How to recover a remote video on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Accidentally deleting a critical video on a Xiaomi smartphone is a frustrating but often fixable situation. Modern MIUI and HyperOS shells have built-in data protection mechanisms that allow you to return files without third-party software.

Recovery can be done in a number of ways, from simply viewing the system basket to using specialized software on the computer, and the effectiveness of the method depends on the time since the deletion and the type of storage, and internal memory behaves differently than a MicroSD card.

In this article, we will look at all the current ways to return media files, where to look for hidden folders, how to work with cloud services, and when deep scanning will be required through a PC. Follow the instructions consistently to increase the chances of success.

Search in the system basket Gallery

The first and easiest step is to check the embedded cart, and the Android operating system, in conjunction with the MIUI shell, doesn't delete files instantly, but moves them to temporary storage, and it's a buffer zone where remote objects lie for a certain amount of time before they are permanently erased.

Usually, the storage period is 30 days, but in some versions of firmware it can be extended to 60 days or even longer if synchronization is enabled. Deleted videos take up memory only after the storage period in the basket expires or manually clears this folder, until that point they are available for instant return.

To check for a file, open the standard Gallery app. Go to the Albums tab and scroll to the bottom of the list. There you will find Deleted. Click on it and find the video you want. If the file is found, highlight it and select the recovery option.

• 📂 Open the Gallery app on the home screen.
• 🗑️ Go to the Albums section and find the Deleted folder».
• ⏳ Check the Deletion Date – Files are stored for up to 30 days.
• ↩️ Select the video and click "Restore».

If the video isn't there, it's been too long or the cart has been manually cleaned, so go to the following methods. Don't ignore this stage, because it requires minimal effort.

Recovery via Google Photos and the Cloud

Many Xiaomi users default to Google Photos for backup, and even if you deleted a video from your phone's gallery, a copy of it could have been saved to your cloud account, which is one of the most reliable ways to (return) data.

Check not only the main feed, but also the archive. Sometimes files are automatically transferred to or transferred by the user, and it is also worth checking the shopping cart of the Google Photos application itself, which works independently of the MIUI system basket.

Go to the app and click on the profile avatar in the corner. Select "Library" and then "Basket." This is where files are stored for 60 days. If a video is found, highlight it and click the recovery icon. The file will return to the main gallery and to the device's memory.

• ☁️ Launch the Google Photos app.
• 🔍 Check the Photos, Videos and Archives sections».
• 🗑️ Open the Library menu» → «Basket».
• 📥 Select the video and click "Restore».

Using the Mi Cloud

Xiaomi smartphone owners have access to their own cloud service, Mi Cloud, and if the device was enabled Mi Account and activated gallery sync, deleted videos could get there, especially in regions where Google services are unstable.

You can check for backups both through your phone settings and through the web version of the service. The web interface is often more convenient for viewing large numbers of files. Go to i.mi.com from your computer or other device.

Sign in to your Mi ID. Go to Gallery, where you can find deleted videos, check the Deleted folder inside the cloud web interface, and the deleted files in Mi Cloud are usually stored for 30 days.

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Regularly checking sync statuses in your Mi and Google account settings helps you avoid data loss at a critical time.

Check folder.thumbnails and hidden caches

Android creates thumbnails (previews) for all video files to speed up their display in the gallery. Sometimes the original is deleted, but its reduced copy or temporary file remains in the system cache. This is not a complete video, but can help save at least some information.

To access this data, you'll need a file manager with permission to view system folders or connect to a PC. The path usually looks like Internal Storage/DCIM/.thumbnails. Notice the point at the beginning of the folder name, which makes the folder hidden.

Inside, you can have files with strange names that are made up of numbers. Find a file that has the appropriate date and size. Sometimes it's full-fledged copies of a video, just renamed by the system. Copy the file to another folder and try to open it.

⚠️ Note: The folder.thumbnails can take up several gigabytes. Do not delete its contents indiscriminately unless you are sure it is garbage, as there may be important previews.

This method doesn’t always work, as modern versions of Android are more likely to use a thumbnail database than individual files, but on older Xiaomi models or using third-party galleries, the chance of finding videos is high.

Recovery from MicroSD memory card

If the video was stored on an external microSD card, the chances of recovery are much higher. Deleting the card does not physically erase the data, but only marks the space as vacant. Until you write new files, the data stays in place.

This process requires a computer, plug the smartphone in file transfer mode (MTP), or remove the card and paste it into the card reader of the PC, and the card reader is preferable because it provides direct access to sectors.

Use specialized software, such as Recuva, PhotoRec or DiskDigger (PC version). Run a deep scan of the disk corresponding to your card.

• 💾 Connect the memory card to the computer.
• 🔍 Start a program to restore data.
• 📁 Select the Deep Scan (Deep Scan) mode).
• 💾 Save the found videos to your PC hard drive.

It is important to save the recovered files to the computer, rather than back to the same memory card, so as not to overwrite other deleted data, and after successful recovery, you can return the files to the phone.

Use of PC and Recuva program

Recovering data directly from the phone’s internal memory via a PC requires root rights. Without them, the computer sees only the media section, not the system areas where traces of deleted files are stored. Recuva is a popular utility, but it only works with internal memory when root is present.

If you have root rights, enable USB debugging in the Developer Menu. Connect your phone with a cable. In Recuva, select the drive that corresponds to the internal storage (often designated as a large removable disk).

Recuva settings:


1. File type: Video




Location: At the specified location (select the phone disc)




Mode: Deep scanning

Run the scan. It can take a long time. The files you find will be marked with a color: green is excellent, red is corrupted or overwritten, and restore the files with green and yellow status.

⚠️ Attention: Getting root rights (unlocking the bootloader) on modern Xiaomi can lead to loss of warranty and data reset when unlocked.

Mobile Recovery Apps

There are Android apps that try to recover data directly from the phone, and DiskDigger has long been the leader in this niche, but the effectiveness of these apps is limited by access rights.

Without root rights, the app only scans the cache and thumbnails. You can find the video, but it's probably in low resolution. With root rights, the app accesses the raw memory data and can find the originals.

Download the app from Google Play or the developer's official website. Run the scan. If the program requires root and you don't have it, try Basic Scanning mode. It's less effective, but it's safe.

• 📲 Download DiskDigger or analogue.
• 🚀 Run a memory scan.
• 🎬 Filter the results by type "Video».
• 💾 Save what you find in the cloud or on PC.

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Once you have successfully recovered, back up your important files on external media or in the cloud immediately to avoid being lost again.