Where and how to find deleted photos on Xiaomi Redmi: all ways to recover

Have you accidentally deleted important photos from your Xiaomi Redmi and are now desperately looking for a way to get them back? Don't panic: even after clicking "Delete" the pictures don't disappear from the device instantly. Depending on the model (Redmi Note 12, Redmi 10, POCO X5 and others), the MIUI firmware version and the way to delete (via gallery, file manager or third-party apps), the photos can be saved in different places - from the standard shopping cart to hidden system folders.

In this article, we’ll look at all possible locations where deleted photos are stored on Xiaomi, from obvious ones (like the.trash folder) to obscure ones (app cache or Mi Cloud backups), and learn how to recover images with embedded tools and third-party utilities, even if they were erased months ago. Importantly, the faster you start acting, the better the chances of success – new data can overwrite deleted files!

Note: the instructions are valid for all modern Xiaomi devices based on MIUI 12-14 (including Redmi 13C, Redmi A2, POCO F5, etc.), as well as for older models with a shell MIUI 11 and below. If your smartphone runs on pure Android (for example, Xiaomi 13T Pro with HyperOS), some paths may differ - we will mention this too.

1.The basket in the Xiaomi Gallery: the first place to search

The most logical place to store deleted photos on Redmi is the built-in Recycle Bin in the standard Gallery app, which is activated by default and saves files for 30 days (some firmware 15 days) to check it out:

1. Open the Gallery app (an icon with colorful photos).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) lower-right.
3. Select Recycle Bin (or recently deleted on new MIUI versions).
4. Find the right photos, highlight them and click Restore.

⚠️ Note: If you manually cleaned the cart or used the Clean Everything feature, files will be permanently deleted (without the possibility of recovery by standard means).

On some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi 9A or POCO M3), the cart can be turned off to enable it:

1. Come to the gallery. → Settings (⚙️) → Basket.
2. Activate the Save Deleted Files switch.
3. Set a storage period (maximum 60 days).

2. Hidden folders: where Xiaomi hides deleted files

If the photos were not found in the Recycle Bin, they could be moved to one of the hidden system folders, and in MIUI, these folders usually start from a dot (e.g.,.thumbnails or.trash) and don't show up in a standard file manager to see them:

Enable the display of hidden files in the file manager settings

Check the folder /storage/emulated/0/.trash

Look for thumbnails in /DCIM/.thumbnails

Check the gallery cache in /Android/data/com.miui.gallery-->

Detailed instructions:

1. Open Files (the application with the blue folder).
2. Tap it on three points (⋮) → Settings → Enable Showing Hidden Files.
3. Go to the root catalogue (/storage/emulated/0/) and find the folders: 🗑️.trash is the main "basket" of the system (sometimes called.recycle). 📷 DCIM/.thumbnails — Photo miniatures are stored here (sometimes you can restore reduced versions). 🔄 Android/data/com.miui.gallery/cache — Gallery cache (may contain temporary copies). ☁️ MIUI/Backup/AllBackup — backups if the auto-save function was enabled.

🔍 Tip: If there is no.trash folder, try searching manually for keywords. For example, type in the file manager search bar.jpg or.png – this will show all images on the device, including hidden ones.

⚠️ Note: Do not move or rename files in the.thumbnails or cache folders, this can cause a malfunction of the gallery. If you find the right photos, copy them to a safe place (for example, to a memory card or to the cloud), and then delete the originals.

3. App cache: an unexpected source of deleted images

Many users are unaware that the cache of applications (such as Gallery, Google Photos or instant messengers) can contain temporary copies of deleted photos. These files are not displayed in the standard interface, but can be extracted manually.

To check the cache:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Gallery (or Google Photos if you used it) and tap it.
3. Choose Memory. → Cash.
4. Click Clear Cache - but don't do it right away! First copy the cache folder through the root-access file manager or using ADB.

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If you sent photos in instant messengers, check the Sent folder – sometimes there are copies even after removal from the gallery.

4. backups of Mi Cloud and Google Photos

If your Xiaomi Redmi had Mi Cloud or Google Photos enabled, the deleted images could have been saved to the cloud, which is one of the most reliable ways to recover, since the files are stored on Xiaomi or Google servers and are independent of the memory status of the phone.

How to check out Mi Cloud:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Cloud
2. Sign in if you are not logged in to your account.
3. Go to the Gallery or backup copies.
4. Check the Recycle Bin folder in the cloud, where photos are stored for up to 60 days.

How to check out Google Photos:

1. Open the Google Photos app.
2. Put it on the avatar. → Basket.
3. The photos are stored there for 60 days (unless manually cleaned).
4. Also check the archive – sometimes the photos are there instead of the basket.

⚠️ Note: If you manually deleted photos from the cloud (for example, through the web version of Mi Cloud), it will be impossible to restore them. Also note the automatic cleaning: if the space in the cloud ends, old files from the basket can be deleted early.

5. Recovery through ADB and specialized utilities

If the photos are not found in the cart or the cloud, the last chance is deep memory scanning with ADB (Android Debug Bridge) or third-party programs, which is suitable for advanced users and requires connecting the phone to a PC.

Method 1: Using ADB (without root)

1. Enable Developer Mode on Xiaomi: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version. Go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers. Activate Debugging on USB.

adb shell su -c "find /storage/emulated/0/ -name '.jpg' -o -name '.png'"

(If there is no root, try without su-c, but the results will be limited.)

adb pull /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails/ C:\Xiaomi_Recovery\

Method 2: Recovery programs

For users without technical skills, utilities like DiskDigger, Recuva (for PC) or Dumpster (an application-analogue of the basket) are suitable.

• 📱 DiskDigger (Android): Scans internal memory, finds deleted photos and allows you to restore them directly to your phone.
• 💻 Recuva (PC): Connect Xiaomi as an external drive and scan the memory.
• 🗑️ Dumpster: Works as an extended shopping cart, saves all deleted files.

⚠️ Warning: Do not install recovery software on the phone itself – this can overwrite deleted data! Use only proven utilities from official sources (for example, Google Play or the developer’s website). Also, avoid writing new files to your device until the recovery is complete.

6. Recovery from memory card (if the photos were on SD)

If the photos were stored on a memory card (microSD), the chances of recovery are higher, since the system less often overwrites data on an external drive.

1. Remove the card from your phone and connect it to your PC via a card reader.
2. Use Recovery Programs to Recover: 💻 PhotoRec (free, works via command line). 💻 EaseUS Data Recovery (paid, but with trial mode). 💻 R-Studio (for experienced users).

Select the memory card as your target drive and run a deep scan.

Save the recovered files to your PC hard drive (not to the card!).

🔍 Tip: If the memory card is damaged (undefined or asked to be formatted), don't agree to formatting! SD Card Formatter only after data recovery.

Critical information: On Xiaomi Redmi devices with a hybrid slot (for example, Redmi Note 11), the memory card can be formatted as internal memory. In this case, it will be almost impossible to recover data - the system encrypts the partition. Always back up before using the microSD as an internal drive!

7. Contact Xiaomi Service Center: When Nothing Helps

If all of these methods have failed, and the photos are critical (for example, they are the only copies of documents or family photos), you can contact the official service center Xiaomi.

What you need to know before your visit:

• 📋 Bring a check or confirmation of purchase of the phone (for warranty cases).
• 🔒 If the phone was set a password, you need to know it – without unlocking, specialists will not be able to access the data.
• 💰 The cost of recovery depends on the complexity (from 1,500 to 10,000 rubles).
• ⏳ The process can take from a few days to a week.

⚠️ Attention: Don't go to unofficial workshops with dubious reputations! There is a risk that your data will be copied or stolen. Official Xiaomi service centers in Russia can be found on the website mi.com/ru/service.

📌 Alternative: If the service center refuses to help (for example, due to lack of warranty), try a data recovery lab, such as a data recovery lab. HDD Recovery or Data Recovery: They work with physically damaged drives, but services cost more.

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Contacting a service center is a last resort, and in 90% of cases, photos can be recovered independently using the methods described above, and the service is only relevant if the memory is physically damaged or if the data is encrypted.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi Redmi