Where on Xiaomi are deleted files: search and restore on MIUI

You accidentally deleted photos, documents or videos on a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone — and now you don’t know where to look for these files? Unlike computers that have a standard Recycle Bin, on Android (including MIUI firmware), the mechanism for storing deleted data works differently. In this article, we will analyze 5 places where traces of deleted files can remain, as well as ways to restore them, from embedded tools to third-party utilities.

It’s important to understand that when files are deleted, they don’t disappear from the device instantly. The operating system simply labels them as “free space,” and they stay on the disk until they’re overwritten with new data. This means that the chances of recovery depend on two factors: time (the sooner you start acting, the better) and device activity (each new file, application installed, or update reduces the likelihood of success).

We’ll look at both official methods (such as MIUI Recycle Bin or Mi Cloud backups) and hidden folders, app cache, and even low-level tools like ADB. The instructions are relevant for all modern models – from Xiaomi 13 Pro to the budget Redmi Note 12, as well as for MIUI 12-14 firmware (including global and Chinese versions).

1. MIUI Recycle Bin: Where to look for recently deleted files

The most obvious and quick way to recover lost data is to check the built-in Recycle Bin in the MIUI file manager, which works similarly to the Recycle Bin on Windows, but with important limitations:

• 📁 Files are stored in the basket for 30 days (by default), after which they are deleted irrevocably.
• 🗑️ Recycle bin size is limited – if it is exceeded, old files are automatically cleaned.
• 📱 It only works for files deleted through a standard File Manager. MIUI (not through third-party applications).

To open the basket:

1. Launch the Files app (the folder icon on the desktop).
2. In the bottom menu, tap on the basket (dumpster icon).
3. Select the desired files, click Restore and specify the folder to save.

If the Recycle Bin icon is not available, the function is disabled.

1. Open Files → Settings (three dots in the upper right corner).
2. Select the Recycle Bin and activate the switch.
3. If necessary, change the storage period (maximum 60 days).

⚠️ Attention: Basket MIUI Does not save files deleted through the gallery, messengers (such as Telegram or WhatsApp) or third-party file managers like Solid Explorer.

2. Hidden folders and cache: where MIUI hides temporary files

Even after cleaning the cart, some of the data may remain in hidden system folders or application cache, such as thumbnails of photos stored in the.thumbnails folder, and temporary messenger files in the.thumbnails folder. /Android/data/. Here are the key locations:

To access hidden folders:

1. Open Files → Settings → Show hidden files.
2. Follow one of the paths from the table above.
3. Look for files with.tmp,.bak or no extensions.

And if you look at the /data/data/ folder, it stores application data, but you need root rights to access it, and without it, you'll only see empty folders.

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If you are looking for deleted photos, try manually opening the folder. DCIM/.thumbnails via PC (connecting the phone as if it were a USB-Sometimes thumbnails retain a readable image that can be enlarged with graphics editors.

3.Mi Cloud: Recovery from Cloud Storage

If your Xiaomi has Mi Cloud sync enabled, the deleted files could be saved to the cloud, which works even if you reset your phone to factory settings, so you need to have your Mi Account linked to the device.

To check backups:

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in.
2. In the Cloud → Files section, check the Remote folders (stores files for up to 30 days) and the Recycle Bin.
3. For photos, open the Gallery → Albums → Cart.

The limitations of Mi Cloud:

• 📥 The free rate only provides 5 GB (this is the case). ~1000 photos of high quality).
• ⏳ Files in the cloud bin are stored for 10 days (instead of 30 on the device).
• 🔄 Synchronization only works when connected to Wi-Fi (by default).

If the files are not in the cart, try to restore them from the archived copy:

1. On the Mi Cloud website, go to Settings → Archive.
2. Select the date when the files were still on the device.
3. Download the archive to your PC and retrieve the data.

⚠️ Note: Archives in Mi Cloud are created automatically once a month, but only if the device is enabled with the function of Authorization (Settings). → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup. You can't restore it without it.

4.Recovery through ADB: for advanced users

If files are not found in the Recycle Bin or Cloud, you can try extracting them through Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a low-level system access tool that is suitable for users with command-line experience and does not require root rights.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Tap 7 times, then return to the additional → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 Cable USB (preferably original).

