Accidental deletion of photos from Xiaomi Redmi 9 Pro is a familiar situation: one wrong swipe in the gallery, and precious footage disappears from view. Fortunately, in most cases, files are not erased from the device instantly: they remain in memory until new data is overwritten, the main thing is to act quickly and correctly.
In this article, we will look at 7 proven ways to return deleted images, from standard MIUI features to professional tools. We will focus on the nuances of working with Redmi 9 Pro, where, due to the features of the firmware, some methods may work differently than on other Android devices. You will learn how to recover photos through the MIUI shopping cart, cloud services, connection to a PC, and even using the engineering menu – with detailed screenshots and warnings about possible risks.
Important: the less you use your phone after deleting, the better the chances of success. Every new photo, video or application you install reduces the likelihood of recovery, so we recommend that you start the procedure immediately after you find that files are missing.
1.A check of the basket at MIUI Gallery
The first thing to do is to look in the MIUI Recycle Bin. Unlike standard Android, Xiaomi's firmware saves deleted files in a separate section for 30 days, the easiest method and requires no additional software.
Instructions:
- 📱 Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
- 🗑️ Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → pick the basket.
- 🔍 Find the right photo, hold your finger on one of them to highlight → Click Restore (Icon with a down arrow).
- 📤 The files will be returned to the same folder from which they were deleted.
If the cart is empty or there are no files, move to the next method. Note: on the Redmi 9 Pro with MIUI 12 and newer, the cart can automatically clear if there is a lack of memory (threshold - less than 10% of free space), in which case you can not recover photos through it.
⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse a gallery basket with a file manager basket! → The basket only stores documents and archives, not media files.
2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)
If your Redmi 9 Pro has been enabled to sync with Mi Cloud, the chances of returning photos are very high. Xiaomi cloud automatically saves copies of the images (provided that the function is activated in the settings). Even if you delete the photo from your phone, they can stay in the cloud for up to 60 days.
How to check:
- 🌐 Go to i.mi.com from your PC or phone.
- 🔑 Sign in with the same Mi Account that is linked to your phone.
- 📷 Select the Gallery section → Basket (on the left menu).
- 🔄 Find the right photo and click Restore.
If the photos are not in the cloud cart, try searching for them in the main gallery - sometimes files remain there even after you delete them from the device. Also check the Autoload folder in Mi Cloud, where copies from messengers may have been saved.
| Conditions | Chance of recovery | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Sync is enabled, photos are in the cloud | 95% | Restore via i.mi.com or Mi Cloud |
| Sync is enabled, but no photos in the cloud | 30% | Check other folders or try other methods |
| Synced off | 0% | Move to methods 3-7 |
⚠️ Note: If you reset your phone to factory settings without a Mi Account waist, access to the cloud will be blocked for 7 days.
3. Use of Google Photos (if backed up)
Many Redmi 9 Pro users set up automatic photo backups in Google Photos, and if you've logged in to a Google account and haven't disabled the feature, there's a chance that the images are saved there.
Steps:
- 📲 Open the Google Photos app (if not, install it from Play Market).
- ☁️ Go to the Library section → Basket.
- ⏳ Photos are stored there for 60 days - if less time has passed, they can be restored.
- 🔄 Select the files you need. → press Restore.
If the cart is empty, try searching for a photo in the main feed or through a date/place search. Google Photos sometimes saves copies even after manually deleting from the device.
💡
To avoid losing photos in the future, turn on Google Photos to set up Backup and Sync (in the app menu) and this will take up space in the cloud, but save data when crashes occur.
4. PC connection and memory scanning
If previous methods didn't work, it's time to move to deep memory scanning, which requires a computer and a special program. On the Redmi 9 Pro, this is effective because the phone uses eMMC memory, where deleted files are not erased immediately, but only marked as free.
Instructions:
- 🔌 Connect Redmi 9 Pro to PC via USB-cable (file transfer mode).
- 💻 Install one of the programs: DiskDigger (free version scans only previews), Recuva (suitable for Windows, supports deep scanning) EaseUS MobiSaver (paid, but with a high recovery percentage)
Internal Storage
Deep scanning.
📂 After the process is complete, mark the desired photos and save them on PC.
Important: Don’t save the recovered files back to your phone, which can overwrite the remaining data, and avoid using your phone during the scan, so as not to interrupt the process.
Turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data on your phone|Charge your phone at least 50%|Use the original. USB-cable|Do not connect other devices to the PC during the process.-->
5. Recovery through the Engineering Menu (for power users)
The Xiaomi Redmi 9 Pro has a hidden engineering menu that allows you to try to recover files without using standard tools, a method that requires caution, as improper actions can lead to malfunctions in the phone.
How to get into the engineering menu:
1. Open the phone app.
2 Enter the code ##4636##
3. Select the "Testing" section → "Memory Checking".Here you will see a list of files, including those that have been deleted, but you can’t directly restore them from here, you need to use additional utilities like MTK Droid Tools (for MediaTek processors that are on the Redmi 9 Pro).
⚠️ Warning: Working with the engineering menu can lead to loss of warranty or software failures.If you are not sure about your actions, skip this method.
What if the phone stopped turning on after the actions in the engineering menu?
6. Recovery through TWRP and ADB (Advanced Method)
If you have a custom TWRP recap on your phone, you can try to recover photos through it, which is suitable for users who have already dealt with firmware and root rights.
Step-by-step:
- 🔧 Boot in. TWRP (clamp down on power. + Volume up when switched on).
- 📁 Go to Advanced. → File Manager.
- 🔍 Find the file. /data/media/0/DCIM or /data/media/0/Pictures.
- 💾 Copy all files with the extension.jpg,.png to SD-map OTG-accumulator.
- 🔄 Restart your phone and check the copied files.
You can also use applications like Simple Gallery, which have their own shopping cart with a customizable shelf life.