How to find deleted photos on Xiaomi Redmi phone: the complete guide

Deleting photos from your phone is one of the most common causes of panic among Xiaomi Redmi users. Accidental clicking, resetting, or even a virus can deprive you of valuable images. But don’t despair: in 80% of cases, files can be restored if you act quickly and correctly. In this article, we will analyze all possible methods, from standard MIUI functions to professional tools, and also explain how to protect photos from loss in the future.

It's important to understand that the sooner you start searching for deleted photos, the better the chances of success. Android doesn't erase files immediately after deleting them, it just labels them as "free space." Until those memory sectors are overwritten with new data, recovery is possible, but each new shot, app installed or system update reduces these chances.

If you use the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10/11/12 or older models like the Redmi 9A/8A, the algorithm will be the same – the only difference is the location of some menu items.

1. Checking the basket in the standard MIUI gallery

The first thing you need to do is look in the gallery cart, and in MIUI firmware (starting with version 12), deleted photos are stored there for 30 days before being erased, and this method works even without root rights or additional software.

How to open the basket:

1. Launch the Gallery app (an icon with a floral logo).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (menu) in the lower right corner.
3. Select the Recycle Bin (on some models – Recently deleted).
4. Find the right photos, highlight them and click Restore.

If the cart is empty or you can’t see this item, it means:

• 📱 Photos were deleted more than a month ago (automatic cleaning).
• 🔄 You have used the function Clean the basket manually.
• 🗑️ Files were deleted through a file manager, not a gallery.

2. Search in the cloud services Xiaomi and Google

If your Redmi has been enabled to sync with the cloud, the chances of returning a photo are much higher. Xiaomi Cloud and Google Photos automatically save copies of the images, even if the originals are deleted from the device.

Recovery through Xiaomi Cloud:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Check if the synchronization of the Gallery is enabled (if not, turn on and wait for downloads).
3. Go to i.mi.com from your PC or phone.
4. Log in and select the Gallery → Cart section (photos are stored there for 60 days).

Recovery via Google Photos:

• 🌐 Open photos.google.com in your browser.
• 🔍 In the menu on the left, select the basket (photos are stored for 60 days).
• 📤 If the basket is empty, check the Archive folder – sometimes photos are moved there.

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If you don’t remember whether Xiaomi Cloud was enabled, check traffic consumption in Settings → SIM cards and mobile networks → Traffic consumption. Synchronizing a photo consumes a significant amount of data.

Note that free storage in Xiaomi Cloud is limited to 5 GB, and in Google Photos (from 2021) - 15 GB for the entire Google account. If the limit is exhausted, new photos will not sync.

3.Use of file managers to find hidden files

Sometimes photos are not deleted completely, but simply become hidden or moved to system folders, and to find them, you will need a file manager with access to root directories (for example, Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).

Search instructions:

1. Install Solid Explorer (free version is fine).
2. Enable the display of hidden files: ☰ → Settings → Show hidden files.
3. Go to /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails /storage/emulated/0/Pictures /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Gallery/cloud/
4. Look for files with.jpg,.png,.heic extensions (Redmi Note 11 and later).

If you find files with names like img_20230515_123456.jpg.bak or.nomedia — these can be backups or temporary files. Rename them (remove.bak or.nomedia) and try to open them.

4.Recovery via PC with specialized programs

If the previous methods didn't work, you'd better connect your phone to your computer, and you'd need programs that scan your device's memory at a low level.

• 🖥️ Recuva (for Windows) – a simple interface, supports Xiaomi.
• 🍎 Disk Drill (for Mac) – Recovers even corrupted files.
• 🐧 PhotoRec (cross-platform) – works without installation, but requires command line knowledge.

Step-by-step instructions for Recuva:

1. Connect Redmi to the PC via USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode).
2. Start Recuva, select the type of Image files.
3. Specify your phone’s drive (usually a Removable Disc (E:) or the like).
4. Press Analysis and wait for the scan to be completed (it may take 10–30 minutes).
5. Check the necessary photos and click Restore.

Do not save recovered files to the same disk that is scanning (in this case, to your phone), use a PC hard drive or external drive to avoid overwriting data.

Turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data on your phone |

Charge your phone at least 50% |

Use the original USB-cable|

Do not connect your phone to other devices while scanning |

5. Recovery with ADB (for advanced users)

If you have experience with ADB (Android Debug Bridge), you can try extracting photos directly from your phone’s memory, which requires USB debugging enabled and works even without root permissions.

Instructions:

1. Turn on USB debugging: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times until the message “You’re a developer” appears). Then go back to Settings → Additional → Developers → Debugging on USB.
2. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
3. Download ADB Tools and unpack it into a folder.
4. Open the command line in this folder and type: adb devices (should display your device).
5. Create a backup of the photo section: adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/ C:\Redmi_Backup\

This method does not guarantee the recovery of deleted files, but it will help to save current data if you plan to reset your phone to factory settings.

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ADB-commands allow you to access files that are not visible through a standard file manager, but require caution – incorrect commands can damage the system.

6. Contact Xiaomi Service Center: When Nothing Helps

If all of these methods have not worked, the last option is to contact the official service center Xiaomi.

• 💥 Physical memory damage (fall, moisture intrusion).
• 🔧 Software failure after firmware or reset.
• 🔒 Deleting photos by virus or malware.

What can be done in the service:

1. Chip-off recovery – extracting data directly from a memory chip (expensive but effective for physical damage).
2. JTAG-Analysis – Low-level memory scanning through test contacts.
3. Recovery after reset – if the photos were deleted when returning to factory settings.

The cost of such services starts from 3 000 rubles, and the deadline is from 2 to 5 days.

⚠️ Warning: Don’t say you tried to recover data yourself with software – this may void the warranty for some types of repairs.

How to protect your photo from future loss

The best protection is prevention, and here are the proven ways to save your images.

• ☁️ Automatic sync with Google Photos or Xiaomi Cloud (enable in gallery settings).
• 💾 Backups to PC – copy the folder once a month DCIM hard-drive.
• 📱 Use a memory card – on a Redmi with support for microSD (for example, Redmi Note 10 Pro), you can save photos immediately to it.
• 🔐 Turn off automatic cleaning in the gallery: Gallery settings → Basket → Turn off the autocleaning.

It is also worth installing backup applications such as:

• Resilio Sync syncs photos between devices without a cloud.
• Simple Gallery is an alternative gallery with an extended basket.

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Xiaomi Redmi phones with MIUI 14+ have a Hidden Album feature in the gallery, where you can move important photos to avoid accidentally removing them. To open a hidden album, tap and hold an empty space in the gallery, then enter a password (by default, your pattern lock).

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Redmi