Losing photos from your phone is one of the most painful situations for owners of Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO. Vacation shots, important documents or family footage can disappear in an instant: accidental tapping, resetting, a virus or even a banal lack of space. Fortunately, devices based on MIUI have several built-in protection mechanisms, and for complex cases – proven third-party tools.
In this article, we will discuss all possible recovery methods, from basic (check basket and cloud) to advanced (use ADB and professional utilities), and pay special attention to the nuances for different models – for example, why the Xiaomi 13 Pro with UFS 4.0 chances of returning files are higher than on the budget Redmi Note 10 with eMMC. Also explain when recovery is physically impossible – and how to avoid this in the future.
1. Checking the basket in the Xiaomi Gallery
The first thing you need to do is to look into the built-in Gallery application basket, where in MIUI 12-14, deleted photos are stored there for up to 30 days (on some models, up to 15).
- 📱 Open the Gallery app (icon with colored squares).
- 🗑️ Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → pick the basket.
- 🔍 Scroll down the list or search by date.
- 🔄 Select the desired photos and click Restore (down arrow icon).
⚠️ Warning: If you were manually cleaning the cart or using features like Memory Optimization in Settings → Memory, files could be permanently deleted, and the Recycle Bin also doesn't work for photos deleted through Explorer or third-party apps (e.g. Google Photos).
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On some firmware, the basket is hidden. To turn it on, go to Gallery Settings → Additional → Show the basket
2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)
If your Xiaomi has been activated sync with Mi Cloud, the chances of returning a photo are much higher.The cloud keeps backups even after resetting the phone to factory settings.
- 🌐 Go to i.mi.com and log in with the same account as you do on your phone.
- 📁 In the Gallery section, find the Remote (or Recently Deleted in English) folder).
- ⏳ Photos are stored there for up to 60 days - highlight them and click Restore.
- 📲 To return the pictures to your phone, download them manually or enable autosynchronization in the cloud settings.
Important nuance: Mi Cloud only reserves thumbnails by default (resolution up to 2048×2048). To save the originals, you had to turn on the Sync option in original quality in Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery.
| Xiaomi model | Default backup size | Max. size with manual adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note 12/13, POCO X5 | 2 MP (miniatures) | 12 MP (originals) |
| Xiaomi 12T/13 Lite | 3 MPs | 24 MPs |
| Xiaomi 13 Ultra, MIX Fold 3 | 5 MP | 50+ MP (full size) |
⚠️ Note: If you reset your phone and logged in to another Mi Account, old backups will not be available, and Mi Cloud does not save photos deleted before sync connection.
3. Search on a memory card or internal storage
Sometimes the photos are not deleted, but simply moved to another folder, such as when you clean the cache or transfer files through Explorer, to find them:
- 🔍 Use the built-in search in Explorer (magnifying glass icon) for keywords:.jpg,.png, IMG_ or date (e.g, 2026-05*).
- 📁 Check the hidden folders: /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.gallery/cache
- 💾 If the photo was on SD-card, connect it to the PC through the card reader and scan the PhotoRec utility (free, works without root).
How to enable the display of hidden folders in Xiaomi Explorer
⚠️ Warning: Don't save new files to your phone until you recover! Every action (install apps, take a photo) can overwrite deleted data.
4.Programs for recovery without root rights
If the photo is not in the cart and not in the cloud, it is time to connect specialized utilities.
| Programme | Xiaomi support | Max. depth of scan. | Price. |
|---|---|---|---|
| DiskDigger | Yes (including MIUI 14) | Deep (with root - better) | Free / $14.99 |
| EaseUS MobiSaver | Yeah (except MIUI for POCO) | Average. | $39.95 |
| Recuva (for PC) | Only when connected as a storage device | Deep. | Free of charge. |
Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger:
- 📱 Install DiskDigger from Google Play.
- 🔍 Select Full Scan (longer but more efficient).
- 📂 Specify the search section: Internal memory or SD-map.
- 🖼️ After scanning, mark the photo and click Restore (save to PC or other device!).
☑️ Preparing for recovery via PC
⚠️ Warning: DiskDigger's free version only shows thumbnails. Full resolution recovery requires a premium version. Avoid programs like Dr.Fone, which are often recognized. MIUI as malicious and blocked.
5. Restoration with root rights: risks and opportunities
If the photos are critical and the previous methods have failed, deep root scanning remains, allowing you to read the raw data of the drive, including overwritten sectors.
- 🚨 Loss of warranty (if the phone is under warranty).
- 🔐 Possibility of brik (breaking firmware) with incorrect root.
- 🛡️ Vulnerability to viruses (root opens access to system files).
How to get root on Xiaomi:
- 🔓 Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi website (you need a Mi Account tied to the phone).
- 📥 Install. TWRP For your model (see instructions for the XDA Developers).
- 🌱 Fly Magisk through TWRP.
After rooting, use DiskDigger in Superuser or PhotoRec mode via ADB:
adb shell
su
photorec /sdcard/💡
On phones with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip (such as the Xiaomi 13), the chances of recovery are higher thanks to support for UFS 3.1/4.0. On budget models with eMMC (such as the Redmi 9A), data is often overwritten faster.
6. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center
If the photos are of critical value (for example, they are only copies of documents or unique frames), and independent attempts were unsuccessful, you can contact the authorized service center Xiaomi.
- 🔧 Special equipment for chip soldering (if the memory controller is damaged).
- 💾 Access to proprietary recovery utilities (e.g. Mi Flash Pro).
- 📊 The ability to extract data directly from NAND-chips (for phones with physical damage).
Cost of services:
| Type of recovery | Term | Price (roughly) |
|---|---|---|
| Programmed recovery | 1-3 days | 1 500–3 000 ₽ |
| Chip-off (with ration) | 3-7 days | 5 000–15 000 ₽ |
| Recovery from spillage | 5-10 days | 10 000–30 000 ₽ |
⚠️ Note: Before visiting the service:
- 📝 Write it down. IMEI phone (on a box or under a battery).
- 🔒 Don’t say you tried root, it could nullify the warranty.
- 📦 Bring checks and a box (to confirm possession).
7. How to prevent future photo loss
The best defense is proactive action, and here's what we can do today:
- ☁️ Set up automatic sync with Mi Cloud and Google Photos (duplication increases the chances of recovery).
- 📀 Regularly (once a month) copy your photo to an external drive or PC.
- 🔄 Enable Backup in Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Backup of the device.
- 🚫 Avoid cleaning memory through Optimizer – it can remove the cache of the miniature gallery.
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Google Photos has Archives, where you can manually move important images, which will not appear in the main feed, but will remain in the cloud even after you delete them from your phone.
Useful MIUI settings to protect photos:
Settings → Privacy → Data Protection → Include “Personal Data Protection”
Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery → Enable “Sync in original quality”
Settings → Memory → Additional → Disable “Autocleaning”