How to View and Recover Deleted Files on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide 2026

Delete important photos, documents or videos on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO — and now you don't know how to get them back? Don't panic: 90% of the time, files can be recovered even if they were deleted long ago. In this article, we'll look at all the working methods, from standard MIUI features to professional tools that work even after resetting.

The rule is, the faster you start, the better the chances of success. When you delete files, they don't disappear from memory immediately, they're just marked as "free space" and can be overwritten with new data. So don't install new applications, take photos/video, or update the system until you try to recover lost data.

We tested all methods on current versions. MIUI 14 (including HyperOS) and have compiled step-by-step instructions tailored to the specifics of Xiaomi smartphones. Choose the appropriate method depending on where the files were stored (internal memory, SD-Map or cloud and how long ago they were removed.

1. Check the "Basket" in MIUI - the easiest way

Modern versions of MIUI (starting with MIUI 12) automatically send deleted files to the recycle bin, where they are stored for 30 days before final deletion, including photos, videos, documents and even some types of archives.

How to check:

• 📁 Open the Files app (folder icon on the home screen).
• 🗑️ In the lower menu, tap on the "Basket" section (or Trash in English firmware).
• 🔍 View the file list: there can be individual images or entire folders.
• 🔄 To recover, click on the file → Choose "Restore" (or Restore).

⚠️ Note: If you manually cleaned the cart or used the Clean Everything feature, the files will be permanently deleted (but you can still try to restore them in other ways, see below).

On some models (such as the Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi Note 12), the basket can be hidden to enable it:

1. Open the Files» → ⋮ (three-point) → Settings.
2. Find the “Basket” option and activate the switch.
3. Set a storage period (by default - 30 days).

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If the Recycle Bin is empty but you’re sure that files have been deleted recently, try restarting your phone – sometimes MIUI doesn’t immediately update the folder’s contents.

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud – if synchronized

If your Xiaomi enabled sync with Mi Cloud, the deleted files could be saved to the cloud.

• 📸 Photo and video (if the “Shoot” option in the Gallery was activated) → Settings).
• 📄 Documents and Notes (from the “Notes” or “Documents” appendices»).
• 📱 Contacts, SMS and call log (if backup is enabled).

How to restore:

1. Open the “Settings” → Mi Account → Mi Cloud
2. Sign in to your account (if not authorized).
3. Select the Gallery, Notes or Backups section.
4. Find the files you need and click “Restore”.

⚠️ Warning: The free Mi Cloud tariff only provides 5GB of space. If the cloud is crowded, old files can be automatically deleted. Check the Mi Cloud Recycle Bin section - there files are stored for up to 60 days.

If there are no files in the cloud, but sync has been enabled, try recovering them via the web version of Mi Cloud:

1. Go to i.mi.com from your computer or phone.
2. Sign in under the same account as on your smartphone.
3. Open the Gallery or Disk section → Cart.

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Mi Cloud is the only way to recover files after a full hard reset if sync is enabled.

3.Use Google Photos - an alternative to Mi Cloud

If you use Google Photos instead of the standard Xiaomi gallery, you can return deleted photos through the Google Recycle Bin, where files are stored for 60 days (as opposed to 30 days in MIUI).

Instructions:

1. Open the Google Photos app.
2. Slip on the profile avatar → “Basket”.
3. Select the files you want and click “Restore”.

⚠️ Note: If you deleted files from Google Photos more than 60 days ago or manually cleaned your shopping cart, you can’t restore them through this service.

If Google Photos has not been installed, but the phone is synced to Google Account, check Google Drive:

• 📁 Open Google Drive in your browser.
• 🗑️ In the menu on the left, select "Basket».
• 🔍 Find the right files and restore them.

4.Recovery programs – if files are permanently deleted

If the files are not found in the trash or the cloud, then the last chance is to use special utilities that scan internal memory or memory. SD-The card is binary data level and can recover files even after formatting (provided they have not been overwritten).

The best programs for Xiaomi:

• 🛠️ DiskDigger (free version) - restores photos, videos and documents without root rights.
• 🔧 Recuva (Windows only) – Suitable if you connect your phone to your PC in mode MTP.
• 📱 EaseUS MobiSaver – paid software with a high recovery rate.
• 💾 PhotoRec (free) – console utility for power users.

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger (the most versatile option):

1. Download DiskDigger from Google Play.
2. Launch the application and give access to memory.
3. Select Full Scan (Takes more time but finds more files).
4. Wait for the scan to finish and tick the files for recovery.
5. Click "Restore" and save files to SD-map or cloud (not internal memory!).

⚠️ Note: If the phone is not rooted, programs will only be able to recover a limited set of files (mostly photos and videos).To fully access memory, root will be required, but this will void the warranty and can lead to unstable work. MIUI.

5. Recovery after resetting settings (Hard Reset)

If you do a full reset (Wipe Data in Recovery), the chances of recovering files drop dramatically, but they still exist, and only special software and physical access to memory will help.

What can be done:

• 🔌 Connect your phone to your PC in Fastboot mode and use it ADB-team to create a memory image:
• 💾 Scan the image with PhotoRec or R-Studio.
• 📱 If the phone was unlocked bootloader, you can try to flash custom recovery (TWRP) And from there, backup the section. /data.

⚠️ Attention: These techniques require technical skills and can cause the phone to break if executed incorrectly.If the data is critical (such as work documents or only photos), it is better to contact a service center with chip-off recovery equipment.

Cost of professional restoration in the laboratory:

• 💰 Internal memory (eMMC/UFS): from 5 000 before 15 000 ₽.
• 💾 SD-map: 2,000 to 8,000 ₽.

6. How to prevent future data loss

To avoid the problem of deleted files, follow these rules:

Automatic backup settings in Xiaomi:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup.
2. Enable the option “Automatic backup”.
3. Choose which data to save: contacts, SMS, photos, applications.
4. Set the frequency of backups (recommended daily).

For Google Photos:

1. Open the Google Photos app.
2. Slip on the avatar → “Photo settings”.
3. Select “Backup and Synchronization”.
4. Turn on the switch and adjust the quality (Original if the cloud location allows).

⚠️ Warning: Even with backup enabled, don't keep single copies of important files on your phone. 3-2-1:

• 📱 3 copies of the data (original) + 2 standby).
• 💾 2 different media (e.g. telephone) + cloud + effluent).
• 🌍 1 copy outside the home (cloud or remote server).

FAQ: Frequent questions about file recovery on Xiaomi