How to hide a folder on Xiaomi: all the ways from standard to advanced

Why Hiding Folders on Xiaomi is Not Always Obvious

Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO are powered by MIUI, which offers advanced file management features to users. However, standard folder hiding tools are not as intuitive as those on pure Android or other brands. Many owners find that the concealment option is simply not available in the file manager context menu, and alternative methods require additional knowledge.

In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to hide folders on Xiaomi devices – from built-in functions. MIUI 14/15 Before using third-party applications or even system tricks, we'll focus on methods that work without rights. ROOT, Because most users are not willing to risk the security for the sake of hiding personal data, you will also learn which folders can not be categorically hidden (for example, system directories). /data or /system), not to disrupt the operation of the smartphone.

It is important to understand: hiding a folder ≠ Even after hiding files are vulnerable to specialized software or when connecting your phone to your computer. If you need to secure data, consider additional encryption or transferring files to Secure Folder (available on some models).

Method 1: Hiding through a standard MIUI file manager

The simplest method that works on most Xiaomi devices with MIUI 12 and later is that it doesn’t require installing additional apps, but has a limitation: hidden folders will be visible in some system utilities (for example, when connecting to a PC).

Instructions:

• 📁 Open the Files app (folder icon on the desktop).
• 🔍 Go to the Category section → Select the internal memory or select the desired partition (for example, SD-map).
• 📂 Find the folder you want to hide and hold it with your finger. 1-2 A few seconds before the menu appears.
• 🔒 In the bottom panel, press More. → Hide (in some versions) MIUI The item is called Hide the selected).
• 👁️‍🗨️ To see hidden folders, go back to the main file manager menu and click on it. ⋮ → Show hidden files.

⚠️ Note: This method does not work for folders created by system applications (e.g, DCIM, Download or MIUI). Also, hidden folders will be visible when connecting the phone to the computer through the MTP (file transfer).

Method 2: Rename the folder (for power users)

This method is based on the Linux feature (and Android is built on its kernel): all files and folders that start with a point (.) are hidden by default. This approach works on any Xiaomi device, but requires caution - improperly renaming system folders can lead to crashes.

How to hide the folder:

1. Open any file manager with renaming support (such as MiXplorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Find the target folder and hold it to call the menu.
3. Select Rename and add a point to the beginning of the title (for example, MyPhoto →.MyPhoto).
4. Confirm the changes. The folder will disappear from the standard viewing.

To get the folder back:

• 🔍 Enable the display of hidden files in the file manager settings.
• 📝 Find the folder (now its name starts with a dot) and rename it by removing the dot.

⚠️ Note: Do not rename system folders like this.android_secure,.This can cause data loss or a cyclical reboot of the device. Also note that some applications (such as a gallery) will not see files in hidden folders.

Method 3: Using Secure Folder (on supported models)

Some flagship Xiaomi models (such as Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi K60 Ultra) support Secure Folder, a secure storage similar to Samsung Knox. folders and files inside it are not only hidden from prying eyes, but also encrypted by hardware.

How to set up:

• 🔐 Go to Settings. → Privacy → Secure Folder.
• 📱 Follow the instructions for creating a password or linking a Mi Account.
• 📁 After activation, open Secure Folder through the icon on the desktop or in the application menu.
• 🔄 Move the files/folders to secure storage (they are automatically hidden from the main memory).

⚠️ Note: If you forget the password from Secure Folder, it will be impossible to restore access to files - even through resetting. Xiaomi does not provide official tools for unlocking.

Method 4: The App App for Hiding Folders

If you don't like the built-in MIUI tools, you can use specialized applications that offer additional features: password protection, fake folders (for disguise), and even remote hiding via SMS.

Top.-3 tested applications:

• 🔒 AppLock (by DoMobile Lab) - blocks access to folders with a password / fingerprint. Supports camouflage under the calculator.
• 🕵️ Hide It Pro (Audio Manager) — hides files under the guise of an audio player.
• 📂 File Hide Expert – encrypts and hides folders, works without ROOT. Supports two-tier authentication.

Instructions for Hide It Pro:

1. Download the app from Google Play and install it.
2. At the first launch, ask PIN-code.
3. Click + → Import and select folders to hide.
4. Activate the Stealth Mode option in the settings to hide the app icon.

⚠️ Note: Some antiviruses (such as Avast or Dr.Web) may mark file hiding applications as "potentially dangerous." This is a false positive, but if in doubt, check the application on VirusTotal before installing it.

💡

If the hidden folder contains photos, pre-delete it from the gallery via Settings → Apps → Gallery → Memory → Clear the data. This will remove thumbnails from the cache, but not the files themselves.

Method 5: Hiding through ADB (for advanced users)

If you’re ready to work with Android Debug Bridge (ADB), you can hide the folder at the file system level, a method that’s suitable for folders that don’t want to hide MIUI (like DCIM or Pictures), but require a computer connection.

Step-by-step:

1. Enable USB debugging on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times) Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging on USB
2. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
3. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type: adb shell su chmod 000 /sdcard/Folder name (replace Folder name with current one).
4. The folder will become invisible to most applications, but will remain in place.

To reclaim access:

adb shell


su




chmod 755 /sdcard/ Name of the folder

⚠️ Attention: chmod commands change folder permissions. Misuse can lead to data loss or app disruption. For example, if you change the permissions for your Android folder, some programs will stop running.

💡

The ADB method is the only one that can hide system folders like DCIM or Downloads without ROOT, but it requires caution and is not suitable for beginners.

What if the hidden folder is still visible?

Sometimes even after one of the methods is used, the folder remains visible in some applications (for example, in a gallery or music player), this is because the programs scan the storage regardless of the file manager settings.

• 🔄 Clear the app cache that "sees" the folder: Settings → Annexes → [Title of the annex] → Memory. → Clear the cache
• 📵 Remove the folder from the media scan. Create an empty.nomedia file: Open the file manager. → Create a file → Name:.nomedia
• 🔒 Transfer files to Secure Folder (if available) or archive a folder with a password (for example, through a secure file file file). RAR or 7-Zip).

If the folder is visible when connecting to the PC, try:

• 🖥️ Use the regime PTP instead MTP (in the notification curtain when connected USB).
• 🔌 Connect through FTP-server (applications such as FX File Explorer supports this mode).

FAQ: Frequent questions about hiding folders on Xiaomi