MIUI Decrypt illustration: visualizing how Secret Album encryption shields your photos behind layered keys and metadata.
Xiaomi’s Secret Album (MIUI’s protected gallery) uses a multi-layer encryption stack built on AES-GCM, hardware-backed key storage, and the user’s unlock credentials. The result: photos never leave your device unencrypted, but recovering them requires us to reverse-engineer the same layers MIUI uses.
Why Secret Album encrypts your photos
Secret Album is meant for one thing: keep photos and videos safe even if someone can access your device storage. Xiaomi encrypts every file uploaded to the album using a key derived from the device-specific secure enclave, tied to the user’s account and PIN. On top of that, MIUI wraps the binary data in a container that also stores `.meta` blobs, IVs, digital signatures, and versioning info so the gallery app can detect tampering.
Because the encryption key is tied to your device and account, decrypting the data anywhere else requires reconstructing that trust chain. That’s why `.lsa` and `.lsav` files look like random bytes: they are AES-encrypted archives signed by MIUI and stored in the Secret Album vault.
Inside the .lsa and .lsav containers
MIUI bundles encrypted payloads in two main formats: `.lsa` for photos and `.lsav` for videos. Both are zipped archives containing at least:
- Encrypted media payload stored as AES-256-GCM
- Encrypted session key and IV metadata
- A JSON manifest describing the file name, MIME type, and original resolution
- HMAC-based integrity checks signed with Xiaomi’s application key
The manifest is critical because it includes the `salt` and `keyId` MIUI will use to re-derive the AES key when you unlock the album. MIUI Decrypt reads those fields before attempting any AES operations, so we honor Xiaomi’s signature checks and never guess keys blindly.
What happens when you need to recover files
Losing the password, migrating to a new device, or resetting MIUI can break the Secret Album key chain. MIUI’s built-in recovery usually fails unless you still have the original credentials and device. That’s where our recovery workflow steps in: we pair the metadata we just described with the file you upload (`.lsa` or `.lsav`), read the key material, and stream the decrypted bytes back into the gallery we can open.
Because the keys are tied to your account, MIUI Decrypt never stores or reuses them. We simply replay the same decryption steps MIUI would have executed: derive the AES-256 secret, verify the HMAC, and convert the decrypted result into a standard JPG/MP4. The experience is explained in detail in our recovery walkthrough.
How MIUI Decrypt privately reconstructs the pipeline
Our decrypt stack mirrors MIUI’s trusted components: metadata validation, AES-256-GCM decryption, and video container reassembly. We never ask for your login credentials, and every intermediate file is processed in memory before being discarded.
We also keep detailed logs for troubleshooting and link each decryption job to one of our cornerstone articles (see the file format guide for reference data). If you are restoring a Secret Album as part of a legal or migration process, we can show you the exact `keyId` and `salt` that MIUI stored.
MIUI Decrypt Team publishes practical guidance for MIUI Secret Album recovery, Xiaomi privacy, and .lsa/.lsav troubleshooting so users can make informed decisions before they upload.
Every blog article is designed to match the product experience: clear explanations, realistic recovery expectations, and a direct path back to the decrypt workflow.
