How to Make a Hidden Folder on Xiaomi Phone: The Complete Guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face the challenge of protecting personal data from prying eyes. Whether it’s confidential documents, family photos or work files, it’s natural to keep them from being looked at. MIUI and the new HyperOS have powerful privacy tools that are often undervalued by users.

There are several effective methods to make a folder hidden on your device. The standard file manager offers a built-in Hidden Files feature that allows you to remove data from public access in one click. In addition, the Android system in conjunction with the shell from the Chinese manufacturer provides the ability to create a Second Space, which effectively gives you a second phone inside the same device with a separate set of applications and files.

In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods, from simple methods of hiding through the file manager to advanced security settings, you will learn how to configure password or fingerprint access so that even when you find a hidden folder, no one can open its contents without you authorization.

Before you start setting up, it's important to understand the difference between a simple hidden folder and a secure one. Hiding removes an object from view in standard view mode, but it doesn't always encrypt the data. Protection requires authentication to access, and combining these methods gives you the best result for your digital security.

Use of the built-in file manager

The easiest and fastest way to hide a folder or individual files is to use the standard File Manager app, which is pre-installed on all smartphones of the brand. This method does not require installing additional software and works consistently on all versions of the firmware. However, it is worth remembering that files are not deleted, but only moved to the system partition, accessible through special code or biometrics.

To get started, open the app and go to the top of the screen, and here you'll see a few tabs that we're interested in for Documents, Images or Video, depending on the type of data you're hiding. Click on the appropriate icon to see the content.

• 📂 Select files or folders that you need to hide with a long press.
• 🔒 Click on the “More” button (three dots) and select “Hide».
• 🔐 When you first use the system will ask you to set a password or use a fingerprint.
• 👁️ To view hidden content, pull the file list from top to bottom.

It's important to note that once you hide the files, they disappear from the gallery and you browse the Explorer, and to see them again, you have to do a specific thing -- swipe down in the open category menu -- the access code or biometrics will be the key to that hidden partition. If you forget your password, it's going to be extremely difficult to restore access to the data, so it's a good idea to link the Mi Account.

This method is ideal for fast protection of multiple files, but less convenient if you need to hide the entire structure of folders with different contents. Moreover, when resetting your phone to factory settings without first unlocking and transferring data, access to hidden files can be lost forever.

Configure the Second Space (Second Space)

Second Space is a unique feature of the MIUI shell that creates a completely isolated environment on your smartphone, like having two different phones, one for work and friends and one for personal secrets, all the data, applications and files in the second space are completely separate from the main one.

To activate this feature, go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Second Space. The system will suggest setting up a separate lock screen. You can set a unique pin code or fingerprint that will immediately open the second space, bypassing the main screen.

⚠️ Attention: Creating a second space takes up extra space on the internal drive. 2-3 GB memory for comfortable system operation and application installation.

Inside the second space, you can install any applications, create folders, and store files. For a third-party observer who has access to your unlocked main phone, the existence of the second space will remain invisible unless you know the special unlock code or search for it in the settings.

Switching between spaces is instantaneous through a notification curtain or a special label on the desktop, a solution that is suitable for those who want to not just hide a folder, but completely separate their digital life into two independent parts, data isolation is maximum: applications from the main profile do not have access to second profile files.

Hiding Albums in the Gallery

If your goal is to hide photos and videos, the built-in Xiaomi gallery offers a convenient feature of hidden albums, which allows you to keep personal pictures separate from the general ones, without removing them from the device memory.

Open the Gallery app and go to the Albums tab. Scroll down to the bottom, and you'll see the Hide Albums option, or just Hidden Albums, and the first time you log in, the system will require proof of identity through a privacy password.

To add a photo to a hidden album, open the image you want, click on three dots on the menu, and select "Add to a hidden album." The original photo will disappear from public access. To view hidden content, you need to pull the album screen from top to bottom, as if you were updating the page.

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Useful tip: In the hidden album settings, you can enable the option “Show hidden albums after unlocking” to avoid swiping every time, but this reduces the level of stealth.

Application of third-party storage applications

Standard tools aren't always enough, especially if you want to encrypt files or imitate another application. There are many programs on the Google Play store that disguise themselves as calculators, voice recorders or flashlights, but store your secret data inside.

One popular solution is to use vault applications, which create an encrypted container on the phone, and even if an attacker accesses the file system through a computer, they will only see a large encrypted file that cannot be opened without a key.

• 🛡️ Calculator Vault - masquerades as a calculator, opens the storage when entering a special code.
• 📁 KeepSafe – a popular storage with password protection and cloud backup.
• 🔒 Private Photo Vault – Takes photos with a password and hides them from the system.

Using third-party software offers flexibility but carries risks: App developers can access your data if it is stored in the service cloud, and applications often contain ads in free versions, and local encryption is preferable to cloud-based storage of sensitive information.

Protect folders with password and biometrics

Hiding a folder is half the battle. It's important to protect access to it. Xiaomi's smartphones have an Application Protection system that allows you to set a password to run any program, including Explorer or Gallery, which creates an additional security barrier.

You can activate protection through the Settings menu → Applications → Application Protection. Here you select the right programs and turn on the switch. Now, if you try to open a gallery or file manager, the phone will require unlocking. This will not hide the folder, but will not open the application in which it is located.

For maximum efficiency, biometrics are recommended: a fingerprint or Face ID is faster than a pin and provides a high level of security. In privacy settings, you can assign different fingerprints for the main screen and for hidden folders.

⚠️ Warning: Don't use simple graphic keys (like the letter "L" or "Z"), they're easy to peek at or guess from the bold marks on the screen.

Combining application protection and file hiding creates a double layer of defense, so even if someone finds out that a hidden folder exists, they can't run a guide application to access it. Multi-factor authentication within a single device is the best way to keep privacy.

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The combination of hiding files through the Explorer and setting a password on the Explorer app itself creates an almost insurmountable barrier for the curious.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)