Recovery photo on Xiaomi after reset to factory settings: 5 working ways

Resetting Xiaomi's phone to factory settings is a radical way to fix performance problems or prepare the device for sale. But what if after this procedure you find that all the photos have disappeared? Unlike conventional deletion, in hard reset files are not sent to the trash, but are erased from internal memory without the possibility of standard recovery. However, the chances of returning pictures are still there — and they depend on whether backups were turned on, whether cloud storage was used and how quickly you started acting.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to recover photos on Xiaomi Redmi, POCO or Mi after reset, including methods using Google Photos, Mi Cloud, third-party utilities and even physical connection to a PC. Importantly, the less time has passed since the reset, the higher the probability of success — especially if it is about internal memory of the phone. For microSD cards, the rules are different, and we will consider this case separately.

Why do photos disappear after reset and can they be returned?

When you reset to factory settings (Settings → About phone → Factory reset), the Xiaomi phone formats the data partition.

• 📁 Files are not just deleted – their memory area is marked as free to write new data.
• 🔄 If you have not saved new photos/video after reset, the chances of recovery are higher (old data has not yet been overwritten).
• ☁️ Files from cloud storage (Mi Cloud, Google Photos) are not affected if sync has been enabled.
• 💾 On microSD cards, files remain intact unless the reset affected the external drive.

Key point: Android doesn't physically erase data, it just deletes links to it in the file system, so specialized programs like DiskDigger or EaseUS MobiSaver can scan memory and find lost files, but this only works until new data overwrites old ones.

⚠️ Warning: If you have taken new photos, installed apps or downloaded files after reset, the chances of recovering old images drop dramatically. Each new byte of data can overwrite the memory sectors where the deleted photos were stored.

Method 1: Recovery via Mi Cloud (if synchronization was enabled)

The most reliable and quick way is to check the Mi Cloud cloud storage. Xiaomi defaults to back up photos to the cloud, but many users turn this feature off due to limited space (5 GB for free). If sync was active, your pictures could be saved.

How to check:

1. Open the Gallery app on your phone.
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) At the bottom of the screen, select Mi Cloud.
3. Sign in with the same Xiaomi account that was used before the reset.
4. Check out Camera, Screenshots and Downloads folders.

If you have photos in the cloud, you can download them back to your phone:

• 📥 Select the right pictures. → Press Download.
• 📂 Files will be saved to the Download or Mi Cloud folder on the internal drive.
• 🔄 If there is not enough space, transfer them to a memory card or PC.

⚠️ Note: Mi Cloud only stores low-resolution thumbnails by default. To download the originals, make sure that the cloud settings (Settings) → Mi Cloud → Gallery) has been enabled the option of Synchronization of originals.

Method 2: Restore via Google Photos (if you had autoloaded)

Google Photos is another cloud storage that can save your photos. Unlike Mi Cloud, it offers unlimited space for compressed photo quality (up to 15 MP) or 15 GB for originals. If the phone had autoloaded, all photos could automatically sync to your Google account.

Instructions for remediation:

1. Install Google Photos from Play Market (if not available).
2. Sign in with the same Google account you used before the reset.
3. Go to the Photo tab - all uploaded pictures will be displayed here.
4. For downloading to the phone: highlight the photo → press ⋮ → Save it to the device. Files will appear in the folder. DCIM → Google Photos.

If Google Photos don’t have the right pictures, check:

• 🔍 Recycle Bin (stores deleted photos for 60 days).
• 📅 Archive (screenshots and automatically hidden photos are included there).
• 🤝 Shared albums (if you share photos with other users).

Make sure that autoboot is enabled in Settings → Backup and Sync

Check that you are logged in with the correct Google account

Go to Google Photos → Settings → Storage management and see the amount of occupied space

Download important photos on PC (at photos.google.com)-->

Method 3: Programs for recovering data from internal memory

If there are no cloud copies, the only way to do this is to scan the phone’s internal memory using specialized utilities.

• 📱 DiskDigger (there is a free version with restrictions).
• 💻 EaseUS MobiSaver (requires PC connection).
• 🔧 Recuva (only works with microSD cards).
• 🛠️ Dr.Fone (paid but with high recovery rate).

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger (on the phone):

1. Download DiskDigger from Play Market (requires root rights for deep scanning).
2. Launch the app and select Start basic scanning (without root).
3. Wait until the process is completed (it can take 10–30 minutes).
4. Mark the photos found and click Restore.
5. Save files to a memory card or cloud (not internal memory!).

Important nuances:

• 🔌 Do not connect your phone to charge during scanning – this can interrupt the process.
• 📉 The more time has passed after reset, the less chance of recovery.
• 🔐 For deep scanning need root-rights, but getting them on Xiaomi can block the warranty.

⚠️ Note: If the phone has been upgraded to a new version after reset MIUI, Some programs (such as DiskDigger) may not see internal memory due to changes in the file system, in which case only a connection to the PC through the file system will help. ADB root.

Method 4: Recovery from a microSD card

If the photos were stored on a memory card rather than in the phone's internal memory, their recovery is easier. microSD cards are not affected when reset to factory settings (unless the Cleanup option was selected in the settings). SD-map).

What to do:

1. Remove the card from your phone and paste it into your card reader (or other phone).
2. Connect to your PC and check the DCIM, Pictures, or Camera folders.
3. If files are not displayed, use Recuva (free, Windows only), PhotoRec (cross-platform, works via the command line), R-Studio (paid, but with high efficiency).

How to recover photos with Recuva:

1. Download and install Recuva on PC.
2. Insert the memory card into the card reader and connect to the computer.
3. Start Recuva, select the type of Image files.
4. Specify the memory card drive and start scanning.
5. After completion, mark the found photos and click Restore.

How to find the official Xiaomi service:

1. Go to the site. mi.com/ru/service/center.
2. Enter your city in the search field.
3. Select a center marked Authorized Service Partner.
4. Call in advance and see if they are recovering data.

⚠️ Note: Not all service centers are dedicated to data recovery, some are dedicated to hardware repair. Check before you visit if they have experience with chip-off recovery (a method where a memory chip is soldered out and read on a programmer).

How to Avoid Losing Your Photos in the Future: 3 Rules

In order not to face the problem of missing a photo after the next reset, follow the simple rules:

1. Enable autoboot to the cloud: 📱 Mi Cloud: Settings → Accounts. → Mi Cloud → gallery. ☁️ Google Photos: Settings → Backup and synchronization. 💡Even if you don’t pay for extra space in the cloud, turn on compressed-quality backups, which will save thumbnails of photos that can be printed or zoomed in with AI if needed (e.g., Google Photos or Remini).
2. Regularly copy the photo to a PC or external disk: 🖥️ Connect your phone to your computer and copy the folder DCIM. 💾 Use it. USB- OTG and a backup flash drive.

Keep important photos in two places:

Self-recovery in this case is almost impossible without special equipment.