Accidental deletion of photos is a stressful situation familiar to many owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones. You could accidentally swipe the gallery, clear the cache or simply delete the album, believing it was unnecessary, and after a while find that there were important photos. Fortunately, the Android operating system and cloud services often leave “loops” to return data.
Recovery of images depends on how long ago they were erased and whether root access was used after the incident. If you started actively downloading files or installing heavy applications immediately after the deletion, the chances are reduced, as the memory sector could be overwritten with new information. However, it is too early to panic: modern methods allow you to return content even in difficult cases.
In this guide, we will discuss all the current ways, from built-in features of the MIUI shell to professional software for the PC. It is important to act consistently and not miss the diagnostic steps, so as not to harm the file system of the device.
Checking the basket in the Gallery and the cloud Mi
The first and most obvious step is to check the built-in Recycle Bin, where the MIUI shell does not permanently erase files, but instead puts them in a buffer for 30 days, which is a system-based protection against random user errors that works by default.
To get there, open the Gallery app and go to the Albums tab. Scroll down to the end, and you'll find the Deleted folder. If you've used synchronization, a similar folder may be present in the Mi Cloud.
⚠️ Note: Files in the Recycle Bin take up space in memory. If the storage is full, the system can automatically clear old deleted photos before the 30-day deadline expires.
If you find the image you want, just highlight it and click the Recover button, and the photo will return to the original album, saving the date of the shooting and metadata.
💡
Enable sync with Mi Cloud in advance: This will create an extra copy of the gallery that can be restored even after a complete phone reset.
Use of Google Photos and other cloud services
Many Android users are unaware that their photos are automatically copied to a Google account. Google Photos is often pre-installed on Xiaomi smartphones and can work in the background. Check for deleted images in the Library → Recycle Bin.
Remote objects in Google Photos are stored for 60 days for subscriptions or 30 days for free accounts, which is significantly longer than the standard period in some local galleries, and it is also worth checking the clouds from Yandex if you have a Yandex.Disk installed with autoload feature enabled.
To access the web version of the storage:
- 📸 Open your browser and go to photos.google.com.
- 🗑️ Click on the menu icon (three bars) and select "Basket".
- 💾 Select the desired images and click "Restore".
Cloud-recovered photos will automatically appear in the phone gallery when you have the Internet, and this is the most reliable way to do this without having to connect to a computer.
Analysis of folders and hidden partitions of the file system
Sometimes users confuse deletion with relocation. There are many hidden directories in the Android file system where applications could have saved copies. Use the built-in File Explorer or a third-party manager, such as FX File Explorer.
Notice the folders with the names of messengers: WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber. Often the original photos are saved in the Media subfolder, even if you deleted them from the chat. Android/data, where some applications store cached thumbnails.
Try sorting files by date of change, which will help you find newly modified objects that are technically copies of the deleted originals.
How to find hidden folders on Xiaomi?
Recovery through computer (ADB and Root rights)
If standard methods don't work, you'll need a deeper analysis, a PC and a USB cable, and the most effective but complicated method is to use SuperUser (Root) rights, without which access to memory sectors is limited by Android's security policies.
If your Xiaomi or Redmi already have root rights, you can use powerful tools like DiskDigger (root version) or PhotoRec. They scan physical memory, ignoring the logical structure of the file system.
To work through ADB (Android Debug Bridge) do the following:
- Activate the developer mode by clicking 7 times on the build number in Settings → About the phone.
- Enable debugging over USB in the Developer Menu.
- Connect the phone to the PC and start the command line.
adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera recovered_photosThis team will try to copy the contents of the camera folder, but it will require specialized software to fully restore remote sectors.
☑️ Preparation for deep scanning
Professional programs for data recovery
When the built-in tools are powerless, specialized software comes to the rescue, and these programs work on the principle of creating a disk image and finding file signatures, and they are effective if the memory has not been overwritten by new data.
Popular solutions include Dr.Fone, Tenorshare UltData, and Wondershare Recoverit.They have customized algorithms for Xiaomi devices.The process is usually automated: the program itself defines the model and offers a scan mode.
Comparison of popular tools:
| Programme | I need a Root. | Support for RAW | Price. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr.Fone | Preferably. | Yes. | Paid |
| DiskDigger | I'll be sure. | No. | Freemium |
| Recuva (PC) | No (card mode) | Yes. | Free of charge. |
| PhotoRec | Yes (via ADB) | Yes. | Free of charge. |
Free versions often only allow scanning of the device and showing previews, and you have to purchase a license to save files, which is normal, because developing these algorithms requires resources.
Prevention of data loss and work with backups
The best way to combat photo loss is to back up regularly. On Xiaomi smartphones, you can set this up via Settings → Advanced Settings → Backup and Restore.
It is recommended to use a hybrid scheme: local copy on the PC once a month and cloud sync in real time, so you will be protected from device breakdowns and Internet problems.
⚠️ Warning: Never store a single copy of important photos only in the phone's internal memory.
It is also helpful to periodically check the integrity of the microSD card if it is in use. read errors can lead to Corruption of the file system and loss of the entire album.
💡
Regular synchronization with several independent sources (PC + Cloud) ensures the safety of data even in the event of complete death of the smartphone.