How to hide music on Xiaomi phone: all the ways to use the phone MIUI third-party

Hiding music files on Xiaomi smartphones is a challenge that users face for a variety of reasons, from wanting to remove unnecessary tracks from the player to having to hide confidential audio recordings, unlike photos that are easy to hide in a Protected Folder" MIUI, It's getting more complicated with music, because standard tools often ignore audio files, and third-party players persistently scan all folders. 5 Proven methods – from built-in functions MIUI 14/15 Advanced File System Tricks That Work Even on Android 14.

It's important to understand that hiding music is not the same as encrypting it, and if you need to not just remove tracks from view, but protect them from outsiders, you need to take additional measures (this is covered in the section on encryption). Also, consider that some methods may reset after a system update or firmware change.We tested all methods on Redmi Note 12 Pro models.+, Xiaomi 13 Ultra and POCO F5 — The results are summarized in a comparative table at the end of the article.

Method 1: Integrated MIUI tools (without root)

Starting with MIUI 12, the Hidden Folders feature was introduced in firmware, but it was originally focused on photos and videos. However, with a little bit of cunning, it can be adapted for audio files:

1. Create a folder for music in the root directory of internal memory (for example, PrivateMusic). → Internal memory. → Create a folder.
2. Move audio files (formats) there.mp3,.flac,.wav and others.).
3. Open the Settings. → Confidentiality → Hidden folders and add the created folder to the list.
4. Turn off the display in the media scanner: go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Music, click "Clear Data" and "Reset Settings".

⚠️ Note: This method does not block access to files through the file manager! the track will remain available on a direct path (e.g., the file manager, /storage/emulated/0/PrivateMusic/song.mp3). To completely hide the folder, you will need to:

• 🔹 Adding a point (for example,.PrivateMusic) to the beginning of a folder name will hide it from most managers.
• 🔹 Use a nomedia file (see Method 2).
• 🔹 Disable access for applications in Settings → Confidentiality → Permits → Files and media.

Nana MIUI 15 (beta version at the time of writing) has the option "Eliminate folders" in the settings of the media scanner:

Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (stamp 7 times to activate the developer mode)


Settings → Additional → For developers → Enable “Show hidden folders in the media scanner”

Method 2: The.nomedia file is simple and efficient

The most universal method that works on all versions of Android is to create a.nomedia file in a music folder, which signals the system that the contents of the folder do not need to be indexed for media players.

1. Open any file manager (built-in Files or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to the folder with the music you want to hide.
3. Click "Create a file" and enter the name.nomedia (the point at the beginning is mandatory!).
4. Restart your phone or manually update your media base through Settings → Annexes → Music. → Warehouse → Clear the cache.

🔧 Technical detail: The.nomedia file should be empty and not have an extension. If your manager automatically adds.txt, use Total Commander or FX File Explorer with root mode enabled (if available).

Created a file without extension (.nomedia, not.nomedia.txt)

File is empty (size 0 bytes)

The file is in the same folder as the music.

The cache of the music app has been cleared"-->

⚠️ Note: Some players (e.g. Poweramp or Poweramp) VLC) They ignore.nomedia and they scan folders manually:

• 🔹 In the player settings, disable the option "Scan hidden files".
• 🔹 Use.nomedia in conjunction with encryption.
• 🔹 Move the music to the folder Android/data/ (root).

Critical nuance: after the update MIUI.nomedia file can be reset. Check for it after each update!

Method 3: Third-party applications for hiding files

If the built-in methods don't work, we've tested 7 popular apps, and we've done the best.

💡 Recommendation: For maximum privacy, choose Hide It Pro - it not only hides files, but also encrypts them, and also masquerades as an audio player:

1. Install the app from Google Play (or APK regions without access).
2. Create a “secret pin” (for example, an incorrect password to log in to an application).
3. Import music files via the option "Add Audio" (they are automatically encrypted).
4. Turn on the option "Stealth Mode" in the settings - this will hide the application from the menu.

⚠️ WARNING: When using Calculator Vault or similar “storage calculators,” be careful: some antiviruses (such as Dr.Web) label them as potentially dangerous due to the camouflage mechanism. This is a false positive, but if you’re storing really important data, it’s best to choose an open source application like Cryptomator (requires manual setup).

💡

Before installing third-party apps, check them on VirusTotal.com – some “storage” from unofficial sources contain advertising. SDK, Who can collect data about your files.

Method 4: Encrypting music (for paranoids)

If you need to not just hide but protect audio files from outsiders, conventional concealment is not enough, and encryption will help. There are two reliable options on Xiaomi:

Option A: Built-in encryption MIUI (rootless)

Starting with MIUI 13, a secure folder feature with encryption was introduced in firmware:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy → Secure folder.
2. Create a folder and set a password (we recommend at least 12 characters).
3. Transfer music files to this folder through Files → Choose. → Move it to a secure folder.
4. Activate the option “Hide the folder from the gallery” (this will also hide it from the media scanner).

Option B: Stoornie applications (for advanced)

For full control, use Cryptomator or VeraCrypt (requires root on some devices).

1. Install Cryptomator from F-Droid (no trackers).
2. Create a new storage vault with a password.
3. Upload music files to this storage facility – they are automatically encrypted.
4. Connect the storage as a virtual drive and play music through VLC or Foobar2000.

🔐 Important: When using encryption:

• 🔹 Never store your password in your notes or cloud services.
• 🔹 Backup encryption keys (in Cryptomator, this is the masterkey.cryptomator file).
• 🔹 Remember: when you lose your password, you can not recover data – even in the service center Xiaomi.

Method 5: Advanced methods (with root access)

If you have a root installed on your Xiaomi (for example, through Magisk), additional features open up.

Method 1: Transfer music to system folders

The Android media scanner doesn't check system directories by default. You can take advantage of this:

1. Open a root conductor (e.g., Root Explorer).


2. Move the music files to:




/data/local/tmp/ or




/system/media/




3. Set the rights 600 (only the owner can read/write):




chmod 600 /data/local/tmp/secret_song.mp3




4. Reset the device.

Method 2: Editing the media base

You can manually delete music files from the Android database:

1. Install SQLite Editor from the Play Market.


2. Open the database:




/data/data/com.android.providers.media/databases/external.db




3. Go to the audio table.




4. Find and delete records with paths to your files.




5. Clear the media scanner cache:




pm clear com.android.providers.media

⚠️ Note: Incorrect editing of system databases can lead to:

• 🔹 Loss of all media files in the gallery and player.
• 🔹 Cyclical restart of the device (if damaged) media_provider).
• 🔹 Denial of warranty service (root voids warranty on most Xiaomi devices).

💡

Root methods provide maximum stealth, but require technical skills. For most users, there are only 1-3 (no root) methods.

Method 6: Cloud Storage with Restricted Access

If you don’t want to store music on your phone but need quick access, use the cloud services with the “private folder” feature.

🔄 How to set up:

1. Upload music to the cloud (like Mega).
2. Create a “private folder” with a password (in Mega, this is the “End-to-End Encryption” option).
3. In the cloud application settings, turn off automatic media file synchronization.
4. To listen, download the tracks one by one and delete after listening.

⚠️ Note: Even in encrypted clouds, metadata (file name, download date, size) can be seen by the provider:

• 🔹 Rename files before downloading (for example, track1.mp3 instead my_secret_conversation.mp3).
• 🔹 Use OnionShare to transfer files over the Tor network (for maximum anonymity).

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

To make the choice easier, we have put all the methods in a table with a score on the key criteria:

🎯 Conclusion:

• 🔹 For quick hiding from the player:.nomedia + folder MIUI.
• 🔹 For confidential files: Hide It Pro or Cryptomator.
• 🔹 For maximum secrecy: root-methods + encryption.
• 🔹 For backup: Proton Drive or Mega with E2E-encryption.

Frequent questions