How to recover deleted photos on Xiaomi Android smartphone: from the cart to deep scanning

Deleting photos from your smartphone is one of the most painful mistakes for users. Especially when it comes to valuable footage: family photos, documents or unique moments that cannot be reproduced. Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark models) offer several built-in data loss protection mechanisms, but not everyone uses them. Fortunately, even if you cleared the basket or formatted the memory card, the chances of recovery remain — provided you act quickly and correctly.

In this article, we will analyze 7 proven ways to return deleted photos to Xiaomi - from basic (check basket and cloud copies) to advanced (use of PC and specialized software). MIUI, work SD-You will also learn how to increase the chances of a successful recovery by 3 times, avoiding the typical errors in the first actions after removal.

1.Check the basket at Xiaomi Gallery

Modern versions MIUI (starting MIUI 12) automatically send deleted photos to the recycle bin, where they are stored for 30 days before being erased, and this mechanism works for both internal and internal memory. SD-This is how you check the cart:

1. Open the standard Gallery app (flower icon).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (menu) in the lower right corner.
3. Select the item Cart (or Trash in English version).
4. Find the right photos, highlight them with a long tap and click Restore.

⚠️ Note: If you have used third-party galleries (e.g. Google Photos or Simple Gallery), they may have their own shopping carts. For example, in Google Photos, deleted files are stored for 60 days and restored through the web version of photos.google.com in the Recycle Bin section.

If the cart is empty, don't despair, move on to the next one, but first make sure you don't turn on the cart auto-cleaner in the gallery settings.

1. Open the Gallery → Settings (cog at the top).
2. Check the Automatic Cart Cleanup item – if it is active, turn it off.

2.Recovery through Mi Cloud backups

Xiaomi offers its own cloud storage, the Mi Cloud, which automatically backs up photos if the feature is enabled. Even if you don't remember if you've activated sync, it's worth checking. Here's how to do it:

• 📱 On your smartphone: Go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery, if you have a backup, tap Restore.
• 💻 From computer: Go to i.mi.com, log in and check the Gallery section.
• 🔄 Recovery to a new phone: When you first turn on, Xiaomi will offer to move data from the Mi Cloud - select Gallery in the list.

⚠️ Note: Mi Cloud by default reserves photos in reduced quality (up to the 2048×2048 To save the originals, you had to manually enable the original quality option in the sync settings. If you didn't, the recovered photos could lose detail.

If you don’t have the right photos in Mi Cloud, check out other cloud services:

• 📷 Google Photos: photos.google.com → Basket or Archive.
• ☁️ Yandex Disk/Cloud Mail.ru: You may have manually uploaded photos there.
• 📱 Local backups: Check the folder /MIUI/Backup/AllBackup via file manager.

💡

If you don’t remember whether you backed up in Mi Cloud, check your account settings: Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Devices. This shows the date of the last sync.

3. Use of PCs and programs for deep scanning

If you don't find the photos in the cart or the cloud, you'll need to go to software recovery, which will require a computer (Windows/Mac/Linux) and one of the specialized applications, and the more you use your smartphone after you delete it, the better the chances of success, the new data can overwrite deleted files.

The best programs for photo recovery with Xiaomi:

• 🔍 DiskDigger – supports scanning without ROOT, Finds photos even after formatting.
• 📁 Recuva – a free utility with a simple interface, suitable for beginners.
• 🛠️ EaseUS MobiSaver – paid, but with a high percentage of successful recovery.
• 🤖 Dr.Fone (Wondershare) – works with encrypted partitions (relevant for Xiaomi on Android 10)+).

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger (on the example of Windows):

Connect Xiaomi to your PC in File Transfer Mode (MTP)

Install DiskDigger from the official website

Close all programs that can block access to memory

Don't plug others in. USB-device during scanning-->

1. Download and install DiskDigger.
2. Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. Start DiskDigger, select your device from the list of disks.
4. Specify the file types to search for: tick JPG, PNG, HEIC (for photo) and MP4, MOV (for video).
5. Press Dig Deep (deep scan) – the process can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours.
6. After completion, select the desired photos and press Recover, selecting a folder on the PC to save.

⚠️ Note: On new Xiaomi models (e.g. Xiaomi) 13/14 series, Redmi Note 12) The internal memory can be encrypted, in which case programs like DiskDigger won't see files without them. ROOT-The alternative is to use ADB-commands to create a memory image (instructions in the next section).

4. Recovery through ADB (for power users)

If programs can't see photos because of encryption, you can try creating a memory image through ADB (Android Debug Bridge) and scan it on a PC, a technique that requires command-line skills, but often saves in desperate situations.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer installed ADB and Fastboot.
• 📱 Xiaomi with enabled debugging on USB.
• 🔌 Original. USB-cable.

