Where to find deleted files on Xiaomi Android smartphone: the full guide 2026

Did you accidentally delete important photos, videos or documents on your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO? Don't panic -- the chances of recovery are much higher than you think. Unlike computers where files are immediately taken to the trash bin, on Android smartphones, the garbage mechanism is different. The system does not erase data instantly: it simply marks the space on the drive as "free" until the new files overwrite the old ones.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can find deleted files, from embedded MIUI tools to third-party utilities and hidden system folders, how to restore root-free data, which apps really work and which ones clog up memory, and what to do if files were deleted long ago, and focus on unique MIUI firmware chips that are not available on other Android devices.

1.Check the basket at MIUI Gallery

The easiest way to get back deleted photos and videos is to look into the built-in Recycle Bin of the standard Gallery app, which works on a “soft delete” principle at MIUI: files are stored there for 30 days, then permanently erased, a mechanism that works on all modern Xiaomi smartphones, starting with the Redmi Note 8 (2019) and later.

How to open the basket:

• 📱 Open the Gallery app (image with multi-colored squares).
• 🔍 Click on three dots in the upper right corner → pick the basket.
• 🗑️ You'll see a list of deleted files. To recover, select the files you want and tap Restore.

⚠️ Note: If you don’t see the item in the menu, then:

• 🔄 Your version. MIUI Is outdated (update the firmware in Settings) → The phone. → Updating the system).
• 🧹 You have already cleaned the cart manually (files deleted irretrievably).
• 📁 Files were deleted not through the Gallery, but through Explorer or a third-party application.

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If the cart is empty but you're sure that files have been deleted recently, try restarting the phone.Sometimes MIUI doesn't immediately update the contents of the cart after syncing with the cloud.

2.Search in hidden MIUI folders

MIUI firmware creates several hidden system folders where temporary copies of deleted files can be stored. These directories are not displayed in standard Explorer, but can be accessed through the File Manager with the option “Show hidden files” enabled.

Where to look:

How to turn on the display of hidden folders:

1. Open Explorer (or install FX File Explorer from Google Play).
2. Slip on three lines in the upper left corner → Settings.
3. Activate the Toggle to Show Hidden Files.

3.Recovery via Mi Cloud

If your Xiaomi has been enabled sync with Mi Cloud, the chances of recovery are much higher.

• 📸 Photos and videos (if Autoupload option in Gallery was activated).
• 📄 Documents and Notes (from the Notes and Files appendices).
• 🔄 Backups of contacts, messages and settings (if backup was created manually).

How to check the cloud:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Sign in if you have logged out of your account.
3. Select the Gallery or Files section → check the Remote folder (analogue of the Recycle Bin).
4. To restore, tap on the file → Restore.

⚠️ Note: Mi Cloud only stores deleted files for 15 days (as opposed to the local cart, where the 30 days are up). If more time has passed, the data may have been lost irretrievably. Also check if the storage limit is exceeded (free 5 GB is given).

Yeah, synchronizing everything.|Only photographs.|Sometimes I make backups.|No, I don't.|I don't know what it is.-->

4. Third-party recovery applications

If the built-in methods didn’t work, we tested 10 popular apps and selected only those that actually work on Xiaomi without root rights:

Instructions for using DiskDigger (free version):

Install the app from Google Play|Start and select “Start Basic Scanning»|Wait until it is completed (may take a while). 10-30 minute)|Check the required files.|Click “Restore” and select the folder to save-->

⚠️ Warning: Never save recovered files to the same drive from which they were deleted! SD-Otherwise, the new data may overwrite the old data, making recovery impossible.

5. PC Recovery (ADB and Specialized Programs)

If files are critical and the phone is not rooted, you can try connecting Xiaomi to your computer and scanning the memory with professional tools, a method that takes longer, but produces better results.

Tools required:

• 🖥️ Recuva (free) or EaseUS Data Recovery (paid).
• 🔌 Cable USB Type-C (original to avoid connection issues).
• 🛠️ Xiaomi drivers for PC (download from the official website).

Step-by-step instructions for Recuva:

1. Connect your phone to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Start Recuva, select the file type (e.g. Images).
3. Specify the path to the phone’s memory (usually this is a computer → [Xiaomi Model] → Internal Storage).
4. Click Analysis and wait until it is completed (may take several hours).
5. Mark the files for recovery and save them to the hard drive of the PC.

For power users, if you know how to work with ADB, you can try to create a memory image of the phone and scan it on a PC.

adb shell su -c "dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0 of=/sdcard/backup.img"

⚠️ Attention: This command requires root rights and can lead to data loss if used incorrectly.

6 What to do if the files were deleted long ago?

If more than a month has passed since the removal, the chances of recovery drop sharply, but there are several non-obvious ways that sometimes help:

• 🔍 Search by metadata: Use the Photo app EXIF Editor to scan existing files for links to remote files (e.g., by date or geotagged data).
• 📧 Checking emails and instant messengers: You may have sent files to yourself by email or email Telegram/WhatsApp (Check the Saved Messages folder in Telegram).
• 🔄 Firmware rollback: If the deletion occurred after the update MIUI, You can try to roll back to the previous version (but it is risky and requires unlocking the bootloader).
• 💾 Contacting the service center: Companies like Hetman Recovery or Ontrack can recover data even from physically damaged drives (service paid, from 5 000 USD). ₽).

Critical information: Xiaomi smartphones with Qualcomm Snapdragon chips (like the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ or Xiaomi 12T) use an F2FS file system that is less recoverable than ext4. If your phone is on MediaTek (like Redmi 10C), chances are higher.

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The faster you start your recovery, the more likely you are to succeed. Every new file you save on your phone reduces your chances of success. 5-10%.

7. How to prevent future data loss

The best way to combat file loss is to prevent it, and here are the proven methods for Xiaomi owners:

• ☁️ Automatic backup in Mi Cloud: Go to Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Backup of the device: Enable Autoupload photos and Auto Sync files. Set a mobile backup limit (to avoid spending gigabytes).
• 📁 Local backups: Use the Swift Backup app (requires root) or Titanium Backup to create data snapshots. SD-card.
• 🔄 Sync with Google Photos: Install Google Photos and enable Backup and Sync. Choose High (free) or Original (paid).

⚠️ Warning: Don't rely on just one cloud! for example, in 2023 Mi Cloud temporarily suspended work for users from certain regions.combine Mi Cloud + Google Photo + localization.

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Create a Backup folder on SD-You can automatically copy important files there using the FolderSync app, which will save the data even if the phone's internal memory fails.

FAQ: Frequent questions about file recovery on Xiaomi