How to make a hidden album on Xiaomi: all the ways for Android

Hidden albums on Xiaomi are not a luxury, but a necessity for those who value privacy. In an era where a smartphone contains personal photos, screenshots of documents and other sensitive data, the ability to reliably hide them from prying eyes becomes critical. MIUI (including Redmi, POCO Black Shark and Black Shark have several ways to hide albums, from built-in features to advanced technical solutions.

In this article, we will discuss all the current methods: from standard tools of the Xiaomi Gallery to the use of the tools. ADB-We'll focus on the hidden capabilities of the teams and third-party applications with encryption. MIUI 14/15, You will learn how to get around the limitations of the system, which applications are really safe, and what to do if hidden files suddenly become visible after the update.

Important: the methods vary in security, for example, hiding through the Gallery will save you from random viewing, but will not resist a targeted search through the File Manager. Additional steps will be required for maximum privacy, read about them in the section on encryption.

1.Hide album through the standard Xiaomi Gallery

The easiest way is to use the built-in concealment feature in the Gallery app, which is available on all devices with a wide range of devices. MIUI 12 and newer, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 Xiaomi 13T. The main advantage of the method is that you do not need to install third-party programs or have root rights.

To hide the album:

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Find the album you want to hide and click on three dots (⋮) top-right.
3. Select Hide the album (on some firmware - Block).
4. Confirm the action, if necessary, enter a password or pattern lock.

The hidden albums will be moved to a special section called Hidden, which can be found:

• 📁 In the side menu of the Gallery (swipe from right to left).
• 🔒 Search for the keyword “hidden” in the Gallery search bar.
• 👁️ In the application settings: Settings → Hidden albums.

⚠️ Note: Files remain physically on the device and can be found through the File Manager along the way /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/.hidden. For full protection, use additional encryption (see section). 4).

2.Use of the function "Private mode" in MIUI

MIUI It offers a more advanced tool called Private Mode, which, unlike simply hiding albums, creates an isolated space that is only accessible after authentication. MIUI 13 and newer, but may not be available on some models for the European market (e.g, POCO F4 GT).

You can activate the Private Mode in two ways:

• 📱 Through Security Settings: Go to Settings → Privacy → Private mode. Create a password or use a fingerprint. Add files or albums to a private storage facility.

Galleries

1. Select files, press More. → Add to Private Regime.
2. Confirm the action with biometrics or PIN-code.

Features of the Private Regime:

Private mode also allows you to hide not only photos, but also videos, audio files, documents and even applications. However, it has a limitation: files do not sync with the cloud. If you plan to back up, use third-party solutions (see section 5).

3. Hiding through File Manager: Rename folders

If you need to hide the album from all apps (including the Gallery and instant messengers), you can use the old but effective method of renaming the folder. MIUI 10/11.

Instructions:

1. Connect the File Manager (standard or MiXplorer).
2. Go to the photo folder (usually) /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Camera or /Pictures).
3. Find the folder with the album you want to hide.
4. Rename it by adding a dot at the beginning of the title, such as: Vacation 2023. →.Vacation 2023
5. Reset the device.

After renaming:

• 🔍 The folder will be hidden for most applications (including the Gallery).
• 📂 Access to files will remain through the File Manager with the option to Show hidden files enabled.
• 🔄 To regain visibility, simply remove the dot from the title.

⚠️ Note: Some messengers (such as Telegram or WhatsApp) may ignore hidden folders when sending files. If you need to send a photo from a hidden album, temporarily rename the folder back.

4. Advanced Hiding: Encrypting Albums

To maximize the protection of sensitive data, it is not enough to simply hide an album, it needs to be encrypted, which will prevent access to files even when connecting a smartphone to a computer or using recovery mode. There are two reliable encryption methods on Xiaomi devices:

Method 1: Built-in encryption MIUI

Starting with MIUI 14, Xiaomi added support for file system-level encryption of user data.To encrypt the album:

1. Go to Settings. → Privacy → Encryption of data.
2. Select Encrypt Files and specify the folder with the album.
3. Set a password (other than unlocking the screen!).
4. Wait until the process is complete (it can take up to 10 minutes for larger albums).

Method 2: Third-party applications (Cryptomator, SSE)

If your firmware does not have built-in encryption, use proven applications:

• 🔐 Cryptomator – creates encrypted storage (containers) that are mounted as virtual drives. AES-256.
• 📦 SSE (Secure Space Encryptor – encrypts individual files or folders with the ability to integrate into the File Manager.
• 🛡️ VeraCrypt – for power users (requires manual creation of volumes).

An example of encryption with Cryptomator:

1. Install the app from Google Play or APKMirror.
2. Create a new storage and provide a password.
3. Transfer the album files to an encrypted storage.
4. Unmount the storage – files will become unavailable without a password.

💡

Use a password manager (like Bitwarden or KeePassDX) to store your encryption keys. Never save your passwords in notes or instant messengers!

Advantages of encryption:

• 🛡️ Protection even when stealing a device or connecting to a PC.
• 🔄 Ability to sync encrypted data to the cloud (e.g. via Nextcloud) + Cryptomator).
• 🔧 Flexibility: You can encrypt individual files or entire folders.

5. Hiding albums through ADB (power-user)

If you need to hide the album at the system level without root rights, you can use it. ADB (Android Debug Bridge.This method is suitable for devices with unlocked USB-Debugging and allows you to hide files from all applications, including system.

Instructions:

1. Enable Developer Mode: Go to Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI. Press 7 times on the version MIUI, until the notice appears.
2. Activate. USB-Debugging: Return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers, turn on the debugging. USB.
3. Connect your smartphone to your PC and execute the commands: adb shell su chmod 600 /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/This will change the permissions, making the folder unreadable by other applications.

To return access, use the command:

chmod 755 /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Folder name

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB This may cause system failures. Do not change the permissions for system folders (for example, /system or /data).

💡

ADB-The method is the most reliable for hiding from third-party applications, but requires technical skills. For beginners, we recommend using Private Mode or encryption.

6. Third-party apps to hide albums

If integrated functions MIUI You don't like it, you can use specialized applications. 10 popular solutions and selected the top-3 safety and convenience:

Selection recommendations:

• 🔒 For maximum security, choose KeepSafe or Cryptomator (encryption) + concealment).
• 🎨 If you need a convenient interface and support for all formats - GalleryVault.
• 📱 For weak devices (e.g. Redmi) 9A) Hide something will do.

Important: Check the permissions of the application before installing, if it requests access to SMS, Contacts or Geolocation without an obvious reason, this is a reason to be wary.

7 How to Return Hidden Albums After Resetting or Updating

One of the most common problems is the disappearance of hidden albums after the update. MIUI Or reset to factory settings. Here's what to do in these cases:

After the MIUI update

• 🔄 Restart the device – sometimes albums come back after a reboot.
• 🔍 Check the folder. /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/.hidden through the file manager.
• 📥 If the albums were in Private Mode, try resetting it: Settings → Privacy → Private regime → Drop it.

After resetting to factory settings

If you haven't backed up, the chances of returning hidden albums are minimal.

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and scan the memory with Recuva or DiskDigger.
2. If you have used encryption, restore data from a backup (e.g., from Google Drive or Mi Cloud).
3. For root users: check the folder /data/media/0 for the presence of temporary files.

⚠️ Warning: After resetting to factory settings, files from Privatized Mode are deleted without recovery. Always back up important data!

8 Additional security measures

Hiding the album is just the first step, and to really protect the data, follow these guidelines:

• 🔑 Use complex passwords (at least 12 characters, with numbers and special characters).
• 📵 Turn off autoload in instant messengers (for example, WhatsApp or Telegram) so that photos do not duplicate in open folders.
• 🌐 Do not sync hidden albums to clouds (Google Photos, Mi Cloud) unless they are encrypted.
• 🔄 Check your privacy settings regularly after updates MIUI — they can drop off.
• 📲 Install a remote control app (like Find My Device) to lock your device in case of theft.

For users of Xiaomi root-rights available additional options:

• 🛠️ Install Hide My Applist Magisk Module to Hide Applications and Files from the System.
• 🔧 Using Xposed Framework with Media Provider Hide to hide media files completely.

💡

If you frequently transfer photos to other devices, use Signal or Session – these messengers support self-destructing media files.

FAQ: Frequent questions about hidden albums on Xiaomi