Instructions:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line (Windows) or terminal (Mac/Linux).
2. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must display the serial number of your Xiaomi.
3. Create a section image /data (Where are the photos stored: adb shell su -c "dd if=/dev/block/by-name/userdata of=/sdcard/userdata.img" Note: This team is required ROOT-If you don't have them, try an alternative method (see spoiler below).
4. Copy the image on PC: adb pull /sdcard/userdata.img C:\Backup\
5. Scan the image with DiskDigger or PhotoRec.

⚠️ Attention: Creating a memory image is a long process (it can take 1-3 hours depending on the amount of data) and do not interrupt it, otherwise the image will be damaged. Also note that on some Xiaomi models (such as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip), partition access may be blocked at the hardware level.

Reconstruction of c SD-maps: features and risks

If the photo is stored on SD-The cards have better chances of recovery, as the cards’ flash memory is not encrypted by default (unlike the internal memory:

• 🔄 Formatting ≠ irrevocable deletion: Even after formatting, data remains on the map until overwriting.
• 🚫 Do not use the card after deleting: Every new photo reduces the chances of recovery.
• 💾 PC adapter: For scanning, it is better to connect the card directly through the card reader, not through the phone.

The best programs for recovery from SD-map:

Step-by-step instructions for Recuva:

1. Extract. SD-card from the phone and insert into the card reader PC.
2. Start Recuva, select the type of Image files.
3. Specify the letter of your disk. SD-map.
4. Enable a deep scan and wait until it's done.
5. View the files found (Recuva shows a preview) and restore the files you need.

⚠️ Attention: If SD-The card was formatted into internal memory (the option is Format as an internal drive in the Xiaomi settings), it is encrypted. In this case, you can only recover data through a full backup (see the section on the file). ADB).

💡

SD-ExFAT cards (used in volume cards) >32 GB) recovering worse than FAT32. If you have an exFAT card, try scanning it through TestDisk (free utility).

6.Recovery through ROOT and specialized applications

If you're ready to receive ROOT-You can do this on Xiaomi by unlocking the bootloader and installing Magisk. Warning: unlocking the bootloader will reset all the data on the phone!

The benefits of ROOT for recovery:

• 🔓 Access to encrypted sections (e.g, /data).
• 📂 The ability to use Undeleter, GT Recovery and other applications that require ROOT.
• 🔍 Low-level scanning (byte-reading memory).

Instructions for unlocking the bootloader on Xiaomi:

1. Link your Mi Account to your device (Settings → Mi Account).
2. Go to Mi Unlock and download the Mi Unlock Tool.
3. Start the program, log in and follow the instructions (you will need to wait 72-168 hours to unlock).
4. Once unlocked, install TWRP and run Magisk to get ROOT.

After receiving the ROOT, use the Undeleter application:

1. Download Undeleter from Google Play.
2. Start the scan (select Deep Analysis).
3. Wait until it is completed (may take 1-4 hours).
4. Restore the photo to a safe place (for example, on a PC).

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi models with dynamic partitioning (e.g., Xiaomi) 12T, Redmi Note 11) ROOT Before unlocking the bootloader, create a full backup through TWRP Or Mi Flash Tool.

7.Prevention: How to avoid loss of photos in the future

The best way to recover photos is to never lose them. Here are proven prevention methods:

• ☁️ Automatic backup: - Enable sync in Mi Cloud (Settings) → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery. - Configure Google Photos to automatically download (Original quality).
• 📁 Local backups: - Regularly copy photos to your PC or external hard drive. - Use applications like FolderSync to automatically sync.
• 🔄 Duplication by SD-Map: - In the Xiaomi Gallery highlight a photo → Exports → Nana SD-map.
• 🚨 Protection against accidental deletion: - Enable Deletion Confirmation in Gallery Settings. - Use Favorites for important photos.

We also recommend:

• 📱 Turn off automatic cleaning: Settings → Warehouse → Cleanup → Autocleaning → turn off for the gallery.
• 🔋 Monitoring Memory Health: Use AIDA64 If you're wearing out (a lot of bad blocks), replace the device.

⚠️ Note: On new Xiaomi models (e.g. Xiaomi 14 Ultra), Mi Cloud defaults to lower quality photos. To save originals, go to Settings Mi Cloud → gallery → Download quality and select Original.

💡

The most reliable strategy is a combination of cloud and local backup, such as Google Photos (cloud) + weekly copy on your PC (local).

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi