How to find hidden and deleted photos on Xiaomi Redmi: the complete guide

Have you accidentally deleted important photos from Xiaomi Redmi or suspect that the phone is storing hidden photos? There are several "secret" places in the MIUI operating system where your photos can hide - from system folders with thumbnails to backups in the cloud. Even if you cleaned the gallery or formatted the memory card, the chances of recovery remain.

In this article, we will discuss 7 working ways to find hidden and deleted photos on Redmi Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10 and other smartphones. You will learn where to look for system folders like.thumbnails, how to enable the display of hidden files, which applications will help recover lost photos, and why sometimes photos “disappear” from the gallery, but remain in the memory of the device.

1. folder.thumbnails: where are the thumbnails of photos on Redmi stored

One of the most reliable ways to find "disappeared" photos is to check the folder.thumbnails. This is a system directory where MIUI automatically saves thumbnails of all images, even those you deleted from the gallery.

To find her:

• 📁 Open any file manager (e.g., Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).
• 🔍 Enable the display of hidden files: click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Settings → Show hidden files.
• 📂 Go to the folder. DCIM → Find the.thumbnails folder inside (it can be empty if the thumbnails are not already generated).

Important: The thumbnails are low resolution (usually 160×160 or 320×320 pixels), but they can be used as proof of the original photos. If the folder is empty, try rebooting the phone - sometimes MIUI generates thumbnails only after the reboot.

⚠️ Warning: Do not delete files from the.thumbnails folder manually! this can cause a gallery malfunction.If thumbnails take up a lot of space, clear the Gallery app cache in the settings.

2. enable the display of hidden files and folders in MIUI

By default, MIUI hides system files and folders so that users don't accidentally delete important data, but it can also include your "lost" photos to see them:

Method 1: Mi File Manager (Integrated Manager):

1. Open the Files app (folder icon).
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → Settings.
3. Activate the switch to show hidden files.
4. Go back to the root catalogue (/storage/emulated/0/) and check the folders: 📁 DCIM →.thumbnails,.camera 📁 Pictures →.nomedia (if any) 📁 MIUI → Gallery → cloud (backup copies)

Method 2: Through third-party managers (e.g., Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer):

• 🔧 Install the app from Google Play.
• 🔍 Go to the manager settings and turn on Root View (if there are root rights) and Hidden Files.
• 🔎 Look for folders with a prefix. (dot) - they are hidden.

If you find a folder called.nomedia, delete it – it may return the photo to the gallery (but first check that there are no important files inside!).

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If hidden files don't show up even after you turn on the option, try restarting your phone.Sometimes MIUI resets the file manager settings after you update.

3. Search in MI Cloud and Google Photos backups

If you’ve ever enabled sync with MI Cloud or Google Photos, your photos could be saved to the cloud even after being deleted from your phone.

MI Cloud (for Xiaomi account holders):

• 🌐 Go to i.mi.com and log in.
• 📷 Go to the Gallery section → Recycle bin (photos stored there for 30 days after removal).
• 💾 Check the Backups section – there may be an archive of your photos.

Google Photos:

• 📱 Open the Google Photos app on your phone or go to photos.google.com.
• 🗑️ Go to the cart (photos are stored for 60 days).
• 🔍 In search, type in keywords (e.g. 2023, vacation, cat).
• 📥 If you find the right photos, download them back to your phone.

⚠️ Note: If you delete photos from your cloud service cart, you won't be able to recover them. Check your cart regularly, especially if you plan to clean your phone's memory.

4. Recover deleted photos with the help of applications

If photos aren’t found in the cloud or hidden folders, try specialised recovery software that scans your phone’s memory at the file system level and can even find files that have been deleted long ago (provided that their space on the disk has not been overwritten).

Top.-3 tested applications:

• 🛠️ DiskDigger is rootless, finds photos and videos. Free version shows preview, you need Pro to restore.
• 🔍 Recuva -- if you plug your phone into your computer like a removable disk, it supports deep scanning.
• 📱 Dumpster creates a "basket" for deleted files, like on a PC.

Instructions for recovery through DiskDigger:

If the phone is not rooted, apps can only recover files that have not yet been overwritten with new data, and the less you use your phone after deleting, the better the chances of success.

5. Checking the memory card and internal storage

If you're using a microSD card, you could save your photos on it, even if they're not displayed in the gallery.

Step 1: Check the card on another device

• 📱 Remove the card from your phone and paste it into another smartphone, tablet or computer (via card reader).
• 🔍 Check the folders. DCIM, Pictures and Download.
• 🛠️ If the card is not readable, try formatting it (but it will delete all data!).

Step 2: Look for the “lost” folders

Sometimes when you move a photo from phone to card or vice versa, folders are lost and not displayed in the gallery.

1. Open Mi File Manager.
2. Go to the Device or SD-map.
3. Manually check folders with names of type: 📂 Camera 📂 Screenshots 📂 Telegram (if you saved a photo from the messenger) 📂 WhatsApp → Media

.nomedia

Why can photos be “disappeared” from a memory card?

• 🔋 Unexpected card extraction during file recording.
• 🦠 Virus that hides files (check your phone with antivirus).
• 📉 Failure of the file system (formatting will help, but the data will be lost).

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If the memory card is damaged, DO NOT try to write new files to it, this will reduce the chances of data recovery, it is better to immediately copy all the contents to the PC and scan with specialized programs.

6. Search in app cache and temporary files

Many apps (e.g. Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram) store copies of photos in their cache, which are not displayed in the gallery, but can remain in the memory of the phone for years.

Where to look:

How to open the cache:

1. Use Mi File Manager with hidden files enabled.
2. Take one of the paths above.
3. Copy the files to another folder (such as Download).
4. If files are not expanded, rename them by adding.jpg or.png.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files directly from cache folders, this can cause app malfunctions. Always copy them to another location before editing.

7 How to Avoid Losing Photos in the Future: 5 Rules

To avoid looking for hidden photos after they are lost, follow these guidelines:

• ☁️ Enable automatic synchronization with MI Cloud or Google Photos. Even if the phone breaks, the photos stay in the cloud.
• 🔄 Copy your photo regularly on your PC (e.g. once a month). MTP-mode (when connected by USB Choose File Transfers).
• 📁 Don’t keep all photos in one folder. divide them by album (e.g., Vacation 2023, Documents, Screenshots).
• 🛡️ Install a shopping cart application (such as Dumpster) that will save deleted files.
• 🔋 If the phone is rebooted frequently or the photo is “disappeared”, check the card for errors (via PC or app). SD Card Tester).

If you take pictures often, set up automatic backup in Google Photos:

1. Open Google Photos → Click on the avatar → Photo settings.
2. Select Backup and Sync → turn on the switch.
3. Specify quality (Original or High) and enable backup over the mobile network (if necessary).

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If you’re afraid that photos will take up too much space in the cloud, use the “Free space” feature in Google Photos, which will remove photos already uploaded to the cloud from your phone, leaving only thumbnails.

FAQ: Frequent questions about hidden photos on Xiaomi Redmi