Where to find and how to recover deleted photos on Xiaomi smartphones: a complete guide

Deleting photos from a smartphone is one of the most painful mistakes for users, especially when it comes to valuable footage: family photos, documents or unique moments that can not be recreated. Xiaomi device owners face this problem as much as others, but they have the advantage: MIUI firmware offers several built-in data protection mechanisms, but not everyone knows how to use them.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can recover deleted photos on Redmi, POCO and Mi smartphones, from a standard gallery cart to deep memory scanning via PC. You’ll learn exactly where temporarily deleted files are stored, how to return them without root rights, and what to do if the images are lost after resetting. And at the end, a data loss prevention checklist that will save you from similar situations in the future.

The success of recovery depends on three factors: time (the faster you start acting, the better the chances), method of removal (simple deletion vs formatting) and version of MIUI (newer versions have more tools). If photos were deleted a few months ago and memory was actively used during this time, the chances are minimal.

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

Most Xiaomi users don’t even realize that the standard gallery has a hidden shopping cart where all deleted photos and videos go, which works on the principle of “soft removal”: files are not erased immediately, but stored in temporary storage for 30 days (in some versions of MIUI – up to 60 days), after expiration, they are deleted irrevocably.

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 devices – Recently deleted).
4. Check the file list: there may be a photo or video.

If you find the right pictures, select them (long press) and press Restore. Files will return to the original albums. Importantly, the basket clears automatically if you don't have enough memory, so don't delay recovery.

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If the gallery menu does not have the option “Basket”, update the application via Google Play or check the settings: Gallery → Settings → Recycle Bin → Enable.

• 📱 It works on: all devices with MIUI 10 and newer (including Redmi Note) 10/11, POCO X3/X4, Mi 11/12).
• ⏳ Storage period: 30-60 days (depending on the model and version of the software).
• 🚫 Restriction: does not restore files deleted through the File Manager or third-party applications.

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2. MI Cloud backups: Xiaomi cloud storage

If you've ever enabled sync with MI Cloud, the chances of returning a photo are greatly increased. Xiaomi's cloud automatically saves copies of photos, contacts and notes - but only if the feature was activated before deleting files.

Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → MI Cloud → Gallery. If there is data, it can be restored to the device.

1. Click on the Gallery in the backup list.
2. Choose the albums or individual photos.
3. Restore and confirm the action.

If the cloud doesn’t have any up-to-date data, check the history of changes: sometimes old versions of files are saved in the archive. For this, go to the Recycle Bin (on the right in the menu) on the web version of MI Cloud (i.mi.com).

⚠️ Attention: MI Cloud only provides 5GB for free.If you don't pay for extended storage, old backups can be automatically deleted when you exceed the limit.

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3. Local backups: where Xiaomi hides archives

MIUI It creates local backups even without a cloud connection. MIUI/backup internal memory or SD-To find them:

1. Connect your phone to your PC via USB (File Transfer Mode).
2. Open the Internal Storage folder → MIUI → backup.
3. Look for files with the.mbk extension (MIUI archives) or folders with dates.

To extract data from.mbk, you will need the official Mi PC Suite utility (you can download it on the Xiaomi website).

If you don't have backups, check the DCIM/.thumbnails folder, which sometimes contains thumbnails of deleted images (~100-200 KB in size) that can be enlarged with special services like Let's Enhance.

• 📁 The path to local copies: /MIUI/backup/ or /MIUI/backup/AllBackup/.
• 🔄 Frequency of creation: once a week (if included in settings).
• ⚠️ Limitation: Copies take up a lot of space — MIUI Automatically deletes old files when memory is scarce.

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4. PC recovery: programs for deep scanning

If the photos are not found in the cart or backups, software recovery remains, which works even after memory formatting, but requires root rights (to scan system partitions) or connect the phone to a PC in Mass Storage mode.

Top.-3 recovery:

• 🛠️ DiskDigger scans the internal memory and SD-maps, supports formats JPG, PNG, HEIC. There is a free version with limitations.
• 💻 Recuva is a simple utility for Windows, works with connected devices as with external drives.
• 📱 EaseUS MobiSaver – specializes in Android, restores photos even after resetting (requires root).

Instructions for DiskDigger (without root):

1. Install the program on your PC and connect Xiaomi via USB.
2. Select Basic Scan (Fast Scan) mode.
3. Tick Pictures and click Next.
4. After scanning, select the desired photos and save them to the PC.

Disable synchronization with MI Cloud|Charge your phone at least 50 times%|Use the original USB-cable|Do not save recovered files to your phone

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⚠️ Note: When connecting to a PC, select File Transfer Mode (MTP), It's not Charging. Otherwise, programs won't see the memory of the device. Also, avoid saving recovered photos back to the phone, which can overwrite the remaining data.

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5. Recovery after resetting settings or firmware

If photos are missing after hard reset or flashing, the chances of returning are minimal, but there are nuances. /data and /sdcard. When reset via Settings → The discharge is only cleared /data, a Media files in /sdcard/DCIM They may remain intact.

What to do:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and check the DCIM folder through the Explorer.
2. Use DiskDigger with root rights to scan the /data partition (there may be thumbnails left).
3. If the phone doesn’t turn on, remove the microSD (if it was) and connect it to the PC via a card reader.

For devices with an unlocked bootloader, you can try to recover data via TWRP:

1. Install custom recovery (such as OrangeFox).
2. Connect your phone to your PC in ADB Sideload mode.
3. Use the command: adb pull /data/media/0/DCIM/ C:\Xiaomi_Photos\ copy DCIM computer.

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Once you reset, never write new data to your phone before you try to recover it. Each new file reduces the chances of returning old data.

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6. Alternative methods: Google Photos and Third-Party Clouds

If you have used Google Photos, check out:

1. Open the app or go to photos.google.com.
2. Select the Recycle Bin (photos are stored there for 60 days).
3. Check the Archives section – sometimes the pictures get there instead of being deleted.

Other cloud services where copies may have been saved:

• 🌥️ Yandex Drive – if autoload photo was enabled.
• 📦 Dropbox or OneDrive – Check the Camera Uploads folder.
• 📧 Posts – You may have sent a photo to yourself or friends.

If photos have been removed from the cloud, try to restore them through file versioning (you can roll back changes in the last 30 days in Google Drive or Dropbox).

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7. How to prevent loss of photos in the future: checklist

The best protection against data loss is prevention, and follow these rules to stop looking for deleted photos:

• ☁️ Enable autosynchronization with MI Cloud (Settings) → Account. → MI Cloud → gallery).
• 🔄 Create local copies once a month through Settings → The phone. → Backup copy.
• 📁 Use microSD to store photos (when deleted, they remain on the map).
• 🚫 Do not format memory through Settings → Storage – This erases data irrevocably.
• 🔍 Check the cart after each mass removal.

For additional protection, install apps like Simple Gallery (with a “protected cart” feature) or Dumpster (an alternative shopping cart for Android).

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The most reliable way is a combination of cloud backup (MI Cloud or Google Photos) + It's a local microSD copy, and it'll protect your data even if your phone is stolen or broken.

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FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi