How to unlock a hidden album on Xiaomi, if you forgot the password: the full guide

The forgotten password from a hidden album on a Xiaomi smartphone is a problem that thousands of users face. Unlike the standard gallery, where photos are always available, hidden albums in MIUI are protected by an additional layer of security. If you enter the wrong password several times or simply do not remember it, the system blocks access, leaving the user in a state of confusion. But don't panic: there are legal ways to restore access without losing data.

In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of unlocking a hidden album on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices running MIUI 12-14. From simple solutions through a Mi Account to technical bypasses using ADB, you will find the right option regardless of the level of training. Importantly, some methods require pre-setting (for example, linking an account), so the effectiveness depends on your actions before blocking.

Why a Hidden Album Is Blocked and What to Do First

The hidden album in MIUI is not just a folder of photos, but a secure storage system integrated into the Gallery's system application.

• 🔒 Several failed attempts to enter a password – the system temporarily blocks access (usually for 5–30 minutes).
• 🔄 Reset phone settings – if you reset your device to factory settings, the hidden album may remain locked even after you restore the backup.
• 📱 Update MIUI — Sometimes after system updates, the password is reset or access errors occur.

Before you start taking radical measures, follow the basic steps:

1. Restart the device – sometimes it resets the temporary lock.
2. Try entering possible password options (date of birth, last digits of phone number, etc.) Note that in MIUI 14 after 5 unsuccessful attempts, the album is blocked for 24 hours.
3. Check if the album is linked to another Mi Account (for example, if the phone was purchased by a used one).

If these actions didn't work, go to specialized unlocking methods. Start with the safest ones -- they don't require data resets or technical skills.

Method 1: Unblocking through Mi Account (the safest way)

If your smartphone is linked to a Mi Account, you can restore access to the hidden album via the web interface or the Mi Cloud app.

• 📌 You logged into Mi's account on your phone before the album was blocked.
• 📱 Gallery settings enable hidden data synchronization with the cloud (default disabled!).
• 🔗 You have access to an email or phone number linked to your account.

Step-by-step:

1. Open your browser on a PC or other device and go to i.mi.com.
2. Sign in to your Mi Account (the same as on your locked phone).
3. Go to Gallery → Hidden Albums section (if the section is missing, then the synchronization was not configured).
4. Download the necessary photos to your computer or send them to another gadget.

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If the Hidden Albums section doesn’t appear in the Mi Cloud, try enabling sync on another Xiaomi device with the same account, sometimes unlocking old data.

⚠️ Warning: If you haven't turned on hidden album syncs beforehand, this method won't work.

Method 2: Reset password through MIUI security settings

Some versions of MIUI (especially 12 and 13) have a hidden password reset option for system applications, including gallery.This method does not require the phone to be reset to factory settings, but does not work on all devices.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings. → Passwords and security.
2. Scroll down and find the Passwords section of the App (on some models, Application Security).
3. Select the Gallery from the list.
4. Click Forgot Password? (or Reset Password)
5. Confirm the action through PIN-lock-screen code or fingerprint.

If this item is missing, your version of MIUI does not support such a reset, the alternative is to use ADB (method 4), but it requires pre-configuration of debugging.

Method 3: Restore access through MIUI backup

If you regularly back up through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset, there is a chance to restore access to the hidden album.

• 🔄 You have an up-to-date backup created before the album was blocked.
• 📁 In the reservation settings, the option Gallery or System Data was included.
• 🔐 Remember the password from the backup (if it was installed).

How to restore:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Local Backups.
2. Select the most recent copy (check the date of creation!).
3. Click Restore and select only Gallery (so as not to erase other data).
4. Wait for the process to be completed and restart the phone.

⚠️ Warning: Restore from backup can overwrite current photos in the gallery. Before the procedure, copy important files to your computer or cloud.

Method 4: Unlocking through ADB (for advanced users)

If previous methods didn’t work, you can try bypassing the lock using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires USB debugging and access to the computer. Importantly, on devices with MIUI 14 and later, this method may not work due to increased protection.

Preparation:

Install ADB on your computer (download from [developer.android.com](https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools))| Enable USB debugging on your phone (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times) → Additional → For developers → USB debugging)| Connect the phone to your PC via the original cable | Allow debugging on your phone screen (requery will appear)

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Instructions:

1. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with ADB.
2. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices should display the serial number of your device.
3. Run a command to reset the gallery password: adb shell pm clear com.miui.gallery This command will reset the Gallery app settings, including the hidden album password.
4. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Note: pm clear removes all Gallery app data, including cache and settings, and the photos will remain in place, but albums and tags may disappear. POCO custom-made.

If ADB issues a Permission Denied error, try the alternative command:

adb shell settings put global hidden_api_policy 1

Then reset the gallery. On some devices, this bypasses the limitations of MIUI.

Method 5: Hard reset (last chance)

If none of these methods work, the last resort is factory reset, which is guaranteed to remove the password from the hidden album, but also erase all the data on your phone, including photos, contacts and apps.

• 🔧 You don’t have any important data on your phone (or it’s synced to the cloud).
• 📱 The device is not tied to the Mi Account (otherwise you will need to enter a login / password after resetting).
• 🔒 You are ready to lose all unsaved photos, including those in the hidden album.

How to reset:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Volume Up + Power buttons before the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data (manage by volume buttons, confirm by power button).
4. Wait for the process to complete and restart the device.

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After a hard reset, the phone will require reconfiguration, including linking the Mi Account. If you forget the data from the account, the device may be locked forever (Mi Account Lock function).

What to do if nothing works: alternative solutions

If all methods are useless, consider the following options:

• 🔍 Contact Xiaomi Service Center – official centers can help with unlocking if you provide proof of purchase (check or box.
• 📁 Use third-party utilities such as Dr.Fone or Tenorshare 4uKey. These programs promise to bypass the lock, but require root rights and do not always work on new versions. MIUI.
• 🔄 Transfer data to another phone – if you have a second Xiaomi smartphone, try copying the folder DCIM/.hidden through ADB pull (root rights required).

⚠️ Note: Third-party unlock programs often contain malware or require payment for broken features. Before using, check reviews on independent sites (for example, check reviews on non-dependant sites, XDA Developers).

If the hidden album contained critical data (such as documents or evidence) and the access could not be restored, contact data recovery specialists. In some cases, photos can be extracted directly from the memory chip, but this is an expensive procedure (from 5 000 rubles).

FAQ: Frequent questions about unlocking a hidden album on Xiaomi