How to recover deleted video from Xiaomi phone: from the cart to deep scanning

Deleting an important video from a Xiaomi phone is a familiar situation. One careless tap and a video with a memorable event, a work project or proof disappears from the gallery. Fortunately, owners of this brand’s smartphones have several ways to recover lost files, from standard MIUI features to professional recovery tools. The effectiveness of the method depends on how long ago the video was deleted, whether the camera was used after that or new files were downloaded, and also on the device model (for example, Redmi Note 12 or Xiaomi 13 Ultra handle garbage files differently).

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven recovery methods, including working with the MIUI basket, cloud services Mi Cloud and Google Photos, connecting to a PC, as well as using specialized utilities like DiskDigger or EaseUS MobiSaver. Particular attention will be paid to critical errors that reduce the chances of success to zero, such as writing new videos to the same media or resetting your phone to factory settings. If you act quickly (within 1-3 days after deletion), the probability of returning files reaches 80-90%.

1.Basket check in MIUI: the first step to recovery

Modern versions of MIUI 12-14 automatically send deleted media files to the recycle bin, a temporary storage site where they stay for up to 30 days (on some models, such as the POCO F5, the time is reduced to 15 days), which is the easiest way to return a video without using third-party tools.

To check the basket:

• 📁 Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
• 🗑️ Slip on three dots in the top right corner and select Cart (or Recently Deleted on some versions).
• 🔍 Scroll through the list and find the video you want. Keep your finger on the file so that the recovery menu appears.
• 🔄 Click Restore – the video will return to the original folder (Camera, Downloads, etc.).

If the cart is empty or the video is not there, it means that:

• 🕒 More than 30 days have passed since the deletion (files are automatically cleared).
• 🧹 You manually cleaned the basket through the Control menu. → Clean the basket.
• 📱 On your device the old version MIUI (12th), where the basket is not available.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) 9A With limited memory, the cart may not work, so move on to the next method.

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud: if synchronization was enabled

The Mi Cloud service automatically backs up photos and videos if the gallery sync option is activated in the Xiaomi account settings, which saves users who have deleted files not only from their phone but also from the cart.

Instructions:

1. 🌐 Open the Settings. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud.
2. 📊 Make sure the Gallery slider is on (green). If not, recovery is impossible.
3. 🔗 Go to i.mi.com from your phone or PC and log in.
4. 🖼️ In the Gallery section, find the Camera or Video folder and check for the file.
5. 📥 If there is a video, download it back to your device or save it to your PC.

Important nuances:

• 💾 Free storage in the Mi Cloud is 5 GB. If the space is over, backups may not be created.
• ⏳ Synchronization works only when connected to Wi-Fi (on the mobile Internet – by default disabled).
• 🔄 If the video has been removed from both the phone and the cloud, it can only be restored through specialized programs (see Section 5).

⚠️ Note: If you manually deleted a video from Mi Cloud (via a web interface or application), it is impossible to restore it with standard means, in which case only contacting Xiaomi support within 7 days from the moment of removal will help.

3.Google Photos: Alternative Cloud Reserve

Many Xiaomi users prefer Google Photos as their primary media storage. If you have this app installed and autosynchronization enabled, the chances of returning videos are very high, the main advantage of the service is unlimited storage for compressed files (until June 2021) and a user-friendly search interface.

How to check:

• 📱 Open the Google Photos app (if not, install it from Play Market).
• 🔍 In the search bar, type in keywords (e.g., 2026 video or vacation).
• 🗃️ Go to the Recycle Bin (on the left menu) - files are stored there for 60 days.
• 📤 If a video is found, click on the three dots next to the file and select Save to the device.

Features of working with Google Photos:

• 📶 Original video backup requires a Google One subscription (from 139+) ₽/month).
• 🎥 Video in resolution above 1080p shrink down to full HD free-storage.
• 🔄 If a video has been deleted more than 60 days ago, it can only be restored through Google Support (response takes 1-3 days).

