Where to Find Removed Photos on Xiaomi: A Complete Recovery Guide

Deleting photos on Xiaomi smartphones is a situation that almost every user faces. Accidental clicking, resetting or an error in the Gallery app can deprive you of valuable images. Fortunately, Redmi, POCO and Mi devices have several built-in data protection mechanisms, as well as third-party recovery tools. In this article, we will explore all possible ways to return deleted photos from the standard basket to deep memory scanning.

It is important to understand that recovery success depends on two factors: time (the earlier you start acting, the better the chances) and storage type (internal memory, SD-For example, photos deleted from Mi Cloud can be recovered within 30 days, but files deleted from the memory card require special programs. We will look at each scenario separately so that you can choose the best method.

If you're using Xiaomi based on MIUI 12/13/14 or HyperOS, some of the features may be different, which we'll mention, too, and for older models like the Redmi Note 4 or Mi 5, we'll give you alternative solutions. Let's start with the simplest one: checking the cart.

1. Checking the basket in the Gallery appendix

The standard Gallery app on Xiaomi automatically sends deleted photos to the cart, where they are stored for up to 30 days (some firmware — 15 days), the first and fastest way to return pictures without additional software.

1. Open the Gallery app** (an icon with multi-colored squares).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (menu) in the lower right corner.
3. Select Recycle Bin (or Remote in older versions of MIUI).
4. Click on the photo you want to restore, then tap Restore at the bottom of the screen.

If the cart is empty or you don’t find the right photos, check:

• 🔍 Keyword search: Enter the event title or location (e.g., “beach” or “2023»).

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If the cart does not have a button “Restore”, try to hold your finger in the photo for 2-3 seconds – a context menu with a recovery option will appear.

On some models (e.g., the POCO F5 or Redmi K60), the basket can be hidden to enable it:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Gallery → Storage.
2. Activate the option to show the cart.
3. Restart the app.

2.Recovery from the Mi Cloud

Mi Cloud is a cloud storage from Xiaomi that automatically syncs photos when the feature is activated. Even if you delete photos from your phone, they can stay in the cloud.

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Make sure the Gallery slider is on (if not, turn on and wait for the synchronization).
3. Go to i.mi.com from your phone or computer.
4. Sign in under the same account as on your smartphone.
5. Select the Gallery → Recycle Bin (or Deleted Files) section.

In Mi Cloud, photos are stored in the cart for up to 30 days after deleting. If the deadline expires, try:

• 🔄 Restore from archive: The web version of the cloud has an Archive section where old backups can lie.
• 📧 Check your email: When you first enable sync, Xiaomi sends a letter with a link to the backup.
• 📱 Another account: If you changed your account, your photos could have stayed in the old cloud.

If sync is disabled, but you remember that it used to work, try to restore data from the backup:

1. Go to Settings → System → Backup.
2. Select the latest copy (see the date of creation).
3. Click Restore and tick the Gallery.

⚠️ Warning: Restore from backup will replace the current data on your phone. Pre-copy important files to your computer or other SD-map.

3. Search in hidden folders and system directories

Sometimes photos are not deleted completely, but moved to hidden folders or system directories.

• 📸 Screenshots (folder) Pictures/Screenshots).
• 🔒 Protected Photos (.nomedia or Secure Folder folder).
• 📁 Application cache (e.g, Android/data/com.miui.gallery).

To find these folders:

1. Connect your phone to your computer via USB (select File Transfer mode).
2. Turn on the hidden file display: On Windows: in Explorer, go to View → Hidden Items. On Mac: in Finder, click Cmd + Shift +.

/storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails


/storage/emulated/0/Pictures/.nomedia




/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.gallery/cache

If you use POCO Launcher or third-party shells, hidden folders may be called otherwise. For example, in POCO X3, protected photos are stored in /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/PrivateAlbum.

4. Recovery with Third-Party Applications

If you don't find the photos in the cart or the cloud, you'll have to use special recovery software, which scans the phone's memory at the file system level and finds the deleted data before it's overwritten.