Instructions for extracting deleted files:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and start the command prompt (cmd in Windows or Terminal on macOS/Linux).
2. Run the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of the device.
3. Back up the data partition (this may take time): adb backup -f backup.ab -apk -obb -shared -all
4. Uncancel the backup.ab file with tools like Android Backup Extractor.
5. Look for the files you want in the apps (application data) or shared (shared files) folders.

Limitations of the method:

• 🔍 Only metadata and parts of files are restored (complete recovery is possible only with root).
• ⏱️ The process can take several hours (depending on the memory capacity of the phone).
• 🛡️ Some files (such as those from WhatsApp) are encrypted and cannot be retrieved.

5. Third-party programs for data recovery

If previous methods have failed, you can use specialized utilities that scan the device's memory at a low level and look for traces of deleted files.

Recommendations for use:

• 📱 Connect your phone to your PC in File Transfer mode (MTP), Not Charging.
• 🔍 Choose a deep scan (takes longer, but increases the odds).
• 💾 Save recovered files to your PC, not back to your phone (to avoid overwriting).

Important: Programs like Dr.Fone or EaseUS MobiSaver are often recognized by MIUI as “suspicious” and blocked by security. Before scanning, temporarily turn off Virus Protection (Settings → Applications → Security → Virus Protection).

Disable Virus Protection in MIUI

Charge your phone at least 50%

Connect the original USB-cable

Choose a deep scan

Save results on PC, not on phone-->

6. Features of recovery on different models Xiaomi

The algorithm for storing deleted files may vary depending on the model and version of MIUI, and here are the key nuances for popular lines:

• 📱 Xiaomi 12/13/14 Recycle Bin runs stable, but cloud redundancy (Mi Cloud) sometimes fails due to battery optimization limitations.Before recovery, disable background activity restriction for Mi Cloud app.
• 📱 Redmi Note 10/11/12: On these models, the.thumbnails folder often contains full-size copies of thumbnails (up to the top). 1–2 MB), which can be used as backup photos.
• 📱 POCO F/X series: Firmware MIUI for POCO Turns off the basket by default. Turn it on manually in the file manager settings.
• 📱 Xiaomi Pad 5/6: On tablets, the basket is cleaned automatically when there is a lack of memory (threshold — 1 GB of free space. Watch the storage space.

For older models (e.g. Redmi 4X or Mi A1), there are additional restrictions:

• 🔋 Android 8-9 (MIUI 10–11) Recycle bin only stores files for 7 days.
• 📀 Recovery through ADB It may require unlocking the bootloader (on new models, this will block Widevine). L1).

If your model is not mentioned in the list, check the version of MIUI in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version. For firmware older than MIUI 12, it is recommended to use third-party programs (for example, DiskDigger), since the built-in tools are less reliable.

7. How to prevent future data loss

Recovery of deleted files is a time-consuming and not always successful process, and it is much more effective to set up a backup system in advance. Here are 5 steps to protect data on Xiaomi:

1. Enable automatic sync with Mi Cloud: Go to Settings → Mi → Mi Cloud Account. Activate Gallery Sync, Contacts and Notes. Set Authorization (weekly or monthly).

Use Google Photos for your photos:

• Install the Google Photos app and enable Backup and Sync.
• Choose High Quality (unlimited storage) or Original Quality (Google Drive counter).
• Set up local backup: Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset → Local backups Save copies to SD-card or external disk once a month.
• Install a file manager with a built-in basket: Applications like Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer have their own baskets independent of MIUI.
• Clean the cache regularly: A filled cache increases the risk of data loss when cleaning memory. Use Settings → Apps → Clean up.

If you often work with important files (such as documents or projects), use cloud services with versionality like Google Drive or Dropbox. They save the history of changes, which allows you to roll back the file to the previous version even after editing.

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The most reliable way to protect data is a combination of cloud redundancy (Mi Cloud). + Google Photos) and local copies on SD-This covers the risk of loss when you drop your phone, steal it or break it.

FAQ: Frequent questions about file recovery on Xiaomi