Delete important photos from Xiaomi Redmi 8 and don’t know how to get them back? Don’t panic – even if the pictures disappeared from the gallery, they can still be stored in hidden folders, a basket or cloud storage. In this article, we will discuss 7 proven recovery methods that work without root rights and are suitable for standard MIUI firmware (including versions 12-14).
Redmi 8 features the built-in Recycle Bin feature in the Gallery app, which defaults to storing deleted files for 30 days. But even if the deadline has expired or you have cleared the Recycle Bin, the chances of recovery remain: Android does not erase data immediately, but only marks them as available for rewriting.
We'll look at methods from simple (checking your cart, cloud backups) to advanced (using a PC and specialized utilities). For each method, we'll point out the pros, cons and probability of success so you can choose the best option. Let's start with the most obvious - but often ignored - step.
1. Checking the basket in the standard MIUI gallery
The first thing you need to do is to look into the Gallery's built-in application cart, and in MIUI, deleted photos are stored there by default for 30 days, then automatically erased, and if less than a month has passed, you can return them in 2 clicks.
Instructions:
- 📱 Open the Gallery app on Redmi 8.
- 🗑️ Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → pick the basket.
- 🔍 Check the list of deleted files. Check the photos with ticks.
- ↩️ Click Restore (down arrow icon).
If the basket is empty or you have manually cleaned it, go to the following method. Note: in some versions of MIUI, the basket is hidden - to activate it, go to Gallery Settings → Recycle Bin → Enable.
💡
If you don't have the photos in the cart, but you remember the date you deleted them, try sorting the files by time (Sort → Delete Date).
2. Search in the.thumbnails folder and hidden directories
Android creates thumbnails to speed up gallery loading. Sometimes the original photos are deleted and their smaller copies remain in hidden folders. Also, check the DCIM/.thumbnails directory, which can store thumbnails even after cleaning the cart.
How to find it:
- 📁 Connect Redmi 8 to your PC via USB (Select the File Transfer Mode).
- 🔍 In the conductor Windows/Mac Go to the internal memory folder → DCIM →.thumbnails.
- 🖼️ The files here have the.thumb extension. Rename them to.jpg or.png to open.
- 🔎 Also check the folders: Pictures/Screenshots — Screenshots; Download – uploaded images; MIUI/Extra — backups of system applications.
Miniatures are usually low resolution (about 320×240 px), but if the originals are lost, it's better than nothing. To find hidden folders on a phone without a PC, use the ES Explorer file manager or Solid Explorer (turn on the display of hidden files in the settings).
Why do the miniatures remain after the photo is removed?
3. Restore via Google Photos (if sync was enabled)
If Redmi 8 was activated autoload in Google Photos, deleted photos could be saved in the cloud, the service stores files in the Recycle Bin for 60 days (as opposed to 30 days in MIUI), and allows you to restore them through the web version.
Step-by-step:
- 🌐 Open your browser on your PC or phone and go to photos.google.com.
- 🔑 Sign in to the same Google account used on Redmi 8.
- 🗑️ In the menu on the left, select the basket.
- 🔍 Find the right photos, mark them and click Restore.
- 📲 If the photos are restored to the cloud but do not appear on your phone, open the Google Photos app on Redmi 8 and sync the data (Settings) → Synchronization and backup).
Important: if sync has been disabled, this method will not work. Also check the Archive folder in Google Photos - sometimes users mistakenly archive files instead of deleting them.
| Recovery method | Probability of success | Conditions required | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| The basket at MIUI Gallery | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (90%) | Photos deleted <30 days ago | Not working after cleaning the basket |
| Folder.thumbnails | ⭐⭐⭐ (40%) | Miniatures were not cleaned manually. | Poor quality of restored photos |
| Google Photo | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (80%) | Synchronization was on. | Photos are stored in a basket for 60 days |
| Local backup of MIUI | ⭐⭐ (30%) | Backup was created by hand. | You need to remember the date of the backup. |
4.Use of MIUI backups (local backup)
Xiaomi Redmi 8 allows you to create local backups through the Settings menu → About Phone → Backup. If you've ever done a backup, it could have saved deleted photos. Here's how to extract them:
Steps:
- 📱 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Backup.
- 🔄 Check the list of available backups. Pay attention to the date of creation - it must be before the date of deletion of the photo.
- 📂 Select the right backup and click Restore. The system will tell you to select data types — tick Gallery or Multimedia.
- ⚠️ Warning: Backup recovery can overwrite current data (contacts, messages) and it is recommended to pre-copy important files on the PC.
Local MIUI backups are stored in the MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder. If the menu recovery fails, you can manually extract the archive using the PC:
- Connect Redmi 8 to your computer.
- Go to the Inner Memory → MIUI → Backup → AllBackup.
- Find a file with the.mbk extension (this is a backup archive).
- Use Mi Backup Extractor (you can download it from XDA Developers) to extract data.
5. Software for recovery from PC (without root)
If previous methods didn't work, it's time to plug in specialized utilities that scan the phone's internal memory at the file system level and can find photos even if they're not displayed in the gallery.
Top.-3 Programs (free versions with limitations):
- 🖥️ DiskDigger – Supports Recovery JPG, PNG, RAW. There is an Android version (requires root for deep scanning), but it’s better to use the PC version.
- 💻 Recuva is a simple interface, high recovery rate (up to 70% for recently deleted files) and only works with a connected phone in mode. USB Mass Storage.
- 🔧 EaseUS MobiSaver, specializes in media files, recovers up to 2 GB of data in the free version.
Instructions for DiskDigger (on the example of a PC):
- 📥 Download and install the program from the official website.
- 📱 Connect Redmi 8 to PC in File Transfer Mode (MTP).
- 🔍 In DiskDigger, select the phone drive (usually Internal Storage) and press Dig Deep (deep scan).
- 🖼️ After the scan is complete, filter the results by Images type. Tag the desired photos and click Recover Selected Files.
- 💾 Save recovered files to your PC, not your phone (to avoid overwriting!).
Disable sync with clouds (Google Photos, Mi Cloud)
Charge your phone at least 50%
Use the original USB-cable
Do not connect your phone to other devices during scanning-->
Importantly, the longer it has been since you deleted it, the lower the odds. If new files (photos, videos, apps) were written to your phone, they could overwrite deleted data, and avoid using memory optimizers to clear cache and temporary files where the remnants of deleted images can be stored.
⚠️ Note: Some programs (such as Dr.Fone) require you to disable Mi Account or unlock the bootloader, which can cause your phone to reset. On Redmi 8, this is not necessary - only use those utilities that work in mode. MTP without further manipulation.
6. Recovery via Mi Cloud (if there was an account link)
Xiaomi offers its own cloud storage, Mi Cloud, which automatically backs up photos if the feature is activated. Unlike Google Photos, it only has a 10-day storage period, so you need to act quickly.
How to check:
- 🌐 Go to i.mi.com and log in to your Mi Account.
- 📁 On the menu, select the Gallery. → Basket.
- 🔍 Find the deleted photos and click Restore.
- 📱 On the phone, open Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronize and update data.
If the cart is empty, check the main gallery of Mi Cloud — sometimes photos are not deleted, but simply hidden due to sync failure. Also pay attention to the folder Autoload — there can be stored copies of photos that are downloaded automatically.
Limitations:
- 🚫 Free tariff Mi Cloud provides only 5 GB (photos take up space in the shared storage).
- ⏳ Recovery can take up to 24 hours if there are many files.
- 🔒 If you reset your phone to factory settings without a Mi Account waist, access to the cloud will be blocked.
7. Appeal to the service center (extreme case)
If all of these methods failed, and photos are critical (such as documents or unique footage), you can contact the Xiaomi service center, and specialists use professional equipment for chip recovery – extracting data directly from the phone’s flash memory.
What you need to know:
- 💰 Cost of service: from 3 000 to 10 000 rubles (depending on the complexity of the service).
- ⏱️ Timeframe: 1-5 working days.
- 📌 The addresses of official Xiaomi services in Russia can be found on the website mi.com/ru/service.
- ⚠️ Note: Not all services are data recovery--check in advance. Also avoid garage shops: unqualified intervention can damage your phone's memory irrevocably.
Before the service visit:
- 📋 Make a list of lost files (dates, approximate shooting time).
- 🔋 Charge your phone 100% – the procedure can take hours.
- 📱 Do not update the firmware and do not reset the settings – this will reduce the chances of recovery.
💡
Chip recovery is the only way to get back photos if they've been overwritten with new data, but it's expensive and doesn't guarantee 100% results. Use this method only for really valuable files.