Recovery of deleted photos on Xiaomi Redmi 5: from the cart to deep scanning

Deleting photos with Xiaomi Redmi 5 is often a nasty surprise — especially if the images were not synced with the cloud or backup. Unlike today’s flagships, where the automatic cart function works steadily, on budget models like the Redmi 5, recovery can be complicated by MIUI features and limited device resources.

The main problem with Redmi 5 users is that they don't have a visible shopping cart in the standard gallery. Many people mistakenly believe that after clicking Delete, files disappear forever, but in fact they are temporarily moved to a hidden folder called.trash or.recycle. Another nuance is that if the photos were deleted not through the gallery, but through the file manager (for example, Mi File Explorer), the recovery mechanism will be different. Next, we will look at all the current methods, from basic to advanced, taking into account the specifics of Redmi 5 and MIUI 9/10, which most devices were released.

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1.A check of the hidden basket in the MIUI gallery

On Xiaomi Redmi 5, the cart is hidden by default, but you can open it through the standard Gallery app. Importantly, files are stored there for a limited time - usually 30 days, after which they are deleted irrevocably. If more than a month has passed, move to the next method.

To find the basket:

1. Open the Gallery app (flower icon).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (menu) in the upper left corner.
3. Scroll down and select the Recycle Bin (or Trash in English firmware).
4. Hold your finger on the photos and click Restore.

If the Recycle Bin item is not on the menu, try updating the Gallery app through the Play Market or check your settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Gallery.
2. Select Warehouse and click Clear Cache.
3. Restart the app.

⚠️ Note: On some versions MIUI 9 basket may not be available at all, in which case use alternative methods from the following sections.

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

If your Redmi 5 was enabled to sync with Mi Cloud, the chances of returning photos are much higher, even if the files are deleted from the device, they could be saved to the cloud - provided that:

• 🔹 You logged in to Mi-account on your phone.
• 🔹 In the settings of the gallery was activated the option Synchronization with Mi Cloud.
• 🔹 Cloud storage was not exceeded (free is 5 GB).

To check the photos in the cloud:

1. Open your browser on a PC or other device and go to i.mi.com.
2. Sign in under the same Mi-account as Redmi 5.
3. Go to the Gallery or Photos section.
4. Check the Remote folder (if any) or search by date.

If the photos are not in the cloud, but sync has been enabled, try to restore them through version history:

1. In the web version of Mi Cloud, select the album you want.
2. Press three points (⋮) and choose Restore.
3. Please indicate the date preceding the deletion.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi can store deleted files in the cloud for up to 60 days, but only if they were uploaded there before being deleted from the phone.

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Before recovering from the cloud, check the free space on Redmi 5 – if the memory is less than 1 GB, the files may not download or be corrupted.

3.Use of file managers to find hidden folders

On Xiaomi Redmi 5, photos deleted through the gallery are often moved to hidden system folders that are not displayed by default. To find them, you will need a file manager with support for showing hidden files (for example, Mi File Explorer, Solid Explorer or FX File Manager).

Search instructions:

1. Install Solid Explorer from the Play Market (free version is fine).
2. Open the app and allow access to the storage.
3. Slip on three horizontal lines (menu) and select Settings.
4. Activate the option to show hidden files.
5. Go to the root folder of internal memory (/storage/emulated/0/).
6. Look for folders with names:.trash or.recycle – standard shopping cart MIUI..thumbnails (sometimes containing originals). DCIM/.thumbs — gallery-cash.

If you find deleted files, copy them to a secure location (such as a memory card or PC), and note that folders with a dot at the beginning (.) are system folders, and their contents can be automatically cleared if there is a lack of memory.

4. PC Connection and Recovery through Programs

If the photos aren’t found on the phone, the next step is to connect Redmi 5 to your computer and use specialized recovery utilities, which works even if the files were deleted not through the gallery, but through a file manager or memory card formatting.

Tools required:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 🛠️ Programs: Recuva (free), DiskDigger (paid, but there is a trial version), EaseUS MobiSaver.

Step-by-step instructions for Recuva:

1. Connect Redmi 5 to your PC in file transfer mode (MTP). For this: Unlock your phone. In the notification curtain, select File transfer (not "Only Charge").

Recuva

ccleaner.com

Images

Redmi 5

Analysis

Look at the files found and mark the ones you need to recover.

For DiskDigger (deeper scanning):

1. Install the program on PC or directly on Redmi 5 (there is an Android version).
2. Select Full Scan (Full Scan) mode.
3. Wait until the process is over and save the recovered files to your PC.

⚠️ Warning: Do not save recovered files back to Redmi 5 - this can overwrite the remaining data and reduce the chances of recovering other photos.

Enable debugging over USB (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap)

Use the original USB cable

Charge your phone at least 50%

Disable antivirus on PC (can block programs)

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5. Deep scanning of internal memory (root access)

If standard methods fail, deep scanning of internal memory remains, which requires root rights, since it allows you to scan system partitions where conventional programs do not have access. On Xiaomi Redmi 5, you can get root through unlocking the bootloader and installing Magisk, but this cancels the warranty and can lead to data loss if you make an error.

For root-access scanning, DiskDigger Pro or Undelete is the right algorithm.

1. Unlock the bootloader on Redmi 5 via the official Xiaomi website (requires binding to Mi-account).
2. Install Magisk to obtain root rights (instructions are available on 4PDA).
3. Download DiskDigger Pro from Play Market.
4. Start the program, select Full Scan and wait for the results.
5. Save the files found to an external medium.

Instructions for PhotoRec:

1. Remove the memory card from Redmi 5 and insert it into the PC card reader.
2. Download PhotoRec from cgsecurity.org.
3. Unpack the archive and launch it. photorec_win.exe (Windows).
4. Select a disk with a memory card (will be marked as /dev/sdX or a disk letter).
5. Specify the file system (FAT32 or exFAT for microSD).
6. Select a folder to save recovered files (not to the card!).
7. Run the scan and wait until it's finished.

Importantly, if the memory card has been formatted, the chances of recovery are reduced, but not zero. Programs like PhotoRec search for files by signature, so they can find fragments even after formatting.

7. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center

If all of these methods did not help, and photos are critically important (for example, these are the only pictures from an important event), consider contacting the official service center Xiaomi.

What you need to know before your visit:

• 📋 Service centers do not guarantee 100% recovery – it all depends on the degree of data overwriting.
• 💰 The cost of the service starts from 3-5 thousand rubles (for 2026).
• ⏳ Recovery period - from 3 to 10 days.
• 🔒 You will need to prove ownership of the phone (checks, box, tied Mi-account).

The official service centers can be found on the Xiaomi Russia website. Before visiting, check by phone if they are engaged in data recovery - not all centers provide this service.

Alternatively, private data recovery labs (such as HDD Recovery or Data Recovery) often work directly with memory chips, but the cost can reach 10-20 thousand rubles.

⚠️ Warning: Avoid handicraftsmen offering recovery costs of 500-1000 rubles. there is a high risk of permanent data loss or leakage of personal information.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Redmi 5