Accidentally removing an important video or video message from your phone is a stressful situation familiar to many Xiaomi, Redmi, and Poco users. Often it comes from rushing, accidentally swiping, or a file sorting error when valuable frames disappear from the device's memory. Fortunately, the Android operating system and the MIUI shell (or HyperOS) provide multiple layers of data protection to allow you to return information even after cleaning the main folder.
Before you panic or go to a service center, you need to understand the logic of the file system of a smartphone. A deleted file does not disappear physically from the drive instantly; it is only marked as a “free place” available for rewriting with new data. That is why immediately stopping recording on the phone (photos, downloads) is a critical first step for successful recovery. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of returning video, from embedded tools to specialized software.
Many Chinese smartphone owners are unaware of hidden features of their gadgets, such as an extended shopping cart or cloud sync that could have run in the background. We'll look at step-by-step action algorithms that will help you recover lost files without losing quality. It's important to act consistently and not miss the steps of checking system folders.
Checking the folder “Recently deleted” in the Gallery
The fastest and most efficient way to return a video is to check the built-in Gallery application cart. Starting with MIUI 12 and later, and in the current HyperOS, the system automatically moves deleted media files to a special buffer where they are stored for 30 days, a “safe zone” that allows you to fix user error without using complex tools.
To access this folder, you need to open the standard Gallery app, go to the Albums tab, and scroll to the bottom of the list, and you'll see the item "Recently Deleted," and you'll see all the photos and videos you've erased in the last month, and if it's been more than 30 days, the files are automatically destroyed by the system to free up space, and this method won't help.
⚠️ Note: The files in the recently deleted folder take up space in the phone's memory. If you manually clean this basket or wait 30 days to expire, it will be impossible to recover data with standard means.
The recovery process is elemental: select the right video, click the Recover button, and the file will return to its original album, and if you cleaned this folder, or it took too long, you will have to move to more complex methods related to cloud services or deep memory scanning.
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The “Recently Deleted” folder is the first and most reliable line of defense available immediately after you delete the file within a month.
Use of the Mi Cloud cloud service
Xiaomi Account owners often have activated sync with Mi Cloud cloud storage by default.This is a service that automatically backs up gallery, contacts and notes. Even if you deleted the video from your phone, a copy of it could remain in the cloud if sync was enabled before you deleted it.
To check for a backup, go to your phone's settings, select "Mi Account" and click on "Mi Cloud." Then select "Gallery" and check the contents of the cloud through the web interface or directly in the sync settings. If there's a video there, you can download it back to your device or just enable sync to show up in the gallery.
Free storage is usually 5GB, which is enough for thousands of photos, but may not be enough for heavy 4K videos. If the place ran out, sync could stop and new videos didn’t make it to the cloud, in which case it’s worth checking archives or paid subscriptions if they’ve ever been issued.
How to increase the space in the Mi Cloud?
Importantly, Mi Cloud has an Advanced Recovery feature that sometimes allows you to return data that has been deleted from the cloud recently, which is available on i.mi.com under Services -> Data Recovery, which is limited in time and not available for all regions of your account.
Sync with Google Photos and Google Drive
An alternative to Xiaomi's proprietary cloud is the Google ecosystem. Most Xiaomi smartphones pre-installed Google services, and the Google Photos app is often offered as the main gallery. If you had autoload enabled, your videos could be saved to your Google account even if they were erased locally on the phone.
Check out the Google Photos app by going to the Library tab and then to Archive or Recent. It’s also worth going to the Google Photos shopping cart itself, which works independently of the Xiaomi System Gallery Recycle Bin and stores files for up to 60 days, a double insurance policy that many users forget about.
- 📸 Open the Google Photos app and check the top search bar.
- ☁️ Go to photos.google.com from your computer to see all synced files.
- 🗑️ Check the Recycle Bin folder inside the Google Photos app.
- 💾 Check Google Drive for manually downloaded backups.
If the video was sent via messengers such as Telegram or WhatsApp, it is worth checking their internal folders. Often, the chat settings are auto-save, and the video could fly to the messenger cloud or to a separate folder on the disk, bypassing the main gallery.
Recovery through File Manager and PC
Sometimes video files are not deleted completely, but only lose index in the database of media content, becoming invisible to the gallery, but remaining on the disk, in which case it can help to connect the smartphone to the computer in file transfer mode (MTP) or use a built-in Explorer with permission to access hidden folders.
Try connecting your phone to your PC with a cable, select File Transfer mode, and carefully examine the DCIM and MiVideo folders. Sometimes deleted files can be found in hidden system folders with a prefix. (dot), such as.thumbnails, although it only stores thumbnails. To fully search for hidden files on the phone, you can use advanced file managers such as MT Manager or Total Commander.
If you use a computer, search for file extensions (such as.mp4 or.mkv) in your device’s folder to find files that the system has stopped displaying in the gallery, but are still physically in memory.
| Method of searching | Efficiency | Difficulty | Required SOFTWARE |
|---|---|---|---|
| The folder "Recently deleted" | High (if < 30 days) | Low. | No. |
| Mi Cloud / Google Photo | Medium (depending on settings) | Low. | Internet |
| Search for hidden files | Low. | Medium | File manager |
| Third-party programs (PC) | Medium/High | Tall. | DiskDigger, Dr.Fone |
Remember, the file system of modern smartphones is more complex than older memory cards, and without root rights, access to deep memory sectors is limited, which reduces the chances of success in manual search.
Use of specialized software for Android
If standard methods fail, specialized data recovery tools come to the rescue, with DiskDigger being the leader in this field for mobile devices, available on Google Play and running in two modes: basic (no root) and full (root).
The basic mode scans the cache and thumbnails, so the quality of the recovered video can be low, and the file itself can be cropped. However, to find traces of a file, this is enough to determine whether the memory sector is overwritten. Full scanning requires obtaining superuser rights (Root), which is difficult to do on modern Xiaomi due to the locking of the bootloader.
☑️ Algorithm of working with DiskDigger
There are also computer analogs, such as Dr.Fone, Tenorshare UltData or Android Data Recovery. They connect to the phone via a phone. USB and require the inclusion of the debugging mode on USB (USB Debugging: These programs are often more powerful, but most of them are paid and allow you to scan your device for recoverable files for free.
⚠️ Warning: When using third-party recovery software, beware of viruses and fraudulent software. Only download utilities from official developer sites. Do not grant root rights to dubious applications.
Prevention and setting up of auto-saving
To avoid future data loss, you need to set up automatic backups, which is the only 100% way to guarantee your memories are safe, and Xiaomi smartphones do this through Mi Cloud settings or sync with Google.
It is recommended to install the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of data, on two different media, one of which is remotely located (in the cloud), for example: the original on the phone, a copy on the home PC and a copy in cloud storage, this scheme protects against phone breakdown, theft or server failure.
- 🔄 Enable Gallery Sync in Mi Account Settings.
- 📲 Install Google Photos and activate the autoboot in its original quality.
- 💻 Regularly (once a week) copy important files to your computer manually.
- ☁️ Use additional clouds (Yandex.Disk, Telegram Saved Messages) for critical videos.
Also, be careful with memory cleaner applications, which often aggressively delete “unnecessary” files, which can include cached videos or videos from download folders, and always check the file list before confirming the cleanup.
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Set up a “Save Space” mode in Google Photos: it will automatically delete photos and videos that are already stored in the cloud from your phone, freeing up memory without the risk of data loss.