Where to look for deleted photos on Xiaomi Redmi Note: a complete recovery guide

Did you accidentally delete important photos on your Xiaomi Redmi Note and now you don't know where to look for them? Don't panic - most models in this lineup (from the Redmi Note 4 to the Redmi Note 13 Pro+) have several layers of protection against irretrievable data loss. Even if you cleared the cart or formatted the memory card, the chances of recovery remain.

In this article, we will discuss all possible places where deleted photos can be stored: from the standard shopping cart. MIUI You will also learn how to return images using embedded tools and third-party applications without resorting to complex technical manipulations. MIUI (12 to 14) and Redmi Note models, as feature layouts may differ.

Important: the faster you start to act after deleting, the more likely you are to successfully recover, do not save new files to the device or update the firmware, this can overwrite deleted data.

1.The basket in the MIUI gallery: the first place to search

Most Xiaomi Redmi Note users don’t even realize that the standard MIUI Gallery has a built-in cart where photos are stored 30 days after being deleted, the first and easiest way to return photos without additional software.

To check the basket:

1. Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (menu) in the lower right corner.
3. Select the Recycle Bin (on some firmwares – Recently deleted).
4. Click on the desired photo, then select Restore (the icon with the arrow up).

Note that in MIUI 14, the shopping cart can be hidden behind an additional swipe to the left in the gallery's main menu. If you don't see this section, check the settings of the application: Gallery → Settings → Show the cart.

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If the cart is empty but you are sure that the photos were deleted recently, try restarting the phone – sometimes the contents of the cart are displayed with a delay.

2. Cloud backups: Xiaomi Cloud and Google Photos

If you’ve ever enabled sync with Xiaomi Cloud or Google Photos, your photos could automatically be saved to the cloud.This is especially true for Redmi Note 10/11/12 models, where cloud sync is often activated by default.

How to check out Xiaomi Cloud:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud.
• 🔍 Select Gallery and check the backup list.
• ⬇️ Click Download next to the desired date (photos will be saved to the MiCloud folder on the device).

For Google Photos:

• 📷 Open the Google Photos app.
• 🔎 Select the Recycle Bin (Photos are stored there for 60 days).
• 💾 If the cart is empty, check the Archive section or use the Search by Date function.

An important nuance: in MIUI 13/14, sync with Xiaomi Cloud can be suspended due to traffic restrictions. Check this in Settings → Network and Internet → Data Transfer → Autosynchronization.

3. Hidden system folders: where MIUI hides temporary files

MIUI creates temporary copies of photos in hidden folders that are not displayed in the standard file manager, and these files can be saved for days to months, depending on the Redmi Note model and firmware version.

Where to look:

• 📁.thumbnails folder – contains photo thumbnails (path: /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails).
• 📁.pic folder – temporary gallery files (/storage/emulated/0/Pictures/.pic).
• 📁 folder MIUI → Gallery → Cloud – Cloud synchronization cache.

To see the hidden folders:

1. Use a file manager that supports hidden files (such as Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Enable the option to Show hidden files in the manager settings.
3. Copy the files found to another folder and rename (remove the dot at the beginning of the name).

On the Redmi Note models 8/9 Pro temporary files can be stored in a folder /data/media/0/MIUI/Gallery/editor — This is the cache of the built-in photo editor. These files usually have a prefix. temp_ titled.

4. PC recovery: programs for deep scanning

If the photos aren't in the cart or the cloud, you'll have to connect Redmi Note to your computer and use specialized programs to scan your internal memory and microSD card at the file system level, recovering even long-deleted files.

The best programs for Windows/macOS:

Instructions for DiskDigger (recommended for beginners):

1. Connect Redmi Note to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Start DiskDigger and select your phone’s drive.
3. Enter the JPG/PNG format and press Dig Deep.
4. After scanning, mark the desired photos and press Recover.

Disable battery optimization for USB-connection|Use the original cable|Do not connect your phone to charge during scanning|Save recovered files on PC, not phone-->

⚠️ Note: If the phone requests permission to debug USB (USB Debugging, include it in Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (7 times tap the version, then return to the additional → Without it, some programs will not see internal memory.

5.Recovery from memory card: features for Redmi Note

If the photos were stored on a microSD, they are easier to recover — memory cards are not overwritten by system processes as actively as internal memory.

What you need to know:

• 📱 Redmi Note 7/8/9 default formatting SD-ExFAT cards that are worse recovered than FAT32.
• 🔄 If the card was used as internal memory (Adoptable Storage function), data can only be restored via a PC.
• 🚫 Do not use the card after deleting the photo – each new file reduces the chances of recovery.

Best programs for SD-map:

• R-Studio – Recovers even highly fragmented files.
• TestDisk is a free partition recovery utility (useful if the card is not defined).
• SD Card Recovery is a specialty of memory cards.

If the card is not determined by the computer:

1. Try another card reader or USB-port.
2. Check the card on another device (like a friend’s Redmi Note 10).
3. If the card is physically damaged, contact a service center – self-repair can exacerbate the problem.

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Never format a memory card through your phone after deleting a photo! Use a PC with SD Formatter from the SD Association if formatting is unavoidable.

6. Root access: extreme measures for power users

If all previous methods fail, the last chance is to get root rights and scan internal memory at a low level, which is only suitable for advanced users, as it carries risks:

• 🔓 Loss of Warranty (for new Redmi Note models) 12/13).
• 🛡️ Vulnerability to malware.
• 🔄 Possible reset after unlocking the bootloader.

How to get root on Xiaomi Redmi Note:

1. Unlock the bootloader through Mi Unlock Tool (requires a Xiaomi account binding).
2. Install a custom TWRP recavator for your model.
3. Please use Magisk to obtain root rights.

After getting root, use:

• Root Browser – for search in system folders (/data/media/0/).
• Undeleter Recover Files & Data scans memory with root access.
• ADB-Extract raw data: Adb pull /dev/block/mmcblk0 block.img

⚠️ Note: On Redmi Note models 5/6/7 Snapdragon processor unlocking bootloader erases all data! First try to recover photos through PC without root.

7.Prevention: How to avoid loss of photos in the future

To avoid the problem of deleted photos, configure Redmi Note with these recommendations:

Automatic backup:

• 📱 Enable autoload in Google Photos: Settings → Backup and synchronization.
• ☁️ Set up Xiaomi Cloud for daily copying: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery.
• 💾 Use local backup through Settings → System system → Backup.

Gallery settings:

• 🗑️ Increase the shelf life in the cart to a maximum (60 days): Gallery → Settings → Basket.
• 🔒 Enable password protection for important albums.
• 📁 Turn off automatic cache cleaning: Settings → Warehouse → Cleanup → Autocleaning.

Additional measures:

• 📱 Install Dumpster app – an alternative cart with unlimited shelf life.
• 💾 Regularly copy the photo to a PC or external disk.
• 📷 Use cloud-based services with versioning (such as Dropbox or Yandex Drive).

On the Redmi Note 11/12 models with MIUI 13/14, Cloud Sync 2.0 has appeared, which saves thumbnails of photos even after deleting. To activate it, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization settings → Enable backup thumbnails.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi Redmi Note