Photo loss is one of the most frustrating situations for a smartphone owner. Fortunately, if you have used Xiaomi Cloud, the chances of returning deleted photos remain high even after months. Xiaomi’s cloud storage automatically reserves media files from Redmi, POCO and Mi devices, but not everyone knows how to properly extract this data back. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to recover photos from the Mi Cloud in 2026, including hidden features of the web version, mobile application and bypassing typical synchronization errors.
It's important to understand that the success of the recovery depends on whether Autosynchronization of the gallery was enabled in the cloud settings. If so, your photos are stored on Xiaomi servers even after being deleted from the phone. If not, you will have to rely on local backups or third-party tools. We will look at both scenarios, and also tell you how to avoid data loss in the future.
Checking for photos in Xiaomi Cloud
Before you try to recover files, make sure they are in the cloud at all.
- Open the Mi Cloud app on your phone (white cloud icon on a blue background).
- Sign in with the same Mi Account that was used for sync.
- Go to Gallery or Photos (the name may vary depending on the version of the app).
If the folder is empty, check:
- 🔄 Synchronization status: in the cloud settings (Settings) → Mi Cloud → Gallery) must be lit with a green icon "Synchronized".
- 📅 Date of last backup: If more than 30 days have passed since the photo was deleted, it may have been deleted from the servers.
- 📱 Source device: Photos may have been synced from another phone connected to the same account.
⚠️ Note: Xiaomi stores deleted files in the cloud in the "basket" for only 30 days, after which recovery becomes impossible.
Method 1: Recovery through the Mi Cloud mobile app
The easiest method is to use the official application, and the instructions are relevant for devices on MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS:
- Open Mi Cloud and go to the Gallery section.
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Cart (if the photos have been deleted recently).
- Mark the files you need and click Restore.
- If the cart is empty, check the main folder of the gallery – sometimes photos just don’t show up in local memory.
If the photos are not displayed in the app, but you are sure that the sync was enabled:
- 🔄 Update data: Pull the screen down for forced synchronization.
- 📥 Upload the photo manually: click on the photo → Download (down arrow icon).
- 🔍 Use search: enter a keyword (such as “sea” or shooting date).
Check your internet connection (Wi-Fi is recommended)
Make sure there is enough memory on your phone.
Update the Mi Cloud app to the latest version
Sign in with the correct Mi Account-->
Method 2: Web version of Xiaomi Cloud for PC
If your phone doesn’t have access to the app or it doesn’t work properly, use the browser version of the cloud:
- Go to i.mi.com and log in.
- In the menu on the left, select Gallery or Photo.
- Find the right pictures and click Download (cloud icon with arrow).
- For batch download, mark a few files and select Download All.
Advantages of the web version:
- 🖥️ Works on any device (PC, Mac, other phone).
- 📂 You can download entire albums at once.
- 🔍 A convenient filter by date and keywords.
⚠️ Note: When downloading a large number of photos through the browser, Xiaomi can block IP-10-15 minutes address, break down the download into 50-100 files.
What happens if i.mi.com is not open?
Method 3: Recovery through MIUI backup
If photos have been deleted long ago and are not in the cloud gallery, try to restore them from a full system backup. This method only works if you previously created a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
Instructions:
- Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset.
- Select Local Backups or Cloud Backups (depending on where the backup was saved).
- Find the copy created before the photo was deleted and click Restore.
- Select only the Gallery item (so as not to overwrite other data).
Limitations of the method:
- ⏳ Recovery takes a long time (up to 1-2 hours for large backups).
- 📱 The phone should not be discharged below 50% - the process will be interrupted.
- 🔄 After recovery, some photos may be duplicated in the gallery.
| Type of backup | Where it's stored | Max size. | Storage period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local copy. | Memory of the telephone or SD-map | Limited to free space | Until manual removal |
| The Cloud (Mi Cloud) | Xiaomi servers | 5–100 GB (depending on the tariff) | 30 days from the date of removal |
| Copy via Mi PC Suite | Computer hard drive | Not limited. | Before removal from PC |
Method 4: Using Mi PC Suite for Windows
The official Mi PC Suite allows you to manage your phone data via your computer, including recovering photos from the cloud. Download the program from the official website and follow the instructions:
- Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable (data transmission mode).
- Open the Mi PC Suite and log in to your Mi Account.
- Go to the Backup section → Restore.
- Select the backup containing the desired photos and click Start Recovery.
If the photo doesn't recover:
- 🔌 Check the regimen. USB-connection (must be a file transfer or MTP).
- 🔄 Reinstall Xiaomi drivers on PC (download from official website).
- 📡 Try connecting via the Wi-Fi hotspot (in Mi settings) PC Suite is a wireless connection option).
💡
If Mi PC Suite doesn’t see the phone, try enabling USB Debugging in the developer settings. To do this, click on the MIUI version 7 times in About Phone, then activate debugging in Settings → Additional → For Developers.
Solving problems with synchronization Xiaomi Cloud
Often photos are not restored due to synchronization errors, and here are the typical problems and solutions:
| Mistake. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to synchronize | Weak Internet or VPN blocking | Connect to Wi-Fi or turn off VPN |
| Not enough space in the cloud | Free storage limit exceeded (5 GB) | Clean up unnecessary files or buy extra space |
| The device is not tied to the account | Resetting your phone without a Mi Account | Re-attach the device to Settings → Mi Account |
| Photos are not displayed after recovery | Gallery cache not updated | Clear the cache of the Gallery app in the settings |
If the synchronization is suspended during the waiting stage:
- Reboot the phone.
- Turn off and turn on Autosynchronization Gallery again in the cloud settings.
- Remove and reinstall the Mi Cloud app.
💡
Before resetting your phone to factory settings, always untie it from Mi Account in Settings → Mi Cloud → Delete your account. Otherwise, after reset, the device may be locked (you need to enter the old password).
Alternative Recovery (if the Cloud Has Not Helped)
If you don’t save your photos in Xiaomi Cloud, try these methods:
- 📱 Local backups: Check the folder MIUI/Backup/AllBackup Sometimes the photos are stored in the phone's internal memory as archives.mbk.
- 🖥️ Data recovery software: Use DiskDigger, Recuva or EaseUS MobiSaver to scan internal memory!
- ☁️ Other cloud services: Check Google Photos, Yandex Drive or Dropbox – photos may have been duplicated there automatically.
- 📧 Email: Sometimes users send photos to themselves by mail or through instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp).
⚠️ Note: Data recovery software (such as Recuva) only works if no new files have been written to the deleted photos. The sooner you start recovery, the better the chances.