Where in Xiaomi smartphones are stored deleted photos: hidden folders and recovery methods

Have you accidentally deleted important photos from your Xiaomi smartphone and are desperately looking for a way to get them back? or are you just wondering where exactly the deleted files are stored in the MIUI system? In this article, we will examine in detail how deleted photos are stored in Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices – from hidden system folders to shopping cart mechanisms and backups.

Xiaomi’s contrasting feature is its own MIUI shell, which specially manages multimedia. Unlike pure Android, deleted photos don’t always disappear forever: they can stay in temporary folders, cache or even in the Mi Cloud cloud storage. But there are nuances: for example, on Android 12+ and MIUI 13/14 models, the cleaning algorithm has changed. We will tell you how this works in practice and what to do if standard methods do not work.

Important: the article is relevant for all modern Xiaomi devices, including Redmi Note 12 Pro+, POCO F5, Xiaomi 13 Ultra and older models on MIUI 11-14. If you use custom firmware (for example, LineageOS or Pixel Experience), some of the instructions may not fit – specify the details for your version of Android.

How to delete photos in MIUI: what is really happening

When you click “Delete” in the Xiaomi Gallery, the file doesn’t disappear from the device instantly.

• 📁 Moving to the cart: by default, photos are sent to the.Trash folder (or.Recycle on some firmware) and stored there for 30 days (the setting changes to the Gallery). → Basket → Settings).
• 🗑️ Recycle Bin Cleanup: After expiration or manual deletion, files are marked as “free space” but physically remain on the drive until they are overwritten with new data.
• ☁️ Sync with Mi Cloud: If you have backup photos enabled, photos deleted from your phone can stay in the cloud (in the folder Removed up to 60 days).
• 🔄 Cache thumbnails: even after deleting preview photos are stored in the folder /data/data/com.miui.gallery/cache (available only with root rights).

Key point: MIUI doesn't use the standard Android engine for the cart (the.Trash-1000 folder), but creates its own hidden directories, which means that ordinary file managers (like Total Commander) won't show them without additional settings. Moreover, on devices with MIUI 14 and Android 13, the path to the cart has changed - now it is /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Trash.

Another nuance: if you deleted the photo not through the gallery, but through a file manager or a third-party application (for example, Google Photos), the mechanism will be different, in which case the files are immediately marked as deleted in the file system, bypassing the MIUI basket.

Where to look for deleted photos: hidden folders and system paths

To find deleted photos, first check the standard storage locations. Here is a complete list of folders where MIUI can save deleted files:

To see hidden folders (starting with.), turn on the display of hidden files in your file manager. For example, in Mi File Explorer, this is done as follows:

1. Open the Files app.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → Settings.
3. Activate the switch to show hidden files.

If the.Trash or MIUI/Trash folders are empty, it doesn't mean that the photos are permanently deleted.

• 🔄 Moved to the cloud (check Mi Cloud in your browser).
• 🗑️ Removed after cleaning the basket.
• 📱 Saved in backup (if you did backup through Settings) → My device. → Backup).

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If you don't find the.Trash folder, try connecting your phone to your PC and using Windows Explorer or DiskInternals Linux Reader to scan your internal memory. USB-linkage.

Step-by-step: how to recover a photo from the MIUI basket

If the photos are not removed from the cart, they can be returned in a few steps. MIUI 12-14:

Open the Gallery app

Go to the Cart section (the bin icon at the bottom of the screen)

Select the desired photos with a long tap

Click Restore (Icon with the arrow up)

Confirm the action if required-->

If the button is not in the gallery, it means:

• 🔧 The function is disabled in the settings. To enable: Gallery → Settings → Basket → Turn on the basket.
• 📱 You've got an old version. MIUI (11th, where the basket was called Recently deleted.
• 🚫 The photos were not deleted through the gallery, but through another manager (for example, Google Photos or Google Photos). ES Conductor).

On POCO models (e.g., POCO X5 Pro), the interface may be different: instead of the cart icon, the gallery will have a tab Albums → Deleted. If you can't see deleted photos, try:

1. Update the Gallery app through Google Play.
2. Clear gallery cache in Settings → Applications → Application Management → Gallery → Storage → Clear cache.
3. Reset the device.

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If the photos were deleted more than 30 days ago or the cart was manually cleaned, it will not be possible to restore them using standard MIUI tools, in which case you will move to deep scanning methods (section 4).

Deep Memory Scanning: Recovery Programs

If you don't find the photos in the trash or the cloud, you'll have to use specialized tools that scan the internal memory of the device at the file system level and restore files even if they were deleted long ago. Importantly, the less you use your phone after deleting, the better the chances of success (new data can overwrite old ones).

The best photo recovery software on Xiaomi:

Instructions for DiskDigger (the easiest option without a PC):

1. Download DiskDigger from Google Play (not to be confused with fakes!).
2. Launch the app and select Start basic photo scanning.
3. Wait until the process is completed (it can take 10-30 minutes).
4. Look at the files found and mark the ones you need to recover.
5. Click Restore and select a folder to save (such as Download or the cloud).

For a deeper scan (if the baseline mode didn't help):

• 📱 Connect your phone to your PC and use Recuva or PhotoRec.
• 🔧 Enable the Developer Mode and USB-debugging (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to tap → return to → For developers).
• 💻 On the PC, install it. ADB-drivers for Xiaomi (download from the official website).

Warning: Do not save recovered photos back to the phone's internal memory - this can overwrite the remaining deleted files.

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If you recover a photo from a microSD, remove it from your phone and connect it to your PC through a card reader, which will increase your chances of success, as it reduces the risk of overwriting.

Recovery via Mi Cloud and Google Photos

If your Xiaomi has cloud sync enabled, the chances of returning a photo are much higher, and consider both the official Mi Cloud and Google Photos.

Mi Cloud automatically saves deleted photos in the Deleted folder for up to 60 days to recover them:

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in.
2. Open the Gallery section → Remotely.
3. Select the desired photos and click Restore.
4. Confirm the recovery on the device (notification will come).

Please note:

• ☁️ Recovered photos will return to the Camera or Downloads folder on your phone.
• 📅 The shelf life (60 days) begins when the basket is removed, not when the cart is cleaned.
• 📶 If photos were deleted from a phone without internet, they may not be in the cloud.

Google Photos works differently: here deleted photos are stored in the Recycle Bin for 60 days, but only if:

• 🔗 You have sync enabled (Google Photos) → Settings → Backup and synchronization).
• 📁 Photos were removed via the Google Photos app itself, not through the gallery. MIUI.
• 💾 There is enough space on the device for a backup copy.

To recover photos via Google Photos:

1. Open the Google Photos app.
2. Put it on the avatar. → Basket.
3. Select a photo and click Restore.

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If you use both clouds (Mi Cloud and Google Photos), check both carts – photos could only be saved in one of the services.

What to do if nothing helps: extreme measures

If standard methods don't work, there are radical ways that take longer, and sometimes more technical skills, but can save really important photos.

1.Recovery through TWRP and backup

If your Xiaomi has a custom TWRP recap installed, you can make a full /data partition backup and analyze it on a PC using PhotoRec or Autopsy.This is the most effective method, but it requires:

• 🔧 Unlocked bootloader (bootloader).
• 📱 Established TWRP (Instructions for your model look for XDA Developers).
• 💻 Access to a Linux or Windows PC (for backup analysis).

2. Contact the service center

If the photos are critical (for example, they are the only copies of documents or memories), you can contact the Xiaomi service center, they have specialized equipment to extract data even from damaged drives.

• 💰 The cost of such a service starts from 5 000 rubles.
• ⏳ Recovery time: 3 to 10 days.
• 🔒 The warranty on the device may be cancelled.

3. Analysis of the raw section through ADB

For power users, you can get low-level access to memory through ADB and scan it manually.

adb shell


su




dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0 of=/sdcard/mmcblk0.img

This command will create an internal memory image (mmcblk0.img) that can then be analyzed on a PC.Caution: improper use of ADB can lead to data loss or system failure.

How to Prevent Photo Loss in the Future

To avoid the problem of deleted photos, set up automatic backup and follow the simple rules:

• ☁️ Enable sync with Mi Cloud: Go to Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud. Activate Gallery Sync. Install Wi-Fi Autoboot to avoid wasting mobile traffic.
• 📁 Use Google Photos as a backup: Install Google Photos from Play Market. Enable Backup and Sync. Choose High (free) or Original (paid).
• 🔄 Regularly copy photos to your PC: Connect your phone to your computer via USB. Copy the folders. DCIM You can use programs like SyncToy (Windows) or rsync (Linux/Mac) synchronize.
• 📱 Set up a basket in the gallery: Open the gallery → Settings → Recycle bin: Set maximum shelf life (up to 60 days) Turn off Autoclean if you want to control manual removal.

Additional advice:

• 🚫 Don’t keep only copies of important photos on your phone.
• 🔋 Before resetting your Hard Reset, always remove the memory card – it won’t clear when reset.
• 📎 Use tags and albums in Google Photos for quick search.