How to recover deleted photos on Xiaomi phone: a step-by-step guide

Have you deleted important photos from your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone and you don't know how to get them back? Don't panic - in most cases, files can be recovered even if you've cleaned your cart or formatted your memory card. In this article, we'll look at all the ways you can return deleted images, from standard MIUI features to professional tools.

Modern Xiaomi smartphones (including models from 2023-2026) store photos in several places: in internal memory, in the memory of the smartphone. SD-The chances of recovery depend on how long it has been since you deleted it and whether you used your phone after that. The faster you act, the better the chance of success.

Important: If you deleted a photo less than a day ago, check the Recycle Bin in the gallery first. If more time has passed or the Recycle Bin is cleared, move on to other methods. We'll look at options for different scenarios, from accidental deletion to formatting the drive.

1.Recovery through the basket at MIUI Gallery

The easiest way to get back deleted photos is to check the Recycle Bin in the standard Gallery app. In MIUI (even the latest versions 14-15), deleted files are stored there for up to 30 days unless you manually cleaned them.

1. Open the Gallery app on your Xiaomi.
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (menu) in the lower right corner.
3. Select the Recycle Bin (or recently deleted in some firmware).
4. Find the photos you need, click on them and select Restore.

If the cart is empty or you've been cleaning it, move on to the following method. Note that in some models (such as the POCO F5 or Redmi Note 12), the cart may be disabled by default.

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse.
• 🔄 Activate the option to Save deleted files.
• ⏳ Set a retention period (maximum 30 days).

⚠️ Note: If you delete photos from your memory card, the gallery basket will not save them. SD-maps (section 4).

2.Recovery from the Mi Cloud

If your Xiaomi had Mi Cloud sync enabled, the deleted photos could have been saved to the cloud, and this method works even after you reset your phone to factory settings.

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Make sure you log in under the same account you used before you deleted it.
3. Go to the Gallery or Photos section.
4. Check the folder Recently deleted (stored for 60 days) or the main gallery.

If you have photos in the cloud, download them back to your phone:

• 📲 Select the desired pictures with a long tap.
• 📥 Click Download (Shoot down arrow icon).
• 📁 Select a folder to save (for example, DCIM/Camera).

Important: Mi Cloud only provides 5GB of space for free. If sync was disabled due to space constraints, photos may not be saved. Check also Google Photos if it was installed.

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To avoid losing photos in the future, enable autosynchronization in Mi Cloud: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery → Autoboot.

3. Use of Google Photos (if installed)

Many Xiaomi users are installing Google Photos to back up. If the app was configured before removing the photos, check:

1. Open Google Photos (if removed, install from Play Market).
2. Sign up with the same Google account as before.
3. Go to the Library → Recycle Bin (photos are stored there for 60 days).
4. Or check the main tape - perhaps the photos are preserved in the archive.

If you find the pictures, restore them:

• 🖼️ Select the photo, click on the three dots at the top.
• 🔙 Choose Restore.
• 📲 Photos will return to the phone gallery in a few minutes.

⚠️ Attention: Google Photos compresses photos for free storage (up to 16 MP resolution).If you need originals, check Settings → Backup and synchronization → The quality of the download must be original.

4.Recovery from a memory card (SD) or internal memory

If the photos were deleted from the memory card or internal drive, and the basket did not help, special programs will be required.

• 🖥️ DiskDigger (for Android, no root required)
• 💻 Recuva or EaseUS Data Recovery (PC)
• 📱 Dumpster (App-basket for Android)

Instructions for DiskDigger (without root):

1. Install DiskDigger from Play Market.
2. Launch the app and select Start a simple search.
3. Specify the file type — JPG/PNG (photo).
4. Select a disk to scan (internal memory or SD-map).
5. Wait until the search is complete and save the files found.

For PC (via Recuva):

1. Connect Xiaomi to your computer in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Install Recuva and start scanning the removable disk.
3. Check the necessary photos and click Restore.

⚠️ Note: If you delete a photo after formatting the memory card, the chances of recovery are minimal. SD — It's going to overwrite the deleted data.

Do not save new files to the map|Use a card reader to connect to a PC|Scan as quickly as possible|Check the found files for integrity-->

5. Recovery after resetting the phone to factory settings

If you've done a Hard Reset, it's harder to get back the photos, but it's possible. Here's what you can try:

• 🔄 Check out Mi Cloud – if sync was enabled, photos could have been saved.
• 💾 Use recovery programs (for example, 7-Data Recovery for PC).
• 📱 Try the version. MIUI (c) if the discharge has been recently).

Instructions for 7-Data Recovery:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC in MTP mode.
2. Run 7-Data Recovery and select Android Data Recovery.
3. Specify the file type - Images.
4. Select a phone drive (usually Internal Storage).
5. Start the scan and wait for the results.

If the phone is not detected, you may need to enable debugging via USB:

Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times to unlock the developer mode)


Settings → Additional → For developers → Debugging by USB (enable)

⚠️ Note: Do not install updates after resetting MIUI before attempting to recover – this can overwrite deleted data.

6.Prevention: How to avoid loss of photos in the future

To avoid losing important photos, follow these tips:

• ☁️ Enable autosynchronization with Mi Cloud or Google Photos.
• 📁 Regularly copy the photo to a PC or external disk.
• 🔄 Set up the gallery basket for the maximum period (30 days).
• 📱 Use backup apps (e.g. Sync for Reddit for media reserve).

Auto Sync in Mi Cloud:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Select the Gallery and turn on Autoboot.
3. Set the download quality → Original.
4. Turn on the option to Download over Wi-Fi and mobile network (if you need a backup in roaming).

Setting up Google Photos:

1. Open the Google Photos app.
2. Slip on the avatar → Photo settings → Backup and synchronization.
3. Turn on the switch and select Original Quality.

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Even if photos are deleted from your phone, they can be saved in the cloud (Mi Cloud or Google Photos) for up to 60 days, and regular synchronization is the best protection against data loss.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi