Recovering deleted files on Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro: from the basket to deep scanning

Deleted important photos from vacation, accidentally erased work documents or lost videos after resetting your settings on Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro? Don't panic: 80% of the time, files can be returned even if they are not displayed in the gallery.

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones have built-in data protection mechanisms, but they don’t always work. For example, the Recycle Bin in the Gallery app only stores deleted photos for 30 days, and files erased through the file manager disappear immediately. In this article, we’ll discuss all the current recovery methods, from standard features to professional tools, including the nuances for the Redmi 8 Pro with its 64/128 GB of memory and microSD support.

Important: the longer you use your phone after deleting, the lower your chances of success. New data (photos, apps, cache) can overwrite deleted files, so the first 24 hours after a loss are critical to recovery.

1. Checking the basket in the Gallery appendix

The easiest way to get back deleted photos and videos is to look into the Recycle Bin of the standard Gallery app, which is activated by default on Redmi 8 Pro, but many users are unaware of its existence.

How to open the basket:

• 📱 Open the Gallery app (image with multi-colored squares).
• 🗑️ Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → pick the basket.
• 🔍 View the files: they are sorted by date of deletion. Select the files and click Restore.

Basket limitations:

• ⏳ Files are stored for a maximum of 30 days (setting changes to Gallery Settings) → Basket).
• 🚫 Does not work for files deleted through Explorer or third-party apps (e.g. Google Photos).
• 📁 Does not restore documents (.doc,.pdf,.xlsx).

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If the bin is empty but you're sure you've deleted files recently, try restarting your phone. Sometimes MIUI doesn't update the contents of the cart without restarting.

2.Recovery through MIUI backups

Xiaomi automatically backs up user data if Backup is enabled. On Redmi 8 Pro, it's in Settings → About Phone → Backup. Check if there are any current backups:

How to recover from the backup:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup.
2. Select the last backup (see the date of creation in the file name).
3. Click Restore and select data types: Gallery, Notes, Contacts, etc.
4. Confirm the recovery and wait until it is completed (may take up to 10 minutes).

Important nuances:

• 🔄 Backups are created only when connected to Wi-Fi and battery charge >50%.
• 📥 Restore current data (such as contacts or notes).
• 📌 If the backup is damaged, try to repair it with Mi. PC Suite on your computer.

3. Using Google Photos to Restore

If your Redmi 8 Pro has photos synced to Google Photos, check the Recycle Bin. It works independently of the MIUI Recycle Bin and stores files for 60 days.

Instructions:

• 🌐 Open the Google Photos app or go to photos.google.com.
• 🗑️ In the menu (three lines in the upper left corner) select the basket.
• 🔍 Find the files you need, highlight them and click Restore.

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ It works even after resetting the phone to factory settings.
• ✅ Restores files that were deleted years earlier (if they were uploaded to the cloud).

Limitations:

• 🚫 Does not restore files deleted from Google Recycle Bin by hand.
• 📶 Requires a stable Internet connection to download high-resolution originals.

4.Programs for recovery without ROOT

If standard methods didn't work, try specialized applications that scan the phone's internal memory at the file system level and can find files even if they don't show up in Explorer.

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Start and select Start simple scan (for photo/video) or Full scan (for documents).
3. Wait until it is completed (it can take up to 30 minutes).
4. Select the files you find and click Restore. Save them to SD-map.

Charge your phone at least to the minimum. 50%|Connect to Wi-Fi (Scanning consumes traffic)|Release me. 1-2 GB of memory for temporary files|Do not install new applications until the process is complete.-->

Attention! Applications without ROOT don't guarantee 100% recovery, they only find files that haven't been overwritten by new data, and if more than a month has passed since deleting, the chances are minimal.

5. PC Recovery (using Recuva or EaseUS)

If you don't have any deleted files on your phone, connect Redmi 8 Pro to your computer and use desktop software, which scans memory more deeply and supports more formats.

Instructions for Recuva:

1. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable (select file transfer mode on the smartphone screen).
2. Run Recuva and select the file types to search for (such as Images or Documents).
3. Select the connected Redmi 8 Pro (usually displayed as a removable drive).
4. Start scanning. Once completed, select files marked Excellent or Recoverable and save them to your PC.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔍 Deep scan finds files that are not available to mobile apps.
• 💾 We can recover data from SD-The card is used as an internal memory.

Attention! Don't save the recovered files back to your phone - this can overwrite the remaining data. Use SD-map.

6.Recovery after reset to factory settings

If you run Hard Reset on the Redmi 8 Pro, the standard methods won't work -- all the local data is erased.

1. Recovery from the MIUI backup (if it was created before resetting).
2. Use professional tools like Dr.Fone or Tenorshare UltData that can scan memory after reset.

For Dr.Fone:

• Connect your phone to your PC and start the program.
• Select the Android Data Recovery mode.
• Specify the file type (e.g., Gallery or WhatsApp).
• Follow the instructions on the screen (you may need to enable USB debugging).

Chances of success:

• 📸 Photo/video: ~40% (depends on how much data is recorded after resetting).
• 📄 Documents: ~20% (text files are recovering worse).
• 💬 Communications: ~10% (unless you have used Full Wipe).

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After resetting to factory settings, do not install MIUI updates before trying to restore. The new firmware can permanently overwrite old data.

7 Prevention: How to avoid future data loss

To avoid looking for recovery options, set up the Redmi 8 Pro in advance:

• 🔄 Enable automatic backup in Settings → The phone. → Backup.
• ☁️ Set up sync with Google Photos or Mi Cloud (gives 5GB for free).
• 📁 Regularly copy important files to SD-card.
• 🚫 Avoid using features like Garbage Cleanup in the Security App – they can delete the right files.

Useful settings for the Redmi 8 Pro:

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Redmi 8 Pro can be set up to double backup in both Mi Cloud and Google Photos, which will increase the chances of recovery if one of the services fails.

FAQ: Frequent questions about file recovery