Recovery of deleted videos on Xiaomi Redmi 7: from the cart to deep scanning

Deleting video from a smartphone is one of the most frustrating situations for owners of Xiaomi Redmi 7. Especially if the video was the only copy of an important event: a wedding, a child’s first step or a corporate event. Fortunately, even after cleaning the gallery or formatting the memory card, the chances of recovery remain — but they depend on how fast you act and what methods you use.

In this article, we will look at all the working ways to return deleted videos to Redmi 7, from standard MIUI features to professional utilities. It is important to understand that the longer the phone is used after deletion, the higher the risk of overwriting data, so the first 24 hours after an incident are a critical period for a successful recovery.

We won’t offer universal “magic solutions” — instead, you’ll get detailed instructions based on the MIUI firmware, the Redmi 7 file system (F2FS/ext4) and the limitations of Android 9 Pie, which produced the smartphone. From simple actions like checking the basket to complex ADB manipulations, choose the method to your level of training.

1.Basket check MIUI: first step in recovery

Many Xiaomi users don’t know that MIUI’s firmware has the default Recycle Bin feature, which saves deleted files for 30 days, the easiest way to return videos without third-party software.

To check the basket:

• 📁 Open the Gallery app on your Redmi 7.
• 🔍 Slip on three horizontal lines (menu) in the upper right corner.
• 🗑️ Select the Recycle Bin (or Remote in some versions) MIUI).
• 🔄 Find the right video, click on it and select Restore.

If the cart is empty or the video is not there, it means one of three:

1. The file was deleted more than 30 days ago (automatic cleanup).
2. You manually cleaned the basket through Settings → Storage → Recycle Bin.
3. The video was deleted using a file manager (such as Explorer) that bypasses the MIUI basket.

⚠️ Note: In some versions MIUI 10-11 (redmi-mounted 7) The cart is disabled by default. To activate it, go to Gallery Settings. → Basket → Turn on.

2.Recovery via backup: Google Photos and MI Cloud

If the cart didn't work, the next step is to check cloud backups.The Xiaomi Redmi 7 supports two main automatic video backup services:

1. Google Photos – syncs media files to your Google account (if the feature has been enabled).
2. MI Cloud is Xiaomi’s proprietary cloud that can save copies of the gallery.

To recover via Google Photos:

• 🌐 Go to photos.google.com from any device.
• 🔍 Enter a query in the search bar (for example, the date of the shooting or the keyword from the title of the video).
• 📥 The files can be downloaded back to your phone or saved to another cloud.

To check out MI Cloud:

• 📱 On the phone, open Settings. → Xiaomi account → MI Cloud.
• 🖼️ Go to Gallery or Backups section.
• 🔄 If the video is in the cloud, click Restore and select the target folder.

⚠️ Note: If you used the Free up Google Photos feature, all local copies of the video have been removed from your phone, but the originals must remain in the cloud (check Archive section).

3.Using a File Manager: Finding Hidden Copies

Sometimes the video isn't deleted completely, but instead stays in system folders or app cache, and Redmi 7 is worth checking the following locations:

• 📂 folder DCIM/.thumbnails — Video thumbnails can be stored here, which are sometimes restored to full files.
• 📂 folder Android/data — Some apps (such as TikTok or Instagram) save temporary copies of uploaded videos.
• 📂 folder MIUI/Camera — Sometimes unindexed files remain after gallery failures.

For search:

1. Install a file manager with root permissions (such as FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Enable the display of hidden files in the manager settings.
3. Use the built-in search for extensions:.mp4,.mov,.3gp.

Install a file manager with access to system folders|

Enable the display of hidden files |

Check DCIM, Android/data, MIUI| folders

Search for extensions.mp4,.mov,.3gp| Try to recover from.thumbnails-->

If you find files with or without a.tmp extension, try renaming them.mp4 – sometimes this helps restore playback.

4. Deep scanning programs: DiskDigger and EaseUS MobiSaver

When standard methods have failed, it is time to move to specialized utilities. For Xiaomi Redmi 7 will suit:

• 🛠️ DiskDigger – Free version scans memory without root, but with superuser rights finds more files.
• 🛠️ EaseUS MobiSaver – paid solution with trial scanning, supports recovery from memory cards.
• 🛠️ Recuva (for PC) – if you connect Redmi 7 to your computer in drive mode.

Instructions for DiskDigger:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. Run a full scan (may take 1-2 hours).
3. Filter the results by video type.
4. Select the files you need and click Restore by selecting save to another medium (not your phone!).

Important nuances for Redmi 7:

• 🔋 Keep your battery above 50% – scanning consumes a lot of energy.
• 📵 Do not interrupt the process even if the phone is heated.
• 🚫 Do not save recovered files back to internal memory – use it. SD-map.

5. Recovery through ADB: for power users

If the video has been deleted recently and the phone hasn’t rebooted, you can try extracting files via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that requires command line skills but sometimes saves you in desperate situations.

Step-by-step:

1. 🖥️ Install. ADB Tools on PC.
2. 📱 On Redmi 7, turn on Developer Mode (7 times tap on the build number in Settings) → The phone).
3. 🔌 Connect your phone to the PC by USB and select the File Transfer Mode.
4. 🐍 Open the command line in the folder with ADB and execute: Adb devices (should display your device).
5. 🔍 To search for deleted videos, type: adb shell su -c "find /sdcard/ -name '.mp4' -o -name '.mov' -o -name '*.3gp' > /sdcard/recovered_files.txt" This will create a file listing all the videos on the phone, including possible ghost copies.

If you receive a permission denied error, it means:

• 🔐 The phone does not unlock root access (for Redmi 7, this requires unlocking the bootloader via the Mi Unlock Tool).
• 📌 Or not included debugging on USB In Settings → Additionally. → For developers.

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB Redmi 7 with unlocked bootloader may cause data reset the next update MIUI. Create a backup before experimenting.

6. Contacting a service center: when nothing helps

If all of these methods fail, the last option is professional data recovery. For Xiaomi Redmi 7, this is true in cases where:

• 💥 Physical memory damage (fall, moisture intrusion).
• 🔄 Formatting the internal drive.
• 📉 System failure after firmware.

What can be done:

1. 📍 Find a service center with chip-off recovery equipment (removing the memory chip and reading data directly).
2. 💰 For Redmi 7 (model with eMMC 5.1) prices start from 5 000 rubles.
3. ⏳ Please note that the process may take 3-7 days.

Before the service visit:

• 📵 Turn off your phone and don’t turn it on – it will reduce the risk of overwriting data.
• 📋 Write down the most accurate information about the video: shooting date, duration, format.
• 🔍 Check if the warranty is valid – some centers will diagnose Xiaomi devices for free.

💡

Service recovery is the only way to recover a video after a physical damage to the phone or complete formatting, but success depends on the state of the memory chip: if it is damaged, the data can be lost irretrievably.

7.Losses prevention: how to protect video in the future

To avoid repeat situations, set up Redmi 7 for these recommendations:

• ☁️ Enable automatic sync with Google Photos or MI Cloud: Settings → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of data → Photo Photo
• 📁 Use an external memory card (up to 256 GB) to store media files – it’s easier to connect to another device for recovery.
• 🔄 Make local backups regularly through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.
• 🚫 Turn off auto-cleaning in gallery: Gallery → Settings → Basket → Autocleaning (off)

Additional measures:

• 📌 Install Dumpster app – an alternative shopping cart that saves files even after cleaning the standard shopping cart MIUI.
• 🔧 For important videos, use archiving in ZIP with a password (e.g., through RAR for Android).

💡

Redmi 7 allows you to automatically upload videos to Google Photos via Wi-Fi only, so you don’t waste mobile traffic. Go to Google Photo Settings → Data Transfer → Wi-Fi only.

FAQ: Frequent questions about video recovery on Xiaomi Redmi 7