Hi guys! So I fiddled a bit with the file explorer's new file hide feature. When activated, you can select files to be hidden, and the file explorer will move them to /storage/emulated/0/FileExplorer/.safebox. Whether the files are hidden or not, a rooted file explorer, like TotalCommander will be able to see them, but it will be hidden to regular apps. There is an option to "unhide" these files, but to most apps it will still be hidden, so you'd have to remove them from your safebox. Some additional features would be useful for this function thou:
- The File explorer does not remember the path the hidden file came from. When you restore it, it will ask you to choose a folder and will move the file there. In my opinion the File Explorer should remember where the file originally was, and when hiding is turned off, it should automatically move the files back there.
- You cannot add a complete library. If, say you want to hide your embarrassing '60-ies pop albums, you have to manually add every file, and when you need them again, manually restore them to their original place.
- The method does not work against rooted file explorers. Since most Xiaomi devices now have Unified Storage, the sd card partition is actually emulated. The place to store the hidden files should be outside the emulated SD-card, so rooted apps would have harder time to find them (for example /data/miui/app/FileExplorer).
As of now, this feature is okay to hide one or two company spreadsheets you don't want your friends or your kid to find when fiddling with your phone, but it could be so much more useful with a few modifications!