How to hide a video in a gallery on Xiaomi: hidden folders, password and system tricks

Have you ever faced a situation where you have to hide video from prying eyes, but only a Xiaomi smartphone is on hand? Unlike the iPhone, where media hiding is built into iOS, owners of devices on MIUI have to look for workarounds. The problem is complicated by the fact that the standard Mi Gallery does not offer a direct option to hide video — it is simply not on the menu. But this does not mean that there is no solution.

In this article, we'll discuss 5 working methods for hiding video in a gallery on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO — from using hidden system folders to creating password-enabled archives. All methods are tested on MIUI 12-14 and do not require root rights. Importantly, some methods may differ depending on the version of the shell, so we'll point out the nuances for each. If you're looking for a way to hide video from not only curious but also from accidental deletion, here's the answer.

1. Hiding video through the.nomedia system folder

The most reliable way to hide videos from a gallery is to put them in a folder with a.nomedia file. This method works on all Xiaomi smartphones, because it is based on standard Android behavior: if there is a.nomedia file in the folder, the system ignores its contents when scanning media.

How to do this:

• 📁 Create a new folder in the root directory of internal memory (for example, PrivateVideos).
• 📄 Inside the folder, create an empty text file and rename it to.nomedia (important: no extension!).
• 🎬 Move the required videos to this folder.
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone or upgrade your gallery (pull down in the Gallery app).

⚠️ Note: Files in this folder will not be displayed in the Gallery, but will remain accessible through any file manager (e.g. Mi File Manager or Total Commander.

2.Using the Protected Folder function in MIUI

Starting with MIUI 12.5, Xiaomi has added a built-in Private Folder feature that allows you to hide files behind a password, which is not available on all models, but if you have one, it is the most convenient way.

How to turn on:

1. Open Settings → Privacy → Secure folder.
2. Create a password (or use a fingerprint).
3. Return to the Gallery, select the video, click More → Move to the protected folder.

🔹 Advantages of the method:

• 🔒 Videos are hidden and encrypted (no password can be opened).
• 📱 Available only through a special section in the Gallery.
• 🔄 Sync with Mi Cloud (if enabled).

⚠️ Warning: If you forget the password from the protected folder, it will be impossible to restore access to files without resetting your smartphone to factory settings (the files will be deleted!

Backup of important videos|Create a password (at least 8 characters)|Check for a function in the settings|Disable autosynchronization with Mi Cloud (if not necessary)-->

3. Archiving video in ZIP with password

If your Xiaomi doesn’t have a Secure Folder feature, you can hide the videos by storing them in a password archive, which works on all versions of MIUI and doesn’t require any additional applications.

Instructions:

1. Install an archiver (such as RAR or ZArchiver from Google Play).
2. Select the video in the file manager, click Compress (or Add to archive in ZArchiver).
3. Specify the ZIP or RAR format, tick Encrypt and enter the password.
4. Delete the original videos (they will only remain in the archive).

📌 Tip: To avoid the archive catching the eye, rename it to something neutral, for example, backup_2023.zip. Keep it in a folder with other backups.

4. Hiding through File Manager Settings

The standard Mi File Manager app has a folder hiding feature that doesn't encrypt files, but makes them invisible to the gallery and other applications.

Step-by-step:

• 📂 Open Mi File Manager and go to the folder with the video.
• 🔍 Press and hold the folder, then select Hide (or Hide in English).
• 👁️ To see the folder again, click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Show Hidden Files.

⚠️ Warning: This method does not protect video with a password! Hidden folders will be visible in any file manager when you turn on the hidden file display. For reliability, combine it with.nomedia method.

💡

If you often hide files, create a shortcut to quickly access hidden folders. To do this, in Mi File Manager, click Categories → Hidden Files and add a partition to the home screen.

5. Video hide-out apps (if nothing helped)

If the built-in methods don't work, you can use third-party apps, and we tested a few and selected the most reliable ones.

• 🔐 GalleryVault – Hiding the Video behind PIN-code, simulates an error when attempting to open.
• 📂 Hide Something – Creates a “secret storage” with encryption.
• 🔒 AppLock – blocks access to the gallery as a whole (does not hide files, but restricts viewing).

🔹 The benefits of third-party applications:

• Additional levels of protection (e.g., calculator masking).
• Ability to hide videos by category (e.g., screenshots only).
• Automatic removal from the gallery after hiding.

⚠️ Warning: When installing third-party video hider apps, disable autosynchronization with Google Photos or Mi Cloud, otherwise hidden files may be in the cloud in the public domain!

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

The choice of method depends on your goals:

• 🔹 Maximum stealth: The.nomedia combination + password-archive.
• 🔹 Quick Hiding: Secure folder (if any) MIUI).
• 🔹 Protection against deletion: Party of the GalleryVault type application.
• 🔹 Temporary Hiding: Rename the file extension (e.g., with.mp4 on.mp4.bak).

📌 Recommendation: If you frequently work with sensitive videos, set up a Secure Folder and additionally back up important files in an encrypted archive on cloud storage (e.g. Google Drive with archive password).

💡

On Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 14, the Secure Folder feature is available by default. If it is not available, update the firmware through Settings → About Phone → System Update.

FAQ: Frequent questions about video hiding on Xiaomi