Where in Xiaomi search for deleted photos: a complete guide to recovery

Have you accidentally deleted important photos from a Xiaomi smartphone and now you don't know where to look for them? Don't panic: MIUI has several hidden mechanisms that can save your pictures even after clicking "Delete." Unlike iPhone or "pure" Android, Xiaomi's firmware uses a unique backup system, and is also integrated with the Mi Cloud cloud service, which automatically archives media files.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible places that Xiaomi can store deleted photos, from the obvious shopping cart in the gallery to the little-known system folders and app cache, how to recover photos without root rights, what tools to use for deep memory scanning, and why files sometimes “disappear” from the cloud after 30 days, and also what actions are strictly forbidden during recovery, so as not to lose data forever.

1.The basket in the standard Xiaomi gallery: the first step of recovery

The most logical place to look for deleted photos is the built-in Recycle Bin in the Gallery app (or Google Photos if you use it). In MIUI, the Recycle Bin works on a soft delete principle: files are not erased immediately, but moved to temporary storage for 30 days.

First, the shopping cart can be disabled in the gallery settings. Second, if you deleted photos through a file manager (like Explorer), they could bypass the shopping cart. Third, some Xiaomi models (like Redmi Note 8 Pro or POCO X3) have a bin size limit - if you exceed the limit, old files are deleted automatically.

• 📂 How to Open the Cart: Launch the Gallery → tap three points in the upper right corner → pick the basket.
• ⏳ Storage period: 30 days (configured in Gallery settings) → Basket).
• 🔄 Recovery: Select a photo → Click Restore (files will return to the original folder).
• ⚠️ Limitation: If the cart is empty, check the folder DCIM/.thumbnails — Sometimes the miniatures are kept there.

⚠️ Warning: If you have manually cleaned the cart or used the “Memory Optimization” function in Settings → Memory, files could have been permanently deleted, in which case, move on to the following ways.

Mi Cloud: Automatic Synchronization and Its Pillars

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi's cloud storage that syncs photos, contacts and notes by default. If your smartphone enabled Autoupload Photos, deleted photos could be saved to the cloud.

1. The free storage limit is only 5 GB. If you exceed it, new photos are not synced.

2.Store life: files deleted from the cloud are stored in the bin for 30 days, after which they are deleted forever.

3. Regional restrictions: in some countries (for example, in Russia) some of the functions of the Mi Cloud may be blocked.

To check the cloud:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Select Gallery (or Photos in newer versions of MIUI).
3. Check the basket folder in the cloud storage.

⚠️ Note: If you logged out of your Mi Account or reset your smartphone to factory settings, your cloud connection may have been lost. In this case, you can't recover your photo via Mi Cloud - try other methods.

3. Hidden system folders: where MIUI hides backups

MIUI backs up media files in hidden folders that most users don't know about, which are not displayed in standard Explorer, but can be found through a root file manager or special applications like FX Explorer or Solid Explorer.

Where to look:

• 🗃️ /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Backup/AllBackup — here are stored backups created through Settings → Additionally. → Backup.
• 📸 /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails — Miniatures of deleted photos (sometimes saved even after cleaning the basket).
• 🔒 /data/com.android.providers.media — System database of media files (requires root access).
• 🗑️ /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.gallery/cache — cache of the gallery, where traces of deleted images may remain.

To access these folders without root rights:

1. Install FX Explorer from Google Play.
2. Enable the display of hidden files in the application settings.
3. Go to one of these paths and look for files with the extension.jpg,.png or.nomedia.

Enable the display of hidden files in Explorer |

Check the folder /MIUI/Backup/AllBackup|

Search for thumbnails in /DCIM/.thumbnails|

Use it. FX Explorer to access system directories-->

4.Recovery via Google Photos: an alternative to Mi Cloud

If you use Google Photos instead of the standard Xiaomi gallery, deleted photos could be saved in the shopping cart of this service. Unlike the Mi Cloud, Google Photos offers more flexible storage settings and more free space (up to 15 GB per account).

The Google Photos Recycle Bin stores files for 60 days (twice as long as MIUI).

If you deleted photos through the Xiaomi gallery, they might not be in the Google Photos Recycle Bin (depending on your sync settings).

In some regions (e.g. the EU), Google Photos does not offer unlimited high-resolution storage.

How to restore:

1. Open the Google Photos app.
2. Tap on the profile avatar. → Basket.
3. Select the desired photos and click Restore.

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If Google Photos doesn’t have deleted photos, check the Archive folder – sometimes photos are moved there instead of the basket.

5 Deep scanning programs: when standard methods fail

If you don't find photos in your cart, in the cloud, or in your hidden folders, you have one last chance to use specialized data recovery software.

• 🛠️ DiskDigger scans internal memory and microSD card for deleted files, and the free version shows previews, but does not restore files in full resolution.
• 🔍 Recuva (for PC) – requires connecting a smartphone to a computer in mode MTP. Effective if the photo has been recently deleted.
• 📱 EaseUS MobiSaver is a paid app with a high recovery rate, but only works on rooted devices.
• 💾 PhotoRec – console utility for power users (requires) ADB team knowledge).

Important: don't install recovery software on the same disk where the deleted photos were stored, it can overwrite lost data, it's better to use a memory card or connect your smartphone to a PC.

Instructions for DiskDigger:

1. Install DiskDigger from Google Play.


2. Launch the application and select "Start basic scanning".




3. wait until the process is completed (may take up to 30 minutes).




4. View the files found and save the files to the memory card or to the cloud.

⚠️ Note: If you used the Memory Cleanup function in Settings → Memory or microSD card formatting, the chances of recovery are near zero, and only professional service will help.

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The faster you start recovering from deletion, the better the chances of returning a photo, and each new record to the disk reduces the likelihood of success.

6 What to do if nothing has worked: professional help and extreme measures

If all of these methods fail, there are two options:

1. So, you can go to a service center, and professionals use chip-off recovery equipment, and they take out the memory chip and read the data directly. It's expensive (from 5,000 to one). ₽), It is effective even after formatting.
2. Check other devices. Sometimes photos are synced to Google Drive, Dropbox, Telegram (aut-load to Save Messages), or even sent to Smart TV via Mi Share.

Before you carry your phone to the service, make sure that:

• 🔌 You didn’t connect your smartphone to your PC in Mass Storage mode (this can overwrite data).
• 🔄 You didn't update. MIUI After removing the photo (updates sometimes clear the cache).
• 📵 You don’t use your smartphone to shoot new photos/video (this reduces your chances of recovery).

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi