Accidentally removing important photos on a Xiaomi smartphone is a stressful situation that many users face. Often a finger slips during a quick cleaning of the gallery, and valuable footage disappears irrevocably. However, it is too early to panic, since the Android operating system and the MIUI shell or HyperOS have several levels of data protection.
Recovery is possible if you've been quick and haven't had time to rewrite memory sectors with new files. There are several proven methods, ranging from built-in synchronization tools to the use of specialized software. It's important to understand that the success of the operation depends on how long ago the images were deleted and whether the synchronization was enabled.
In this article, we'll look at all the algorithms available, from the simplest search in the Recycle Bin to deep scanning of a device by a computer, where to look for backups and how to minimize the risk of data loss in the future, and the main rule is not to write new information to your phone until you recover.
Check the built-in basket in the Xiaomi gallery
The first and easiest step to take is to check the system folder “Deleted”: in the shells of MIUI and HyperOS, deleted files are not erased instantly, but moved to the buffer zone for 30 days, which gives the user time to decide whether to completely destroy or return data.
To access this feature, open the standard Gallery app and go to the Albums tab. Scroll down to the Other Albums section, where you will find Deleted. This is where all photos and videos that have been manually deleted but have not yet been finalized are stored.
If you find the right shots, select them with a long press and click on the Recover button. The files will return to their original albums with a recording date and metadata saved. However, if you used the Clean the Recycle Bin feature or more than a month has passed, this method, alas, will not help.
⚠️ Note: The file retention period in the Xiaomi Recycle Bin is strictly limited to 30 days, and after this period, the system automatically and irrevocably deletes the data to free up space.
It is worth noting that the amount of memory occupied by deleted files is also limited. If the basket is full, old files can be deleted prematurely, so checking this section regularly is a good habit for the owner of Xiaomi.
Use of the Mi Cloud cloud service
Xiaomi smartphone owners have access to their own cloud storage Mi Cloud. If you activated gallery sync on your device, all the images taken were automatically uploaded to the company's servers, which is the most reliable way to protect against data loss when you break or reset settings.
To check for backup, go to your phone's settings, select "Mi Account" and click on the "Mi Cloud" icon. Make sure the Gallery switch is active. If sync is working, your photos are in the cloud, even if they are deleted from your phone's memory.
There are two ways to recover files: One is to simply turn on the sync on your phone and the images will appear in the gallery; the other is to go to the official i.mi.com website via a browser on your computer, log in to your Mi Account and download the desired pictures manually.
What to do if the Mi Cloud memory is full?
If the free 5GB is out, the sync of new photos stops, in which case the old photos can stay in the cloud, but the new ones will not load, the solution is to clear the space or buy a subscription, it is important to distinguish between local removal and removal from the cloud. If you delete a photo in your phone gallery, it can disappear from the cloud if you have enabled the function “Sync Deletions”. Check the sync settings to understand the logic of your account. As Xiaomi runs on Android, the Google ecosystem is an integral part of the system.The Google Photos app is often installed by default and can back up regardless of Mi services. Open the Google Photos app and log in to your main Google account. Check the Library section» → «Basket». Here, deleted photos are stored for 60 days if they were previously synced. This is a longer time than the built-in Xiaomi cart. It's also worth checking out Google Drive, especially if you've been making backups manually or using third-party apps to create archives. Sometimes users forget that they have set up automatic uploading of important documents and photos to this service. 📸 Open the Google Photos app and check the top profile to confirm your account. ♻️ Go to the Library menu and select the Recycle Bin». 🔍 Find the right pictures, highlight them, and click on Restore. The advantage of Google Photos is that it's smart, and even if you don't remember the file name, you can try to find the image by object or person, if facial recognition is enabled. This increases the chances of finding the right frame in the total mass of data. Often users forget that their photos could be automatically saved in other applications. Many messengers and social networks have the function of auto-save media files, which can be a rescue in a critical situation. Check folders in the file manager associated with Telegram, Viber, WhatsApp or Instagram. If you sent these photos to anyone or uploaded them to Favorites, copies could remain in the app's cache or in the cloud of the messenger itself. Also remember if you have used alternative cloud services like Dropbox, Yandex.Disk or OneDrive, which often run in the background and can back up the entire gallery unobtrusively. ⚠️ Note: When recovering from messengers, image quality may be reduced due to automatic compression during transmission. The original resolution is only saved in the original file. Don't ignore the local folders on the phone. Go to the Explorer app, select the internal memory and carefully examine the DCIM, Pictures, Download folders. Sometimes the files are not deleted, but simply moved to hidden or system directories. If the cloud methods did not work, there is the option of deep scanning the device's memory using a PC. This requires specialized utilities such as Dr.Fone, DiskDigger (Android version) or Recuva (only for memory cards, the effectiveness of these programs directly depends on the availability of the Root files). The recovery process is as follows: connect the phone to the computer through USB-cable, set up debugging. USB In the "Developers" menu, and run the scan in the program. The algorithm will try to find traces of deleted files in the file system. Program Needs Root Scan Type DiskDigger Difficulty Desired Deep / Normal Low Dr.Fone Yes Full Medium Recuva No (for DiskDigger Difficulty Desired / Regular Low Dr.Fone Yes Full Medium Recuva No (for Recuva). SD) Surface Low. GT Recovery Yes Deep High 💡Before connecting to your computer, be sure to close all working applications on your phone to reduce memory recording activity and increase the chances of recovery. So even powerful software doesn't give you 100% guarantee, and the longer it takes to delete it, the less likely it is to succeed. To never again face the problem of losing photos, you need to have an automatic backup system. Relying on (luck) in the digital age is a bad strategy. Set up sync with at least one cloud service right now. The ideal data protection scheme involves using two independent sources. For example, synchronizing with Google Photos plus periodically copying important archives to an external hard drive or computer. This 3-2-1 rule (three copies, two media, one copy outside the home) is considered the gold standard. Regularly check the sync work sometimes happens to use two independent sources. ☁️ Set up autoload in Google Photos or Mi Cloud in high quality. 💾 Once a month, copy the photo to your computer or external drive. 🔒 Use strong passwords for your accounts to avoid losing access to the cloud. ⚠️ Note: Formatting a memory card or resetting your phone to factory settings without prior backup is almost guaranteed to result in complete loss of data that cannot be recovered software. 💡Automatic synchronization is the only way to ensure that photos are safe when your smartphone is lost or broken, and following these simple rules will allow you to keep your memories of important moments in life safe and sound. Technology is changing, but the principle of trust but verify remains relevant to any digital device owner (FAQ) Can I recover a photo if the phone was reset to factory settings? Recovery after a full reset is extremely difficult, especially on modern smartphones with encryption. If there was no cloud copy, the chances are close to zero, since the encryption keys are destroyed when reset. How long are deleted photos stored in the Xiaomi cart? By default, the deleted photos are stored in the MIUI and HyperOS gallery for 30 days. After that, they are deleted automatically. In Google Photos, this period is 60 days for Google One accounts and ordinary users. Do you need Root rights to restore photos? For deep scanning of internal memory using root-right computer programs, you need to restore photos, without them, you can only rewriting the recently deleted files, or rewritten by the system can not re-restore them. No, flashing the phone won’t restore deleted data, but on the contrary, it can finally destroy file traces, since the firmware process involves writing new data to the device’s memory. Where to find the hidden folder.thumbnails on Xiaomi? The.thumbnails folder is located on the path of DCIM/.thumbnails. To view it, you need to enable the display of hidden files in the Explorer settings. However, in new versions of Android, access to this folder is often limited by the system.