Accidental removal of important images is a stressful situation familiar to many smartphone owners. In a rush or while cleaning their memory, users often erase valuable footage in the belief that it is lost forever. However, the MIUI and HyperOS operating system have built-in security mechanisms that allow them to return data without complex hardware.
Modern file system algorithms don't destroy information instantly. Once you click the "Delete" button, the system only marks the place where the file is stored as free to write, which means that it is possible to restore deleted photos until new data is written on top of it, and the faster you start acting, the better the chances of success.
In this article, we will look at all the available methods, from the standard shopping cart in the gallery to the use of specialized software, you will learn how to check cloud syncs and what to do if standard methods do not work, the main rule is to immediately stop active use of the device so as not to overwrite memory sectors.
Checking the folder “Recently deleted” in the Gallery
The easiest and fastest way to get back pictures is through a regular clipboard function, which is that when you delete the photos, they don't disappear immediately, but they move to a special album where they store a certain amount of time, depending on the version of the MIUI shell, this period is 30 or 60 days.
To access this repository, you need to open the standard Gallery app. At the bottom of the screen, go to the Albums tab and scroll down to the bottom, and you'll see a folder called Recently Deleted or Recycle Bin, and inside you'll find all the files that have been manually erased but haven't been permanently deleted by the system.
To recover the image, just click on it, holding your finger to highlight, or select "Select" from the menu. Then click "Restore" and the file will return to your original album. If you cleared the basket or more time has passed, this method, alas, will not work.
- 📸 Open the Gallery app and go to the Albums section.
- 🗑️ Find the “Recently Deleted” folder at the end of the list.
- ✅ Select the files you need and press the restore button.
⚠️ Note: Files in the Recycle Bin take up space on your device.If the phone's memory is full, the system may suggest that you automatically clear old deletes, making them impossible to recover.
Use of the Mi Cloud cloud service
Mi Account owners often forget about the built-in sync function. Mi Cloud service by default can automatically upload copies of photos to the cloud even if you deleted the original from your phone. This is one of the most reliable ways, since the data is stored on the company's servers and is not dependent on the memory state of the smartphone.
Check for backup via phone settings or web interface. Go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery. If the switch is active, your pictures should be there. To view through the browser, go to the official website of the cloud service and log in under your login.
In the web version, the interface allows you not only to view, but also to download or restore albums en masse. Find the Gallery section, select the images you want, and click the restore or download button on the device, a method that is especially effective if the phone has been reset to factory settings.
☑️ Checking synchronization Mi Cloud
It is worth noting that free space in the Mi Cloud is limited (usually 5 GB), if the limit was exceeded, new photos may not be synced, in which case it makes sense to check the activity history or expand the tariff plan to access the archives.
Recovery via Google Photos and other clouds
Google’s ecosystem offers an alternative and often more powerful backup tool: Google Photos is pre-installed on Xiaomi devices and can run parallel to its home gallery. The algorithms of this service allow you to store high-quality images in high quality without time limits (with some compression nuances).
To check, open the Google Photos app and go to the Library section, where the Recycle Bin folder stores deleted files for up to 60 days, and the feature of this service is that it can pull up photos from other sources if sync was enabled, just click on the photo and select Restore.
In addition, many users install third-party cloud storage, such as Yandex.Disk, Dropbox or OneDrive. These applications also often have the function of autoloading the camera. Check the carts in these services - the probability of finding a lost frame there is quite high, especially if you have been using the phone actively in recent months.
| Service | Storage period in the basket | We need the Internet. | Free seat limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Cloud | 30 days | Yes. | 5GB |
| Google Photo | 60 days | Yes. | 15 GB (total) |
| Yandex.Disk. | 30 days | Yes. | 10GB |
| Dropbox | 30 days | Yes. | 2GB |
What if the photo is not in the cloud?
Analysis of local system backups
The MIUI shell has a built-in tool to create full system backups that is rarely used by regular users, but can be a lifesaver.If you've ever done a backup through Settings → About Phone → Backup and Restore, your photos could have been in this archive.
Local backups are stored in internal memory in the hidden folder MIUI/backup/AllBackup. Access to them may require a file manager with permission to access system folders or connect to a computer. Find an archive with the corresponding date and try to restore through the phone's settings menu.
The good thing about this is that it doesn't require the Internet or third-party software, but it only works if you back up regularly, and if you made the last copy a year ago, you'll only restore the images that you had at the time.
- 📂 Go to the “About Phone” section in the settings.
- 💾 Select the item "Reservation and Recovery».
- 📅 Find the archive with the right date and start the process.
⚠️ Warning: The recovery process from a full backup can take a long time and will require a device to restart.Make sure the battery is at least 50% before starting the procedure.
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Regularly create local copies of important data on your computer, which is the most reliable way to protect against software failures and accidental deletions, since the copy is physically separated from the smartphone.
Use of specialized software for PC
When the standard funds are powerless, programs for deep memory scanning come to the rescue. SD-Maps looking for “traces” of deleted files. Popular solutions include DiskDrill, Recuva or PhotoRec.
Most of these programs require you to enable USB debugging on your smartphone, which is hidden by default from the Developer Menu, and you need to quickly click on the build number in the About Phone section several times to activate it, and then enable USB debugging in the advanced settings.
Connect your phone to your computer with a cable and run a scan in the program you select. The algorithm will search for files with specific headers, ignoring the file system. The photos you find are usually labeled "Good" or "Damaged." Only those that are identified as good can be restored.
adb devices
adb shell ls /sdcard/DCIMThe effectiveness of this method depends on the type of memory and the time elapsed since the deletion. On modern smartphones with soldered memory (eMMC, UFS), the chances are lower than on devices with removable cards, due to the peculiarities of the memory controller and the TRIM command, which cleans the cells to improve speed.
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The chance of successful recovery by software methods is much higher if the photos were stored on the site. SD-The card, not the phone’s internal memory.
Work with SD-map and preventive measures
If your photos are stored on a microSD card, it's a simplification, so you can extract the card, paste it into your computer card reader, and scan it with tools like Recuva in deep analysis, which is the best result, because it eliminates the impact of the phone's operating system on the sector reading process.
Once you have your files restored, make sure you copy them to your hard drive or the cloud. A memory card is less reliable than internal memory and is prone to sudden failures. Regular checks of card status and timely replacement will help you avoid future losses.
To prevent the problem from recurring, set up automatic sync immediately after you buy a new device. Don't rely on memory - technology is technology, and a human factor or software failure can happen at any time. Use a combination of methods: local copy on your PC plus cloud service for mission critical frames.