How to view deleted photos in the gallery on Xiaomi: all working methods

Deleting photos from a Xiaomi phone is a situation that almost every user faces, and whether a random swipe in a gallery, a system failure, or a memory cleanup is the same result: valuable images have disappeared from view. Fortunately, the manufacturer has several data protection mechanisms in place, and the MIUI operating system offers recovery tools, but it is important to act quickly: the more time has passed since the deletion, the lower the chances of success.

In this article, we will look at all the available ways to return deleted photos, from the standard shopping cart to professional utilities for PCs. You will learn how backups work in Mi Cloud, why you should not trust dubious applications from the Play Market, and what to do if the photos were erased a month ago.

⚠️ Critical warning: If you deleted a photo less than an hour ago, do not write new files to your phone or install programs - this will overwrite the memory sectors where the deleted data is stored.

Recovery doesn’t require root rights or technical skills — most methods work out of the box. However, if the photos were critical (such as documents or single copies), consider contacting Xiaomi’s service center with the original packaging and check — engineers can extract data using professional equipment.

1. Checking the basket in the standard MIUI gallery

The first place to look is the built-in Recycle Bin in the Gallery app, where all deleted files are stored here 30 days before being erased in MIUI 12 and later, a method that works on all modern Xiaomi smartphones, including Redmi 10/11/12, POCO X/F and Mi 11/12/13/14.

To find the basket:

1. Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) top-right.
3. Select the basket item (urn icon).
4. Hold your finger on the photos and click Restore.

🔹 Limitations of method:

• 🗑️ Photos are stored in the cart for a maximum of 30 days - after that they are deleted irrevocably.
• 📱 If you manually cleaned the basket (Clean the basket), files can no longer be restored.
• 🔄 After recovery, the photos will return to the Camera folder or the one from which they were deleted.

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (especially custom) the basket may be disabled. To activate it, go to Gallery Settings → Basket → Turn on the basket.

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

If your Xiaomi has enabled sync with Mi Cloud, the chances of returning photos are much higher.The cloud automatically saves copies of images (if the function is activated in the settings), This method is suitable even if the phone broke or was reset to factory settings.

Instructions for remediation:

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in to the same Mi Account as you do on your phone.
2. On the left menu, select Gallery.
3. Find the Remote or Recycle Bin folder (depending on the version of the interface).
4. Tag the desired photos and click Restore.

🔹 Important nuances:

• ☁️ In the free tariff Mi Cloud is available only 5 GB – if the memory is full, old photos can be automatically deleted.
• 🔒 Recovery will require confirmation of SMS email.
• 📅 Photos are stored in the cloud 60 days after deletion (as opposed to 30 days in the local cart).

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If you don’t remember if sync was enabled, check Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery. If the switch is active, the data is definitely in the cloud.

⚠️ Note: If you changed your Mi Account password after deleting your photo, access to old backups may be blocked.In this case, contact Xiaomi with proof of ownership of the device (IMEI, check).

3. Use of Google Photos (if synchronization was enabled)

Many Xiaomi users use Google Photos to back up their phone, and if you logged in to a Google account on your phone and didn't turn off autoload, the photos could be saved there, with the advantage of unlimited storage for compressed images (up to 15 MP) and 60 days to recover from the cart.

How to check:

1. Open the Google Photos app or go to photos.google.com.
2. In the side menu, select the basket.
3. Find the right photos and click Restore.

🔹 Comparison with Mi Cloud:

⚠️ If you deleted photos from Google Photos more than 60 days ago, you can try to restore them through Google archive, but success is not guaranteed.

4. PC Recovery with DiskDigger or Recuva

If the photos are not found in the cart or cloud, the last chance is to scan the phone’s internal memory with specialized software, which requires Xiaomi to connect to a computer and works even if the cart is cleaned, but the effectiveness depends on how long it has been since it was deleted and how actively the phone has been used.

🔧 Essential tools:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 📱 Cable USB (preferably original).
• 🛠️ DiskDigger (for Android) or Recuva (for memory cards).

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger:

1. Download and install DiskDigger on PC.
2. Connect Xiaomi to your computer in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. Run the program and select your phone’s drive (usually Internal Storage).
4. Set up the scan: Formats: JPG, PNG, HEIC. Method: Full scan (longer but deeper).

Wait until the process is completed (may take a few hours).

View the files found and save them to the PC.

🔹 Important observations:

• 🔍 Do not save the recovered photos back to your phone – this can overwrite the remaining deleted data.
• 💾 To scan a memory card (SD-card), it is better to remove it and connect it through a card reader.
• 🛡️ Programs like Recuva or EaseUS only work with memory cards, not with internal memory of Android.

⚠️ Note: If the phone is not detected by the computer in mode MTP, Turn on the debugging. USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (tap 7 times) → Additional settings → For developers → Debugging by USB.

Enable debugging on USB|Use the original cable|Do not connect your phone to charge during scanning|Save recovered files on PC, not phone|Check the free space on the hard disk (need at least 10 GB)-->

5.Recovery through MIUI backup (local backup)

If you’ve ever backed up through Settings → Additional → Backup, there’s a chance that the photos are archived.This method is suitable for users who regularly back up before updates or resets.

How to get a photo from the backup:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Backup.
2. Select the latest backup (note the date of creation).
3. Click Restore and select only Gallery (so as not to erase other data).
4. Wait until the process is complete and check the DCIM/Camera folder.

🔹 What you need to know:

• 🗃️ Local backups are stored in a folder MIUI/backup/AllBackup It takes up a lot of space.
• 🔄 Recovery will wipe the current data in the gallery – pre-copy important photos on PC.
• ⏳ The process can take up to 30 minutes depending on the size of the backup.

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If the backup is damaged or not restored, try renaming the archive file from.mbk to.zip and retrieving it via WinRAR or 7-Zip. Inside, you can have a Media folder with a photo.

6. Contact Xiaomi Service Center (extreme case)

If all of the above methods fail and the photos are critical (for example, they are the only copies of documents or memories), you can contact an authorized Xiaomi service center, and specialists can extract data using professional equipment, such as Chip-Off or JTAG.

📌 What will be required for recovery:

• 📄 Documents for the phone (check, warranty card, box with IMEI).
• 🔐 Password from Mi Account (if tied).
• 💰 Payment for the service (from 3 000 to 15 000 rubles depending on the complexity).

🔹 When to contact the service:

• 💔 Photos removed more than 6 months ago.
• 📱 Phone is physically damaged (not turned on, broken screen).
• 🔒 The data is encrypted and you don’t remember the password.

⚠️ Attention: Not all service centers are dedicated to data recovery — check in advance if they provide such a service. Avoid artisanal workshops: unqualified actions can permanently erase data.

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7. How to prevent future photo loss

To avoid the problem of deleted photos, just follow a few simple rules, and a proactive approach will save you time and nerves.

🔐 Methods of data protection:

• ☁️ Automatic Sync: Enable autoboot in Mi Cloud and Google Photos. To do this, go to: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery → Autoboot and Settings → Google → Backup → Backup Google Photos
• 💾 Local Backups: Once a month, back up through Settings → Additionally. → Backup.
• 📁 Export to PC: Regularly transfer photos to your computer or external drive.
• 🚫 Cleaning Block: In Gallery Settings, turn off the Auto Cleaning Cart option.

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The most reliable way is to combine cloud storage (Mi Cloud + Google Photos) with local backups on your PC, so you are protected from data loss even if your phone is stolen or broken.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi