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

Losing photos on a smartphone is one of the most frustrating situations for a user, especially when it comes to photos deleted a few weeks or even months ago. On Xiaomi devices (including the Redmi, POCO and Mi series), recovery of such files is possible, but requires the right approach. Unlike freshly deleted images, which are often stored in the basket, long-erased data requires a deeper analysis of the device’s memory.

In this article, we will analyze all available methods - from built-in functions. MIUI It's important to understand that success depends on several factors: the depth of memory overwriting, such as storage (internal memory vs. internal memory. SD-The map) and the user's actions after deleting, for example, if you have a heavy game or a lot of video after losing a photo, the chances of recovery drop dramatically.

Before you start, answer the key question: where were the photos stored? On the internal memory of the smartphone or on the microSD card? This depends on the choice of method. Also check whether sync with Google Photos or Mi Cloud was enabled, sometimes this saves the situation without additional effort.

1. Checking the cart and cloud services Xiaomi

The first step is to check for obvious sources that many people are missing out on, and MIUI has a built-in bin where photos are stored for up to 30 days, and even if you deleted the pictures a month ago, they could have stayed there.

How to open the basket:

• 📁 Open the Gallery app on your Xiaomi.
• 🔍 In the upper right corner, press three dots (⋮) and pick the basket.
• 🔄 Check the list for the photos you want. If you have them, highlight them and click Restore.

If the cart is empty, check the cloud services:

• ☁️ Mi Cloud: Go to Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Gallery, backups can be stored here.
• 📊 Google Photos: Open the app and check the Archive or Recycle Bin folder (stores files for up to 60 days).

⚠️ Note: If you used the Storage Optimization feature in Google Photos, the original photos could be deleted from the device after uploading to the cloud, in which case they can only be restored via the web version of the service.

2.Recovery through MIUI backups

Xiaomi smartphones automatically create local backups if the feature is enabled, and these copies can contain deleted photos even if they were deleted long ago.

How to check backup copies:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backups.
2. Check the list of backups available. If you have a copy created before you delete the photo, select it.
3. Click Restore and select only Gallery (so as not to overwrite other data).

If you don’t have local copies, check out Mi Cloud:

• ☁️ Go to Settings. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Backup of the device.
• 🔍 Find a backup with the desired date and restore only media files.

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If the backup weighs a few gigabytes, restore it over Wi-Fi to avoid wasting mobile traffic.

3. Use of specialized applications for Android

If the built-in methods didn't work, it's time to turn to third-party programs, the most effective of which are DiskDigger, Dumpster and EaseUS MobiSaver, which scan the device's memory at a low level, finding fragments of deleted files.

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

Install the app from Google Play| Connect the charger (scanning takes a long time)|Close all background apps |Do not save new files to the device-->

1. Download and install DiskDigger (there is a free version with restrictions).
2. Launch the app and select Full Scan (requires root rights for maximum efficiency).
3. Specify the file type: tick JPG, PNG, HEIC (for photos from iPhones transferred to Xiaomi).
4. Wait until the scan is finished (it can take 30 minutes to several hours).
5. View the files found and save them to the cloud or other media.

For devices without root rights, DiskDigger will only show thumbnails, but even this can help identify important images. SD-map, remove it and connect it to the PC – so the scan will be more efficient.

⚠️ Warning: Do not save recovered files back to the same device from which the scan is being conducted! This may cause the remaining data fragments to be overwritten.

4. PC Recovery: Programs for Windows

If photos are critical and mobile apps don’t help, connect Xiaomi to your computer and use desktop utilities.

• 💻 Recuva (free, easy to use).
• 🔧 EaseUS Data Recovery (paid but with high recovery percentage).
• 🛠️ PhotoRec (complex, but works even with severely damaged media).

Instructions for Recuva:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Run Recuva and select the file type – Images.
3. Specify the path to the smartphone’s internal memory (usually this device → Internal storage).
4. Start a deep scan (may take several hours).
5. View the results and restore the files to your PC hard drive.

For SD-PhotoRec (part of the TestDisk package):

photorec /d D:\recovered_photos /cmd C:\sd_card_path

Where D:\recovered_photos — file for preservation, and C:\sd_card_path — path.

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Desktop programs recover up to 30% more files than mobile applications, thanks to direct access to the file system.

5. Manual recovery via ADB (for power users)

If you are familiar with Android Debug Bridge (ADB), you can try extracting file residues directly.This method is suitable for photos deleted less than 3 months ago and requires USB debugging enabled.

Step-by-step:

1. Activate Developer Mode on Xiaomi: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install it. ADB-Drivers and open the command line.
4. Enter the command to get a list of devices: Adb devices Make sure your Xiaomi appears in the list.
5. Create a backup of the photo section (usually) /data/media/0/DCIM): adb pull /data/media/0/DCIM C:\xiaomi_backup
6. Scan the resulting folder using Recuva or PhotoRec.

This method is more complicated, but sometimes allows you to recover files that are not visible to conventional programs, but it requires caution: incorrect ADB commands can lead to the loss of all data on the device.

6. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center

If all of the above methods have failed and the photos are critical (for example, they are the only shots from an important event), you can contact the official Xiaomi service center.

What you need to know before your visit:

• 📋 Bring a check or purchase confirmation (for warranty devices).
• 🔒 If the phone has been enabled with data encryption, recovery is unlikely.
• 💰 The cost of the service can reach 5-10 thousand rubles, depending on the complexity.
• ⏳ The process takes from 3 to 7 days.

Xiaomi Service Centers in Russia and CIS:

• 📍 Moscow: 10 Letnikovsky St. (official service center).
• 📍 St. Petersburg: Marshal Govorov str., 35.
• 📍 In other cities, check the addresses on the site mi.com.

⚠️ Warning: Some “unofficial” services offer data recovery at low prices, and there is no risk that such centers may use questionable methods that lead to the leakage of personal data.

7. How to prevent future loss of photos

To avoid losing important photos, follow the following simple rules:

• ☁️ Automatic sync: Configure backup to Google Photos or Mi Cloud. Even if the originals are deleted, copies of them will remain in the cloud.
• 📁 Manual copying: Once a month, transfer photos to a PC or external drive. Use Windows Explorer or Mi PC Suite.
• 🔄 Regular backups: Enable automatic backup in Settings → Backup and reset.
• 🚫 Caution when cleaning: Before using features like Garbage Cleanup in the Security App, check which files will be deleted.

For added protection, install the Dumpster app – it works as an extended recycle bin, storing deleted files not for 30 days, but until you manually clean them.

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The combination of cloud backups (Google Photos) and local backups (MIUIs) reduces the risk of data loss by up to 1%.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi