How to recover remote music on Xiaomi smartphone: from the cart to deep scanning

Did you delete your favorite track from Xiaomi by mistake? Or did you reset your entire music library? Don't panic -- 80 percent of the time, files can be returned even if you've already cleared your cart. In this article, we'll look at all the recovery options you can get, from standard MIUI features to professional utilities that work even after formatting your memory.

The rule is, the faster you act, the better the chances of success. When you delete files, they don't physically disappear, the system just labels them as "free space." Until those sectors are overwritten with new data, the music can be recovered in full, including metadata (track title, album, cover), but if you've been on the phone for a few days, the odds drop to 30-50%.

We tested all the methods on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+, POCO F5 and Xiaomi 13 Ultra models with the latest MIUI 14/15. The instructions are universal and will be suitable for any smartphone of the brand, including the older devices on MIUI 12. Let’s start with the simplest solutions and gradually move on to advanced techniques.

1. Checking the basket in the Files app

The standard File Manager app in MIUI has a built-in Recycle Bin where deleted files are stored for 15 days, and if you’ve recently deleted music, there’s a good chance it’s still there.

How to check:

• 📁 Open the Files app (Blue folder icon).
• 🗑️ In the bottom menu, tap on the Recycle Bin (or Recycle Bin) section).
• 🔍 Use a keyword search (for example,.mp3 Or.flac, to quickly find music files.
• 🔄 Select the desired tracks and click Restore (up arrow icon).

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If the Recycle Bin is empty but you have definitely deleted files in recent days, check the Files Application settings → Settings → Recycle Bin – it is possible that the function is disabled or the storage period is reduced to 7 days.

Note that the Recycle Bin only works for files deleted through the Files app itself. If you erased music through another manager (e.g. ES Explorer) or directly from the gallery, the files could bypass the Recycle Bin.

⚠️ Note: Recovered files are returned to the same folder from which they were deleted. If the original directory is erased, the system will create a new Restored folder in the root directory.

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (cloud storage)

If your Xiaomi has Mi Cloud sync enabled, chances are that the deleted tracks are saved in the cloud, which works even after the phone is completely reset, but requires that the backup function be enabled before deleting files.

Instructions:

• ☁️ Go to Settings. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud.
• 📥 Select the Backups section and check the date of the last backup.
• 🔄 If the backup is created before the music is deleted, click Restore and select the desired copy.
• 🎵 After recovery, check the Music folders or MIUI/Music.

Mi Cloud provides 5GB of space for free, but music files take up a lot of space. If you haven't bought additional storage, only the latest tracks added can be saved to the cloud to check which files are synced:

Visit [i.mi.com](https://i.mi.com) from PC

Sign in with the same Xiaomi account

Go to the "Files" or "Multimedia" section

Filter by extension.mp3,.flac,.wav

Download the necessary tracks to the computer, then transfer to the phone-->

If the cloud doesn’t have the files you want, but you remember they were there before, check Mi Cloud Settings → Version History. Sometimes old backups are stored up to 30 days after deletion.

3. Use of PCs and recovery software

When standard methods don't work, you need to plug in the computer. USB-cable (preferably original) and one of the specialized programs:

• 🔧 Recuva (free, simple interface, suitable for beginners).
• 💻 EaseUS Data Recovery (paid, but there is a trial version with a 2 GB limit).
• 🛠️ DiskDigger (works without root, but with root rights finds more files).

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

1. Download and install the program from the official website.
2. Connect Xiaomi to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. Start Recuva and select the Audio file type.
4. Specify the path to the phone’s memory (usually this computer → [Xiaomi Model] → Internal Storage).
5. Press Analysis and wait for the scan to be completed (may take up to 1 hour).
6. Mark the tracks found and click Restore.

The important thing is that the recovery programs only work with internal memory. SD-You can take it out and connect it to your PC through a card reader, and you're more likely to recover from the flash drive because it's less likely to be overwritten.

⚠️ Warning: Never save recovered files to the same drive you're recovering them from! Use another physical drive (such as a second hard drive or flash drive) to avoid overwriting data.

4.Recovery through root access (for advanced)

If you're ready to get root rights, the chances of getting your music back are up to 70-80%. Root allows programs to scan system partitions that standard utilities don't have access to. But remember, unlocking the bootloader and getting root resets the phone to factory settings and can take away warranties.

How to proceed:

1. Unlock the bootloader via [Mi Unlock Tool](https://en.miui.com/unlock/).
2. Install custom recovery (such as TWRP).
3. Sweep through Magisk to get root.
4. Install DiskDigger or Undelete from Magisk Module.
5. Start a deep scan (Deep Scan).

With root access, programs can find files even after formatting, as they access raw memory, but the process is risky.

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Getting root voids Xiaomi’s warranty and can lead to a device blink. Use this method only if other methods have not worked and you understand the risks.

For models with Dynamic RAM Expansion (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro+), disable this feature in the settings before restoring, as it may interfere with memory scanning.

5. Alternative methods: app cache and messengers

Sometimes the music is stored in unexpected places.

• 🎧 Music App Cash: Go to Settings → Annexes → [Your player] → Memory. → Some players (such as Mi Music or Spotify) store copies of tracks in cache.
• 📱 Temporary files of messengers: in Telegram or VK Check the files. Telegram/Audio or VKontakte/Music.
• 🔄 Local Backups: Apps like Titanium Backup (requires root) or Swift Backup could backup.

To extract music from the cache:

1. Open Files → Categories → Audio.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select Show Hidden Files.
3. Go to Android → data → [player package name] → cache.
4. Copy files with the.mp3 or.m4a extension to a safe location.

In instant messengers, music is often saved in a compressed format (for example,.ogg for Telegram). To convert them to a standard MP3, use online services like Online-Convert or the Audio Converter app from Google Play.

6.Prevention: How to Avoid Losing Music in the Future

To avoid losing your favorite tracks:

• ☁️ Automatic backup: Set up sync with Mi Cloud or Google Drive (Music folder).
• 🔄 Local backups: Once a month, copy music to a PC or external drive.
• 📁 Use Cloud Players: Services like Yandex Music or Apple Music store your library on servers.
• 🛡️ Turn off automatic cleaning: In Settings → Memory. → Clean up disable the option to Delete unused files.

For Xiaomi owners with HyperOS (new firmware after MIUI 15): Smart Backup is introduced, which automatically creates media backups, to enable it:

1. Go to Settings → About phone and tap 7 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode.
2. Go back to Settings → More → Smart Backup
3. Enable the option to reserve music and specify the cloud for storage.

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Even if you haven't listened to the track for months, don't manually delete it.Modern Xiaomi smartphones automatically optimize memory by moving rarely used files to an "archive" from where they are easy to recover.

Frequent Questions (FAQ)