How to watch deleted videos on Xiaomi: from the cart to deep scanning

Deleting video from a Xiaomi smartphone is a familiar situation, with one careless tap and valuable footage (family celebration, important event or work material) disappearing from the gallery. Fortunately, devices on MIUI have several recovery mechanisms, and in extreme cases, third-party tools will help. The main thing is to act quickly: the less time has passed since deleting, the better the chances of returning the file.

In this article, we will discuss all the available methods, from standard Xiaomi features (for example, MIUI baskets or synchronization with Mi Cloud) to professional utilities like DiskDigger or Recuva. We will separately focus on the nuances for different models (for example, why the Redmi Note 12 and Xiaomi 13 Ultra recovery algorithms may differ) and explain why some methods work only when key conditions are met.

Spoiler: If the video was deleted less than 30 days ago and you haven't written new files to your device, the odds of success are over 80 percent. But there are pitfalls, and we'll talk about them.

1.Check out the MIUI basket - the first step to recovery

Modern versions of MIUI (starting with MIUI 12) have a built-in recycle bin that temporarily retrieves deleted files, similar to the Recycle Bin on a PC, but with a limited shelf life of 30 days, and then the files are deleted irretrievably (unless they were recovered earlier).

To find the basket:

• 📱 Open the Gallery app** (Color Squares icon).
• 🗑️ In the lower menu, tap on the Recycle Bin item (or Remote in older versions).
• 🔍 Scroll through the list and find the video you want. Keep your finger on the file so that the context menu appears.
• 🔄 Select Restore – the video will return to the original folder.

An important nuance: on some models (such as the POCO X3 Pro or Redmi 9A), the cart may be disabled by default. To activate it, go to Gallery Settings → Recycle Bin → Enable. If you don’t have an option, your version of MIUI does not support this feature (relevant for devices older than 2019).

⚠️ Warning: If the cart is empty but you are sure that the video has been deleted recently, check Settings → Memory. → Cleanup. Sometimes files are deleted automatically when space is scarce.

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud – if synchronization was enabled

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi's cloud storage that automatically backs up photos and videos (if the feature is activated). Even if the file is erased from the device, a copy of it can stay in the cloud.

1. 🌐 Go to i.mi.com and log in with the same account as you do on your smartphone.
2. 📁 In the Gallery section, find the Remote or Archive folder (depending on the cloud version).
3. 🔍 Use a date or keyword search (e.g., video 2026).
4. ⬇️ Click on the video and select Download to save it back to the device.

Limitations of the method:

• 🚫 If the synchronization has been disabled in the settings (Settings) → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization of the gallery, video in the cloud will not be.
• 📶 Free tariff Mi Cloud provides only 5 GB – if the memory is full, old files are deleted automatically.
• ⏳ Recovery takes time: large videos (e.g., in the 4K) They can be downloaded up to 10-15 minutes.

If the video is not in the cloud, but you remember that sync was enabled, check the history of changes:

1. 📋 On the Mi Cloud website, go to Settings → History of action.
2. 🔎 Find a file deletion record and try to undo the action (option available within 7 days).

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If the video was recorded in HEVC (.mov extension), Mi Cloud automatically converts it to MP4 before uploading to the cloud, which may affect quality, but not recovery.

3.Using backups of Google Photos

Many Xiaomi users set up automatic uploads of media files to Google Photos, and if you're one of them, the chances of returning the video are high.

1️⃣ Open the Google Photos app on your smartphone or go to photos.google.com.

2️⃣ In the side menu, select Recycle Bin (files are stored there for 60 days, as opposed to 30 days in a day). MIUI).

3️⃣ Find the video, click on it and select Restore.

Important: If compression is enabled in Google Photos (High quality instead of Original quality), the recovered video may lose resolution. You can check the settings in Settings → Backup and Sync.

4 Deep scanning programs – when standard methods do not help

If the video isn't in the cart or the cloud, there's a last chance, and these are specialized data recovery tools that scan the internal memory of the smartphone at the file system level, and they can find files even if they were deleted months ago, but there's a critical condition: the device must not record new data after the video is deleted, and every new photo, application or update reduces the chances of success.

The best programs for Xiaomi:

• 🛠️ DiskDigger supports scanning without root rights, but with them the efficiency is higher.
• 🔍 Recuva (for PC) – requires a smartphone connection in mode MTP and prior authorization of debugging by USB.
• 📱 Undeleter – works directly on the phone, but slower than analogues.
• 💾 EaseUS MobiSaver – paid, but with a high percentage of successful recovery.

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger:

1. 📥 Install DiskDigger from Google Play.
2. 🔧 Run the program and select Full Scan (requires root rights for maximum efficiency).
3. ⏳ Wait until the process is complete (may take 20 minutes to several hours).
4. 📂 Find the video (usually in formats.mp4,.mov,.3gp) and check the box.
5. 💾 Click Restore and select the folder to save (better on the SD-card).

⚠️ Warning: If the smartphone is not rooted, DiskDigger will only be able to find thumbnails of video (low resolution). Full recovery will require unlocking root access, which voids the warranty and may disrupt the work MIUI.

Disable synchronization with clouds|Charge your phone at least 50 times%|Install Xiaomi drivers on PC|Enable debugging on USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (7 times press)|Use the original USB-cable-->

5.Recovery through local MIUI backup

Xiaomi allows you to backup all data, including video, through the built-in utility. If you've ever done a backup, try recovering files from there:

1️⃣ Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Backup and reset → Local backups.

2️⃣ Find the last backup (file with.mbk extension) and tap it.

3️⃣ Choose Restore and wait for the process to be completed.

Nuances:

• 🔄 Recovery from the backup will replace all current data with the data that was created at the time of the copy, which means that new files (created after the backup) will be lost.
• 📅 Backups take up a lot of space - check the folder MIUI/backup/AllBackup via file manager.
• 🔐 If the backup is encrypted, you will need the password specified when it was created.

If the backup is stored on a PC, plug in your phone and manually copy the video from the archive (use 7-Zip or WinRAR to extract files).

6.Calling to a service center is a last resort

If all of these methods did not work, and the video is critical (for example, this is evidence for the court or unique footage), you can contact the service center Xiaomi.

What you need to know:

• 💰 The cost of the service starts from 5 000 rubles and depends on the model of the smartphone.
• ⏳ The process takes from 3 to 7 days.
• 🔒 The warranty on the device will be cancelled.
• 📌 Not all service centers provide this service – check in advance.

Before the service visit:

• 📱 Do not update the firmware and do not reset the settings.
• 🔋 Charge your phone 100% – discharging during the procedure can damage your data.
• 📝 Make a list of deleted videos with approximate shooting dates.

⚠️ Warning: If a smartphone is lost or stolen, data recovery through the service center is impossible without physical access to the device.

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The faster you start recovering, the better the chances of success, as each new record on the device (photo, video, app updates) rewrites the memory sectors where the deleted video was stored.

FAQ: Frequent questions about video recovery on Xiaomi