How to recover deleted files on Xiaomi phone: The complete guide

Accidentally removing important photos, contacts or documents from a Xiaomi smartphone is a stressful situation that many users are familiar with. In panic, people often start to commit rash actions that can permanently destroy the chances of information returning. However, modern Android systems and the MIUI shell have several layers of protection and hidden mechanisms to return what is lost.

The first thing that you need to understand for the device owner is how the file system works, and when you delete a file, it doesn't disappear instantly, it just marks where it was, as free to write new information, and until a new array is written on top of the old data, recovery is possible, which is why it's critical to stop using the smartphone as soon as you find the loss.

In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods, from the regular tools of the Recycle Bin to complex recovery methods through ADB and specialized software. We will look at the scenarios for different versions of the HyperOS and MIUI firmware, and explain when to contact professionals, and when you can cope independently.

Android memory and why files disappear

Understanding how Xiaomi manages memory helps avoid fatal errors. The operating system uses a file system that, when an object is removed, simply changes its status in the file placement table. In fact, the data remains on the physical medium until the system decides to use that cell for a new file.

However, there are factors that speed up data rewriting: Active use of the Internet, installing new applications or shooting videos fill the free space at a high rate, and owners of devices with a small amount of internal memory face this problem more often, as they rewrite cycles more intensely.

⚠️ Warning: Immediately after deleting files, turn on In-Airplane mode and turn off Wi-Fi. Background synchronization and application updates can take up free space and destroy traces of deleted data.

It is also important to consider the specifics of the work. SSD-Wear alignment algorithms can move data, making it harder to find fragmented files. The less time has passed since deleting, the more likely it is that a rescue operation will succeed.

Use of built-in basket in Gallery and Conductor

The easiest and most often ignored method is to check the built-in system albums, with the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS providing a security buffer where deleted files are stored for a certain amount of time, typically 30 days for photos and videos, but can vary depending on your account settings.

To access this repository, you need to open the standard Gallery app. At the bottom of the screen, go to the Albums tab and scroll down. There you will find a folder called Deleted or Recycle Bin, and the same mechanism works in the Explorer app for documents and archives.

• 📸 Open the Gallery and go to the Albums section».
• 🗑️ Find the “Deleted” folder at the bottom of the list.
• ✅ Select the desired photo and click the button "Restore».
• 📂 For files, use “Conductor” and check the folder “Recently deleted».

If the files were deleted more than a month ago or you manually cleaned the shopping cart, this method will not work, in which case the system permanently erases the links to the data, and you need to connect more powerful tools. Remember to regularly check the contents of the shopping cart, so that you do not lose important points forever.

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The built-in Recycle Bin stores files for up to 30 days, after which they are deleted irrevocably, so checking this partition should be the first step.

Data recovery via Mi Cloud

Xiaomi's ecosystem offers a powerful backup tool, the Mi Cloud. If your device was synced, copies of photos, contacts, notes and voice recordings could be saved to the cloud automatically, the most reliable way to return data in original quality.

To check, go to your smartphone settings, select Mi Account and click on Mi Cloud, where you can manage storage and (check) the content of different categories, and access via your browser on your computer at i.mi.com, which is sometimes more convenient for bulk uploading files.

It is important to note that recovery from the cloud requires a stable connection to the Internet. With a large amount of data, the process can take considerable time. Make sure that the phone is connected to the Wi-Fi network so that mobile traffic is not consumed and loading is not interrupted.

Analysis of cache folders of messengers and social networks

Often users search for deleted images in the gallery, forgetting that messengers like Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber have their own storage systems. Even if you cleared the chat or deleted the media file from the dialogue, a copy of it can remain in hidden folders of the phone's file system.

To find such files, open Explorer and go to the device’s root folder.The path usually looks like Android/media or MIUI/gallery/cloud. Depending on the Android version, access to the Android folder may be limited, requiring the use of special file managers with extended rights.

Inside messenger folders, look for directories with Images, Videos or Documents names. Sometimes files may have changed extensions or names consisting of a set of numbers. Viewing content in thumbnail list mode will help you visually identify the desired image.

Use of Google Photos and other cloud services

Not just the Xiaomi ecosystem, but most smartphones have Google account sync activated by default, and Google Photos often takes over as the main gallery and can store copies of your photos even after they are deleted from the device.

Check the cart in the Google Photos app. The action algorithm is similar to the system gallery: select a photo, click three dots in the corner and select Restore. The file will return to the main tape and to the phone's memory. It's also worth checking the Google Drive service for backup documents.

If you’ve used third-party clouds like Dropbox, Yandex Disk or OneDrive, be sure to check their web interfaces. Often users install these apps just in case and forget about them, while they save automatic backups of critical data.

Deep scanning software (PC and Phone)

When standard methods fail, specialized software comes in. Computer programs like Dr.Fone, DiskDigger (PC version) or PhoneRescue are capable of doing deep memory scanning, they connect to a smartphone via USB and try to read sectors marked as free.

Most of these programs require USB debugging mode enabled, and you can find it in the Developer Menu, which is hidden by default, and you need to click 7 times on the build number in the About Phone section to activate the menu.

adb devices


adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/./backup_folder

There are mobile versions of the software, but their effectiveness on modern versions of Android (above 10-11 versions) is sharply reduced due to security limitations of the system. Without Root rights, mobile applications see only cache and thumbnails, not original files.

⚠️ Note: Programs that promise 100% recovery without Root rights on new Androids are often fraudulent.

Professional rehabilitation and preventive measures

If the data is of critical value (legal documents, unique family archives) and no software method has helped, then the last option is to contact the Data Recovery laboratory.

But the cost of these services is high, and often exceeds the cost of the device itself, so the best strategy is prevention: set up automatic synchronization of all important folders into several clouds at once, use external drives or regularly copy data to your PC.

Regularly creating full backups through the built-in MIUI Backup to a memory card or computer is a guarantee of peace of mind, and this copy allows you to fully recreate the state of the system and files at the time of creation of the backup, which is much more reliable than hopes for miracle programs.

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Use the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of data, on two different media, one of which is in a different physical location (e.g., in the cloud).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)