How to view deleted photos on Xiaomi phone: from cart to deep scan

Why do photos disappear from your phone and can you get them back?

Accidental deletion of photos is one of the most common problems for Xiaomi users, especially on models with limited memory (Redmi Note 10, Poco X3, Mi 11 Lite).

• 🗑️ Cleaning the gallery through “Smart Cleaning” in Settings → Memory (MIUI Automatically removes “duplicates” and “blurred” images).
• 🔄 Reset to factory settings without backup.
• 📱 Updates MIUI, After which the photos are eaten by the system (the bug occurs in versions 12-14).
• 💾 Formatting a memory card or internal storage.

The good news is that 80 percent of the time, you can recover photos if you act quickly. The bad news is that the longer you delay trying, the greater the risk of overwriting data (new files take the place of deleted files, making it impossible to recover them).

Method 1: Check the basket in the standard MIUI gallery

In Xiaomi with MIUI 12 firmware and later, deleted photos are first put into a cart that stores 30 days (some models have 15 days) to return them:

1. Open the Gallery app (a flower icon).
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → select the basket.
3. Keep your finger in the right photos. → press Restore.

If the cart is empty or not on the menu, it means:

• 🔹 Photos removed long ago (more than 30 days ago).
• 🔹 You used manual cleaning of the basket through Settings → Memory. → Cleanup.
• 🔹 You've got an old version. MIUI (12th), where there is no basket.

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In MIUI 14, the cart is hidden by default. To enable it, go to Gallery Settings → Recycle Bin → Enable and set a shelf life (maximum 60 days).

Method 2: Restore through Google Photos (if synced)

Google Photos is the most reliable way to return deleted photos if you have previously enabled automatic sync, even after deleting, files are stored in the Google Photo Recycle Bin for up to 60 days.

Instructions:

1. Open the Google Photos app (or install it from the Play Market).
2. Slip on the profile avatar. → Basket.
3. Select the necessary photos → click Restore.

If the basket is empty:

• 🔍 Check the Archive folder (hidden photos are included there).
• 📅 Make sure that sync has been enabled before deleting (check in Settings). → Backup).
• 💾 Try to restore through the web version of Google Photos on your computer.

If you delete photos from the Google Photos Recycle Bin, you can try to return them through the Google archive (Remove data section), but only within 30 days.

Method 3: Using Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi’s proprietary cloud storage that automatically saves photos if the gallery Sync feature is enabled.

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Sign in to your account (if not logged in).
3. Select Gallery → check folders All photos and Recycle Bin.

Features of Mi Cloud:

If there are no photos in the cloud:

• 🔄 It is possible that the sync has been disabled (check in Settings). → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery).
• 📵 You did not have the internet at the time of deletion (photos did not have time to download).
• 💾 Cloud memory is full – old photos could be deleted automatically.

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Mi Cloud saves photos in their original quality, unlike Google Photos, which can compress photos. If you want resolution, look for files here first.

Method 4: Deep scanning programs (without root)

If the photos are not found in the cart or cloud, software recovery remains, and for Xiaomi, utilities that work without root rights will be suitable:

• 📱 DiskDigger (there is a free version) – scans internal memory and card SD.
• 💻 EaseUS MobiSaver (for PC) – recovers files when connecting your phone over the phone USB.
• 🔍 Recuva (only for memory cards retrieved from your phone).

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger:

1. Install DiskDigger from Play Market.
2. Start the app → select Start a simple scan.
3. Wait until it is completed (it can take up to 30 minutes).
4. Check the necessary photos with ticks → click Restore.
5. Save files to a memory card or cloud (not internal memory!).

Limitations of the method:

• ⚠️ Only files that have not been overwritten with new data will be restored.
• ⚠️ Mini versions of photos (sketch) are restored more often than the originals.
• ⚠️ On the phones with UFS-memory (Xiaomi) 12/13 The odds are lower than on the Redmi (eMMC) models. 9A, Poco M3).

Charge your phone at least 50% | Turn off mobile internet and Wi-Fi | Don't install new apps | Don't take new photos | Use a memory card (if any)

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⚠️ Attention! Do not save recovered files back to the phone's internal memory - this may result in them being lost again. SD cloud.

Method 5: ADB-commands for experienced users (without root)

If standard methods don’t work, try extracting photos via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which doesn’t require root, but is only suitable for users familiar with the command line.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with installed ADB-driver.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap on the assembly number → Return to the Additional Settings → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 Cable USB Type-C (preferably original).

Instructions:

adb shell


su (if there is root, otherwise skip)




cd /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/




ls-la (see folder list)




cp -r Camera/ /sdcard/Recovered/ (copy the Camera folder to the new directory)

If the DCIM folder is empty, try searching for photos in:

• /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/
• /storage/emulated/0/Download/ (sometimes photos are saved here after importation).
• /data/media/0/ (requires root)

⚠️ Attention! Adb pull or cp commands can freeze if there are too many photos (thousands of files). -r Camera/1* /sdcard/Recovered/ (only files that begin with «1»).

What do you do if nothing helps?

If all of these methods fail, extreme measures remain:

1. Contact Xiaomi Service Center – if the photos are critical (e.g. documents), specialists can extract data using professional equipment (Chip-Off method). ₽.
2. Try recovery via TWRP – if you have custom recaps installed, you can create an /data partition image and scan it on PC.Risk! Mistakes can lead to complete data loss.
3. Check other devices – sometimes photos are automatically copied to a laptop, tablet, or even a smartwatch (Mi Band or Xiaomi Watch can save sketches).

When recovery is not possible:

• 🔥 The phone was re-flashed after the photo was deleted.
• 💾 Memory is completely overwritten (for example, after resetting to factory settings).
• 🛠️ Physical repairs were made to the storage device.

How to avoid losing photos in the future?

To avoid the problem of deleted photos, follow the following simple rules:

• ☁️ Enable automatic sync with Google Photos and Mi Cloud (simultaneously!). In Google Photos, select Original Quality if size is important.
• 📁 Copy your photo regularly on your PC (e.g. once a month). MIUI+ fast-forwarding over Wi-Fi.
• 🗑️ Set up the gallery basket for a maximum period of time (60 days).
• 🔄 Before resetting your phone, check backups in Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.
• 📱 Use a memory card (class) A2 or U3) For storing a photo, it is easier to restore it when your phone breaks.

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MIUI 14 has a feature called Authorize to Settings → Memory, which automatically copies photos to an SD card or to the cloud when you connect to Wi-Fi, and turn it on to forget about manual backups.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi