Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones offer several ways to hide video from prying eyes, from standard gallery features to encrypted archives. However, not all methods are equally reliable: some files remain accessible through the file manager, while others can be recovered after resetting. In this article, we will discuss 5 proven methods, including hidden MIUI features that are not documented in the official help.
Xiaomi's peculiarity is that even after hiding the video through the gallery, the files physically remain in the device's memory, which means that they can be found through Files or by connecting the phone to a computer. To completely eliminate this risk, additional measures will be required - from encryption to transfer to secure cloud storage. We tested all methods on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ (MIUI 15) and POCO F5 (MIUI 14), so the instructions are relevant for most modern models.
1. Hiding Videos Through Xiaomi's Standard Gallery
The fastest way is to use the built-in Hiding feature in the Gallery app, which does not delete files, but only excludes them from the general list of media, and importantly, the videos that are hidden in this way will be visible in Files and when you connect to a PC.
Instructions:
- 📂 Open the Gallery app and find the right video.
- 🔘 Hold your finger on the file to make the menu appear (or click on the three dots in the top right corner).
- 👁️ Choose to hide. → Confirm the action with a password / fingerprint (if the gallery lock is configured).
- 🔒 To see hidden files, go to Albums → Hidden.
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If there is no Hide option, update the Gallery app via Google Play or GetApps. On some firmware, the feature is only available after the update.
Limitations of the method:
- ❌ Files remain in memory and can be found through Files → Categories → Video.
- ❌ When you reset your settings, hidden videos will become visible.
- ❌ Does not work for videos in cloud albums (e.g. Google Photos).
2. Transfer the video to the.nomedia folder
Creating a folder with a dot at the beginning of a name (.nomedia) causes Android to ignore its contents when scanning media, a method that is more reliable than standard concealment, but requires manual folder creation.
Step-by-step:
- Open the files. → Go to the internal memory (or SD-map).
- Click Create a folder and call it.nomedia (required to have a dot at the beginning!).
- Move the video to this folder (hold the file → Move).
- Reboot your phone to make the changes take effect.
Created folder with a dot (.nomedia)| Videos moved to folder | Phone reloaded | Files are not displayed in the gallery
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Important: the.nomedia folder is not encrypted! Videos can still be found through the file manager or PC.
- 🔐 Archive the folder with the password (use it). RAR or 7-Zip).
- 📁 Move it to the root of the memory and rename it to a non-obvious name (e.g.,.sysbackup).
3.Using the Safe Folder in MIUI
MIUI 14/15 offers a Secure Folder, a secure storage with a separate password, and unlike standard hiding, files are encrypted and do not appear in either the gallery or the file manager without authorization.
How to set up:
- 🔒 Go to Settings. → Passwords and security → Safe folder.
- 🔑 Set a password (other than locking the screen!) or use a fingerprint.
- 📤 Go back to Files, hold the video. → Move it to a secure folder.
- 🔍 To access, open the files. → Secure folder and enter password.
Standard Hiding in Gallery |Folder.nomedia|Secure folder MIUI|Straight-Shore Apps |I'm not hiding
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Critical feature: If you forget the password from the Safe Folder, it will be impossible to restore access to files - even through a reset. Xiaomi does not provide tools to unlock this storage.
⚠️ Warning: When you transfer a video to a Safe Folder, the original files are deleted.
4. Encrypting video through third-party apps
If built-in MIUI features aren't enough, use specialized applications that offer additional options: simulate deletion, encrypt AES-256, or mask as system files.
Top.-3 Proven applications for Xiaomi:
| Annex | Features | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Vault | Encryption, imitation of deletion, cloud backup | Advertising in the free version |
| Hide Something | Hiding under system files, password + fingerprint | A complex interface |
| Keeping | Anonymous mode, self-destruction of files | Fees paid |
Instructions for Vault (the most popular solution):
- Install Vault from Google Play.
- Please set a master password (don’t use your date of birth!).
- Import videos through Add files → Videos.
- Enable the option to Hide the app icon in the settings.
How to cheat a gallery scanner?
Warning: Third-party apps may collect metadata from your files. Before using, check permissions in Settings → Apps → Permissions and disable access to contacts/geolocation.
5. Archiving password video
The most reliable way is to archive a video into a password-protected archive (.zip or.rar) and delete the originals, which eliminates accidental file discovery, but requires manual management.
Step-by-step:
- 📦 Install the archiver: RAR, ZArchiver or 7Z.
- 🔐 Select a video. → Add to the archives → Set a password (at least 12 characters!).
- 🗑️ Delete the original files through Files (use the Recycle Bin to return if you make an error).
- 📁 Move the archive to a folder with a neutral name (e.g. Backups).
For maximum safety:
- 🔄 Break the archive into parts (Split option in the 7-Zip).
- 📱 Keep your password in the manager (Bitwarden, KeePassDX).
- ☁️ Upload the archive to an encrypted cloud (Cryptomator) + Google Drive).
⚠️ Attention: If you are using MI Cloud backup, password archives don't sync! Move them manually or disable backup for archive folder.
6. Hiding the video on SD-map (for models with support)
If your Xiaomi supports microSD (like the Redmi Note 11 or POCO X5 Pro), you can hide video on your memory card, which is suitable for large files that you don’t want to store in internal memory.
Algorithm of action:
- 📱 Put it in. SD-Map and format it as internal memory (settings) → storage).
- 📂 Create a folder on the map with the name.private or.secure.
- 🔄 Move the video to this folder and reboot the phone.
- 🔒 B Settings → Storage, turn off the display SD-map.
Advantages:
- ✅ Videos don't take up internal memory.
- ✅ The card can be removed and stored separately.
Disadvantages:
- ❌ On the new Xiaomi (for example, Xiaomi 14) SD-cards not supported.
- ❌ When formatting a card as a portable folder, the.private will be visible.
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For models without slot under SD-map (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T) use OTG-Hardware-encrypted drive (e.g. SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Luxe).
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Even Xiaomi experienced users make mistakes when hiding videos.
- 🔍 Mistake: Hiding video through the gallery but forgetting about Files.Solution: Use the.nomedia combination + archiving.
- 🔑 Error: Storing password from Secure folder in phone notes.Solution: Use password manager with two-factor authentication.
- ☁️ Error: Synchronizing hidden videos with Google Photos or MI Cloud.Solution: Disable autoload for media folders in the cloud settings.
Another common problem is the loss of access after the MIUI update, for example, in MIUI 15, the folder scanning algorithm changed, and some users found that previously hidden videos were again visible.
- Before updating, transfer the video to the Safe folder or archive them.
- After the update, check the Hidden Settings in Gallery → Settings → Hidden Albums.