Accidentally removing an important video on a Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone is a stressful situation familiar to many users. It would seem that valuable footage has disappeared forever, but the Android operating system and the shell of MIUI (or the new HyperOS) provide powerful data protection mechanisms. Often the file is not erased physically immediately, but only marked as free space, which gives a high chance of its salvation.
In this article, we will discuss all the current recovery methods, from standard system tools to specialized software for PCs. It is important to act quickly and consistently to avoid overwriting memory sectors with new information. Timely detection of loss greatly increases the likelihood of successful media returns.
Before we get into the tricky manipulations, it’s worth checking the built-in features that users often ignore. Many forget that Xiaomi has its own security system, keeping remote objects for a while.
Check the built-in basket in the Xiaomi Gallery
The easiest and fastest way to get a video back is to look into the system folder Deleted. In the MIUI and HyperOS shells, the files you erased through the standard app don't disappear instantly. They are moved to a special buffer where they are stored for up to 30 days (sometimes up to 60, depending on the software version and settings).
To access this feature, open the Gallery app and go to the Album tab. Scroll down to the bottom where you'll find a folder called Remote or Recycle Bin, which displays all the media files that the user manually deleted.
If the video is there, just press it long and select Restore.The file will return to the original album.However, if you used the Clean Recycle Bin feature or the file was deleted more than a month ago, this method will not work.
- 📂 Open the Gallery app on your device.
- 📂 Go to the Albums tab and scroll down.
- 📂 Find the Deleted folder and check for the right video.
- 📂 Select the file and press Restore.
⚠️ Note: File Recycle Bin is limited in duration, and after 30 days, the system automatically and irrevocably clears this partition, freeing up space in memory.
💡
If you have recently deleted a video but don’t see it in the cart, try sorting files by deletion date to find the desired snippet faster.
Recovery through Mi Cloud and Google Photos
If the local copy is lost, it’s worth checking cloud storage. Xiaomi smartphones by default offer synchronization with Mi Cloud. If this feature was active, your videos could automatically download to the company’s servers even before the deletion.
Also, remember Google Photos, which is pre-installed on all certified Android devices, and users often forget that they have enabled autoload, and their video files are duplicated in the Google cloud, and you can check this through the app or the web version of the service.
To check Mi Cloud, go to Settings -> Mi Account -> Cloud. Make sure Gallery Sync is enabled. If yes, log in to i.mi.com from your computer under your account and check the Gallery section.
| Service | Free seat limit | Storage period in the basket | Automatic synchronization |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Cloud | 5GB | 30 days | Incorporation required |
| Google Photo | 15 GB (total) | 60 days | Often on by default |
| Xiaomi Cloud Drive | Depends on the tariff. | Up to 60 days. | Only files. |
It's important to understand that recovery from the cloud requires a stable Internet connection, and if the video has been removed from the cloud, too, the odds are reduced, but they don't disappear completely - sometimes files remain in archives for a while.
Use of backups and synchronization
Regular backups are the gold standard for data security. MIUI has a built-in tool to create full copies of the system and user data. If you backup before deleting the video, you can restore the device to that state.
But this method has a serious drawback: it rolls back all the data on your phone to an earlier date, and all the photos, messages, and apps that appear after you create the backup will be lost, so only use this method if the video is critical.
Check for local backups can be done along the Settings path -> The phone -> Backup and restore. It stores copies created through the system tool. It's also worth checking for backup files in the folder. MIUI/backup on an internal storage device or SD-map.
Where to find hidden backup folders?
If you've used third-party backup software like Titanium Backup (root rights required) or cloud services like Drops, check their archives. Sometimes, automatic scripts save data unobtrusively.
Software for data recovery on PC
When the built-in tools are powerless, specialized software for the PC comes to the rescue, programs like Dr.Fone, DiskDigger (PC version), or Tenorshare UltData are able to conduct deep scans of the device's memory, looking for the remnants of files that have not yet been overwritten by new data.
To work with such programs, you will need to connect your smartphone to your computer through USB-The most important condition is the availability of the debugging mode on the USB. Without this option, deep access to the file system will be impossible.
To activate debugging, go to Settings -> About Phone and click 7 times on the MIUI Version field. Then in the Advanced Settings -> For developers, activate Debugging over USB.
adb devices
adb shell ls /sdcard/DCIM/CameraThe recovery process usually takes 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the amount of memory, scans sectors and offers a list of found files, the quality of the recovered video can vary: some videos can be played with artifacts.
- 💻 Install a recovery program on your computer (Windows/Mac).
- 💻 Put the debugging on. USB on a Xiaomi smartphone.
- 💻 Connect the phone with a cable and allow access on the screen.
- 💻 Start the scan and wait for the results.
⚠️ Note: Root rights significantly improve recovery efficiency by allowing programs to read raw memory data. However, obtaining root rights on Xiaomi requires unlocking the bootloader, which can lead to loss of warranty.
💡
The fewer operations you perform on your phone after deleting the video, the higher the chance that the memory sectors will not be overwritten and the file will be saved.
Recovery through file managers and app cache
Sometimes video files are not deleted completely, but only lose their entry in the media library database, in which case the use of advanced file managers, such as MT Manager, Solid Explorer or standard Explorer with the inclusion of hidden files, helps.
If a video was received or sent via Telegram, WhatsApp or Viber, a copy of it could have been saved in the application system folders. Even if you deleted the message in the chat, the file can lie deep in the Android directories.
For example, on Telegram, files are often stored on the Android/data/org.telegram.messenger/files/Telegram/Telegram Video path. WhatsApp has a similar structure: Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Video. Verification of these directories often yields unexpected results.
Also try to change the file extension. Sometimes, when the file system crashes, the video file can lose its header or get a damaged extension. Rename the file from.tmp or.000 to.mp4 can bring it back to life.
☑️ Checklist of search in the file system
Prevention of data loss and security setting
To avoid future video loss, you need to set up automatic protection. Regular synchronization is the only guaranteed way to save memories. Don't rely on the smartphone's internal memory alone, which can fail at any moment.
It is recommended to set a rule: once a week to connect your phone to your PC and copy new photos and videos to your hard drive. External drives are the most reliable storage, independent of cloud services and subscriptions.
Also, use the Removal Protection feature in the Gallery settings if it is available in your version of MIUI. This will prevent important albums from being accidentally erased. Also consider installing advanced-featured shopping cart apps.
- 🛡️ Set up weekly sync with Google Photos or Mi Cloud.
- 🛡️ Make a full copy on your computer once a month.
- 🛡️ Install a reliable antivirus to protect against malware.
- 🛡️ Be careful when cleaning the cache through third-party utilities.
⚠️ Warning: Never save important videos in just one place «3-2-1» It says: three copies of data, on two different media, one of which is located elsewhere (e.g. in the cloud).