Recovering deleted photos from Xiaomi Explorer: from the cart to deep scanning

Accidental removal of photos from Xiaomi Explorer is one of the most painful mistakes for smartphone owners of the brand. Unlike computers where files first enter the shopping cart, on Xiaomi (especially on models with MIUI 12-14), the recovery mechanism works differently. In some cases, photos disappear irrevocably after a few minutes, in others, they can be returned even after weeks, it all depends on how they were deleted and what settings are activated on the device.

In this article, we'll look at all the current recovery methods, including little-known MIUI chips, third-party utilities, and even methods for cases when the phone is not turning on. Separately, we'll focus on the hidden "soft removal" mechanism in new firmware versions that allows you to recover images without root rights. If you act quickly, the chances of returning lost footage are up to 80%.

1. Checking the basket in the Xiaomi Explorer

The first thing to do is check the built-in Recycle Bin. Starting with MIUI 12, Xiaomi has added a feature for temporary storage of deleted files, but it doesn't always work. For example, if you deleted photos through Google Photos Gallery or third-party file managers, the Explorer Recycle Bin will remain empty.

How to open the basket:

1. Launch the Explorer app (the folder icon on the desktop).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (menu) in the upper left corner.
3. Select the basket item (urn icon).
4. Find the right photos, highlight them with a long tap and click Restore.

⚠️ Warning: By default, files are stored in the Recycle Bin for 30 days, but this time can be shortened in the settings. If you manually cleaned the Recycle Bin or used the Clean Recycle Bin feature, this method will not work.

2. Recovery through cloud services

If cloud sync is enabled, the chances of returning a photo are significantly higher. Xiaomi offers two major cloud services:

• 📁 Mi Cloud – Xiaomi’s proprietary cloud (15 GB free).
• 🖼️ Google Photos – if you used it to back up.

For Mi Cloud:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Choose Gallery or Photos (depending on MIUI version).
3. Check the folder recently deleted - there are photos stored up to 60 days.

For Google Photos:

1. Launch the Google Photos app.
2. Open the menu (three lines) → Basket.
3. Restore the necessary images (retention period – 60 days).

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If you don’t remember if the auto-apploade was enabled in Google Photos, check the settings along the way: Google Photos → Profile → Photo settings → Backup and Sync.

⚠️ Note: if you manually delete photos from the cloud (not through your phone’s shopping cart), you can only restore them within 24 hours via the web version of the service.

3.Search in hidden folders and cache

MIUI creates temporary copies of photos in hidden folders, especially if you edited them in a standard gallery or sent them via instant messengers. These files are not displayed in normal mode, but they can be found manually.

Instructions:

1. Open Explorer and enable the hidden file display: Tap three dots in the upper right corner. Select Settings → Show hidden files.

DCIM/.thumbnails

• Pictures/Screenshots – sometimes screenshots duplicate deleted photos.
• Android/data/com.android.gallery3d/cache is a cache gallery.

If you find files with the.nomedia extension, rename them to.jpg or.png – these may be the original photos hidden from the gallery.

4. Deep scanning programs (without root)

If previous methods didn't work, you'd have to use third-party utilities, and the important thing is, don't install programs on the same drive where the photos were stored, which will reduce your chances of recovery, so you'd better connect your phone to your PC or use a memory card.

Top.-3 tested:

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger:

Download the app from Google Play|Select the Basic Scan (without root) mode)|Specify the folder to search (for example, /storage/emulated/0/DCIM)|Mark photos for recovery and save them to a memory card|Transfer files to PC to verify integrity-->

⚠️ Note: if the program finds files with names like IMG_20230515_123456(1).jpg, it can be a re-recorded fragment of the original photo, often opened with artifacts or not opened at all.

5. Recovery through ADB (for power users)

If the phone doesn't turn on or the photos were deleted long ago, you can try retrieving them through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that requires command line skills, but sometimes saves even in hopeless cases.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap to unlock the developer mode).
• 🔌 Cable USB (preferably original).

Recovery teams:

adb shell


su




cd /data/media/0/DCIM




ls -la | grep -i "jpg\|png" # search photo




cp filename.jpg /sdcard/Recovery/ #copying to an accessible folder

If the phone is not turned on, but there is access to the Recovery (TWRP), You can connect the storage device as USB-disk and scan it through Recuva on PC.

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ADB-The method only works if the phone does not have data encryption enabled (default switched off on most Xiaomi before the phone is fully encrypted). MIUI 13).

6. What should I do if nothing has worked?

If all the options are exhausted, there are two options:

1. Contact the service center – some workshops offer data recovery using professional equipment (for example, Chip-Off).
2. Try to recover images using AI – if you have similar photos (for example, taken on the same day), services like Remini or Topaz Gigapixel can reconstruct lost frames from metadata.

⚠️ Warning: If you plan to bring your phone to the service, do not turn it on or connect it to charging - this can lead to overwriting of deleted data.

How to avoid losing photos in the future

To avoid the problem of deleted photos, set up Xiaomi according to these rules:

• ☁️ Enable autosynchronization with Google Photos or Mi Cloud (even if you don’t use the cloud, this will save data when you crash).
• 📁 Regularly copy your photo to a PC or external drive (for example, once a month).
• 🔄 Use the function Export to ZIP In the Explorer for backup folder DCIM.
• 🚫 Turn off automatic basket cleaning: Conductor settings → Basket → Clean automatically (close the slider to the left).

It is also worth installing the Dumpster app – it creates an additional basket for all deleted files, including photos, and allows you to restore them even after cleaning the standard MIUI basket.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi