How to create a hidden album on Xiaomi: hide photos and videos from outsiders

Hidden albums on Xiaomi smartphones are not just a handy feature, but a real go-to for those who value privacy. In an era where colleagues, relatives, or even random people can access the gadget, the ability to securely hide personal photos and videos becomes a critical skill. Fortunately, MIUI firmware offers built-in tools for creating secure folders that do not require the installation of third-party applications.

But there are nuances: file hiding techniques vary depending on the shell version (MIUI 14 vs MIUI 15), the device model (Redmi Note 12 or Poco F5), and even regional firmware. In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to create hidden albums, from standard gallery features to advanced tricks using Security and File Manager system tools.

Why Xiaomi’s Standard Gallery Hiding Is Unreliable

Many users limit their basic concealment function to the Gallery app without knowing its vulnerabilities. Yes, you can select a photo, click Hide, and the files will disappear from the main stream. But here are 3 critical problems with this method:

• 🔍 Files stay in the folder. DCIM: Hidden images are not physically deleted, they are simply excluded from the gallery index. Any file manager (such as Mi File Explorer) will show them along the way. /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails.
• 🔄 Cache resets files: After cleaning the Gallery app data or resetting settings, hidden albums can become visible again.
• 📱 No password protection: Anyone can open hidden files through the gallery menu if they know where to look.

These flaws make standard cover useless against targeted search, and real protection requires other tools — more on them.

Method 1: Protected folder in MIUI (most reliable method)

Starting with MIUI 12.5, Xiaomi introduced the “Private Folder” feature, which encrypts files at the system level, which works on all modern devices, from Redmi 10 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra. The main advantage is that files are stored in an encrypted container and are not available without a password or fingerprint.

To create a secure folder:

1. Open the Settings → Privacy → Secure folder.
2. Click Create a Secure Folder and set a password (minimum 6 characters) or add biometric authorization.
3. Return to the Gallery, select the files you want to hide, and select Move to a secure folder from the menu.

Files will be physically moved to encrypted storage via the path /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.gallery/files/PrivateFolder. Importantly, without a password, these files cannot be accessed even through ADB or root access.

Make sure that the device has MIUI 12.5 or higher installed.

Remember your password or save it in your password manager.

Check the space available (protected folder takes up ~10% of file size)

Disable automatic backups of the gallery in Google Photos (they don’t save files from a secure folder)-->

Method 2: Hiding through Second Space (Dual Profile)

MIUI’s Second Space feature is designed to separate personal and work data, but it can be adapted to hide files, a technique that is suitable for users who want to not just hide albums, but create a completely isolated environment with separate apps and settings.

How to set up:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Special functions → Second Space.
• 🔑 Create a second profile with a unique password (you can use a different fingerprint).
• 🖼️ In the main profile, transfer your personal photos to the cloud (such as Mi Cloud), then log in to Second Space and download them back.
• 🔒 In the main profile, delete files from the gallery (they will only remain in the second space).

The advantage of this method is complete isolation: files in the second space are not visible in the main profile even through the file manager.

Method 3: Password Archive (for advanced users)

If you need to hide files not only from prying eyes, but also from system scanners (for example, when transferring a phone for repair), the best option is to archive albums with encryption. This method works on any Xiaomi devices, including older models on MIUI 11.

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with archiving support, such as Mi File Explorer or Solid Explorer.
2. Select the files you want to hide and create an archive in.zip or.7z format.
3. When creating an archive, set a password (it is recommended to use a combination of letters, numbers and symbols with a length of at least 12 characters).
4. Move the archive to a folder with a neutral name, such as /Documents/Backups.
5. Delete the original files (pre-regard the archive opens!).

For additional disguise, you can:

• 📁 Rename the archive to backup_20231015.db (db extension will discourage most users from opening a file).
• 🔄 Breaking the archive into pieces 7-Zip (for example, photos.part1.rar, photos.part2.rar).
• 🖥️ Upload the archive to the cloud (such as Mi Cloud or Mega) and delete the local copy.

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Use a password manager (like Bitwarden or KeePassDX) to store passwords from archives. Never save passwords in notes or SMS is the first place you'll look when you search.

Method 4: Hiding through Nomedia files (for tech-savvy)

The.nomedia method has been around since Android 4.x, but it still works on Xiaomi, and the point is that it ignores folders containing that file when it scans media files, and it's not encryption, but it's an effective way to remove albums from the gallery and most apps.

How to do this:

1. Create a new folder in your internal memory or on your computer. SD-card (e.g., private card).
2. Move the files you want to hide there.
3. Create a text file in this folder called.nomedia (no extension!).

1. Open any text editor (e.g. QuickEdit).


2. Save an empty file called ".nomedia" (quotes are not required).




3. Make sure the file does not have an extension (.txt).

Once you reboot your device or update your media library (Settings → Applications → Gallery → Storage → Clear cache), the folder will no longer appear in the gallery.

⚠️ Note: Files remain accessible through any file manager! This method hides them only from the media scanner. For real protection, combine it with archiving or encryption.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even Xiaomi’s experienced users sometimes lose access to hidden files due to trivial bugs. Here are 5 common mistakes and ways to prevent them:

• 🔐 Forgotten password from a protected folder: MIUI The only way out is to reset your phone to factory settings (but that will delete all the data!) Solution: Use biometric authorization as a backup login method.
• 📱 Reset phone without backup: When reset via Recovery or Fastboot, all hidden files (including a secure folder) are deleted.Solution: regularly export important files to an encrypted archive on PC.
• 🔄 Update MIUI Error-prone: Sometimes, after a firmware update, the secure folder becomes unavailable.Solution: Back up through Settings before upgrading → The phone. → Backup.
• ☁️ Cloud Sync: Files from a secure folder don't sync to Mi Cloud or Google Photos. If you delete them from your phone, they'll be gone forever.Solution: manually copy important files to the cloud with encryption (e.g. Cryptomator).
• 🛠️ Phone repair: Service centers often reset the device before repairs.Solution: Remove SD-card (if files are there) or transfer data to another media in advance.

If you have already lost access to hidden files, try the following steps:

1. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-debug and check the folder /data/media/0/MIUI/PrivateFolder (Root rights are required).
2. Use data recovery software such as DiskDigger or Recuva (~30%).
3. Contact Xiaomi Support with proof of purchase – in rare cases, they help restore access to secure data.

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No single method of hiding provides 100% privacy guarantee. For maximum protection, combine several methods: for example, store files in a secure MIUI folder, additionally archive them with a password, and regularly back up to an external drive.

Comparison of methods of concealment: which one to choose?

The choice of method depends on your goals and level of technical training, and below is a comparative table with the assessment of key criteria:

For most Xiaomi users, the best solution would be a combination of a secure MIUI folder (for quick access) and an encrypted archive (for long-term storage).If you need to hide files from deep scanning (for example, when selling a phone), use archiving and then delete the originals.

Frequently asked questions