Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face the need to hide certain photos or videos from prying eyes. The standard MIUI gallery offers a built-in Personal Album feature that allows you to secure sensitive files with a password or fingerprint. However, after updating the system or when using them for the first time, users may not immediately find where hidden images have gone and how to access them.
In this article, we will take a look at all the ways you log into secure storage, set up security and solve typical problems. You will learn how to activate a function when it is disabled, and how to transfer data when you change your device. The security of your personal data depends on the correct settings, so it is worth paying attention to this.
The interface of the MIUI shell can vary depending on the version of Android and regional firmware (Global, China, EEA). Despite the visual differences, the logic of the hidden file system remains the same for all models, from the budget Redmi Note to the flagship Mi. We will consider universal methods relevant to most modern devices.
What is a Personal Album and How Does It Work?
A personal album is an isolated partition in the smartphone file system that is only accessible after authorization, and the files that are placed here disappear from public access, and they cannot be seen in a standard gallery tape, through a conductor, or when you connect your phone to your computer in file transfer mode, which provides a high level of privacy.
It's based on encrypting file metadata. When you hide a photo, the system doesn't delete it, it changes the path to it and hides the preview. It requires you to enter a special password or pattern other than the unlock password. It encrypts the data at the system level, making it almost impossible for the average user to extract information without the access key.
⚠️ Note: If you forget the password from your personal album and do not link the Mi Account for recovery, it will be impossible to return access to files.
It is important to understand that a personal album is tied to a specific device and Mi Account (if sync is enabled).When transferring data to a new phone simply by copying folders, files may not appear without the correct migration procedure.
Step-by-step: how to open a hidden album
There are several ways to get into the hidden storage, and the fastest and most convenient way is to use gestures in the Gallery app, which works even if the icon of the album is not displayed on the main screen.
Open the standard Gallery app. Go to the Albums tab, which displays a list of all folders (Camera, Screenshots, WhatsApp, etc.) On this screen, swipe from the bottom up the center of the screen. Keep your finger on the screen for about a second until a password request or fingerprint scanner appears.
- 📱 Open the Gallery app on your Redmi.
- 📂 Go to the Albums tab at the bottom of the screen.
- 👆 Make a swipe from the bottom up in the center of the screen and hold your finger.
- 🔐 Enter a password, pattern lock, or put your finger on the scanner.
Once you've successfully logged in, you'll have a personal album interface, and you'll see all the hidden photos and videos, chronologically arranged, and you just have to click back or fold the app, and gesture control is the primary method of access, because it's hidden from random viewing.
Setting up the visibility of the personal album icon
If you don't feel comfortable using gestures every time, you can put the personal album icon in the general folder list, which will make it easier to access, but will make the fact that hidden files are more visible to those who pick up the phone, and you can set up through the gallery settings menu.
Go to your personal album by any means you can (via a swipe). Click on the settings icon (usually a gear or three dots in the corner). In the menu that opens, find the "Show a personal album" switch. Activate it. Now a folder with the corresponding name and lock icon will appear in the list of albums.
What to do if the switch is inactive?
If you can't change your visibility settings, check to see if Guest Mode or Second Space is enabled. In these modes, access to your personal master profile album may be limited by Android's system security constraints. The presence of a visible icon allows you to move faster to hidden files, but requires additional vigilance. Anyone who unlocks your phone will see the Personal Album folder, although they can't open its content without a password. Visual accessibility facilitates management, but reduces the level of secrecy. Security Techniques: passwords, fingerprints and faces Xiaomi's security system allows you to use various biometric and digital keys. To set up, go to Settings → Passwords and security → Privacy: You can change the password of your personal album or add biometrics, and it is recommended to use your fingerprint for everyday use, as this greatly speeds up access. ID (Face unlocking is also supported on many models. Protection method Access speed Security level Convenience pattern lock Average high average fingerprint High Very high facial recognition High medium high digital PIN-The average high average combination of methods gives the best result, for example, the main password can be complex and rarely used, and a fingerprint is configured for daily login. Biometric data is stored in a secure module of the phone and is not transferred to Xiaomi servers, which guarantees its safety. When buying a new Xiaomi smartphone, the question arises: how to transfer hidden photos? Simple copying of files through the computer will not work, since files are encrypted and have changed names. To correctly transfer, you need to use built-in migration tools or cloud synchronization. The most reliable way is to use Mi Cloud. If the old device is enabled to sync a personal album, all files will automatically be uploaded to the cloud. On the new phone, it is enough to log into the same Mi Account and enable synchronization. Files will appear in the gallery after authorization. If the cloud is not used, you can use the function of “Tranking data from the data volume of the mobile phone to the mobile phone”. ☁️ Make sure your old phone has sync enabled in the Mi Cloud. 🔄 Wait for the data to be uploaded to the cloud. 📲 On the new device, log in to the same Xiaomi account. 📥 Enable gallery sync in your account settings. If your personal album takes up more space, you will need to expand the tariff or use local portability through Mi Mover. Backup of critical data is best done on an external hard drive after temporarily extracting files from a hidden album. 📊 Password in the GalleryShidden folder in the Explorer I do not hide in general Restoration of access with a forgotten password Forgotten password from a personal album is a common problem. If you've linked your Mi Account to a security feature, it takes a couple of minutes to recover. The system offers to reset the password only through the account. To reset, enter the wrong password several times in a row. On the screen, the link will appear: "Forgot the password?" Click on it and enter the data from the Mi Account that was used in the setting. After confirming the identity, the system will install a new access key. ⚠️ Note: Resetting a password through a Mi Account can result in deleting old files if the encryption keys were lost or not synchronized. MIUI If the account is not tied, you can't restore access using standard methods. The only option is to try to remember the combination. It can take a long time to sort out the options, and the security system can temporarily block the input after several errors. Protection from selection is an important element of security, but it creates difficulties for forgetful owners. 💡Always link your personal album to your Mi Account as soon as you create it. It's the only guaranteed way to restore access without losing data (FAQ) Can you see personal album files through a computer? No, when you connect your phone to your PC in file transfer mode (MTP) The files are only visible inside the Android operating system after logging in to the Gallery app. What happens to the photo in the personal album when you reset your phone? When you completely reset, all data, including the contents of your personal album, will be permanently deleted unless you sync with Mi Cloud. Local encryption keys are destroyed. Can you hide the Personal Album folder from the list? Yes, that's standard behavior. If you have disabled the “Show Personal Album” option in the settings, the folder will not be visible in the list. The only way to access it is through a swipe from the bottom up in the Albums section. Do hidden photos take up space in the phone's memory? Yes, hidden photos and videos occupy the same space in the internal memory as normal ones. They're just hidden from viewing. To free up space, they must be removed or transferred to a memory card (if the function supports the work of the memory card). SD-map MIUI).