How to hide a folder on your Xiaomi phone: from built-in features to secret tricks

Hiding folders on Xiaomi smartphones is a challenge that users face for a variety of reasons, from wanting to keep personal photos from prying eyes to having to hide working documents. Unlike the iPhone, where functionality is limited, MIUI offers several built-in ways and also supports third-party solutions. However, not all methods are equally reliable: some folders can “pop up” after updating the system, and others remain visible in certain applications.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to hide folders on Xiaomi, Redmi, Poco and Black Shark, including little-known tricks with.nomedia files and MIUI 14/15 settings. Special attention will be paid to the risks of data loss when using third-party safes and explain why some methods stop working after resetting. If you need not just hide the folder, but also block access to it, there is a solution.

1. Built-in Hidden Folders in MIUI

The easiest way to do this is to use native firmware functionality, which is available on all devices with MIUI 12 and later, including Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12 and Poco F5, the main plus of the method: it does not require the installation of additional applications and does not affect performance.

To hide the folder:

• 📁 Open the standard Files app (yellow folder icon).
• 🔍 Find the folder you want to hide and press it long enough.
• 🔒 In the menu that appears, select More → Hide (or Hidden Folders in some versions).
• 🔐 Confirm the action with a password / fingerprint if the system requests.

After that, the folder will disappear from the main list, but will remain available in the Categories → Hidden. Importantly, this method does not encrypt files – they can be seen through a computer or other file managers (for example, Solid Explorer).

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi) 10C) folder hiding function may not be available due to lightweight version MIUI. In this case, use alternative methods from this article.

2. Create a.nomedia file: hide the folder from the gallery

If the goal is to hide the photo/video folder from display in the Gallery and other multimedia applications, the best option is to create a.nomedia file. This method works at the Android level and blocks the scanning of the folder by media players.

Instructions:

1. Open any file manager (e.g. Mi File Manager or FX Explorer).
2. Go to the folder that you want to hide.
3. Click Create → File and call it.nomedia (the point at the beginning is mandatory!).
4. Save the file, the folder will disappear from the Gallery.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 It works on all versions. MIUI Android.
• 🛡️ No need for root rights or additional applications.
• 📁 The folder is accessible through the file manager.

⚠️ Note: The.nomedia file does not hide the folder completely, but will still be seen by users who open the file manager. For complete privacy, combine this method with a folder password (see Section 4).

3.Using Second Space: Separate profile with hidden data

Second Space is a unique feature of MIUI, which allows you to create a second independent profile on your phone with separate applications, files and settings, which is ideal if you want to not just hide the folder, but completely isolate some of the data.

How to set up:

1. Go to Settings → Special Options → Second Space.
2. Follow the customization wizard: specify a password (required!) and select duplicate applications.
3. After creation, switch to Second Space via the notification panel.
4. Move the folders to the internal memory of the second profile.

Advantages:

• 🔐 Complete isolation: files are not visible in the main profile.
• 📱 It works as a separate phone – you can install other wallpapers, accounts, etc.
• 🔄 Quickly switching through the notification curtain.

Disadvantages:

• 📴 It takes up additional space on the disk (up to the previous one). 5-10 GB).
• 🔧 Some system applications (such as Mi Video) may be duplicated incorrectly.

Backup of important data |

Remember the password for the second profile |

Check the vacant space (minimum 3 GB)|

Disable Google Sync in the main profile (optional)-->

4. Third-party applications: encrypted storage

If built-in methods don't work, you can use specialized applications that offer encryption, password protection, and even calculator masking, but there are risks: some safes can delete data when you reset or crash an application.

Top.-3 Proven applications for Xiaomi:

• 🔒 Keeping – supports fingerprint, encryption AES-256 and cloud backup.
• 📁 Hide Something – disguised as a calculator, there is a function of a “panic button” for quick hiding.
• 🛡️ Vault-Hide – blocks screenshots and screen recording within the application.

How to hide the folder through Keeping:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Set a master password and confirm the email for recovery.
3. In the main menu, select Import → Folder.
4. Specify the path to the hidden folder and confirm the transfer.

⚠️ Note: Before using third-party safes, check reviews from the past 3 months – some apps (such as GalleryVault) have been caught leaking data.

5. Hiding folders through archiving (ZIP with password)

A lesser known but reliable way is to pack a folder into a folder. ZIP-This is a method that is suitable for long-term storage of sensitive data, because:

• 🔐 Files are password protected at the archive level.
• 📦 You can move the archive to the cloud or to a memory card.
• 🔍 Does not require root rights or special applications.

Instructions:

1. Install an archiver (such as RAR or ZArchiver).
2. Select the folder in the file manager and select Compress.
3. Specify the ZIP format and set the Encrypt box.
4. Create a strong password (at least 12 characters with numbers and special signs).
5. Once the archive is created, the original folder can be deleted.

To open files:

• 📌 Use the same archiver and enter a password.
• 🔄 For frequent access, unpack your folder in Second Space (see Section 3).

💡

If you're afraid to forget your password, write it down on paper and keep it separate from your phone. Never save your passwords in Notes or Google Keep - they can be hacked through sync.

6 Advanced methods: root access and attribute change

For high-end risk users, there are ways to hide folders at the system level, they require root rights and can lead to a loss of warranty or firmware failure, and only use them if you understand the consequences!

Method 1: Change attributes through Terminal

With the chmod command, you can make the folder invisible for most applications:

su


chmod 000 /sdcard/ Name of the folder

To regain visibility:

su


chmod 755 /sdcard/ Name of the folder

Method 2: Moving to system directories

Folders in /data/local/tmp or /system are not displayed in standard managers.

• 🚨 Risk of damaging system files.
• 🔄 After updating MIUI folders can disappear.

⚠️ Note: On devices with Xiaomi.eu or custom firmware (LineageOS), these methods may not work smoothly. TWRP.

💡

Root methods offer maximum stealth, but require technical skills, and for most users, built-in MIUI features or applications like Keeping are enough.

FAQ: Frequent questions about hiding folders on Xiaomi