• 📱 DiskDigger (there is a version for Android without root).
• 💻 Recuva (for scanning through a computer).
• 🔧 EaseUS MobiSaver (supports) MIUI HyperOS).
• 📁 PhotoRec (for advanced users, works through the ADB).

Instructions for DiskDigger (without root):

Install DiskDigger from Google Play

Launch the app and select “Start Basic Scan”

Check the "Photographs" and "Video" boxes.

Wait for the scan to be completed (may take 10-30 minutes)

Select the files you need and click “Restore”

Save the photo on it. SD-map or cloud (not internal memory!)

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If you have root access, your chances of recovery are multiplied.

1. Install DiskDigger with root support.
2. Select the option Full scan.
3. After analysis, mark files with the extension.jpg,.png or.heic.
4. Save them to an external storage device.

⚠️ Warning: Do not save recovered files to the same memory they were deleted from! this may lead to overwriting of the remaining data. SD-map.

To recover via computer (e.g., using Recuva):

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC in File Transfer mode.
2. Run Recuva and select the type of Image files.
3. Specify your phone’s drive (usually a Removable Disc (E:) or the like).
4. Start the scan and wait for the results.

Reconstruction of c SD-map

If the photos are stored on SD-The main rule is: don't write new data to a map, otherwise deleted files will be overwritten:

1. Remove the card from your phone and connect it to your computer through a card reader.
2. Use the following programs: TestDisk (for advanced users, works with the file system), R-Studio (paid, but effective for badly damaged cards), PhotoRec (free, restores even fragmented files).

After scanning, save the files to the hard drive of the PC.

If the card is not determined by the computer:

• 🔌 Check the card reader (try another one). USB-port).
• 🛠️ Format the card on your phone (after data recovery!).
• 📱 Try reading the card on another device (e.g., on the Redmi Note 10 or on the Redmi Note 10). POCO X4).

For microSD cards of exFAT or NTFS format (used in the new Xiaomi models), EaseUS Data Recovery is suitable.

1. Select a card in the list of disks.
2. Run a deep scan.
3. Filter the results using JPG/PNG format.
4. Take a look at the photos and restore them.

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SD-Xiaomi cards are often formatted in FAT32, which does not support files anymore 4 GB. If you're shooting a video in 4K, They could be broken up into pieces — look for files with names like IMG_1234_1.jpg, IMG_1234_2.jpg etc.

6.Restore via Google Photos backup

If your Xiaomi has Google Photos installed, check its shopping cart and archive. Even if the sync is disabled, there may be old copies left:

1. Open Google Photos.
2. Slip on the profile avatar. → Basket.
3. Hold your finger in the photo and select Restore.
4. If the basket is empty, check the Archive (the section with the clock on the left menu).

If the photo was deleted more than 60 days ago, try:

• 🔍 Search by date: enter in the search bar 2023-12 (month-year).
• 📁 Backups: Go to photos.google.com → Settings → Backup copies.
• 📧 Confirmation letter: Google sends a letter with a link to the album when the first backup is done.

If you didn’t use Google Photos but you had a Google account on your phone, check Google Drive:

1. Open Google Drive.
2. Type:photo in the search.
3. Check the Recycle Bin section (stores files for up to 30 days).

7. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center

If all of these methods didn’t work, and photos are critical (such as documents or unique photos), you can contact the official service center Xiaomi.

What you need to know before your visit:

• 📋 Warranty: data recovery is not covered by the guarantee, the service is paid (from 1,500 to 5 000 rubles).
• ⏳ Timeline: The process can take anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks.
• 🔒 Privacy: Make sure the center is licensed to handle personal data.

The addresses of the service centers can be found:

• On the official website: mi.com/ru/service.
• In the Mi Community app (Service section).
• Through support: call 8 800 775-66-99 (free call).

⚠️ Warning: Don't go to informal workshops! there is a high risk of personal data leakage or permanent file loss due to unqualified actions.

If the service center refuses to help (for example, due to physical memory damage), try specialized data recovery labs such as:

• ACE Lab (Moscow, St. Petersburg).
• Data Recovery (working all over Russia)
• HDD Recovery (Recovery from damaged memory chips)

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi