Recovery photo after resetting settings on Xiaomi: the full guide

Resetting on Xiaomi is a radical but sometimes necessary step to solve system problems. However, after this procedure, many users are faced with an unpleasant surprise: all photos, videos and other personal files are lost. Why does this happen? When you completely reset, the device returns to factory settings, and the internal memory is cleared - including the DCIM folder, where the camera photos are stored by default.

Fortunately, there are chances of getting your lost photos back up, even if you haven't backed up. In this article, we'll look at 5 proven recovery methods, from standard MIUI tools to professional utilities. Importantly, the effectiveness of each method depends on how quickly you started acting after the reset — the less time has passed, the higher the likelihood of success. We'll also show you how to avoid data loss in the future by setting up automatic backups.

1. Checking the cloud storage MI Cloud

The first thing you need to do is check if your photos are saved to the MI Cloud, which automatically syncs media files if the feature was activated before the reset, and even if you don't remember whether you've backed up, it's worth checking:

• 🔍 Visit i.mi.com from a computer or other device.
• 📱 Sign in with the same Mi Account that was tied to the dropped smartphone.
• 🖼️ Go to the Gallery or Photos section – copies of your photos can be stored here.
• 📁 Check the Recycle Bin folder in the cloud: Deleted files are stored there for up to 30 days.

If you have photos in the cloud, you can download them to your computer or re-sync them with your smartphone.

1. On the reset Xiaomi, log in to the same Mi Account.
2. Open the Gallery app → MI Cloud → turn on sync.
3. Wait for the files to be downloaded (time depends on the speed of the Internet).

⚠️ Note: If you are logged into another Mi Account after a reset, the data from the old profile will automatically unplug from the device, in which case you can only restore access to cloud files via the web version. MI Cloud.

2. Search for hidden folders and MIUI backups

MIUI sometimes creates hidden backups of media files, especially if the device has enabled Automatic Backup, which can remain intact even after being reset, to find them:

1. Connect your smartphone to your computer through USB-cable (file transfer mode).
2. Open the device’s internal memory and turn on the hidden folder display: On Windows: in Explorer, go to the View tab → tick Hidden Items. On MacOS: in Finder, click Cmd + Shift +. (dot).
3. Look for folders with names: MIUI/Backup/AllBackup – there may be archives with photos. Android/data/com.miui.gallery – cache gallery..thumbnails – miniatures (sometimes contain full-size copies).

If you find files with the.bak or.miui extension, try renaming them.jpg or.png and opening them through a standard viewer. You can use Mi PC Suite (the official software from Xiaomi) to extract data from MIUI archives.

3. Recovery through specialized programs

If the photos are not saved in the cloud and there are no hidden copies, you will have to use data recovery software, which scans the internal memory of the device for traces of deleted files, and importantly, do not write new data to the smartphone after the reset, which reduces the chances of successful recovery.

The best tools for Xiaomi:

Instructions for DiskDigger (the most versatile option):

Download and install DiskDigger on your computer

Connect Xiaomi in USB debugging mode (enable Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times) → Additional → For developers → USB debugging)

Start DiskDigger and select the device’s internal memory

Start a deep scan (Deep Scan)

Check the photos found and save them to your computer.-->

If the program requires Root rights but you don’t have them, you can try to temporarily gain root access through Magisk (power users only!). However, this is risky: improperly obtaining Root can lead to complete data loss.

⚠️ Note: Some programs (such as Dr.Fone) may show phantom files, such as thumbnails or corrupted copies. Always check the quality of recovered photos before paying for the full version of the software.

4.Recovery from memory card (if used)

If you have stored your photo on a microSD card instead of in internal memory, the chances of recovery are much higher.The memory card is not affected when you reset Xiaomi settings (unless it was formatted manually).

1. Remove the card from your smartphone and connect it to your computer through a card reader.
2. Use recovery programs (the same DiskDigger or Recuva) by selecting a removable drive as your goal.
3. If a card is defined as "unformatted," don't agree to formatting! this will destroy the data irrevocably.

For Xiaomi memory cards (or any other) the same rules apply:

The fewer recording operations after deletion, the better.

Do not save recovered files to the same card – use a different drive.

If the card is physically damaged (not determined, warmed), restoration by software methods is impossible - you will need the help of specialists.

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If the photos were deleted a long time ago (a few months ago), try scanning the memory card in Deep Scan mode, which takes longer, but finds files that standard search misses.

5. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center

If all the independent methods did not help, and the photos are critically important (for example, they are the only copies of family photos or documents), you can contact the authorized service center Xiaomi.

• 🔧 Chip-off method: direct access to memory chip through soldering station.
• 🖥️ JTAG-Analysis: Low-level connection to the data reader board.
• 🔬 Clean room analysis: if memory is physically damaged.

The cost of such services starts from 5 000 rubles and depends on the complexity of the work.

• ✅ Up to 80% recovery warranty (unless memory is damaged).
• ❌ There is no guarantee if new data is recorded on the device after resetting.
• ⏳ Term of implementation - from 3 days to 2 weeks.

Before contacting the service:

1. Do not turn your smartphone on or connect it to charging (this may overwrite data).

2.Clarify if the center works with your Xiaomi model (some new chips require special hardware).

3. Ask for a prediagnosis - some services make it free.

How to Prevent Photo Loss in the Future

To avoid losing photos, set up automatic backups on your Xiaomi. Here's the best scheme:

1. Cloud MI Cloud: Open Settings → Mi → MI Cloud Account. Enable Gallery Sync and Autoupload Photos. Set a traffic limit (e.g., only over Wi-Fi).
2. Google Photos: Install Google Photos from Play Market. In the settings, turn on “Backup and Sync” and select “High” (unlimited storage) or “Original” (paid).
3. Local Copy: Once a month, connect your smartphone to your computer and copy the folder DCIM Use the memory card as the primary storage for the photo (in the camera settings, select "Storage on the computer") SD-map»).

Additional precautions:

• 📲 Install Dropsync or FolderSync to automatically sync your folder DCIM Clouds (Dropbox, Yandex Disk).
• 🔄 Before resetting settings, always check if backup is included in Settings. → System system → Backup.
• 📦 Keep your most important photos in two places (e.g., in the MI Cloud and computer).

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Even if you set up a backup, periodically check that the files are actually synced. For example, in Google Photos, go to the Photos section and see if new pictures appear there.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi