How to Make a Hidden Album on Xiaomi: 5 Verified Ways (MIUI 14/15)

Why Hide Xiaomi Albums and What Risks It Can Have

Creating hidden albums on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones is a pressing task for those who value privacy. Whether you want to hide personal photos from prying eyes, protect work documents or simply divide content into categories, MIUI offers several built-in tools. However, not all users know that standard hiding through the Gallery does not provide 100% protection: files remain accessible through File Manager or when connected to a PC.

In this article, we will discuss 5 How to hide albums on Xiaomi (relevant to the MIUI 14/15), Including little-known shell features and third-party solutions, we will focus on the vulnerabilities of each method, for example, why hidden folders in File Manager can suddenly become visible after a system update. MIUI assisted ADB-Teams or specialized applications like KeepSafe or GalleryVault.

Before you start, check your firmware version: go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. Some features (like Secure Folder) may not be available on older builds or regional firmware for Europe. If your smartphone runs Android 13+, you have access to the advanced privacy settings we’ll talk about below.

Method 1: Hiding through the standard MIUI Gallery

The easiest method is to use the built-in concealment feature in the Gallery app, which is suitable for temporary withholding of photos and videos, but has critical drawbacks: files remain in the device's memory and can be found through the file manager.

1. Open the Gallery app (flower icon).
2. Choose the album you want to hide or create a new one (click + → New album).
3. Slip on the three dots in the top right corner and select Hide the album.
4. Confirm the action with a password or fingerprint (if the screen lock is configured).

⚠️ Attention: Hidden albums will be visible in the Hidden Inside Gallery section. To remove them from the interface completely, go to Gallery Settings → Hidden albums → Disable the display. However, this won't delete files from the device -- you can find them through File Manager along the way. /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/.hidden.

☑️ What to Check Before Hiding an Album

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If you need to hide content more securely, consider the following: For example, the Secure folder (available on MIUI 14+) offers hardware encryption, but requires additional configuration.

Method 2: Secure Folder in MIUI 14/15

The Secure Folder (or Private Safe in global firmware) is a confidential file sandbox that uses Xiaomi's hardware encryption. Unlike the Gallery hideout, here the files are physically isolated and inaccessible without a password.

1. Go to Settings → Privacy → Secure folder.
2. Click Create and set a password (other than locking the screen!).
3. Return to the Gallery, select files and tap Add to the Secure folder.

⚠️ Note: If you forget the password from the Secure folder, it will be impossible to restore access - even through resetting. Xiaomi does not provide a recovery service for this feature. Also note that the files in the protected folder are not synced with the cloud and can be lost when you reset your phone.

If your firmware doesn’t support Secure Folder, try circumventing this restriction with ADB. This will require a computer and USB debugging enabled.

Method 3: Hiding through File Manager (for advanced)

Xiaomi's file manager allows you to create hidden folders that don't show up in the standard interface, which is suitable for tech-savvy users because it requires manual file management.

1. Open File Manager (Icon with folder)
2. Go to the section "Inner Memory" → Pictures.
3. Create a new folder and name it by adding a point at the beginning (e.g..secret).
4. Move the files to it.

Now the folder will not be visible in standard browsing, but it can be found by enabling the display of hidden files: File Manager → Three dots → Settings → Show hidden files. To strengthen the protection, you can:

• 🔒 Archive the folder with the password (use) RAR or 7-Zip).
• 📱 Move it to the root directory (e.g. /.secret).
• 🔄 Change the folder name regularly (to make it difficult to find).

⚠️ Warning: This method doesn't encrypt files -- they're vulnerable when you connect your phone to your computer or when you use data recovery applications. If you need a robust solution, consider encrypting your folder through a computer. ES File Explorer or analogues.

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To quickly hide the folder, rename it through ADB-team:

Method 4: Third-party apps to hide albums

If the built-in MIUI features don't suit you, you can use third-party apps.

• 🔐 KeepSafe – encrypts files and requires PIN-There's a backup in the cloud.
• 📂 GalleryVault – simulates an error when trying to open an application without a password.
• 🛡️ Hide Something – supports geolocation hiding (files are only opened in certain places).
• 🖼️ Private Photo Vault – allows you to create “false” passwords to distract attention.

Before installing, check the application permissions: some tools (like Gallery Lock) request access to contacts or SMS, which may be redundant.

• 📥 Cloud Sync: If enabled, files can be stored on third-party servers.
• 🔄 Automatic backup: disable it if you don’t want hidden photos to google.
• 🔍 Advertising and Trackers: Free versions often collect user data.

For maximum security, we recommend using open-source solutions like Cryptomator (encrypts files before uploading to the cloud) or Aegis (two-factor authentication for access), but they require more effort to configure.

Method 5: Advanced Hiding Through ADB (For Experienced)

If you’re ready to work with Android Debug Bridge (ADB), you can hide albums at the system level.This method is suitable for Xiaomi with an unlocked bootloader or root rights, but requires caution: the wrong commands can lead to data loss.

Here’s how to hide a folder through ADB:

1. Turn on USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times on build number, then go back to Additional → For Developers).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command:

adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d "package:com.android.documentsui" -e hide_folder "/storage/emulated/0/Pictures/YourFolder"

To return the folder back, use:

adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d "package:com.android.documentsui" -e unhide_folder "/storage/emulated/0/Pictures/YourFolder"

⚠️ Attention: Teams ADB Some Xiaomi firmware may not work due to restrictions MIUI. If you get a Permission Denied error, try it:

• 🔧 Granting superuser rights: adb root (requires an unlocked bootloader).
• 📱 Use an alternative file manager with support ADB (For example, Solid Explorer).
• 🔄 Reboot your phone in Fastboot and repeat the command.

To automate the process, you can create a.bat script on a PC that hides/shows folders at a click: ADB-Teams don’t encrypt files, they just hide them from the standard interface.

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If you use ADB, regularly check file integrity. Some commands may accidentally change permissions, making folders inaccessible even to you.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When working with hidden albums on Xiaomi, users often face typical problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:

1. Hidden albums suddenly become visible This can happen after the MIUI update. Check the settings of the Gallery: Settings → Hidden albums → Reset. If the problem persists, clear the Gallery app cache in Settings → Apps.
2. Unfortunately, it can't be restored. The only way out is to reset your phone to factory settings (but that will delete all the data!). In the future, use a password manager like Bitwarden.
3. Files are missing after moving to a hidden folder Check File Manager → Recycle Bin - maybe files were deleted by mistake. Also make sure there is enough memory on the device: MIUI can automatically clear the cache if the place runs out.

Another common mistake is file duplication, and if you hide an album through the Gallery, but you sync with Google Photos or Mi Cloud, you can keep copies of your files in the cloud to avoid this:

• 📁 Disable autoboot for hidden folders in cloud services settings.
• 🔍 Check the Settings. → Accounts. → Synchronize and disable unnecessary options.
• 🗑️ Clean the Recycle Bin in Cloud Services (files can be stored there for up to 60 days).

If you use third-party apps to hide albums, update them regularly. Outdated versions may contain vulnerabilities that allow you to bypass the security.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions