Recovery of deleted photos on Xiaomi Redmi 8: from the cart to deep scanning

Deleting photos from Xiaomi Redmi 8 is one of the most painful mistakes for smartphone owners. Even with careful handling of files, the risk of losing photos remains: accidentally tapping, crashing the system or failing to update MIUI can deprive you of valuable memories. Fortunately, in most cases, photos are recoverable — if you act quickly and correctly.

In this article, we’ll look at 7 proven methods for returning deleted images, from standard Redmi 8 features to professional tools. Importantly, the chances of success depend on how long it took to delete and what actions you took with your smartphone next. For example, installing new apps or taking new photos can irrevocably overwrite deleted data — so start restoring as soon as possible.

Features of Redmi 8 that affect the process:

• 📱 Version. MIUI: Starting with MIUI 12 A basket appeared in the gallery, but in earlier versions it is not.
• 💾 Type of memory: Photos can be stored in internal memory or on microSD – recovery methods differ.
• ☁️ Cloud Services: Xiaomi Cloud and Google Photos automatically back up your photos if the feature is enabled.

1. Checking the basket in the standard MIUI gallery

The easiest way to return deleted photos is to use the built-in basket, which works on the principle of “soft removal”: files are not erased immediately, but moved to temporary storage for 30 days (in new versions of MIUI 14+, the period is reduced to 15 days).

How to check the basket:

1. Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) lower-right.
3. Select the Recycle Bin (or Recently Deleted in Older Versions).
4. Find the right photos, highlight them with a long tap and click Restore.

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If the cart is empty but you are sure you have deleted the photo recently, try rebooting your phone – sometimes the contents of the cart do not appear immediately.

⚠️ Attention: Basket in MIUI It has a limited scope, so if you delete a lot of files, the old ones can be automatically cleared to free up space, and the shopping cart doesn't work for photos that are deleted from a microSD or through a file manager (for example, for example, the cart does not work for photos that are deleted from a microSD or through a file manager, ES Conductor).

2. Recovery via Xiaomi Cloud (Mi Cloud)

If your Redmi 8 has been activated sync with Xiaomi Cloud, the chances of returning photos are much higher.The cloud keeps backups of the gallery, contacts and notes, but there are nuances:

• ☁️ Automatic synchronization should be included in the Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery.
• 📅 Storage period: Free account provides 5GB and backups are kept for up to 6 months.
• 🔄 File versions: The cloud can save multiple versions of a single photo (useful when editing).

Instructions for remediation:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Select Gallery and click Restore (or Manage Backups).
3. Tag the photos and confirm the recovery. The files will be returned to the Mi Cloud folder in the gallery.

⚠️ Note: If you deleted photos from the cloud (not just your phone), it will be impossible to recover them – Mi Cloud does not have its own shopping cart. Also note that backups in the cloud can take up space, so the system sometimes automatically cleans old data.

3. Using Google Photos to Restore

Google Photos is another reliable way to return deleted photos if sync is enabled. Unlike the Mi Cloud, it has its own shopping cart, where photos are stored for 60 days (even if you deleted them from your phone).

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Google Photos app (if not, install it from the Play Market).
2. Sign in with the same Google account that was linked to your phone at the time of deletion.
3. Slip on the profile avatar in the upper right corner and select the Recycle Bin.
4. Find the right photos, highlight them and click Restore.

✅ Plus Google Photos: Even if you deleted photos from the shopping cart, you can try to restore them through the web version on your computer – sometimes there are files that are not in the mobile application.

Yes, only Google Photo|Yes, only Xiaomi Cloud|Yes, both services|No, don't use |I don't know what it-->

4. Computer Recovery (without root)

If the photos are not saved in the cart or cloud, the next step is to connect Redmi 8 to your computer and scan the memory with specialized programs, which works even if you haven’t made backups, but you need to be careful: do not save new files to your phone until the procedure is completed so as not to overwrite deleted data.

Best Recovery Programs (Free Restricted Versions):

• 💻 Recuva – a simple utility with support FAT32/exFAT (microSD-suitable).
• 🔍 DiskDigger – Deep Scanning, Finds Photos Even After Formatting.
• 📁 EaseUS MobiSaver – specializes in mobile devices, supports MIUI.

Instructions for DiskDigger (recommended for Redmi 8):

1. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode (MTP)).
2. Install and run DiskDigger (select the Windows version).
3. Select your phone’s drive (usually Internal Storage or model name).
4. Press Dig Deep (deep scan) and wait until it is completed (may take several hours).
5. Mark the photos you find (.jpg,.png formats) and save them to your computer.

Disable Wi-Fi and mobile data on your phone|Charge your phone at least 50 times%|Use the original USB-cable|Do not connect your phone to other devices during scanning|Save recovered files on PC, not phone-->

⚠️ Note: In deep scanning, programs can find fragmented files – these photos will be partially restored (for example, without half the image). CHKDSK or other disk verification tools – they can damage the data structure.

5. Recovery with ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don't work, you can try extracting photos from Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a debugging tool that allows you to access system folders, which requires a developer mode on and a little bit of technical skill.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on Redmi 8: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI until the notification appears.

Settings → Additional → For Developers

USB debugging

ADB-driver

platform-tools

adb devices

(Your device should be displayed)

adb shell

su

(If you request root access, please allow it)

find /storage/emulated/0/ -name ".jpg" -o -name ".png" > /sdcard/recovered_files.txt

This command will create a file listing all photos on the phone, including deleted ones (their paths will be marked as "deleted").

recovered_files.txt

adb pull /path/to/deleted_photo.jpg C:\Recovery\

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ADB-The method only works if the deleted photos are not overwritten with new data, and if more than a month has passed since deleting and you've been using your phone extensively, the chances are minimal.

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB root can disrupt the system if you make a mistake in commands, and some manufacturers (including Xiaomi) block access to system partitions on new versions. MIUI.

6.Recovery from microSD card

If the photos were stored on a microSD, the recovery process is easier – memory cards are less susceptible to fragmentation, and the chances of returning files are higher. However, there is an important caveat: do not use the card after deleting the photo (do not take new pictures, do not copy files).

The best microSD recovery software:

• 📷 PhotoRec – free utility, works without installation, supports FAT32/exFAT.
• 🔧 R-Studio – paid, but with demo mode (shows which files can be recovered).
• 💾 TestDisk – Restores the partition of the card if it was formatted.

Instructions for PhotoRec:

1. Remove the microSD from your phone and connect it to your PC via a card reader.
2. Download PhotoRec and unpack the archive.
3. Launch it. photorec_win.exe (for Windows and select your card drive.
4. Specify the file system (FAT/exFAT for Redmi 8).
5. Select a folder to save recovered files (not to the card!).
6. Run the scan and wait until it's finished.

✅ Advice: If the card is defined as RAW If you ask for formatting, don't agree! It's a sign of file system damage, so try to restore the data using TestDisk first, and then format it.

7. Contacting a service center: when nothing helps

If all of these methods have failed, the last option is to contact the Xiaomi service center.

• 🔧 Physical damage to a phone or memory card (for example, after falling or getting water).
• 🔄 Reset to factory settings without backup.
• 📛 Encryption of data (if the phone has been encrypted and the password is lost).

What you need to know before visiting the service:

• 📋 Bring a check or purchase confirmation (for warranty service).
• 🔒 If a pattern lock is installed on the phone or PIN, inform him - without unlocking, specialists will not be able to work with data.
• 💰 The cost of data recovery in the service starts from 1,500 rubles (depending on the complexity of the).

⚠️ Attention: Not all service centers are dedicated to data recovery, some are dedicated to iron repair. Check by phone before you visit if they provide this service. Unscrupulous specialists can copy your personal data.

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If the photos are critical (such as documents or unique images), consider contacting a data recovery laboratory (such as ACE Lab or R-Studio), which uses professional equipment, but the cost of the service can reach 10,000-30,000 rubles.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Redmi 8