

But it's not that simple. In the standard MIUI gallery, the Protected Album function works through a binding to a Mi Account, which creates additional risks. For example, when you reset your phone to factory settings without detachment, the album may become unavailable. In some regions (for example, in the EU), the function is hidden in the settings due to GDPR requirements. In this article, we will discuss all the working ways to protect albums, from standard tools to bypassing restrictions through ADB.

It is important to understand the difference between:

• 🔒 Secure Album – built-in MIUI feature tied to Mi Account (works on all models starting with Redmi Note 7)
• 🔐 Hidden folders – an alternative method through a file manager (suitable for older versions of MIUI 10-11)
• 📱 Third-party apps like GalleryVault or KeepSafe that encrypt photos at the OS level

Method 1: Protected album in the standard MIUI gallery

This is the most reliable method, as it is integrated into the system and does not require the installation of additional applications. The feature is available on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones with MIUI version 12 and later.

Instructions for setting:

1. Open the Gallery app (an icon in the form of a flower with petals).
2. Slip on three dots in the top right corner and select Protected Album.
3. Click Enable and confirm the action through Mi Account (you will need to enter a password from your account).
4. Now you can move the photo to a protected album: highlight the files → More → Move to a protected album.

To view the hidden photos:

• 📱 Go to the Gallery → Protected Album.
• 🔑 Enter the password from Mi Account or use your fingerprint (if biometrics are configured).
• ⚠️ Warning: If you forget your Mi Account password, access to the album will be lost, and you can only recover it through Xiaomi's official device ownership service.

Features of the protected album:

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If the protected album is not displayed in the Gallery menu, try clearing the app's cache in Settings → Apps → Gallery → Storage. After the phone is restarted, the option should appear.

Method 2: Hiding folders through a file manager (for MIUI 10-11)

On older versions of MIUI (up to 12th), the protected album may not be available, in which case you can hide the photo folder through standard Explorer, a method less reliable (files remain available through ADB or PC connection), but does not require binding to Mi Account.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Explorer app (folder icon).
2. Go to the Internal Memory → DCIM → Camera (or other folder with a photo).
3. Select the files you need → Click More → Hide.
4. Confirm action. The folder will disappear from the standard view, but will remain available through the Settings menu → Show hidden files.

To get visibility back:

• 🔍 In Explorer, tap three points → Settings → turn on Show Hidden Files.
• 📁 Find the folder (it will be translucent) → highlight → More → Show.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Files remain in the phone's memory and can be found through a search by name.
• ❌ When connected to a PC, hidden folders are visible in File Transfer mode.
• ❌ Does not work for video and GIF- files.

Method 3: Third-party applications to protect albums

If you don't like the built-in MIUI tools, you can use third-party apps, which offer additional features: AES-256 encryption, screenshot protection, false PIN- code, and even remote locking when you steal your phone. Below are the top-3 proven solutions for Xiaomi.

Comparative table of annexes:

How to set up GalleryVault (recommended option):

1. Download the app from Google Play or AppGallery.
2. When you first start, set the PIN- code (minimum 6 digits) or pattern lock.
3. Click Import and select a photo from the Xiaomi Gallery.
4. Enable the option to Delete originals so that files do not duplicate.
5. Activate Steganography (in the security settings) to hide the very presence of the app in the menu.

Advantages of third-party applications:

• 🔐 The ability to set a false password (shows an "empty" album when you enter the wrong code).
• 📤 Automatic backup to the cloud (e.g., Google Drive or Dropbox).
• 🚫 Lock screenshots and screen recordings inside the application.

⚠️ Warning: When using third-party apps, turn off battery optimization for them in the MIUI settings, otherwise they may spontaneously close. path: Settings → Applications → [application name] → [application name] → Battery optimization → No restrictions.

Method 4: Protection through ADB (for advanced users)

If you don't trust cloud services and want full local encryption without being tied to Mi Account, you can use the ADB command to create a secure folder, which requires an unlocked bootloader and root rights, but gives you maximum control over the data.

Step-by-step:

1. Activate Developer Mode on Xiaomi: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Enable USB debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect the phone to the PC and execute the command: adb shell mkdir /sdcard/.secure_folder adb shell chmod 700 /sdcard/.secure_folder
4. Install the Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer app to work with the protected folder.

To add a photo to a protected folder:

• 📁 Open a Root Explorer (e.g., Solid Explorer).
• 🔒 Go to /sdcard/.secure_folder and move the files there.
• 🔑 The folder will be hidden from standard applications and not available without root rights.

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The ADB method is only suitable for power users. Errors in commands can lead to data loss or system failure. Always back up before experimenting!

Risks of the method:

• ⚠️ When you reset your phone to factory settings, the folder.secure_folder will be deleted.
• ⚠️ Some antiviruses (e.g., Avast) may block access to a folder as a "suspicious activity."
• ⚠️ On MIUI 14 with Android 13+ core, an additional command is required to mount the partition: adb shell sm set-force-adoptable true

How to Restore Access to a Secure Album If You Forgot Your Password

The situation when a user forgets the password from Mi Account or PIN- code of a protected album is common. According to statistics from Xiaomi service center in Moscow, 12% of calls are related to the loss of access to personal data, the decisions depend on what method of protection you used.

If you forget your Mi Account password:

• 📧 Try to restore access through the official website (you need access to an email or phone associated with your account).
• 📱 If recovery doesn’t work, contact Xiaomi Service Center with documents on your phone. They can unlock your account manually (paid service, ~1500 RUB).
• ⚠️ Warning: Do not use Mi Account hacking services – this violates the user agreement and may result in the IMEI device being blocked.

If you forget the PIN- code of the protected album (without reference to Mi Account):

• 🔄 Reboot your phone and try to enter the last password you used (sometimes the system cache works).
• 📲 Install GalleryVault or a similar app and import photos from the standard Gallery again (unless they have been removed from the original folder).
• 💻 Connect your phone to your PC in File Transfer mode and check the DCIM/.thumbnails folder — sometimes there are thumbnails of hidden photos.

If nothing helps:

• 🔧 Back up all data via TWRP (unlocked bootloader required).
• 🔄 Reset to factory settings. All data will be deleted, but the phone will be operational.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When setting up a protected album, users often face typical problems, and here are the most common ones and how to solve them:

Tips for preventing errors:

• 🔄 Regularly update the Gallery and MIUI to the latest version.
• 📱 Do not use simple passwords (e.g. 123456 or date of birth).
• 🔒 Before resetting your phone, untie Mi Account in Settings → Accounts.
• ☁️ Set up a photo backup in Google Photos or Mi Cloud (even for hidden albums).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions