How to return deleted photos to Xiaomi: from the cart to deep scanning

Why photos “disappear” with Xiaomi and whether they can be returned

Have you accidentally hit Delete or reset your phone to factory settings - and now important photos are gone? Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi, POCO and Mi) have several layers of protection against irretrievable data loss, but their effectiveness depends on how exactly the files were deleted and how long it has been since they were deleted.

Unlike the iPhone, where photos are immediately sent to “Recently deleted” for 30 days, on Xiaomi, the logic of working with the garbage can depends on the version of MIUI and the Gallery app used. For example, in MIUI 14, the basket defaults to store files for 15 days, and in older versions only 7. In addition, some users do not even suspect that their phone is disabled sync with Mi Cloud, which makes recovery through the cloud impossible.

In this article, we'll look at all the ways you can get your deleted photos back, from basic (checking your cart) to advanced (using a PC and specialized utilities). Importantly, the faster you start, the better the chances of success. If the photos were deleted less than 24 hours ago and the phone didn't restart, the probability of their recovery approaches 90%.

Method 1: Checking the basket in the standard “Gallery” Xiaomi

The first thing you need to do is to look into the built-in Gallery application basket, which works on the principle of “soft removal” on Xiaomi: files are not erased from memory immediately, but moved to temporary storage. MIUI:

• 📅 MIUI 12 and later: 15 days (default)
• 📅 MIUI 11 and older: 7 days
• ⚠️ If the Recycle Bin is disabled: Files are deleted immediately (see below for how to check)

To open the basket:

1. Launch the Gallery app.
2. Tap on three points (⋮) top-right.
3. Select the Recycle Bin (or recently deleted in some versions).
4. Find the right photos, highlight them and click Restore.

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If the menu does not have the option "Basket", then it is disabled. To enable: go to the Gallery Settings → Recycle Bin and activate the option.

⚠️ Note: If you were manually cleaning the basket or using third-party cleaners (such as Clean Master), the files may have been permanently deleted.

Method 2: Recovery via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

If your Xiaomi has enabled sync with Mi Cloud, the chances of returning photos are much higher, the cloud keeps backups of photos even if they were deleted from the phone.

• ☁️ Automatic synchronization: must be included in Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery.
• 📥 Manual upload: if you manually uploaded photos to the cloud through the Gallery app».
• ⏳ Storage period: free rate files are stored for up to 6 months (after deleting from the phone).

Instructions for remediation:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Choose a gallery (or photo).
3. Check the recently deleted folder (if any) or download the desired photos back to the device.

⚠️ Note: If you logged out of your Mi Account after deleting your photo, the cloud data could be cleaned, in which case you can’t recover it through Xiaomi – you’ll have to use third-party tools (see Method 5).

Method 3: Search in Google Backup Photos

Many Xiaomi users are installing Google Photos as an alternative to the standard Gallery. If you used this app, check out:

1. Open Google Photos.
2. Slip on the profile avatar. → Basket.
3. The photos are stored there for 60 days, and then deleted forever.

If the cart is empty, check the archive:

1. Go to Google Photos and go to the Library → Archive.
2. Sometimes deleted photos are taken instead of the basket.

⚠️ Note: If you have disabled autoloading in Google Photos or used the Free Space feature (which deletes local copies), you will not be able to restore photos through this application.

Mi Cloud|Google Photo|Yandex Disk|iCloud|Don't use the clouds.|Other-->

Method 4: Recovery via PC (if the phone is defined as a drive)

If the photos were deleted recently (within 1-2 days) and the phone did not restart, you can try to return them using a computer.

• 🖥️ PC Windows/macOS;
• 🔌 Cable USB (preferably original);
• 🛠️ Recovery software (e.g. Recuva, DiskDigger, or EaseUS Data Recovery).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode (when you connect, select this mode in the notification curtain).
2. Run a recovery program (such as Recuva).
3. Select your phone’s drive (usually a removable drive with a letter like E:).
4. Run a deep scan – it will take from 30 minutes to several hours.
5. After scanning, mark the photos you need (usually they are displayed with the “Deleted” mark) and restore them to your PC.

✅ Use the original USB-cable (poor cables may interrupt the connection)

✅ Do not connect your phone to charge during scanning (this can overwrite data)

✅ Select deep scan (fast scan finds only recently deleted files)

✅ Save recovered photos on PC, not back to phone-->

⚠️ Note: If your phone is not defined as a storage device, try it:

• Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).
• Use a different cable or USB port.
• Reboot the phone and PC.

Method 5: Use of root rights and specialized utilities

If standard methods don't work, and photos are critical, you can try root-based low-level recovery, which is suitable for advanced users, because it requires:

• 🔓 Unlock the bootloader (bootloader);
• 🛠️ Getting root rights (for example, through Magisk);
• 💾 Special utilities (e.g., special utilities, GT Recovery or Undelete).

Pre-launch warnings:

⚠️ Warning: unlocking the bootloader will reset all the data on the phone. If you haven't backed up in advance, this is useless.

⚠️ Note: on new Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 12, Xiaomi 13) unlocking the bootloader requires waiting 7 days after the account is tied.

If you are prepared for risk, follow the instructions:

1. Unlock the bootloader through Mi Unlock Tool (the official utility from Xiaomi).
2. Install custom recovery (such as TWRP).
3. Get root rights through Magisk.
4. Install a recovery application (e.g., DiskDigger with root support).
5. Scan the /data partition – it stores user files, including photos.

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Root access gives you the best chance of recovery, but it voids the warranty and can cause your phone to run in an unstable way, and only use this method if other methods have failed.

Method 6: Contact Xiaomi Service Center

If the photos are critical (for example, they are the only copies of documents or memories), and independent attempts to restore failed, you can contact the official service center Xiaomi.

What you need to know before your visit:

• 💰 Cost: from 3 000 to 10 000 rubles (depending on the complexity).
• ⏳ Timeframe: 3-7 working days.
• 📄 Documents: Bring a check or warranty card (if the phone is guaranteed).
• 🔒 Privacy: Check whether your data will be available to third parties.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone has been reset to factory settings or reflashed, the chances of recovery are near zero, in which case even a service center is unlikely to help.

Method 7: Prevention for the future – how to avoid loss of photos

The best way to combat data loss is to prevent it, and set up the following options on your Xiaomi to never lose photos again:

• 🔄 Automatic sync with Mi Cloud: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery → Autoboot.
• ☁️ Backup in Google Photos: Enable “Backup and Sync” in the App.
• 📁 Local backups: once a month, copy your photo to a PC or external drive.
• 🚫 Protection against accidental deletion: in the Gallery, enable confirmation before deletion (Gallery settings) → Confirmation of removal).

We also recommend:

• Do not use cleaners like Clean Master – they often delete files from the bin without warning.
• Before resetting the phone to factory settings, be sure to transfer the photo to another medium.
• If you store a photo on a microSD, check it regularly for errors (via PC).

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Even if you're using the cloud, keep your most important photos in two places, and cloud services sometimes fail, and local copies can be corrupted.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi