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

Deleting important files from your smartphone is a situation that almost every Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO user has encountered. Vacation photos, work documents or videos from a special event can disappear in an instant: an accidental press, a system failure or even a virus attack. Fortunately, it is possible to restore deleted data on Xiaomi devices in most cases - the main thing is to act quickly and correctly.

Many people mistakenly believe that after cleaning the cart or formatting the memory card, files disappear forever. In fact, information stays on the drive until new data is written on top of it. This means that the chances of successful recovery are directly dependent on the time elapsed since the deletion and the intensity of use of the phone after the incident. In this article, we will examine all the current ways, from built-in MIUI functions to professional utilities from the PC.

Why Files Can Be Recovered and When It Is Not Possible

The file system of Xiaomi smartphones (like other Android devices) works on the principle of logical deletion, when you click "Delete", the system simply marks the memory area as free, but the data itself remains in place, it will be permanently erased only after overwriting with new files, which is the mechanism that allows you to recover information.

However, there are situations where recovery is not guaranteed:

• 🔥 Physical damage to the drive – if the phone’s flash memory or microSD card fails (for example, after a drop or moisture hit), the data may be lost irretrievably.
• 🔄 Complete memory overwriting – if after deleting you have recorded a volume of data on the device that exceeds the size of deleted files (for example, you have shot an hour-long video in the video). 4K), The original information will be erased.
• 🔒 Device encryption – on some Xiaomi models with encryption enabled (e.g. Mi 11 Ultra or Xiaomi 13 Pro), password-free recovery is almost impossible.
• ⚡ Reset to factory settings – if you’ve made a hard reset through Recovery Mode, the chances of recovery are near zero.

It is important to understand that even in “hopeless” cases, specialized services (such as data recovery labs) sometimes help, but their services are expensive and do not guarantee 100% results.

Method 1: Checking the basket in MIUI (for photos and videos)

Modern versions of MIUI (starting with MIUI 12) have a built-in multimedia basket similar to a computer, where deleted photos and videos are stored for 30 days before final deletion, and this method works on all current models, from the Redmi Note 10 to the Xiaomi 14.

To check the basket:

1. Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines in the lower right corner (menu).
3. Select the Recycle Bin (or recently deleted in some versions).
4. Find the file you want, click on it and select Restore.

Note that the MIUI Recycle Bin does not save documents (PDF, DOCX), music or archives — only photos and videos, and it can be disabled in settings to make sure that the function is active:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Gallery → Cart.
2. Make sure that the Save Deleted Files slider is enabled.
3. If necessary, change the storage period (maximum 60 days).

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If the cart is empty but you’re sure that files have been deleted recently, try restarting your phone – sometimes MIUI doesn’t immediately display the contents of the cart.

Method 2: Restore through Google Photos (if synced)

If your Xiaomi has enabled automatic uploading to Google Photos, deleted files from your phone can stay in the cloud, which works even if you format your memory card or reset your phone to factory settings, as long as your Google account is the same.

Instructions for remediation:

• 📱 Open the Google Photos app (if not, install it from Play Market).
• 👤 Sign in with the same account that was linked to the phone at the time of deletion of files.
• 🗑️ Go to the Recycle Bin section (the bin icon in the bottom menu).
• 🔍 Find the files you need, highlight them and click Restore.

Important nuances:

• 🕒 Files are stored in the Recycle Bin for 60 days (as opposed to 30 days in a single day). MIUI).
• 📧 If you delete files from the Google Photos Recycle Bin, you can only restore them within 25 days via the web version (photos.google.com).
• 📸 Recovered files are automatically synced back to your phone if the Autoboot option is enabled.

Method 3: Use Recovery Applications (without ROOT)

If the files are not found in the cart and are not synced with the cloud, the next step is specialized utilities. Xiaomi will be suitable for applications that scan internal memory and microSD card for traces of deleted data.

Action algorithm (for example, DiskDigger):

Install an app from the Play Market

Start and provide access to the memory

Select the type of scan (Basic or Complete)

Wait for the analysis to be completed (may take 10-30 minutes)

Look at the files found and mark the necessary ones.

Click Restore and save to the cloud or other media

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Critically, don't save your recovered files to the same medium they were deleted from! Use cloud storage, another phone, or a computer.

Limitations of methods without ROOT:

• 🔍 Scanning takes a long time (up to an hour for 128GB of memory).
• 📂 Not all files will be found – success depends on memory fragmentation.
• 🔒 System files and application data (such as messages from WhatsApp) cannot be recovered.

Method 4: Connecting to a computer and using professional utilities

If the files weren't found on the phone, the next step is to connect Xiaomi to a PC and scan with desktop software, which is more effective than mobile applications, since utilities for the mobile phone are used to make the data available. Windows/macOS Have deeper recovery algorithms.

Tools required:

• 🖥️ Windows computer 7/10/11 macOS.
• 🔌 USB Type C C Cable (original or certified).
• 💾 Recovery software: Recuva (free), EaseUS Data Recovery or R-Studio (paid, but with trial version).

Step-by-step (as in the example of Recuva):

1. Connect Xiaomi to your computer in File Transfer (MTP) mode.

Recuva

Images

Documents

Xiaomi

Start a deep scan (may take several hours).

Once completed, mark the files for recovery and save them to your computer.

Advantages of desktop utilities:

• ⚡ Higher scanning speed compared to mobile apps.
• 🔍 The ability to recover files from damaged memory cards.
• 📁 Support for more formats (including: RAW-photo and database).

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If the phone is not determined by the computer in MTP mode, try enabling USB debugging in the developer settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – press 7 times, then go back to Additional → Developer Settings → USB debugging).

Method 5: Recovery from ROOT-Rights (for experienced users)

If previous methods didn’t help, and files are critical, you can try recovery. ROOT-This is a way of maximizing the odds, but it has serious risks:

⚠️ Attention: Receipt ROOT-This method can cancel the warranty on Xiaomi, can lead to unstable system operation and increases vulnerability to viruses!

To recover from ROOT, you will need:

• 📱 Xiaomi phone with unlocked bootloader and received ROOT-rights (see the instructions for a specific model in the forum) 4PDA).
• 💻 Computer installed ADB and Fastboot.
• 🛠️ Root Explorer or DiskDigger with support ROOT.

Instructions via DiskDigger with ROOT:

1. Install the app and provide Superuser access when requested.
2. Select the option Full scan (ROOT required).
3. Specify the section for search: /data — for user files and application data. /sdcard — for files in internal memory. /mnt/media_rw/... — microSD card.

Wait until the scan is completed (it can take up to several hours).

Save the files found to another medium.

An alternative method is the use of ADB-commands to create a memory image:

adb shell


su




dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0 of=/sdcard/backup.img

This image can then be analyzed on PC using R-Studio or PhotoRec.

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB Or Fastboot can cause complete data loss or a phone to "brick" if you're not sure what you're doing, call a specialist.

How to Prevent Data Loss in the Future

The best way to combat file loss is to back up files regularly, and Xiaomi smartphones have a few built-in tools to do this:

• ☁️ Xiaomi Cloud: Go to Settings → Accounts. → Mi Cloud. Enable sync for Gallery, Contacts and Notes. Free 5GB, extra space available (from 100GB per seat) ~300 rubles per year).
• 🤖 Google Backup: Activate in Settings → Google → Backup: Stores application data, call history, and SMS (Not photos, but Google Photos are for them).
• 💾 Local Copying on PC: Connect your phone to your computer once in a while 1-2 For weeks, you can copy important files manually, and use programs like Syncthing to automatically sync.

Additional precautions:

• 📱 Install antivirus (such as Dr.Web or Kaspersky) – some viruses specifically delete files.
• 🔄 Regularly check the health of the memory card through the app SD Card Tester.
• 🔋 Avoid completely draining the battery – this could damage the file system.

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On Xiaomi models with a microSD slot (such as the Redmi Note 12 Pro+), set up the default photo/video saving to the memory card. This will protect the data when the phone is reset to factory settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about file recovery on Xiaomi