Recovery of deleted photos on Xiaomi Redmi 9: from the cart to deep scanning

Did you accidentally erase important photos from Xiaomi Redmi 9? Don't panic -- the chances of getting them back are higher than you think. Even if you cleared your cart or formatted your memory card, the files don't disappear instantly. They stay on the device until they're overwritten by new data. The key is to act quickly and not save anything new to your phone so as not to reduce the likelihood of recovery.

Redmi 9

M2003J15SC

M2004J19G

Android 10/11

MIUI 12-14

Xiaomi

.trash

Recycle Bin

In this article, 7 proven methods, from basic (checking the cart, cloud backups) to advanced (using a PC and specialized software), we took into account the specifics of Redmi 9: working with internal memory and microSD, features of MIUI, as well as common user errors that reduce the chances of success to zero. For example, if you have already tried to restore photos through the application from the Play Market and allowed it to access storage, new files could overwrite the old ones, in which case only deep scanning through the PC will help.

1.Check the basket in the standard Xiaomi gallery

The first thing you need to do is look into the hidden folder of the shopping cart. In MIUI, deleted photos don't disappear immediately: they move to temporary storage for 30 days (by default), which can be changed in the gallery settings, but many users do not even know that this feature exists.

How to find the basket:

1. Open the Gallery app (a flower icon with colorful petals).
2. Slip on the three horizontal lines at the bottom of the screen (album menu).
3. Scroll down and find the Recycle Bin folder (or Trash in the English version of MIUI).
4. Select the desired photos, click Restore (the icon with the arrow up).

If the basket folder is not on the list, it means:

• 🔍 You have already cleaned it manually (or automatically after 30 days).
• 📱 You have a third-party gallery installed (like Google Photos) that doesn’t use a shopping cart. MIUI.
• ⚙️ Removed files backup is disabled in the settings (check in Gallery Settings) → Basket).

⚠️ Note: If you deleted a photo through a file manager (such as Explorer or Total Commander) rather than through a gallery, they won’t get into the bin. MIUI. In this case, proceed to the following method.

2. Restore via Google Photos (if synchronized)

If your Redmi 9 has Google Photos autoloaded, the chances of returning the photos are extremely high, the service saves all uploaded photos in the cloud, even if you erased them from your phone, the main thing is to remember the Google account that was associated with the device.

Instructions for remediation:

• 📱 Open the Google Photos app (if removed, install from Play Market).
• 🔍 Go to the Cart section (the bin icon on the menu on the left).
• ⏳ Photos are stored there for 60 days - select the necessary and click Restore.
• ☁️ If the cart is empty, check the main feed: it is possible that the photo is simply hidden (use a search by date or keyword).

If you don’t remember if the synchronization was enabled, check this:

1. Go to Settings → Google Accounts → Google Services → Photos.
2. See the status of Backup and Synchronization.
3. If the option is active, then the photos could be saved in the cloud.

⚠️ Note: Google Photos compresses photos when you download if you have High Quality (not Original Quality) mode. Recovered images can lose up to 16 MP in resolution instead of the original 48 MP (Redmi 9 has a 13 MP main camera, but in Ultra mode). HD retains larger images).

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Before restoring your photos through Google Photos, check if the cloud storage limit is exceeded. If the place is over, new photos are not synced, and old ones can be deleted automatically.

3.Use of a file manager to search for hidden files

Sometimes photos are not deleted completely, but simply hidden by the system, which can be due to a gallery malfunction, viruses, or incorrect use of memory cleanup applications, and you'll need a file manager with access to system folders to find these files.

The best options for Redmi 9:

• 📁 Conductor MIUI (built-in but limited).
• 🛠️ Solid Explorer (paid, but with trial period).
• 🔍 FX File Explorer (free, root-rights support).

How to find hidden photos:

1. Install the selected manager and give him access to the storage.
2. Enable the display of hidden files (in the manager settings).
3. Go to /storage/emulated/0/DCIM//storage/emulated/0/Pictures//storage/emulated/0/.thumbnails/
4. Look for files with.jpg,.png,.heic extensions (including those that start with a dot, such as.nomedia).

Features of Redmi 9:

• 📸 folder DCIM/Camera contains a photo from the main camera.
• 🤳 folder DCIM/Screenshots — screenshot.
• 🔄.trash folder – Gallery basket (if not cleaned).
• 📥 Download folder – here are often saved photos from messengers.

4. Connection to PC and Recovery through the Program

If the previous methods didn't work, it's time to connect Redmi 9 to your computer.

• 🖥️ PC Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 Cable USB Type-C (original or qualitative analogue).
• 🛠️ Recovery software (free: Recuva, PhotoRec; paid: EaseUS Data Recovery, DiskDigger).

Step-by-step instructions for Recuva (Windows):

1. Download and install Recuva from the official ccleaner.com website.
2. Connect Redmi 9 to your PC in File Transfer mode (click MTP when you request your phone).
3. Start Recuva, select the type of Image files.
4. Specify the phone disc (usually a Removable Disc (E:) or the like).
5. Press Analysis, then Deep Scan (takes 10-30 minutes).
6. After completion, tick the desired photos and click Restore.

Nuances for Redmi 9:

• 🔒 If your phone is locked with a password, unlock it before connecting to your PC.
• 📁 To scan the microSD, remove it and connect it through the card reader.
• ⚡ Don’t save recovered files back to your phone – use a PC or cloud.

⚠️ Note: Do not use programs like Dr.Fone or iMobie PhoneRescue, which are considered “universal” but often do not recognize the Redmi 9 file system (F2FS or ext4 It is better to choose software specializing in photo recovery.

5. Recovery from a microSD card

If the photos were stored on a microSD, the chances of success are higher — memory cards use a FAT32 or exFAT file system, which is easier to scan. But there are pitfalls: for example, Redmi 9 supports cards up to 512 GB, but when formatted via a phone can create incompatible markup.

How to recover photos from microSD:

• 🔌 Remove the card from your phone and connect it to your PC via a card reader (not your phone!).
• 🛠️ Use PhotoRec (for power users) or DiskDigger (for beginners).
• 🔍 In PhotoRec, select the map section (usually). /dev/sdX1 Linux or Disk E: in Windows).
• 📁 Save the recovered files to your PC hard drive, not back to the card.

Frequent errors:

• 🚫 Continue to use the card after deleting the photo (new files overwrite old ones).
• 🔄 Formatting a card via phone (MIUI Can create a non-standard file system).
• 📵 Use of cheap card readers (may not read data correctly).

6.Recovery through MIUI backup

Xiaomi offers its own backup solution, Mi Cloud and local backups. If you’ve ever created a backup through Settings → About Phone → Backup, there’s a chance to get your photo back from there.

How to recover from Mi Cloud:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Sign in under the same account that was used for backup.
3. Select the Gallery or the Backup.
4. Find the desired backup date and click Restore.

Local backup (if a copy is saved to the PC):

• 🖥️ Connect the phone to the computer.
• 📁 Go to the folder. MIUI/backup/AllBackup internal.
• 🔍 Find a file with the.mbk extension (for example, 20231015.mbk).
• 🛠️ Use the official Mi utility to extract data PC Suite (download at pcsuite.mi.com).

⚠️ Attention: Local backups MIUI If you forget the password, try the standard combinations: 123456, date of birth or miuibackup.

7. Contact Xiaomi Service Center (extreme case)

If all methods are exhausted, and photos are critical (for example, documents or unique photos), you can contact the official Xiaomi service. They have specialized equipment to extract data from internal memory, but there are no guarantees - it all depends on the degree of overwriting of files.

What you need to know before your visit:

• 💰 Cost of service: from 3000 to 10 000 ₽ (depending).
• ⏳ Term: 3 days to 2 weeks.
• 📄 Documents: passport and telephone check (if any).
• 🔒 Privacy: Make sure the center is licensed to handle personal data.

The addresses of official Xiaomi services in Russia can be found on the website mi.com/ru/service. Check by phone before visiting whether they are engaged in data recovery – not all centers provide this service.

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The service center is the last chance to get a photo back, but only if the phone's internal memory hasn't been overwritten, and if more than a month has passed since the deletion and the phone has been actively used, the odds are close to zero.

Frequent Questions (FAQ)