How to show a hidden album in the gallery Xiaomi: 5 working ways

You open a gallery on Xiaomi, but you don't find the right photo album? Or did you lose entire folders of media files after the MIUI update? This problem is familiar to many owners of Redmi, POCO and Mi smartphones — the standard Gallery app sometimes hides albums by default or due to settings failures. 80% of the time it is not deleted files that are to blame, but incorrect display settings or system restrictions.

In this article, we’ll explore all the possible reasons why albums become invisible, from the trivial settings to the hidden technical nuances of MIUI 14/13. You’ll learn how to restore folder visibility through embedded tools, recover lost data, and even bypass system limitations if standard methods didn’t work. And for users of POCO F5, Redmi Note 12 and other new models, we’ve prepared topical solutions with the latest firmware updates in mind.

Why Albums Are Losing From Xiaomi Gallery: 6 Reasons

Before you restore visibility, it’s important to understand why Xiaomi Gallery doesn’t show albums, and the reasons fall into two groups: software (settings and crashes) and hardware (file corruption).

• 📁 Hidden system folders: MIUI Automatically hides albums with a dot at the beginning of the title (e.g..thumbnails or.nomedia).
• 🔍 Gallery Filters: In the application settings, screenshots, downloads, or other categories may be disabled.
• 🗑️ Scanning error: After updating or resetting the settings, the gallery does not have time to index the files.
• 🔒 Privacy Limitations: Albums hidden through Secure Storage or Private Mode are not displayed in the main interface.
• 📱 Cloud conflict: If sync with Mi Cloud is enabled, some albums may only be displayed in the web version.
• 💥 Damage to files: Incorrect extraction SD-Maps or software failures media files become unreadable.

The most common reason is folders with the.nomedia attribute, which tells the gallery that the contents of the folder do not need to be displayed, often created by messengers (such as Telegram or WhatsApp) for service data, but sometimes it appears in user albums.

⚠️ Note: If the album is missing after the update MIUI, First, check the Settings section. → The phone. → Version. MIUI. In the firmware MIUI 14.0.3+ The algorithm of scanning of media has changed – forced re-indexation is required (more about this below).

Method 1: Enabling the display of hidden folders in the gallery

To start with, activate hidden albums through gallery settings, a technique that works on all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi 10, POCO X5 and Mi 11.

Instructions:

1. Open the Gallery app (a flower or film icon).
2. Slip along three horizontal lines (☰) top-right.
3. Select Settings → Showing Hidden Albums.
4. Activate the switch next to the Enable.
5. Return to the gallery's home screen and update the album list (pull down).

If this method does not work, check the other filters:

• 🖼️ Settings → Categories → Make sure that Screenshots, Downloads and Others are included.
• 📅 Settings → Sorting → Select by date or by name (sometimes albums are "lost" when sorted by size).

Hidden albums are shown|All categories (screenshots, downloads) are activated)|Correct sorting (by date/name)|Updated album list (swipe down)-->

Some firmware (e.g. MIUI 13 for POCO M4) may not have the item Show Hidden Albums. In this case, move to Method 2.

Method 2: Delete the.nomedia file from the folder

A.nomedia file is an invisible tag that blocks the contents of a folder from being displayed in a gallery, often created by service data applications, but sometimes it appears on user albums (for example, after transferring files from a PC).

To delete.nomedia:

1. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable (file transfer mode).
2. Open the folder with the missing album (usually DCIM, Pictures or Download).
3. Enable the display of hidden files: On Windows: View → Hidden Items. On Mac: Finder → CMD + Shift + keyboard shortcut.

.nomedia

Turn off the phone and restart it.

If you don’t want to connect your phone to your PC, use the file manager on the device itself (such as Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer):

1. Open File Manager → Settings → Show hidden files.


2. Go to the folder with the album (for example, /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Camera).




3. Keep your finger on the.nomedia file → Delete.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete.nomedia from instant messenger folders (such as Telegram or WhatsApp) – this can lead to duplicate media files in the gallery.

💡

If the folder with the album is on SD-map, before removing.nomedia, remove the map and paste back - this will speed up the re-indexing of files by the gallery.

Method 3: Forced re-indexation of media files

If Xiaomi gallery doesn't see albums even after.nomedia is removed, the problem may be the media scanner cache. The system stores the information about the files in the database, and sometimes it gets corrupted. The solution is to force the index to be updated.

Option 1: Through the gallery settings

1. Open the gallery → Settings → About the program.
2. Tap 5 times according to the application version (for example, 3.11.1.2) – this will open the hidden developer menu.
3. Choose Clear cache and Re-index media files.
4. Wait 5-10 minutes (depending on the number of files).

Option 2: Through system settings

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Gallery and select the Warehouse.
3. Tap Clear cache and Clear data (this won’t delete your photos!).
4. Reboot the phone.

Option 3: Through ADB (for advanced users)

adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.MEDIA_MOUNTED -d file:///sdcard/


adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.MEDIA_SCANNER_SCAN_FILE -d file:///sdcard/

Clearing gallery cache|The Developer's Hidden Menu|ADB-team|I haven't tried it yet.-->

Method 4: Recovery of albums through secure storage

If you've previously hidden albums through Private Safe in MIUI, they won't be displayed in the main gallery.

Steps for MIUI 14/13:

1. Open Gallery → Albums → Secure Storage (may be called Private Mode).
2. Enter your password or fingerprint (if requested).
3. Keep your finger on the album → Export or Make it visible.
4. Select a folder to save (for example, DCIM/Camera).

⚠️ Attention: On models POCO X3, Redmi 9 and older Secure Storage may be called Private Albums and may be located in the Security of the basic settings section.

Method 5: Verify access rights and conflicts with the cloud

Sometimes albums are lost because of conflicts with the Mi Cloud or insufficient access rights, for example, if you are logged in to another Xiaomi account, synchronized albums can become invisible.

How to check:

1. Open Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery
2. Make sure that sync is enabled and the correct account is used.
3. If you have albums in the cloud but not in the gallery, click Sync now.

Also check the access rights for the Gallery app:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Gallery → Permissions.
2. Activate all switches: Storage, Camera, Microphone (if any).
3. In the section Additional, enable Display on top of other windows.

If you use SD-map, make sure that:

• 📁 The card is formatted as an internal storage (not a portable one).
• 🔄 The gallery settings include displaying files from SD (Settings → Show files with SD-map).
• 🔧 The card is not damaged (check through Settings). → Warehouse → SD-map → Check for errors).

Method 6: Recovering deleted albums

If the album was lost not because of settings but because of accidental deletion, try to recover files. MIUI has a built-in cart where photos are stored for 30 days.

How to restore:

1. Open the gallery → Albums → Basket.
2. Select the files you need (tap and hold).
3. Click Restore in the lower menu.
4. Select a folder to save (for example, DCIM/Camera).

If the basket is empty, use the side of the utility:

• 📱 DiskDigger (for recovery from internal memory).
• 💾 Recuva or EaseUS Data Recovery (for recovery from PC after phone connection).
• 🔍 PhotoRec (for experienced users, works through the ADB).

⚠️ Warning: Do not install recovery software on the same disk where files are lost! This reduces the chances of success. Use a PC or other SD-map.

💡

Recovery through the gallery cart only works for 30 days, after which the files are deleted irrevocably (unless backup was used).

Additional Advice and Frequent Mistakes

If none of these methods helped, check out these nuances:

• 🔄 Gallery Update: An outdated version of the app may not support new file formats.Update it via Play Market or GetApps.
• 📂 File format check: Xiaomi Gallery does not display files in formats.HEIC (iPhone),.RAW (professional photographs) or.WEB. Use converters.
• 🛠️ Reset Gallery settings: Go to Settings → Annexes → gallery → Resetting settings (does not delete files!).
• 📡 Firmware problems: On some versions MIUI 12.5 For the Redmi Note 8/9 There's a bug that shows the albums, and the solution is to update the software to MIUI 13/14.

A common mistake users make is to search for albums by folder name. In the Xiaomi gallery, albums are grouped by:

• 📅 Date (e.g. June 2023).
• 📍 Location (if geotag is included).
• 🏷️ Tags (if you add them).

To find an album by folder name (like Vacation), use a search (a magnifier in the upper right corner of the gallery).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions