How to unlock hidden photos on Xiaomi, if you forgot your password: official and alternative methods

Forgetting the password from the hidden folder in the Xiaomi gallery is a frustrating situation, but it is not a hopeless one. The manufacturer has envisaged several ways to restore access, but they are not all equally safe. In this article, we will discuss official methods (via Mi Account, resetting settings) and alternative solutions (using ADB, file manager), and explain why some “people’s” tips can harm your device.

It's important to understand that hidden photos in Xiaomi are not only password-protected, but also account-linked, which means that you can't just "crack" the folder, either by verifying your identity or by taking drastic measures like resetting your phone. If you haven't made backups, be prepared for some of the data to be lost.

Before proceeding with the instructions, check:

• 🔒 Is the phone connected to the Mi Account (without it, recovery through official channels is impossible).
• 📱 Do you have access to the email or phone number associated with your account.
• 🔄 When was the last time the data was synchronized (this will help to restore the photo after resetting).

If you are not sure about your actions, it is better to contact the Xiaomi service center - specialists will be able to extract data with minimal risks. Self-manipulation of system files can lead to the loss of all photos in the hidden folder, if you do not follow the instructions accurately.

Recovery of access through Mi Account (official method)

The most reliable and secure way to use a phone-bound Mi Account is to use a Mi Account, which works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO,Released models after 2018, if the device was not rooted.

Instructions:

1. Open the Gallery app and go to the Hidden Folder section.
2. Click Forgot Password? (or similar button depending on the version of MIUI).
3. Enter the username and password from the Mi Account tied to the phone.
4. Confirm the recovery via SMS or email (if two-factor authentication is enabled).

⚠️ Note: If you have previously changed your Mi Account password and have not updated it on your phone, the system may block access.

Check your internet connection (Wi-Fi or mobile data)

Make sure the latest version of MIUI is installed on your phone.

Have access to email or SMS on hand for confirmation

Remember or write down a new password from a hidden folder-->

2. Reset the hidden folder password through security settings

Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro, Xiaomi 11T) have the option to reset the hidden folder password through the security menu without resorting to a full phone reset.

• 📱 The phone is not locked with a pattern lock or PIN-screen-code.
• 🔑 Remember the password from your main Mi Account.
• 📲 The device is not rooted (otherwise, the security settings can be changed).

Step-by-step:

1. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy.
2. Select Hidden Folder (or Private Folder in Global Firmware).
3. Click Reset password and confirm the action through Mi Account.
4. Set a new password (write it down in a safe place!).

⚠️ Note: After resetting the password, all files in the hidden folder will remain in place, but if you forget the new password, it will be more difficult to restore access - the system may require a complete reset of the phone.

3. Use ADB to unlock hidden photos (for advanced users)

If the official methods didn’t work, you can try to access hidden files via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires USB debugging enabled and is only suitable for users who have previously activated this option in the developer’s settings.

Pre-launch warnings:

• 🚨 Wrong teams ADB It can cause data loss or damage to the system.
• 🔌 The method does not work on phones with a blocked bootloader (bootloader).
• 📱 After manipulation, it may be necessary to restart the device.

Instructions:

1. Connect the phone to your PC and allow debugging via USB (pop-up on the phone).
2. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type in: adb shell su cd /data/data/com.miui.gallery/files/private ls
3. If the folder exists, copy the files to your PC by command: adb pull /data/data/com.miui.gallery/files/private/C:\HiddenPhotos (replace the path with the desired one).

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If the su command is not working, then the phone has no root rights. ADB-This method will not help – try other methods of the article.

⚠️ Attention: Starting with MIUI 14, Xiaomi tightened the protection of system folders, even with root access files in the /data/data/com.miui.gallery/ They can be encrypted, and then you can't get them out without losing them.

4. Retrieving photos through the file manager (if the phone is rooted)

If your Xiaomi has root rights, you can manually find and copy hidden photos through a file manager with support for system folders (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).

Where to look for hidden files:

How to copy files:

1. Open a file manager with root access.
2. Follow one of the paths from the table above.
3. Select the files you need and copy them to a secure location (e.g., on the computer). SD-map).
4. Restart your phone to avoid any errors in the gallery.

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Even with root access, not all files can be retrieved, and if the private folder is empty, then the photos are encrypted at the MIUI level and require a password to decrypt.

5. Complete phone reset (last resort)

If no other method has worked, hard reset will remove all data from your phone, including hidden photos, but if you have synced with Mi Cloud, some files can be restored after authorization.

How to reset Xiaomi to factory settings:

1. Create a backup of important data (contacts, messages, photos from open folders).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data and confirm the action.
4. After restarting, log in to Mi Account – the system will offer to restore data from the cloud.

⚠️ Note: If you do not remember the data from Mi Account, the reset will lead to a complete loss of access to the phone (protection is activated). FRP). In this case, you can unlock the device only through the official Xiaomi service with confirmation of purchase.

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Before reset, check if gallery sync is enabled in Mi Cloud. Go to Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud → Gallery.

6. Alternative ways: what NOT to do

There are many “advices” on the Internet to unlock hidden photos on Xiaomi that not only don’t work, but can also damage the device.

• 🔧 "Install the old update MIUI" — Firmware rollback will not reset the hidden folder password, but can cause errors in the phone’s operation.
• 📲 "Use password cracking apps – most of these programs are viruses or spyware.
• 🔌 "Connect your phone to another Xiaomi OTG" — This will not allow access to system folders.
• 💻 "Restore password through the Engineering menu – there are no options in the Engineering menu (#4636##) to reset the gallery password.

The only relatively safe way to do this is to create a new Mi Account and try to tie the phone to it, but this will only work on older models (before 2019) and require a complete reset.

⚠️ Note: If you find an instruction that suggests "cracking" private.db or other system files, do not follow it. MIUI 12, Xiaomi uses hardware encryption, and such manipulations will result in permanent file damage.

7 How to avoid losing access to hidden photos in the future

To avoid encountering the problem of blocked hidden folder again, follow these guidelines:

• 🔐 Use a password manager (such as Bitwarden or KeePass) to store a password from a hidden folder.
• ☁️ Enable automatic gallery sync with Mi Cloud (even hidden photos can be reserved).
• 📁 Regularly copy important photos on the SD-card.
• 📱 Set up biometric authorization (fingerprint or Face) ID) file-access.

Alternative ways to hide files are also worth considering:

• 🔒 Use encrypted archives (for example, 7-Zip password-wise).
• 📂 Transfer sensitive photos to private folders of third-party applications (for example, Google Files or Vaulty).
• 🔗 Store your critical files in a secure cloud (like Proton Drive or Tresorit).

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Hidden folder in MIUI is not the most reliable way to protect your data, but use specialized applications with encryption (for example, Cryptomator or Boxcryptor) for really sensitive data.

FAQ: Frequent questions about unlocking hidden photos on Xiaomi