How to recover deleted photos on Xiaomi phone: everything from cart to deep scan

Have you deleted important photos from Xiaomi and you don't know how to get them back? Don't panic: most users have a chance to recover photos even if they were erased a few days ago. In this article, we'll look at all the current methods, from standard MIUI features to professional utilities that work even after resetting.

The key is that success depends on how long it's been since you deleted it and whether you've used your phone since then. New files written on top of old ones irrevocably destroy your chances of recovery, so the sooner you start, the more likely you are to get back the lost frame.

We tested all methods on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+, Xiaomi 13 Ultra and POCO X5 Pro models with the latest MIUI versions (14.0.5–14.0.8). The instructions are suitable for older devices (for example, Redmi 9A or Mi 10T), but taking into account the features of their firmware.

1.Check the basket at MIUI Gallery

The standard Gallery app in Xiaomi automatically saves deleted photos to the cart for 30 days, the first and easiest way to return photos without third-party software.

How to check:

• 📁 Open the Gallery app (image with multi-colored squares).
• 🗑️ Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → pick the basket.
• 🔍 View the file list. Deleted photos are marked with a deletion date.
• ↩️ Select the desired pictures (long press) → press Restore.

⚠️ Note: If you have manually cleaned the Recycle Bin or used third-party galleries (such as Google Photos), this method will not work.

If the cart is empty, move on to the next method, but first check if the auto-cleaning setting is enabled:

1. Come to the gallery. → Settings (⚙️) → Basket.
2. Make sure that the automatic cleaning slider is turned off.

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

If your Xiaomi had Mi Cloud sync enabled, the deleted photos could be saved to the cloud, which works even after the phone is reset to factory settings.

Instructions:

• 🌐 Go to i.mi.com from any device.
• 🔑 Sign in with the same Mi Account you used on your phone.
• 📷 Select Gallery or Photos (depending on the interface version).
• 🔍 Use a date filter or search to find the right pictures.
• 📥 Click on the photo → Download or Restore to the Device.

⚠️ Note: Mi Cloud stores photos in compressed format (resolution up to) 2048×2048 If you want the originals in full resolution, this is not the right way to go.

If there are no photos in the cloud, check your phone’s sync settings:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Cloud
2. Make sure the gallery slider is on.
3. Check if there was a restriction on mobile data (in Synchronization Settings).

3. Use of Google Photos (if backup was enabled)

Many Xiaomi users set up automatic backups in Google Photos, and if you are one of them, the chances of returning deleted photos are very high.

How to restore:

• 📱 Install the Google Photos app (if removed).
• 🔄 Sign in with the same Google account as you do on your phone.
• 🗑️ Go to the basket section (in the side menu).
• ⏳ The photos are stored there for 60 days (as opposed to 30 days in the same period). MIUI).
• ↩️ Select the files you need. → Restore.

⚠️ Attention: Google Photos compresses photos if you have High Quality (free) mode enabled. Original quality is only saved for Google One subscribers (from 139+) ₽/month).

Make sure that backup is enabled|Check the cart within 60 days of removal|Use the same Google account as you do on your phone|Download photos on PC if you need to save the originals-->

If the cart is empty, try to find photos by searching by date or objects:

1. Open Google Photos → click on the search bar.
2. Enter a date (e.g. June 2023) or an object (e.g. a cat, a sea).
3. The system will show all relevant images, even archive ones.

4. Connection to PC and Recovery through the Program

If the photos aren't saved in the trash or the cloud, you'll have to use special data recovery software to scan the phone's internal memory and find files that haven't been overwritten yet.

The best programs for Xiaomi:

• 💻 DiskDigger - free version of search for photos and videos, paid ($14.99) recovers all types of files.
• 💻 Recuva – a simple interface that supports deep scanning.
• 💻 EaseUS MobiSaver – specializes in mobile devices, works with the company. MIUI rootless.
• 💻 7-Data Recovery – Recover files even after formatting.

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger (as in the example of Redmi Note 11):

1. Download and install DiskDigger on PC.
2. Connect Xiaomi to your computer via USB-cable (file transfer mode).
3. Start the program → select your device from the list.
4. Press Full Scan (full scan) → wait until it is completed (may take 1-3 hours).
5. View the files found (check the necessary photos) → Recover.
6. Save the recovered files to your PC (not your phone!).

Important: Do not save recovered photos back to your phone until the process is complete – this may overwrite the remaining unrecovered files.

5. Recovery via TWRP (for advanced users)

If standard methods didn’t work, and photos are critical, you can try custom recovery (TWRP), which requires an unlocked bootloader and a TWRP installed, but gives access to low-level memory scanning.

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect actions in TWRP This method can cause complete data loss or a build-up of your phone, and only use it if you are confident in your skills or under the guidance of a specialist.

Instructions:

1. Unlock the bootloader on Xiaomi via the official tool (can take up to 720 hours to wait).
2. Install. TWRP for your model (for example, twrp-3.7.0_9-0-vili.img Xiaomi 11T Pro).
3. Download to TWRP (Power buttons + Volume up).
4. Connect your phone to your PC via USB.
5. In TWRP, select Mount → Enable MTP.
6. On PC, run DiskDigger or PhotoRec (from TestDisk) and scan the /data partition.

🔧 On new models Xiaomi (for example, Xiaomi) 13 or Redmi Note 12) section /data It's encrypted by default. It requires a device password or pattern.key file to decrypt it. /data/system).

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If you are not sure about your skills with TWRP, You can go to a service center, and many workshops offer post-reset recovery for 1,500 to 3,000. ₽, What is cheaper than buying a new phone.

6. Contacting a service center: when nothing helps

If all of these methods fail, the last option is to call a professional, and service centers use specialized hardware (such as the PC-3000 or DeepSpar Disk Imager) that can recover data even from damaged memory chips.

What you need to know before visiting the service:

• 💰 Average cost of recovery: 3000–10 000 ₽ (depending).
• ⏳ Timeline: 1 day to a week.
• 📌 Addresses of official Xiaomi services in Russia: mi.com/ru/service/center.
• 🔧 Do not turn on your phone or try to record new data before visiting, this will reduce the chances of recovery.

⚠️ Attention: Not all service centers are data recovery. Check by phone if they provide such a service. Avoid garage workshops, they may use unlicensed software that will permanently damage your data.

What to ask the master before repair:

1. What equipment will be used for the recovery?
2. Is there a guarantee for the safety of the remaining data?
3. Will the metadata of the photo (date, geotags) be restored?
4. Can I get a report of the found files before payment?

7. How to prevent future loss of photos

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

• ☁️ Enable sync with Mi Cloud and Google Photos (at the same time).
• 💾 Copy photos on PC regularly (for example, once a month).
• 📁 Use cloud-based services with versioning (such as Dropbox or Yandex Drive).
• 🔄 Set up automatic unloading on NAS (network storage, if any.
• 📱 Install a backup application (e.g. Swift Backup for the MIUI).

🔧 On Xiaomi models with a memory card slot (for example, Redmi Note 10 Pro) configure saving photos immediately on microSD:

1. Open the camera. → Settings (⚙️) → Preservation site.
2. Select Memory Card.
3. Make sure the card is formatted as a portable storage (not as internal memory!).

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Even if photos are saved to a memory card, regularly copy them to your PC or the cloud. microSD cards also fail, and data recovery from them is often impossible.

Frequently asked questions