Why photos are “disappearing” from Xiaomi phone and where to look for them
You deleted a photo from Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5 Pro, and after an hour you realized that you needed it? Or the photos disappeared after the MIUI update? The situation is familiar to many. In 80% of cases, deleted files do not disappear forever — they can be returned from system folders, cloud storage or even using third-party utilities. The main thing is to know exactly where to look and how to act so that you do not lose data permanently.
Xiaomi smartphones based on MIUI (or HyperOS in new models) have several levels of protection against accidental removal:
- 🗑️ Recycle Bin in the Gallery – temporary storage for deleted files (storage period – up to 30 days).
- ☁️ Mi Cloud – Automatic backups if the feature has been activated.
- 🔍 Hidden system folders, such as.thumbnails or DCIM/.recent, where can be kept thumbnails or cached versions.
But even if these options don’t work, there are specialized recovery programs that we’ll talk about.
It's important to understand that the faster you start searching, the better the chances of success. When you delete files, they are not erased immediately from memory, they are marked as "free" and can be overwritten with new data. So do not install new applications or shoot videos/photos before you try to restore them.
Method 1: Check the basket in the standard MIUI gallery
The easiest way to get back deleted photos is to look in the gallery cart, which is the default in MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS, unless manually disabled, with a storage period of 30 days, after which they are deleted irrevocably.
How to open the basket:
- Launch the Gallery app** (flower icon).
- Slip along three horizontal lines (☰) top-right.
- Select the option “Basket” (or “Recently Deleted” in some versions).
If the cart is empty or not on the menu, check the settings:
- Open Settings → Applications → Gallery → Storage.
- Make sure the “Basket” option is enabled.
- If the cart is turned off, turn it on and repeat the search.
Check out the MIUI version (update to the latest version)
Make sure that the photos are deleted through the gallery, not the file manager.
Restart your phone if the cart doesn’t open.
Try an alternative gallery (Google Photos)-->
⚠️ Note: If you delete a photo through a file manager (e.g., Explorer or Files by Google), it won’t be in the gallery cart.
Method 2: Recovery via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)
If your Xiaomi had Mi Cloud sync enabled, the deleted photos could be saved to the cloud, which works even after the phone is reset to factory settings or the device is replaced.
How to check backups in Mi Cloud:
- Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
- Make sure that the “Synchronization Gallery” option is active.
- Go to the Gallery section and check the Remote folder (or Archives**).
If the photo is not in the "Remote" section, try to return them from the archive:
- 📁 Get in to Mi Cloud. → gallery → Albums. → Archives.
- 🔍 Use a search by date or keywords (e.g., “beach”, “documents»).
- ☁️ If the photos were uploaded to the cloud but deleted from your phone, you can download them again.
| Conditions | Is recovery possible? | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Synchronization with Mi Cloud has been enabled | ✅ Yes. | Check the “Remote” or “Archive” section in the cloud |
| Photos removed more than 30 days ago | ❌ No (in the cloud) | Try other methods (such as PC) |
| The cloud was not used. | ❌ No. | Move to method 3-7 |
| The photos were on the album "Favorites" | ✅ Yes (often lasting longer) | Check the Favorites folder in the cloud |
Yeah, syncing everything automatically.
Sometimes, but not regularly.
I don’t trust cloud services.
I don't know what it is.-->
⚠️ Attention: Mi Cloud only provides 5GB of free storage.If space is over, old backups can be automatically deleted. → Managing storage to free up space or buy extra volume.
Method 3: Search in hidden folders and cache
MIUI creates temporary copies of photos in hidden folders that are not displayed in the standard gallery, and can be found through the file manager with the hidden file mode enabled.
Where to look:
- 📂 folder DCIM/.thumbnails — Photo miniatures (sometimes saved even after the original is deleted).
- 📂 folder Pictures/Screenshots/.recent — screenshots and recent pictures.
- 📂 folder Android/data/com.miui.gallery — Gallery cache (may contain temporary files).
- 📂 folder MIUI/Backup/AllBackup — backups of the system (if created).
How to turn on the display of hidden folders:
- Open Explorer (or Files by Google)
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If you find files with the.thumb extension, you can rename them to.jpg through any file manager. To do this, hold your finger on the file → Rename → Replace the extension.
Note: Files in the cache often have random names (e.g, img_20231015_123456_789.thumb). To identify them, open through the gallery or transfer to the PC.
Method 4: Restore via Google Photos (if used)
If your Xiaomi has Google Photos installed and sync enabled, deleted images could be saved to the Google cloud, and unlike Mi Cloud, the deleted files are stored for 60 days.
How to recover photos via Google Photos:
- Open the Google Photos app (if not installed, download from the Play Market).
If the photo is not in the cart, check:
- 🔎 Search by date or place (e.g., “Sea 2023»).
- 📁 Albums – The photo may have been manually transferred to another album.
- ☁️ Google Drive – if photos were saved there through Backup and Sync».
What if Google Photos don’t show deleted photos?
⚠️ Note: Google Photos compresses a photo when uploaded to the cloud if you select High Quality (not Original Quality) mode.
Method 5: Using PCs and recovery software
If previous methods failed, connect your phone to your computer and use specialized data recovery software, which is effective even if the photos were deleted a few months ago (assuming the memory was not overwritten).
The best programs for photo recovery with Xiaomi:
- 💻 Recuva (free, easy to use).
- 💻 EaseUS MobiSaver (paid but with high recovery percentage).
- 💻 DiskDigger (there is a version for Android, works without root).
- 💻 7-Data Recovery (supports recovery from damaged memory cards).
Step-by-step instructions for Recuva:
- Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB (select File Transfer mode** (MTP)).
- Install and run Recuva.
- Select the file type – “Images”**.
- Specify your phone’s drive (usually a removable drive with a letter like E:).
- Click "Analysis" and wait for the scan to be completed.
- Tag the desired photos and click "Restore"**.
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The longer you don't write new data to your phone after you delete the photo, the better the chances of it being recovered, and if the phone's memory is almost full, the programs are unlikely to find anything of value.
To recover directly from the phone (without PC) suitable DiskDigger:
- Download the app from the Play Market.
- Run Full Scan (requires root permissions for deep search).
- Select a folder to save recovered files (for example, SD-map).
- Wait for the process to end and check the results.
Method 6: Checking MIUI backups (local backups)
MIUI allows you to create local backups of data, including photos. If you have ever backupdated through Settings → About Phone → Backup, there is a chance to return deleted photos.
How to recover photos from the local backup:
- Open Settings → About the phone → Backup.
- Select the last backup (check the date of creation).
- Click “Restore” and select the “Gallery” section.
If the backup is saved to a PC or external drive:
- 🔄 Use the standard Backup app** to recover.
⚠️ Attention: Local backups in MIUI You may not include photos if you have a checkmark opposite the Gallery when you back up. Always check the backup settings before you create it!
Method 7: Contact Xiaomi Service Center
If the photos are critical (for example, they are only copies of documents or unique frames), and all previous methods have not worked, you can contact the official service center Xiaomi.
What you need to know before visiting the service:
Addresses of Xiaomi service centers in Russia can be found on the official website: mi.com/ru/service/center.
Before visiting, check by phone whether they provide data recovery services – not all centers are engaged in this area.
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If you’re afraid that your personal photos might be leaked, back up all other data before you visit and reset your phone to factory settings (but don’t format your internal memory!).