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Before you delete important videos from your phone, check if they are synced with Google Photos or Mi Cloud. To do this, open the file in the gallery and look at the cloud icon in the upper right corner (🌥️ — synchronize, ✅ — already in the cloud).

4. PC Connection: Finding Hidden Files

If the video isn't found in the bin or clouds, the next step is to connect the phone to the computer and scan the internal memory manually. Often the files remain on the device but become invisible to the gallery due to MIUI database failures or metadata corruption.

Instructions for Windows:

1. 🖥️ Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB-cable (use the original cable for a stable connection).
2. 📱 On the phone, select File Transfer Mode (FTP) plug-in.
3. 📂 Open this computer. → Find the Xiaomi device in the Devices and Disk section.
4. 🔍 Go to the folders: Internal Storage → DCIM → Camera Internal Storage → Movies Internal Storage → Download Look for files with extension.mp4,.mov or.3gp.
5. 📤 Copy the found video to a PC hard drive for backup.

If the files are not in the standard folders:

• 🔍 Enable the display of hidden files in Explorer (View) → Hidden elements).
• 📁 Check the Internal Storage folder →.thumbnails – sometimes thumbnails of videos are saved there.
• 🛠️ Use disk search: enter in the conductor line.mp4 or mov.

⚠️ Warning: Do not move files directly from your phone’s memory – copy them to your PC first.This will prevent you from losing data again if you accidentally shut down. USB.

5 Deep Recovery Programs: When Nothing Helps

If the video is not found in the cart, in the cloud, or in manual search, then the last chance is the specialized data recovery utilities that scan the phone's memory at a low level, finding fragments of deleted files, the effectiveness depends on how long it has been since the deletion and how actively the phone was used (recording new videos or installing apps reduces the chances).

The best programs for Xiaomi:

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger (the most versatile option):

1. 📱 Install DiskDigger from Play Market (requires Android 5.0)+).
2. 🔍 Launch the app and select Full Scan (to search for video).
3. 📹 Mark file types: MP4, MOV, 3GP.
4. ⏳ Wait for the scan to finish (may take 30 to 60 minutes).
5. 📤 Select the video you find and click Restore. Save the files to SD-card or send to PC by email.

Important warnings:

• 🚫 Do not install recovery programs on the same drive where the video was stored (for example, in the internal memory of the phone). SD-card.
• 🔒 For deep scanning of some folders (for example, /data) Root rights required, which voids Xiaomi’s warranty.
• 💰 Free versions of software often limit the number of files to be recovered (e.g., EaseUS MobiSaver only has 2 videos).

6.Loss prevention: how to protect video in the future

Recovery of deleted files is a time-consuming process and not always successful, it is much easier to set up a backup system in advance and avoid risky actions. Here are 5 rules that will keep your videos from losing:

• ☁️ Enable automatic sync with Mi Cloud or Google Photos. To do this, go to: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery → Includes or Google Photos → Settings → Backup and synchronization → On.
• 📁 Move important videos to your PC or external drive regularly. Use a Explorer or apps like Xender.
• 🚫 Avoid cleaners like Clean Master or Optimization in the MIUI — They often delete media files as "junk".
• 🔄 Check the basket before cleaning it. MIUI It can be done in the gallery. → Basket → Management.
• 📱 Don't drop your phone to factory settings without a backup. This operation erases all data without any recovery capability.

Additional measures for advanced users:

• 🔧 Install FolderSync to automatically copy videos to Yandex Drive or Dropbox.
• 📡 Use it. ADB to create a full backup of the section /data/media (PC and team knowledge required).
• 🛡️ Set up folder protection in Security (MIUI), Not to accidentally delete important files.

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The most reliable way to protect video is a combination of cloud reserve (Mi Cloud or Google Photos) + It's a local copy on a PC, and it guarantees access to files even when your phone breaks.

FAQ: Frequent questions about video recovery on Xiaomi