How to recover deleted photos on Xiaomi Redmi Note: from the cart to deep scanning

Have you accidentally deleted important photos from Xiaomi Redmi Note and are now panicking about how to get them back? Don't despair - even if the pictures have disappeared from the gallery, they can still be stored in the device's memory or backups. In this article, we'll take a look at all possible recovery methods, from standard MIUI features to professional tools that work even after formatting.

The Redmi Note (be it the Note 10 Pro, Note 12 or earlier) is that they use MIUI, which has its own data protection mechanisms. For example, deleted files don't disappear instantly — they're put in the Recycle Bin and stored there for up to 30 days. But what if the Recycle Bin is already cleaned? Or if the photo was deleted a month ago? The answers are lower.

It is important to understand: the success of recovery depends on three factors: 1) the time elapsed after deleting (the earlier you start, the higher the chances), 2) actions with the phone after loss (write new files reduces the likelihood of returning old ones), 3) the presence of backups (cloud, Google Photos, local backups).

We structured the ways from the simplest to the most complex – start with the first and move on to the next if the previous one didn’t work.

1.Check the basket at MIUI Gallery

The first thing you need to do is to look at the Recycle Bin of the standard Gallery app, and in MIUI, deleted photos are not erased immediately, but are sent to a temporary storage facility where they are stored for 15 to 30 days (depending on the firmware version).

1. Open the Gallery app on your Redmi Note.
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) top-left.
3. Select the Recycle Bin (or Remote in some versions).
4. Find the right photos, highlight them and click Restore.

If the cart is empty or the photo is not there, it means that they have been deleted permanently (or more than 30 days have passed), in which case move on to the next method.

⚠️ Attention: B MIUI 14+ The cart can be disabled by default. To activate it, go to Gallery Settings. → Basket → Turn it on.

💡

If the shopping cart doesn’t show up, update the Gallery app via Google Play – this section may not be available in older versions.

2. Restore via Google Photos (if synchronized)

If your Redmi Note has been enabled to sync with Google Photos, the chances of returning deleted photos are extremely high, the service stores photos in the cloud and allows you to restore them even after years.

• 📱 Open the Google Photos app (if not, install it from Play Market).
• 🔍 In the upper right corner, tap on the profile avatar. → Basket.
• ⏳ Deleted photos are stored here for 60 days.
• 💾 If the basket is empty, check the Archive folder – sometimes photos are moved there.

If the sync wasn't set up, it won't work, but it's worth checking that you may have forgotten you used to back up.

1. Go to Settings → Google → Backup.
2. See if the photo and video item is included.
3. If yes, check drive.google.com through your browser, and there may be copies.

3. Search in Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

Xiaomi offers its own cloud storage, Mi Cloud, which automatically saves photos if the feature is activated.

• 🌐 Go to i.mi.com and log in with the same account as you do on your phone.
• 📁 In the Gallery or Backups section, look for a folder with a deletion date.
• 🔄 If you have a photo, download it back to your phone or PC.

Mi Cloud stores deleted files for up to 10 days (as opposed to 30 days in the local recycle bin). If more time has passed, the data can be irretrievably lost. Also check if the storage limit is exceeded - when overflowing, old files are deleted automatically.

⚠️ Warning: If you reset your phone to factory settings without detaching your Mi Account, access to the cloud may be blocked, in which case you will have to unlock the device first.

4. Connect to PC and search through Explorer

If the cloud didn't work, try connecting Redmi Note to your computer and manually searching for file remnants, because when you delete them softly (without formatting), the photos remain in memory, but become invisible to the system.

1. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode).
2. Open this computer → find the disk of your smartphone.
3. Go to DCIM → Camera or Pictures.
4. Enable the display of hidden files (View → Hidden elements in Windows).
5. Try to find files with the.jpg,.png or.nomedia extension (they can be gray).

If files are found but not opened, try renaming them by removing the extra characters at the end (e.g. photo.jpg.recover → photo.jpg).

Enable debugging over USB in Developer Settings|

Use the original Xiaomi| cable

Disable screen locking while connected |

Check if the phone is defined as a storage device-->

5. Deep memory scanning programs

If standard methods don't work, it's time to move on to "heavy artillery," specialized utilities that scan the phone's memory at a low level, looking for fragments of deleted files and trying to recover them.

• 🛠️ DiskDigger — works without root rights, but with them more efficiently).
• 🔍 Recuva is a classic of the genre, but requires connecting the phone as a disk (it does not always work with the phone). MIUI).
• 📱 GT Recovery – mobile app, scans directly on the phone (there is a risk of installing malware – check reviews!).
• 💻 EaseUS MobiSaver – paid, but with a high recovery rate.

Instructions for DiskDigger (the most reliable option):

1. Install the program on the PC.
2. Connect Redmi Note in File Transfer mode.
3. Select the phone drive in DiskDigger and run Deep Scan.
4. After searching, mark the desired photos and click Recover.
5. Save files to your PC – not your phone! (this can overwrite the remaining data).

⚠️ Note: If the phone is encrypted (you used it) PIN/A lock password, programs like DiskDigger can't scan the memory, and that's just a backup or a cloud.

The scanning speed depends on the amount of memory: on the Redmi Note 11 with 128 GB, the process can take 1-2 hours.

6.Recovery via MIUI backup or TWRP

If you've ever backed up your Settings → Additional → Backup, there's a chance you can get your photo back from there. MIUI saves the backups in the MIUI/Backup/AllBackup folder, but they're encrypted.

1. Install the Mi PC Suite (the official utility from Xiaomi) on your PC.
2. Connect the phone and select Restore from backup.
3. Specify the path to the backup file (usually called the backup file). backup_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS).
4. Check the Gallery and start the recovery.

If you have a custom TWRP recap, you can try to recover data through it:

1. Boot to TWRP (clip Power + Volume up when turned on).
2. Select Mount → System.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and copy files from /data/media/0/DCIM via ADB or Explorer.

This method is only suitable for advanced users, and if you are not sure about your actions, it is better to consult a specialist - improper manipulation of TWRP can lead to complete loss of data.

7. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center

If all of these methods didn’t work, and the photos are critical (for example, they are the only shots from an important event), you can try to contact Xiaomi’s authorized service center, they have specialized equipment to extract data even from damaged drives.

However, take into account a few nuances:

• 💰 The cost of such a service starts from 3-5 thousand rubles (depending on the complexity of the service).
• ⏳ The process can take from a few days to a week.
• 🔒 Not all centers are dedicated to data recovery, some are dedicated to hardware repair.
• 📌 Before visiting, do not make changes to your phone: do not install apps, do not make a reset.

To find an official service, go to the Xiaomi Service website and enter your city. Only contact the centers marked Authorized - this guarantees the safety of your data.

💡

If the photos have legal value (e.g., evidence), contact professionals immediately - independent attempts at restoration can be regarded as interference with the evidence base.

Frequent Questions (FAQ)

If none of these methods worked, don't despair -- maybe you can still get the photos back with professional tools, but don't write new data to your phone or reset it, and if you want to, you can go to a data recovery lab like Hetman Recovery or ACE Lab.

Remember, the faster you act, the better the chances of success. Even if the photos were deleted a week ago, don't waste time - every new photo or app you install reduces the likelihood of them returning.