Did you accidentally delete an important WhatsApp chat on a Xiaomi smartphone? or did you lose photos, videos and documents from your emails after resetting? The situation is familiar to many people — especially if you don't know where and how the messenger stores data. Unlike iPhone, where recovery often comes down to working with iCloud, on Android devices (including Redmi, POCO and Mi), the process depends on the type of backup, the version of MIUI and even the processor model.
The main problem is that WhatsApp doesn't save media files in the cloud by default (only messages themselves), and local copies can be overwritten or corrupted during updates, but not all is lost: in 80% of cases, data can be returned if you act quickly and correctly, then we will examine all working methods, from standard to "hidden" MIUI features, which are not written in the official documentation.
⚠️ Critical warning: If you have already installed WhatsApp again after deleting files, do not confirm the phone number in the messenger - this erases the last backup on Google Drive.
1.Recovery via local WhatsApp backup
WhatsApp automatically creates local copies of the database every day at 4:00 (if the phone was connected to charging and Wi-Fi). These files are stored in the /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases folder and are formatted msgstore.db.crypt14 (or crypt12 for older versions). If you didn't manually delete the WhatsApp folder, the chances of recovery are high.
Algorithm of action:
- Remove WhatsApp via Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Install the messenger from Google Play, but do not open it!
- Connect your phone to your PC and use a Explorer or File Manager (such as MiXplorer) to /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases.
- Find the most recent file, msgstore.db.crypt14 (the date of creation can be seen in the file properties) and rename it to msgstore.db.
- Launch WhatsApp and confirm the number – the system will prompt you to restore data from a local copy.
⚠️ Note: If there are multiple files with dates in the Databases folder (for example, msgstore-2026-05-15.db.crypt14), Choose the one created before the files are deleted. New copies may already contain "empty" data.
Remove WhatsApp through Settings, not just clear the cache
Check if WhatsApp/Databases is in the root directory
Copy backup to PC (in case of error)
Make sure there is enough space on your phone (at least 1GB free)
Disable WhatsApp Automatic Update in Play Market-->
If there is no WhatsApp folder at all, try searching for it through a system search (in MiXplorer, click on the magnifying glass and type in msgstore). Sometimes, after resetting, MIUI hides system folders - they can be made visible in the file manager settings (Three dots → Settings → Show hidden files).
2. Cloud Recovery via Google Drive
WhatsApp is integrated with Google Drive, but there are nuances:
- 🔄 Copies are created only if you have a Google account and connect to Wi-Fi.
- ⏳ The last copy may be outdated (messenger saves data once a day or manually).
- 📱 On Xiaomi MIUI 12+ Sometimes additional authorization is required in Google Drive via Settings. → Google accounts → Backup.
Step-by-step:
- Remove WhatsApp and install it again.
- When you first start, enter the same phone number that was tied earlier.
- When the system prompts you to recover data from Google Drive, click Restore.
- Wait until the process is complete (it can take up to 30 minutes depending on the size of the copy).
🔍 How to check if there is a backup in the cloud?
- Open Google Drive on your PC.
- In the search box, enter WhatsApp.
- If you have copies, you will see a folder called WhatsApp Backups and the date of the last save.
Never do.
Once a month
Once a week.
Just before flashing the phone.
I don't know how it works.-->
⚠️ Attention to Xiaomi owners with MIUI Global: If the error “Can not restore backup” appears during the recovery, try:
- Disable VPN (if you use it).
- Make sure there is enough space on Google Drive (minimum 2GB free).
- Log in to your Google account through your browser and confirm access to the Drive.
3. Recovery of media files (photos, videos, voice)
Messages are one thing, but what to do if photos, videos or voice messages are missing? WhatsApp stores media in separate folders:
- /sdcard/WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Images - photo
- /sdcard/WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Video - Video
- /sdcard/WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Voice Notes
- /sdcard/WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Documents - documents
If files were deleted recently (within 30 days), they can be returned through the Recycle Bin in the file manager:
- Open the File Manager (or MiXplorer)
- Go to the basket (the icon in the bottom menu).
- Find the deleted files, highlight them and click Restore.
If the cart is empty, try the recovery software:
| Programme | Xiaomi support | Recovery. | Root rights |
|---|---|---|---|
| DiskDigger | Yes (including MIUI 14) | Photos, videos, documents | Not necessarily. |
| Recuva (via PC) | Yes (MTP mode required) | Any files. | No. |
| Dr.Fone | Yes (paid) | Messages, media, contacts | For deep scanning, yes. |
| EaseUS MobiSaver | Yes (free up to 2GB) | Photo, video, audio | No. |
💡 Advice MIUI: If the program does not see internal memory, turn on Developer Mode (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times and activate Debugging USB In Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
💡
Before scanning internal memory, programs like DiskDigger ask for superuser rights (root). On Xiaomi, this is risky - you better try root-free recovery first, and if it does not help, use the official firmware with the unlocked bootloader.
4. Hidden opportunities MIUI repair
MIUI has built-in tools that few people know about, such as System Restore, which can return deleted files if they were part of the system backup.
- Go to Settings → Memory → Backup.
- Select Local Backup (if enabled).
- Find the backup created before deleting files and click Restore.
🔍 Where else to look?
- 📁 folder /MIUI/Backup/AllBackup — It stores the full backups of the system (if you created them).
- 🔄 B Settings → Xiaomi accounts → Mi Cloud → Backup can be used to recover data from the cloud (but WhatsApp doesn’t get there!).
- 📱 If the phone was connected to a PC, check the folder This is the computer. → [Xiaomi model] → Internal storage → WhatsApp.
⚠️ Attention: Recovery from the backup MIUI rewrite your current settings and applications! Make a fresh copy of your important data before the procedure.
How to enable automatic backup in MIUI?
5. Recovery through ADB (for advanced users)
If the standard methods don’t work, you can try extracting files through ADB (Android Debug Bridge).
- The phone's not rooted.
- You did not reset your settings after deleting your files.
- You have access to a PC with Xiaomi drivers installed.
Instructions:
- Download ADB Tools and unpack it to the root of the C:\ disk.
- Connect your phone to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
- Open the command line (Win + R → cmd) and type: cd C:\platform-tools adb devices (the name of your device should appear).
- Create a backup of the data section: adb backup -f C:\whatsapp_backup.ab -apk -obb -shared com.whatsapp
- Unpack the file you received. whatsapp_backup.ab Using Android Backup Extractor.
⚠️ Warning: This method does not guarantee 100% recovery, since WhatsApp encrypts the database. However, you can try to open the extracted files via SQLite Browser (if you can decrypt it). crypt14).
6.If nothing has worked: appeal for support
When all the options are exhausted, the last chance is to turn to WhatsApp or Xiaomi, but there are nuances:
- 📧 WhatsApp does not restore data on user requests (this is stated in their privacy policy).
- 📱 Xiaomi can only help if the problem is related to a hardware failure (for example, a damaged flash memory).
- 🔒 If files were deleted due to a virus or malware, try scanning your phone through Malwarebytes or Dr.Web.
📌 What to write in support of Xiaomi?
Specify: Phone model (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G). MIUI version (Settings → Phone → MIUI version). Problem description (when and how files were lost); Screenshot of WhatsApp/Databases folder (if empty); Example of text: "After upgrading to MIUI 14.0.5, all WhatsApp media files are gone. Databases folder is empty, although backups were created before. Please help with memory recovery or diagnosis."
💡
If files were deleted due to a reset or firmware, the chances of recovery are minimal, in which case the only way out is to regularly back up manually (via WhatsApp Settings → Chat → Backup).