Recovery of deleted video on Xiaomi Redmi 5: from the cart to deep scanning

Deleting an important video on Xiaomi Redmi 5 is a situation familiar to many. Whether you accidentally clicked “Delete”, formatted a memory card or reset your phone to factory settings, there are chances of recovery. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to return lost files, taking into account the features of MIUI and hardware Redmi 5 (codenamed rosy).

The rule is, the faster you start, the more likely you are to succeed. When you delete a video file, it doesn't physically disappear, it just frees up space for new data, so don't write anything to your device or install new applications until you've tried all the recovery methods.

We will look at both standard MIUI tools (like a shopping cart in a gallery) and advanced techniques using ADB, DiskDigger, and even manual search by hex signatures. We will pay special attention to the features of working with internal memory and microSD on Redmi 5, where access rights problems often arise.

1. Checking the basket in the standard MIUI gallery

Starting with MIUI 10, Xiaomi Redmi 5 introduced the Recycle Bin feature in the Gallery app, where deleted files are stored there for 30 days (by default), after which they are permanently erased.

Open the Gallery app → tap three dots in the top right → select the Recycle Bin. If there's a video, select the long tap and press Restore. Note: the Recycle Bin only works for internal memory — microSD files don't get there.

⚠️ Warning: If you have manually cleaned the cart or used features like “Memory Optimization” in Settings → Memory, files could be deleted irretrievably.

• 📁 The cart is only available for photos and videos deleted through the standard gallery.
• ⏳ The default storage period is 30 days, but it can be changed in the Gallery Settings. → Basket.
• 🚫 Files deleted through a file manager (such as Explorer) do not fall into the basket.

2.Recovery through MIUI backups

If your Redmi 5 has backup enabled, the chances of returning videos are significantly higher. MIUI allows you to create local copies of media that are stored in the MIUI/Backup/AllBackup folder on your internal drive or microSD.

To check for backups:

1. Open Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Put local backups in.
3. Check out the list of available archives – look for the date before the video was deleted.
4. Select the right backup and click Restore, ticking Multimedia.

Important: MIUI backups don’t always save the video in its original quality – they are sometimes recoded, and backups can take up a lot of space (up to 5-10 GB), so many users turn off this feature.

3.Use of the file manager to search for video residues

Even after the video is deleted, fragments of it can remain in the device's memory. On Redmi 5, you can try to find them manually through the file manager with or without root permissions.

Install a file manager with signature search support, such as FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer. Enable the display of hidden files (Settings → Show hidden files) and search for extensions:

.mp4


.3gp




.mov




.mkv




.avi

Pay special attention to the folders:

• /storage/emulated/0/DCIM is the standard video storage from the camera.
• /storage/emulated/0/Movies – videos downloaded from the Internet.
• /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Camera – backups of media files.
• /storage/emulated/0/Android/data – app cache (e.g. WhatsApp or Telegram can store temporary copies of video).

⚠️ Note: Do not move or rename files with the.tmp or.part extension - these may be corrupted fragments of the video. VLC Media Player (Menu Instruments) → Rebuilding multimedia).

Enable the display of hidden files

Check the DCIM, Movies, Download folders

Search files with extensions.mp4,.3gp,.tmp

Copy suspicious files on PC for analysis-->

4. Data recovery programs (without root)

If standard methods do not help, it is time to connect specialized software. For Xiaomi Redmi 5, programs that work without root rights (although with them the efficiency is higher) are suitable.

Instructions for DiskDigger (the easiest option):

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Start and select Basic Scan (without root).
3. Tick the video and click Next.
4. Wait until the scan is completed (it can take up to 30 minutes).
5. View the files you find and save them to your PC or cloud.

Restrictions without root:

• 🔍 Scan only unencrypted memory areas.
• 📉 It is impossible to recover fragmented files.
• 🚫 No access to system partitions (where video caches can be stored).

💡

If you've recorded the video on a microSD, remove the card and connect it to your PC through a card reader, and use Recuva or PhotoRec to scan, because they're more efficient than mobile apps.

5. Recovery with ADB (for power users)

If you've recently deleted the video, you can try retrieving it through Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires USB debugging and basic command line knowledge to be enabled.

First, prepare the device:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect Redmi 5 to your PC and confirm your trust in your computer.

Now run commands in ADB (install it from the official website):

adb devices


adb shell




su (if there is root)




cd /storage/emulated/0/DCIM




ls -la | grep ".mp4" (search for video files)




exit

If the video doesn’t show but you know its name, try restoring it with dd (root required):

adb shell


su




dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0pX of=/sdcard/recovered.mp4 bs=1024 count=100000

(Replace X with the section number where the video was stored, and count with the estimated file size in the CB.)

⚠️ Note: Incorrect use of dd can damage data. If you are not sure of the partition number, use fdisk -l I want to see the structure of the memory. 5 Videos are usually stored in /dev/block/mmcblk0p28 (internal memory; or /dev/block/mmcblk1p1 (microSD).

💡

ADB-This method is only suitable for recently deleted files, and if the video was deleted more than a week ago, the chances of recovery are that the video will be deleted. ADB Minimal due to overwriting of memory blocks.

6.Recovery through TWRP and Nandroid backup

If your Redmi 5 has a custom TWRP recap installed, you can recover the video from the Nandroid backup (if it was created before it was removed), which requires root rights and technical skills, but gives a high probability of success.

Instructions:

1. Boot to TWRP (clip Power + Volume up when turned on).
2. Go to Restore and select the backup created before the video was deleted.
3. Check only the Data section (to avoid overwriting the system).
4. Confirm the recovery and wait for completion.

If you don’t need a full backup, you can extract individual files from the.tar archive:

1. Copy the backup folder (/TWRP/BACKUPS) on your PC.
2. Open the data.ext4.win file (or data.ext4.tar) through an archiver (e.g., 7-Zip).
3. Go to the media/0/DCIM folder and find the video you want.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 Recover even highly fragmented files.
• 🛡️ It works regardless of the current state of the system.
• 📁 You can only extract the necessary files without restoring everything.

Disadvantages:

• 🔧 Requires a pre-created backup.
• ⚠️ Danger of damage to the system in case of incorrect recovery.

7. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center

If all the independent attempts to recover video failed, the last option is to contact an authorized service center Xiaomi, which has specialized equipment for chip-off data recovery, which allows you to extract information directly from the memory chip.

What you need to know before your visit:

• 💰 Cost of service: from 5 000 to 20 000 rubles (depending on the complexity).
• ⏳ Timeframe: 3 days to 2 weeks.
• 📋 Documents required: passport and telephone check (if available).
• 🔒 Privacy Guarantee: Check whether the data will be available to third parties.

When to contact the service:

• 💔 Video is critical (e.g. evidence for the court).
• 🔄 Other methods didn't work and the phone wasn't used much after being removed.
• 🛠️ You have a Redmi 5 with corrupted firmware and you can’t run it yourself.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi service centers in Russia do not officially provide data recovery services, you will have to contact private laboratories (for example, Data Recovery or Kaspersky Lab). Check before visiting if they are working with the Redmi 5 (rosy code) model, as older devices may require unique adapters.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Redmi 5 video recovery