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

Have you accidentally deleted valuable photos from Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO — and now you’re panicking about how to get them back? Don’t despair: 80 percent of the time, deleted photos can be recovered if you act quickly and correctly. MIUI-based smartphones (even older versions) store “traces” of files in the device’s memory for days to months, depending on how you deleted the photo and what you did with the phone after that.

In this article, we will analyze all the current recovery methods - from basic (checking the cart and cloud storage) to advanced (use). ADB We'll focus on the unique chips. MIUI, which are often missed in general guides: for example, how to restore a photo through a hidden folder MIUI/Extra Or why you shouldn't use the standard Gallery app to find deleted files, and you'll learn what actions are guaranteed to destroy your chances of recovery -- and how to avoid them.

1. Check the cart in the Xiaomi Gallery app

The first thing to do is to look into the built-in MIUI cart. Unlike Android, the “pure” shell Xiaomi defaults to send deleted photos to temporary storage, where they lie for 30 days (on some models – up to 60), This is the easiest and fastest way to return photos if you deleted them recently.

How to find the basket:

• 📱 Open the standard Gallery app (icon with multicolored squares).
• 🗑️ Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → Select the Recycle Bin (or Recently Deleted on New Versions) MIUI).
• 🔍 Scroll through the list and tick the necessary photos with ticks.
• ↩️ Click Restore (Icon with a down arrow).

The MIUI cart has a space limit, usually 5-10 GB. If you delete a lot of heavy files (like 4K videos), old photos can automatically clear before 30 days.

• 🚫 File Manager (e.g., Explorer or Total Commander).
• 🚫 Team rm in ADB terminal.
• 🚫 Memory Cleanup Applications (such as Clean Master).

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If the cart does not have the necessary photos, but you remember the date of deletion, try sorting the files by the option "Delete Date" (slip on the calendar icon in the upper right corner of the cart).

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

If your Xiaomi has enabled sync with Mi Cloud, the chances of returning a photo are much higher.The cloud saves backups of the gallery automatically (unless the feature is manually disabled). Even if you deleted the pictures from your phone, they could remain in the cloud - especially if less than 60 days have passed.

How to check:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Make sure that the gallery synchronization slider is active (green).
3. Go to i.mi.com and log in.
4. Select Gallery → Recycle Bin (or All Files if the Recycle Bin is empty).
5. Find the right photos and click Restore.

The limitations of Mi Cloud:

• 📉 Free rate provides only 5 GB – if the seat is out, old photos could be deleted automatically.
• ⏳ Recovery from the cloud takes time: the speed depends on the size of files and the speed of the Internet.
• 🔒 If you reset your phone to factory settings without detaching your Mi Account, access to the cloud may be blocked (confirmation via the service will be required). SMS email).

Yeah, syncing everything automatically.|Yeah, but selectively.|No, I don't trust clouds.|No, I don't know how to set up.|I used to, but I turned it off.-->

3. Search through hidden MIUI folders (the method for experienced)

MIUI creates multiple hidden folders where backups or thumbnails of deleted photos can be stored, a method that requires access to the file system through Explorer or Root rights, but often helps when other methods have failed.

Where to look:

How to access:

1. Install a file manager with support for hidden folders (such as FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Enable the display of hidden files in the manager settings.
3. Follow one of the paths from the table above.
4. If the folder doesn’t open, try connecting the phone to your PC and using ADB (instructions below).

4. PC Recovery: Programs and ADB

If you don't find your photos in the cart or the cloud, you can connect your phone to your computer, and there are two options: use specialized programs (like DiskDigger or Recuva) or work through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), the second method is more complex, but more effective for devices with an unlocked bootloader.

Method 1: Recovery programs

• 💻 DiskDigger scans internal memory at a low level, finds fragments of deleted files. Supports.jpg,.png,.heic.
• 💻 Recuva is a free utility for Windows, works with a connected phone as with an external drive.
• 💻 EaseUS MobiSaver is a paid tool with a high recovery percentage (there is a trial version).

Instructions for DiskDigger:

Download and install DiskDigger on PC|Connect Xiaomi to your computer in file transfer mode (MTP)|Run the program and select the phone disk|Select the file type "Images"|Start a deep scan.|Save the photos found on PC-->

Method 2: ADB (for Advanced)

If you have a Root right or an unlocked bootloader, you can try recovering photos through the ADB shell, which requires knowledge of the command line, but sometimes saves you when programs can't see deleted files.

adb shell


su




cd /data/media/0/DCIM/Camera/




ls -la | grep ".jpg" # search for JPG- files




exit

Warning: Using ADB without experience can lead to data loss or system damage. If you are not sure, you should consult a specialist.

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Deep scanning through a PC takes a long time (from 30 minutes to several hours), but increases the chances of recovery. The less you use your phone after deleting a photo, the higher the probability of success.

5. Recovery from memory card (if the photos were on SD)

If the photos were stored on a microSD, the recovery process is simplified: memory cards don't overwrite data as aggressively as a phone's internal memory, so the chances of returning the pictures are higher even after months.

What to do:

1. Remove the card from your phone and do not write new files to it.
2. Connect the card to the PC through the card reader.
3. Use recovery software (such as DiskDigger or PhotoRec).
4. Select the Deep Scan mode.

Important: Don't format your memory card before you restore it! Even if your phone asks you to format it because of errors, try scanning it on your PC first.

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If the memory card is not determined by the computer, try connecting it through another card reader or using the USB-OTG adapter on another phone.

6 What NOT to do after removing the photo

Some actions are guaranteed to destroy your chances of recovery, and this is not something you can do if you accidentally erase a photo.

⚠️ If you have already done something on this list, stop using your phone immediately and contact a service center - self-recovery may not be possible.

• 📲 Install new applications – they will rewrite the memory sectors where deleted photos were stored.
• 🔄 Resetting to factory settings will result in a complete overwriting of user data.
• 🗑️ Cleaning cache or junk through Clean Master – these programs delete temporary files where thumbnails may have been saved.
• 🔋 Discharge the phone to zero – with deep discharge, the system can automatically clear the cache.
• 💾 Formatting internal memory or SD-Map – this erases all data without the possibility of recovery.

If you do make one of these mistakes, don't panic: in some cases, professional recovery in the lab (for example, through the chip-off method) helps. ₽) It does not guarantee 100% results.

7. How to prevent future photo loss

The best way to avoid losing a photo is to set up a backup in advance. Here are proven methods for Xiaomi owners:

• ☁️ Mi Cloud: Enable automatic gallery sync in Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery.
• 🖥️ Google Photos: Install the app and activate Backup and Sync (free up to 15GB).
• 💾 Local Copy: Transfer your photo from your phone to your PC or external drive once a month.
• 📁 Hidden folders: important photos can be hidden in a folder DCIM/.hidden (Create it manually through the file manager).

Additional advice:

• 🚫 Don’t just store your photo on a memory card – it’s more likely to fail than your internal memory.
• 🔄 Check the basket regularly MIUI Clean it manually (autocleaning can delete the files you need).
• 📱 Use backup apps (e.g. Swift Backup for Root users).

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Configure backup notifications: You can turn on alerts in Google Photos and Mi Cloud if you haven’t synced for more than a week.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi