How to Recover Deleted Files After Resetting Your Settings on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to 2026

Resetting your Xiaomi smartphone settings is a radical way to get your device back to its original performance, but it often results in the loss of important data. Last-time photos, work documents, saved passwords or instant messenger correspondence can all disappear in an instant if there was no backup. Fortunately, even after a hard reset, the chances of returning lost files remain, and they are higher than you think.

In this article, we will look at 5 proven recovery methods that work on all Xiaomi models (from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra) running MIUI 12-14. You will learn how to use embedded system tools, cloud services and specialized software, as well as what critical recovery errors 90% of users make. Importantly, the effectiveness of methods depends on how quickly you start action after a reset – each hour of inactivity reduces the chances of success.

Why Files Are Lost After Resetting Your Settings on Xiaomi

When resetting via Settings → About Phone → Resetting or button combination in Recovery (Power + Volume Up) mode, the MIUI system removes:

• 📁 User data from internal memory (photos, videos, documents, downloads).
• 📱 Application settings and cache (including saved games, browser logins).
• 📞 Contact and SMS, If they are not synced with Google or Mi Account.
• 🔑 Social media and instant messenger accounts (apps will remain, but you will need to re-enter).

It does not affect:

• 💾 Files on a microSD card (unless it has been formatted separately).
• ☁️ Data synchronized with clouds (Mi Cloud, Google Drive, Yandex Disk).
• 🎵 Music and videos uploaded via Mi Video or Mi Music if stored in secure folders.

The main problem is overwriting. Once reset, the system starts writing new files on top of the old ones, physically destroying them. So the first rule is, immediately after reset, don't install apps, don't download files, don't take photos. The fewer actions, the better the chances of recovery.

Method 1: Recovery via Mi Cloud (official method)

If your Xiaomi has enabled sync with Mi Account, most data can be returned in a few clicks, which works even after a full reset, since the files are stored on Xiaomi servers.

How to check if synchronization has been enabled:

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in to your Mi Account.
2. Go to the Cloud section → Devices.
3. If your smartphone is on the list, then backups were created automatically.

Step-by-step recovery instructions:

• 🔄 After recovery, restart your phone – some files (such as notes) may not show up immediately.
• ⚠️ If the cloud doesn’t have the data you need, check other devices that are linked to the same account.

⚠️ Warning: Mi Cloud only provides 5GB of storage for free. If the backup weighs more, the data may not be saved.

Method 2: Use Google Account (alternative to Mi Cloud)

If you’ve used Google services like Google Photos or Contacts, the chances of data recovery are even higher, and unlike Mi Cloud, Google offers 15GB of free storage, which increases the likelihood of having a backup.

What can be restored:

• 📇 Contacts – synced automatically if in Settings → Accounts. → Google has been enabled with the option.
• 📷 Photos and videos – if you used the Google Photos app with autoload.
• 📅 Calendar and notes – via Google Keep or Google Calendar.
• 🌐 Bookmarks and passwords from Chrome.

Instructions:

1. Log in to your Google Account on your smartphone after resetting.
2. Go to Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync.
3. Turn on synchronization for the desired categories (contacts, calendar, etc.).
4. Open Google Photos and check the Recycle Bin folder – deleted files are stored there for 60 days.

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If Google Photos doesn’t have the right images, check the archive at photos.google.com/archive – screenshots and duplicates automatically get there.

Third-party software will be needed to recover SMS and call logs, as Google does not save them by default. Use methods 4 or 5.

Method 3: Data recovery programs (without root)

If you don't have backups in the cloud, the only way to do that is to scan your smartphone's internal memory, and you'll need a special tool that works like file carving, which is important: it doesn't guarantee 100% results, but it can return up to 70% of data with the right approach.

Top.-3 recovery (2026 year):

• 🛠️ DiskDigger – supports photos, videos and documents, works without root rights (but with them more effective).
• 🔍 EaseUS MobiSaver – Restore Contacts, SMS WhatsApp files (there is a free version).
• 📱 Dr.Fone (Wondershare) – paid, but with a high percentage of successful recovery.

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger:

1. Download and install DiskDigger on another phone or PC (not the one you’re recovering data from!).
2. Connect Xiaomi to your computer via USB in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. Start DiskDigger and select the phone’s internal memory to scan.
4. After the scan is completed, mark the desired files and press Recover.
5. Save the recovered data to your computer or memory card (not your phone!).

⚠️ Warning: Do not install recovery software on the smartphone itself, which deleted files, this will overwrite the data and make recovery impossible.

Method 4: Recovery through TWRP (for advanced users)

If your Xiaomi has custom recovery TWRP installed, the chances of data recovery are much higher, which requires an unlocked bootloader and basic knowledge of working with ADB, but allows you to return files even after full formatting.

What you need:

• 🔓 Unlocked bootloader (bootloader).
• 📱 Established TWRP Recovery (version for your model).
• 💻 Computer with ADB and Fastboot.
• 🛠️ PhotoRec or TestDisk (for the purpose of Linux/Windows).

Instructions:

1. Load your phone in TWRP mode (hold Power + Volume Up when you turn on).
2. Connect the device to your PC and in TWRP, select Mount → Enable MTP.
3. On your computer, run PhotoRec and select the drive corresponding to the phone’s internal memory.
4. Specify the file format for search (e.g. JPG, PNG, MP4).
5. Run the scan and wait until it is completed (may take several hours).
6. Save the recovered files to the PC.

The advantage of this method is that it can be restored even after flashing, because TWRP allows low-level access to memory.

• ⚠️ Incorrect actions in TWRP They may cause the device to blink.
• ⚠️ Not all Xiaomi models support all of them. TWRP (For example, on Xiaomi. 13T s MIUI 14 may be a problem).

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TWRP is the most powerful recovery tool, but it requires training. If you're unsure of your skills, use methods 1-3 or consult a specialist.

Method 5: Contacting a service center (extreme case)

If the independent attempts have failed, the last option is to contact an authorized Xiaomi service center or data recovery laboratory.

• 💔 Physical memory damage (for example, after a phone drop).
• 🔒 Encrypted data (if File-Based Encryption is enabled in the MIUI).
• 🛠️ Complicated failures after a failed firmware.

What you need to know before your visit:

• 📋 Xiaomi service centers are not engaged in data recovery - they only refish the device. PC-3000 or DeepSpar.
• 💰 The cost of the service starts from 5 000 rubles and depends on the complexity.
• ⏳ Recovery period - from 1 to 5 days.
• 🔐 If the data has been encrypted (e.g. through Settings) → Lockdown and protection → Encryption, chances of success are minimal without a password.

How to choose a reliable laboratory:

• 🔍 Check reviews on Yandex.Maps or 2GIS (look for mentions of successful recovery with Xiaomi).
• 📞 Call and see if they are working with you. eMMC/UFS-Switches (used in smartphones).
• 📄 Sign a contract with a guarantee for the restored data.

⚠️ Warning: Avoid handicraftsmen who promise to recover data for 1,000 rubles.There is a high risk that they use the same software as you (for example, DiskDigger), but take money in 10 minutes of work.

How to Prevent Data Loss in the Future

The best way to combat data loss is to prevent it, and even if you’ve managed to recover files now, follow these rules to avoid problems in the future:

Cloud backups:

• ☁️ Set up automatic sync in Mi Cloud and Google Photos:
• 📁 Use Yandex Disk or Dropbox for important documents (such as passport scans).

Local copies:

• 💾 Regularly copy photos and videos to a memory card or computer (for example, once a month).
• 🖥️ For a full backup of the system, use TWRP or SP Flash Tool (requires unlocking the bootloader).

Additional measures:

• 🔐 Enable device encryption (but remember password!):
• 📱 Install the Swift Backup app (requires root) to back up applications and their data.

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Create a note in Google Keep with the instructions for recovery and save logins from all cloud services, so you do not forget where and what is stored.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data recovery on Xiaomi