Did you accidentally erase important photos from Xiaomi? Don't panic -- 80 percent of the time, you can get them back. Even if you cleaned your DCIM folder or formatted your memory card, the chances of recovery are still there. In this article, we'll look at all the methods available, from the standard shopping cart in the gallery to professional deep memory scanning tools. The important thing is to act quickly -- the less time has passed since you deleted, the greater the likelihood of success.
Xiaomi
Redmi
Poco
Mi
MIUI
.trash
Mi Cloud
DiskDigger
Recuva
If the photos are missing after a setup reset or memory damage, don't despair. At the end of this article, you'll find a checklist of emergency actions that will improve your chances of recovery, and now let's start with the simplest way.
1.Check the basket at MIUI Gallery
In most Xiaomi smartphones, deleted photos are first put into a shopping cart, which is stored for 30 days before being erased, to return them:
1. Open the standard Gallery app (flower icon).
2.Slip on three horizontal lines at the bottom (menu) → select the basket.
3. Find the right pictures, click on them and select Restore.
If the cart is empty or not on the menu, it means:
- 🗑️ Files deleted more than a month ago (automatic cleanup).
- 📱 You used a third-party gallery (like Google Photos) that has its own shopping cart.
- ⚙️ In the settings MIUI Multimedia backup disabled.
⚠️ Note: If you were manually cleaning the cart through Settings → Warehouse → Cleanup, photos removed irrevocably for standard recovery methods.
You didn't find any photos in the cart? Go to the next way, which is to check the cloud storage.
2.Recovery through Mi Cloud
Mi Cloud is a cloud service from Xiaomi that automatically syncs photos when the feature is activated.
1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Make sure that the gallery synchronization slider is turned on (green).
3. Open the web version of Mi Cloud on your computer or in your phone browser.
4.In the Gallery section, find the Remote folder (stores files for up to 60 days).
If no photos are available:
- ☁️ Synchronization has been disabled in the settings.
- 📵 Deletion occurred without an Internet connection (files did not have time to download).
- 🔄 You were logged in to another Mi Account (check email in settings).
Mi Cloud stores thumbnails of photos even after being removed from the device – they can be downloaded in the original resolution via the web interface.
3. Search on a memory card or internal storage
Sometimes the photos aren't deleted completely, but instead remain in hidden folders or temporary files.
1. Connect your smartphone to your PC via USB (select File Transfer Mode).
2. In Windows/Mac Explorer, go to the folder:
- For internal memory: Internal storage → DCIM →.thumbnails (miniatures).
- For SD-maps: Memory map → DCIM →.trash).
3. enable the display of hidden files:
- On Windows: View → Hidden elements.
- On Mac: Command + Shift +. (point).
If there are no folders, try searching for keywords:
- 🔍 Enter the Explorer in the search bar:.jpg or.png.
- 📅 Sort files by date of change – the latest photos will be at the top.
⚠️ Warning: Do not save new files to your device until you recover! Every new photo or video can overwrite deleted data.
Do not connect your phone to charge (overwrite risk)
Not installing new applications
Use another drive to save recovered files
Turn off automatic synchronization (Mi) Cloud/Google Photo Photo)-->
4. Deep scanning software
If standard methods don't work, it's time to plug in specialized utilities that scan binary data memory and recover files even after formatting.
Top.-3 Xiaomi:
| Programme | Xiaomi support | Scan depth | Free version |
|---|---|---|---|
| DiskDigger | Yes (including MIUI 14) | Deep (RAW) | Restriction on restoration |
| Recuva | Yeah (root requires) | Average. | Full-functioning |
| EaseUS MobiSaver | Yeah (no root) | High. | Trial version |
| Dr.Fone | Yes (for all models) | Maximum. | Paid-for-paying |
Instructions for DiskDigger (without root):
1. Install DiskDigger with Google Play.
2. Run the scan (select Full Analysis).
3. tick the photos found and click Restore.
4. Save files to a PC or other drive (not to your phone!).
Recuva will require you to connect your phone to your PC in MTP mode and select Xiaomi’s drive [Model Name] in the program.
What if the program doesn’t see the phone?
5. Recovery after discharge or damage
If the photos are missing after a hard reset, MIUI update, or physical damage to the phone, the chances of recovery are reduced, but they remain.
Method 1: Through a backup of MIUI
1. Go to Settings → Additional → Restore and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Select the most recent copy (check the date of creation).
3. Click Restore and select only Gallery.
Method 2: Xiaomi Service Center
If the phone is warranty, contact the official service. They have tools to retrieve data from damaged memory chips (paid service, from 3 000). ₽).
Method 3: JPEG-recovery for corrupted files
If the photos are saved but not opened (damaged), use:
- 🖼️ JPEG Repair Tool – Restores the structure of the file.
- 🔧 Hex Editors (for experienced users).
⚠️ Warning: After physical damage (fall, water) do not turn on the phone - this can lead to short circuit and irretrievable loss of data.
💡
If the phone is not turning on but is responding to charging, try removing the memory card and connecting it to another device via a card reader. Often, the photos are stored on the SD, rather than in internal memory.
6. How to prevent future loss of photos
To avoid losing your photos, set up automatic backup and follow the simple rules:
MIUI settings to protect your photo:
- ☁️ Turn on Mi Cloud. → Synchronization of the gallery (stores versions of files).
- 📁 Activate the Recycle Bin in the Gallery (30 days to recover).
- 🔄 Set up Google Photos (free to store compressed copies).
Additional measures:
- 💾 Copy photos once a month on a PC or external drive.
- 📱 Use two memory cards (one for shooting, the second for backup).
- 🔧 Install FolderSync to automatically upload photos to Yandex.Disk or Dropbox.
What not to do:
- ❌ Do not store your photos in one place (for example, only on your phone).
- ❌ Don’t format your memory card via your phone – use a PC.
- ❌ Don't delete the folder. DCIM manually (this can disrupt the camera).
💡
Even if the photos are permanently deleted, the thumbnails can remain in the gallery database, and programs like GT Recovery can restore sketches to a resolution of up to 320×240 pixels.