Xiaomi’s Secret Album: Where to Find, How to Open, and What to Do If It’s Lost

Hidden albums on Xiaomi smartphones are one of the most talked-about features among the brand's users, with many facing a situation where important photos or videos suddenly disappear from the main gallery, even though the phone's memory shows files taking up space. Others hide sensitive material on purpose, but then they can't remember how to get it back. MIUI Since version 8, the layout and logic of the update have changed with each update.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to access the hidden album on Redmi, POCO In the Mi series, including the 2023-2026 models, you will learn how to find hidden files through standard settings, third-party apps, and even manually through the file system. MIUI, How to restore access if you have forgotten your password, and what to do if files are corrupted. All instructions are tested on the latest firmware and adapted for users with any level of technical training.

What is a hidden album on Xiaomi and why you need it

Hidden Album (or "Private Folder" in English) MIUI) — This is a secure storage for photos, videos and documents that is not displayed in the standard gallery by default, and was introduced as a response to user privacy requests: According to Xiaomi surveys, 68% of smartphone owners at least once tried to hide personal files from prying eyes.

Features of the hidden album:

• 🔒 Password/fingerprint protection: Access only after authentication, even if the phone is unlocked.
• 👁️‍🗨️ Invisibility in the gallery: files do not appear in the main interface, but take up space in memory.
• 📁 Separate Storage: Physically files are stored in an encrypted folder /MIUI/PrivateFolder/.
• 🔄 Sync with Mi Cloud: When you activate backup, hidden files are also saved in the cloud (but in encrypted form).

It is important to understand that a hidden album is not the same as the Hide Album feature in Google Photos. The latter simply removes the folder from view, but the files remain accessible through the file manager. MIUI Hidden files are encrypted hardware using a key tied to a Mi Account, which makes their protection much more reliable.

⚠️ Warning: If you reset your phone to factory settings without detaching your Mi Account, you will lose access to hidden files forever.

Where is the hidden album in MIUI: formality

The location of the hidden album depends on the version MIUI And the latest firmware (MIUI 14+) The entry is implemented through the application "Security", and in older versions (MIUI 12) - through the Gallery or Files, below are the current paths for all options.

Method 1: Through the Security app» (MIUI 13/14)

This is the main method for modern devices (Redmi Note 12, Xiaomi 13, POCO F5 newer):

1. Open the Security app (shield icon).
2. Go to the section "Confidentiality" → "Hidden album".
3. Enter your password or use your fingerprint.

If there is no Privacy section, update the Security app via Google Play or App Store (for global firmware).

Method 2: Through the Gallery» (MIUI 12 and older)

For Redmi 9, Mi devices 10T, POCO X3 and others MIUI 12:

1. Open the Gallery.
2. Tap the three-point menu (⋮) top-right.
3. Select "Hidden Album" and enter your password.

If there is no item, check the settings of the gallery: sometimes the function is disabled in "Gallery settings" → "Additionally".

Method 3: Through Files (alternative)

In some firmware, hidden files can be found through a standard file manager:

1. Open the Files app.
2. Go to the Categories" → "Images" (or "Video").
3. In the top menu, select "Hidden Files".

This method does not work on all devices and may require additional authentication.

How to Open a Hidden Album If It Disappears After Updating

One of the most common problems is the disappearance of a hidden album after an update. MIUI. This is because you change your storage structure or reset your privacy settings:

Reason 1: Resetting the Security App settings

After the update, the system can reset permissions to access hidden files.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find "Security" and open its settings.
3. Slip the Storage" → "Clear the cache” (not data!).
4. Reboot your phone and check access to the album.

Reason 2: Changing the way files are stored

V MIUI 14 The path to hidden files has changed with /MIUI/PrivateFolder/ on /Android/data/com.miui.privatefolder/. If the album is missing, try it:

• 🔍 Use a file manager with root rights (e.g. Solid Explorer).
• 📂 Manually go on a new path and check the availability of files.
• 🔄 Reboot your phone in Safe Mode (hold the power button) → "Restarting in Safe Mode").

Reason 3: Conflict with Google Photos

If you use Google Photos to back up, it can move files to its cloud storage.

1. Open Google Photos → "Library" → "Devices".
2. See if your “disappeared” files are displayed there.
3. If yes, download them back to the device.

⚠️ Warning: Do not delete the PrivateFolder folder manually through the file manager! this can result in the loss of all hidden files without the possibility of recovery.

Make sure your phone is over 30% charged

Connect to a stable Wi-Fi

Make a backup copy of visible files

Remember the password from the Mi Account

Try rebooting your phone-->

How to restore access if you forget the password from the hidden album

Forgotten password is the second most popular issue after the album's disappearance.Unfortunately, Xiaomi doesn't provide an official way to reset a password without losing data, but there are a few workarounds.

Method 1: Reset via Mi Account (without losing files)

If your phone is linked to your Mi Account, try:

1. Go to Settings. → Mi Account.
2. Select "Security" → "Device management".
3. Click on your device and select Reset the Hidden Album Password.

This method only works if you have previously confirmed the rights to the device through the SMS email.

Method 2: Using a backup of the Mi Cloud

If you have backup enabled in Mi Cloud:

1. Sign in to i.mi.com.
2. Go to "Reserve copies" → "Select a backup copy".
3. Find the PrivateFolder folder in the archive and download it.

The files will be encrypted, but they can be transferred to another Xiaomi phone with the same Mi Account.

Method 3: Resetting the phone (extreme case)

If other methods do not help, only a complete reset remains:

1. Make a backup of all important data (hidden files will not be saved!).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Select "Erase all data."
4. After the reboot, log in to the same Mi Account – hidden files will be recovered from the cloud (if backup was enabled).

How to transfer files from a hidden album to a computer

If you need to copy files from a hidden album to a PC, the standard connection is USB It doesn't help -- the PrivateFolder folder doesn't show up in "This Computer." Here's the working way:

Method 1: Through Mi PC Suite

The official utility from Xiaomi allows you to work with hidden files:

1. Download and install Mi PC Suite from the official website.
2. Put the phone on. USB (Turn on "File Transfer" in the notification curtain).
3. In the program, go to "Files" → "Hidden files".
4. Select the files you need and click Export.

Method 2: ADB (for advanced users)

If you have experience working with ADB, You can copy files manually:

adb pull /sdcard/MIUI/PrivateFolder/ C:\Xiaomi_Private_Backup\

Before that, it is necessary:

• 🔧 Insert "Debugging by" USB" In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (7 times tap the version, then return to "Additional" → "For developers").
• 🖥️ Install ADB Tools on the computer.
• 🔑 Allow debugging on the phone at the first connection.

Method 3: Through the Cloud

The easiest but slowest way is:

1. Enable the Hidden Album Sync with Mi Cloud in the privacy settings.
2. Wait until the loading is complete (may take hours with a large volume).
3. Download files via the web version of Mi Cloud on PC.

💡

If, in the case of copying through ADB The error occurs when you run the adb shell first, then su (if there is root), and then pull.

Frequent mistakes and how to fix them

When working with a hidden album, users face typical problems, and here are the most common solutions:

Error 1: “Hidden album is not supported on this device”

Causes and solutions:

• 📱 Outdated firmware: Update MIUI Up to the latest version in Settings → Updating the system.
• 🌍 Regional firmware: Some devices in India or China have disabled the feature. Install global firmware via Mi Flash Tool.
• 🔧 There is no security app: Download it APK from the official Xiaomi website (for example, apk.mi.com).

Mistake 2: “I failed to open the hidden album”

This is most often related to:

• 🔑 Incorrect password: Make sure you enter the password from the hidden album, not your phone. If you forgot, see the section on re-access.
• 📵 Damaged files: Restart your phone. If it doesn't work, check file system integrity through Settings. → Memory. → Memory check.
• 🔄 Update conflict: Clear the Security app cache (see instructions above).

Error 3: Files in the album appear as corrupted

If the photo or video does not open:

1. Try copying them to your computer and opening them through VLC Photoshop (sometimes helps restore previews).
2. Use file recovery software such as Recuva or DiskDigger.
3. If files are critically important, contact Xiaomi’s service center with a check to buy (they can try to extract data through the service). EMMC-reader).

⚠️ Warning: Do not use the hidden album password recovery software found on third-party sites, most of which are fraudulent software that can steal your data or encrypt your phone.

Alternative ways to hide files on Xiaomi

If a standard hidden album doesn’t suit you (for example, due to access issues), consider alternative methods:

Method 1: Password Archives

You can pack files into a secure archive:

1. Install the RAR or ZArchiver app from Google Play.
2. Select files in the file manager → "Add to the archives".
3. Set password and encryption method AES-256.
4. Remove the originals and leave only the archive.

Method 2: Third-party safe applications

Popular applications for hiding files:

• 🔐 KeepSafe – encryption with PIN-code-and-print.
• 📁 GalleryVault - Simulated error when trying to open.
• 🌐 Hide Something – Support for Cloud Backup.

The advantage: files are stored in encrypted form even at the file system level.

Method 3: Transfer to a secure Google Files folder

Google Files has a “Secure Folder” feature:

1. Install Google Files from the Play Market.
2. Open the menu. → "Safe folder" → set up PIN.
3. Move the files to this folder (they will disappear from the main storage).

Disadvantages: files are not encrypted at the system level, only hidden from view.

Method 4: Hiding by Renaming

Simple but effective method:

1. Rename the folder with files, adding a point to the beginning (for example,.secret_photos).
2. The file manager will not display it without the hidden file mode enabled.
3. For reliability, move the folder to /storage/emulated/0/ (memory-root).

💡

Xiaomi’s standard hidden album is more reliable than third-party solutions, as it uses hardware encryption at the firmware level. However, for maximum security, combine several methods (for example, a hidden album). + password-archive).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions