Where and how to find deleted photos on Xiaomi: all hidden Android storage

Deleting photos on Xiaomi smartphones is not always a final process. Many users mistakenly believe that after clicking the Delete button, the images disappear forever. In fact, the MIUI operating system (and standard Android) store copies of files in several hidden locations, from the temporary basket to the system cache. Even after cleaning the gallery, the chances of recovery remain, but they depend on the time elapsed since the deletion and the user's actions.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible places where deleted photos can be stored on Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO and Black Shark devices, from the obvious (for example, a shopping cart in a gallery) to the little-known (.thumbnails folders or Mi Cloud backups), and learn how to properly search for lost photos to avoid aggravating the situation, and what tools will help you return files even after resets.

⚠️ Warning: The more active you use your smartphone after you delete a photo (installing apps, shooting new videos, clearing your memory), the lower your chances of recovery.

1.Basket in the standard MIUI gallery

The first place that deleted photos go to Xiaomi is the built-in shopping cart in the Gallery app, which is stored there for 30 days by default, and then automatically deleted, but this period can be changed or disabled at all.

To check the basket:

1. Open the Gallery app (an icon with multi-colored squares).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines in the lower right corner (menu).
3. Select the item "Basket" (or Trash in English firmware).
4. View the file list. To recover, click on the photo and select Restore.

⚠️ Note: If the cart is empty but you are sure that the photos were recently deleted, check the storage settings. MIUI The cart is disabled by default. To activate it, go to Gallery Settings. → Basket → Turn on the basket.

2. Hidden folders with thumbnails (.thumbnails)

Android creates a thumbnail cache to speed up gallery loading, which is stored in a hidden folder called.thumbnails, and can contain reduced copies of deleted photos. Unfortunately, these images rarely exceed 200×200 pixels, but they can at least help identify lost images.

How to find the folder:

• 📁 Use any file manager with hidden folder support (e.g., Xiaomi’s Explorer or Solid Explorer).
• 🔍 Go to the root directory of internal memory: /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails.
• 🖼️ Miniature files usually have an extension.thumbdata3 or.thumbdata4. You will need specialized software to view it (for example, DiskDigger).

💡 Tip: If the.thumbnails folder is empty, try searching in the /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/.thumbnails. In some versions MIUI path may differ.

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Do not delete files from the.thumbnails folder manually, this can cause a malfunction of the gallery.

3. Application cache and temporary files

Many apps (including Google Photos, Mi Gallery, and instant messengers) store temporary copies of photos in their cache, which can remain on the device even after the originals are deleted, but it is difficult to manually extract them — you will need access to root rights or use tools like Recuva (for PC).

Where to look:

⚠️ Attention: To access folders /data/data/ You need root rights. You'll only see empty directories without them. The alternative is to connect your smartphone to your PC and use programs like Dr.Fone or EaseUS MobiSaver.

4. Cloud backups (Mi Cloud, Google Photos)

If your Xiaomi had Mi Cloud or Google Photos enabled, the deleted locally-removed images could be saved to the cloud, which is one of the most reliable ways to recover, since the files are stored on the manufacturer’s servers.

How to check:

• ☁️ Mi Cloud: Go to Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Gallery. Check the Recycle Bin section (files are stored there for up to 60 days).
• 📷 Google Photos: Open the app, tap on the avatar in the upper right corner → «Recycle bin. Shelf life is 60 days.
• 🔄 Automatic sync: If the function was activated, deleted photos could be saved in the Archive or Backup folder».

Critical: If you manually deleted photos from the cloud (e.g., cleared the Mi Cloud Recycle Bin), it will be impossible to recover them.

Sign in to your Mi Cloud account

Check out the Google Photos Recycle Bin

Make sure that synchronization has been enabled before removal

Try to restore via the web version (cloud.xiaomi.com)-->

5 Recovery through specialized programs

If standard methods don't work, third-party utilities will come to the rescue, scan the internal memory of the smartphone at the file system level, and can find fragments of deleted photos, and the effectiveness depends on how long it has been since the device was removed and how actively the device was used.

The best tools for Xiaomi:

• 🛠️ DiskDigger - scans memory without root, but with permissions finds more files. Supports recovery in the original resolution.
• 🔍 Recuva (for PC) – requires a smartphone connection in mode MTP and driver installation ADB.
• 📱 Dumpster is a basket that works independently of the gallery.
• 💾 EaseUS MobiSaver is a paid software with a high recovery rate, but requires a connection to a computer.

📌 Important: Before the scan:

1. Turn off mobile internet and Wi-Fi to avoid overwriting data.
2. Do not install new applications.
3. Use a charged battery (the process can take several hours).

6 Physical memory and low-level recovery

If the photos were critical (such as documents or unique footage) and the software methods did not work, the last option is to contact data recovery specialists.

• 🔧 The smartphone is not switched on or has physical damage.
• 💽 The photos were deleted long ago (more than 6 months ago).
• 🔒 The device used encryption (for example, FBE in new versions of Android).

How the process works:

1. Specialists connect the memory of the smartphone to professional equipment (for example, PC-3000 or DeepSpar Disk Imager).
2. Read raw data (raw recovery) from the chip eMMC or UFS.
3. Restore the file system and extract fragments of photos.

⚠️ Attention: Low-level recovery is expensive (from 5,000 to 30,000 rubles). Not all service centers take on such tasks, as specialized equipment is required.

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If the photos are of high value, DO NOT attempt to restore them yourself after physical damage to the device. Incorrect actions (for example, trying to flash your smartphone) can permanently destroy the data.

7. How to prevent future loss of photos

The best way to avoid problems with deleted photos is to set up automatic backups, which can be done in several ways on Xiaomi devices:

Reservation methods:

• ☁️ Mi Cloud: Enable Gallery Sync in Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Gallery. Free 5GB is available.
• 📷 Google Photos: Install the app and activate "Backup and Sync." Quality "High" doesn't take up space in the cloud.
• 💾 Local Copying: Regularly transfer the photo to your computer or external drive through the computer. MTP or FTP-server.
• 🔄 Third-party services: Yandex Drive, Dropbox or Mega with automatic download.

🔹 Additional measures:

• Turn off automatic cleaning of the basket in the gallery (Gallery settings → Cart → Auto Clean).
• Use applications to create local backups (like FolderSync).
• Check the integrity of the backup copies periodically.

💡 Tip: If you often delete photos by mistake, install an alternative gallery with an extended basket, such as Simple Gallery or QuickPic.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi