How to hide personal photos on Xiaomi Redmi: 3 working ways + security tips

Have you ever encountered a situation where you have to hide photos from prying eyes, but you don't know how to do it on Xiaomi Redmi? Hidden albums are not only about privacy, but also about convenience. In 2026, the manufacturer offers several built-in ways to hide files, plus you can always use third-party solutions. However, not all methods are equally reliable: some albums are easy to find through the file manager, and others require a password or a fingerprint.

In this article, we’ll look at three proven ways to create a hidden album on Redmi Note 12/13, Redmi 10/11, POCO X5 and other models with MIUI 14/15. You’ll learn how to use the standard Gallery, the secret folder Hidden Folder, and which apps from Google Play are worth considering.

We warn you right away that no method offers 100% privacy guarantees, that if your smartphone gets into the hands of a power user, it can bypass ADB protection or data recovery, but for most everyday situations, embedded MIUI tools are enough.

Method 1: Hidden album through the standard Xiaomi Gallery

The easiest method is to use the built-in Gallery feature from Xiaomi. It is available on all smartphones with MIUI 12 and later, including the Redmi Note 10 Pro, Redmi 12C, POCO F4 and others. The main advantage is that you do not need to install additional programs.

To hide the album:

1. Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
2. Choose an album or individual photos you want to hide. To select a few files, hold your finger on one of them, then tap on the others.
3. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Hide.
4. Confirm the action by clicking OK. The photos will disappear from the main view, but will remain in the.nomedia folder.

To get back the hidden photos:

• 📁 Go to the gallery. → Albums. → Hidden.
• 🔓 Select files, click on three dots and click Show.
• 🔄 If the Hidden option is not displayed, update the Gallery via Google Play.

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If hidden photos suddenly appeared in the main gallery after the MIUI update, try to restart the smartphone. Sometimes the system resets the visibility settings after the updates.

Important: this method does not encrypt files. They are simply excluded from the gallery indexing. When you connect your phone to your computer through MTP, hidden photos can be found in the DCIM/.thumbnails or Pictures/.hidden folder.

Method 2: Hidden Folder (MIUI 14+)

Starting with MIUI 14, Xiaomi has added a more robust tool, the Hidden Folder, which, unlike the standard gallery hideout, encrypts files with password or biometrics, a method that is suitable for the Redmi Note 12 Pro+, Redmi K50, POCO F5 and other models from 2022-2026.

How to set up Hidden Folder:

1. Open Settings → Privacy → Hidden folder.
2. Create a password (at least 6 characters) or use a fingerprint.
3. Return to the Gallery, select a photo, click More → Move to a hidden folder.
4. Confirm the action with a password.

Features of Hidden Folder:

Install the latest version of MIUI| Create a backup of important photos |Remember the password or save it in the password manager |Check the fingerprint sensor (if you plan to use)

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⚠️ Note: If you forget the Hidden Folder password, it will be impossible to restore access to files - even through the Xiaomi service center. The only way out is to reset the phone to the factory settings, but this will delete all data.

Method 3: Third-party applications for hidden albums

If you don't have enough built-in MIUI tools, you can use third-party software that offers additional features like cloud storage, deletion simulation, screenshot protection, but there are risks with these apps, some of which collect metadata or display ads.

Top.-3 Proven applications for Xiaomi Redmi:

• 🔒 KeepSafe – encryption with PIN-code, backup to the cloud, the "false password" function".
• 📂 GalleryVault - hiding photo / video under the guise of a calculator, protection from deletion.
• 🛡️ LockMyPix - Face Support ID, Hiding from the system gallery, no advertising.

How to install and configure KeepSafe:

1. Download the app from Google Play (link: com.kii.safe).
2. At the first launch, install PIN-code.
3. Click + → Import photos and select files from the gallery.
4. Turn on the option to Remove from the gallery so that the photos disappear from the standard viewing.

⚠️ Note: Before installing third-party apps, check their permissions in Settings → Annexes → Permissions: If a program requests access to Contacts, SMS or Microphone without an obvious reason, it's a reason to be wary.

How to find hidden albums on Xiaomi Redmi (if you forgot)

Sometimes users forget where they hid a photo or can't find hidden files after resetting their settings. Here are some ways to reclaim access:

1. Through the file manager:

• 📂 Open Files (Standard Application) MIUI).
• 🔍 Enable the display of hidden folders: Settings → Show hidden files.
• 📁 Go to the internal drive. → DCIM →.thumbnails or Pictures →.hidden.

2. via ADB (for power users):

adb shell ls /sdcard/DCIM/.thumbnails


adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/.thumbnails ~/Downloads/

These commands will copy the hidden photos to your computer, and you need ADB and USB debugging enabled to work.

3. Through backup:

If you've previously done a backup through Mi Cloud or Google Photos, check the archives. Hidden photos may not be there, but sometimes they're saved in the Private folder.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even the built-in MIUI tools have a problem, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to fix them:

Problem 1: Hidden photos suddenly appear in the gallery.

⚠️ Note: This happens after the update MIUI Or reset the gallery cache. To fix, go to Settings. → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the cache, then restart the phone.

Problem 2: Hidden Folder does not work after resetting.

If you reset your phone to factory settings, all files from Hidden Folder are deleted without recovery, and the only way to avoid loss is to regularly export the photo to an encrypted archive (for example, a 7-Zip with a password).

Problem 3: The third-party app doesn't hide the photo.

• 🔄 Check if the Warehouse permission for the application is enabled.
• 📥 Update the program to the latest version.
• 🛠️ Reinstall the application, pre-save the photo to another place.

Security Tips for Hidden Albums

Hiding a photo is only half the story, and to really protect privacy, follow these guidelines:

1. Use two-factor authentication:

If hidden albums sync to the cloud (e.g., via KeepSafe), enable 2FA in your account settings, which will prevent access to your photo even if someone knows your password.

2. disable automatic download in messengers:

In Telegram, WhatsApp or Viber, disable the option to Autoload Media in the chat settings. This will prevent personal photos from getting into the gallery.

3. Regularly check the permissions of applications:

Some programs (such as memory cleaners or launchers) can scan hidden folders. Disable them from accessing Storage in Settings → Applications → Permissions.

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The most reliable way to hide a photo on Xiaomi Redmi is to use the Hidden Folder combination (for main files) + a third-party application with a cloud backup (for backups).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions