Recovering Deleted Photos and Videos on Xiaomi Smartphones: A Complete Guide

Losing photos and videos on Xiaomi is a situation that almost every user faces, whether it was due to accidental clicking, resetting or system failure: the main thing is not to panic. In most cases, files can be returned if you act quickly and correctly. In this article, we will analyze all working methods of recovery, from standard MIUI tools to professional utilities, and also explain how to avoid irretrievable data loss in the future.

Xiaomi’s smartphones feature its own MIUI shell, which offers unique file protection mechanisms, such as the built-in shopping cart in the gallery or automatic synchronization with the Mi Cloud. However, these features do not always work: if you manually clean the cart or disable backup, you will have to use alternative methods. It is important to understand that the chances of success depend on the time since deleting and the actions you take after that (for example, writing new files reduces the likelihood of recovery).

1. Checking the basket in the Xiaomi Gallery

The first thing you need to do is to look in the shopping cart of the standard Gallery app, where in MIUI, deleted photos and videos are stored there by default for 30 days (some models up to 60 days), after which they are permanently erased, which is the simplest method and does not require additional programs.

To recover files from the Recycle Bin:

• 📱 Open the Gallery app on your Xiaomi.
• 🗑️ In the upper right corner, click on the Cart icon (or Remote in some versions). MIUI).
• 🔍 Select the desired photo / video with a long press, then tap Restore (the icon with the arrow up).
• 📂 Files will return to the folder they were deleted from (e.g. Camera or Screenshots).

If the cart is empty or you have cleaned it, go to the next method. Note: in some Xiaomi firmware (for example, on Redmi Note 10 or POCO X3), the cart may be disabled. To activate it, go to Gallery Settings → Recycle Bin and turn on the option to Save Deleted Files.

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If the cart is not displayed, update the Gallery app via Google Play or clear its cache in the app settings.

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

If your Xiaomi has enabled sync with Mi Cloud, the chances of returning files are much higher.The cloud automatically saves copies of photos and videos (provided that the function is activated and there is free space).

How to recover files from Mi Cloud:

• 🌐 Go to i.mi.com and log in to your Mi Account.
• 📁 In the Gallery section, find the Recycle Bin or Remote folder (depending on the interface version).
• 🔄 Select the files you want and click Restore. They'll go back to the main gallery on your phone the next time you sync.
• 📱 Alternatively: Open on your smartphone Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery and check for backup copies.

One important caveat: Mi Cloud only provides 5GB of space for free, and if you didn't buy extra space, old files could be automatically deleted if you exceeded the limit, and make sure that sync was enabled before you delete files, otherwise they wouldn't be in the cloud.

3. Using Google Photos to Restore

Many Xiaomi users are installing Google Photos as an alternative to the standard gallery. If you logged in to a Google account and backed up, deleted files could be saved there. Unlike Mi Cloud, Google Photos stores deleted photos in the shopping cart for 60 days.

Instructions for remediation:

1. Open the Google Photos app on your phone or go to photos.google.com.
2. In the menu (three horizontal lines), select the basket.
3. Find the right photos/videos, highlight them and click Restore.
4. Files will return to the main library and sync with the device.

If the cart is empty, check the archive: sometimes files move there automatically. To do this, in Google Photos, click on your avatar → Archive. Also note that free Google storage is limited to 15 GB on all services (including Gmail and Drive).

Mi Cloud

Google Photo

Yandex Disc.

Other service

Don't use the cloud.-->

4. Connection to PC and Recovery through the Program

If the files aren't found in the cart or the cloud, the next step is to connect Xiaomi to the computer and scan the internal memory with special utilities. This method works even if the cart is cleared, but the effectiveness depends on how much new data is written to the phone after deleting. The fewer write operations, the better the chances of success.

Recommended recovery programs:

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

• 🖥️ Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB-On your phone, select File Transfer Mode (MTP).
• 📥 Download and install Recuva from the official website (avoid pirated versions!).
• 🔍 Run the program, select the file type (Images or Videos) and specify the path to the phone's memory (usually this device). → Internal storage).
• ⚙️ Start scanning. Once completed, mark the files for recovery and save them to your PC (not your phone!).

⚠️ Warning: Never save recovered files back to Xiaomi - this can overwrite the remaining data and make further recovery impossible.Use an external drive or cloud.

Disable Wi-Fi and Mobile Data on Xiaomi (to avoid background recording)

Charge your phone at least 50%

Use the original USB-cable

Do not connect other devices to the same PC port-->

5. Recovery with ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work and root rights aren’t available, you can try extracting files via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a technique that requires technical skills but sometimes helps you get back data that programs can’t see.

What you need:

• 🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then return to Additional → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 Original. USB-cable (important for stable connection).

Instructions:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC and open the command line (Win + R → cmd).
2. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices If the device is displayed, go further.
3. Create a backup copy of the data partition (replace) /sdcard/DCIM On the right path: adb pull /sdcard/DCIM C:\Xiaomi_Backup
4. If files are not copied, try to get a list of all files (including deleted ones): adb shell ls -la /sdcard/DCIM/.thumbnails Sometimes thumbnails are saved even after the originals are deleted.

This method doesn’t guarantee 100% results, but it can help if files haven’t been overwritten by the system yet.

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ADB allows you to extract files that are not visible through MTP, but does not restore them to their original quality, a method suitable for extracting thumbnails or partially corrupted data.

Restoration with root rights (advanced method)

If you're willing to take risks and get root access, the chances of returning files are much higher. Root gives you access to system partitions where you can store the remnants of deleted data, but this method has serious disadvantages:

• 🚫 Cancellation of warranty on Xiaomi.
• 🔓 Increases the vulnerability of the phone to viruses.
• 💥 May cause a device to break down in case of an error.

If you do decide, follow the instructions:

1. Unblock bootloader on Xiaomi through the official website (requires an account binding and wait 7-30 days).
2. Install custom recovery (TWRP) and get root through Magisk.
3. Use programs like DiskDigger or Undelete with the option of deep scanning (requires root).
4. Save the files found on your PC or external drive.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi models with encrypted storage (e.g. Mi 11, Redmi) K40) Even root doesn't always help you recover files. Before unlocking the bootloader, make a full backup using the Mi Flash Tool.

The alternative to root is to use custom firmware with data recovery support, but it is an even riskier method that requires in-depth knowledge.

7. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center

If all of these methods failed and the files are critical (for example, they are the only photos from an important event), you can contact Xiaomi’s authorized service center, and they have specialized equipment to extract data even from damaged drives.

What you need to know before your visit:

• 💰 The cost of the service starts from 3 000-10 000 rubles depending on the complexity.
• ⏳ Recovery time: from a few hours to a week.
• 📄 You will need proof of ownership of the phone (checks, box).
• 🔒 In some cases, the data is partially restored (for example, without metadata).

Xiaomi Service Centers in Russia and CIS:

Before visiting, check by phone if they are engaged in data recovery – not all services provide this service, and be prepared for the fact that in some cases files cannot be returned (for example, if a memory chip is physically damaged).

How to Prevent Data Loss in the Future

To avoid the problem of deleted files again, follow these recommendations:

• ☁️ Enable automatic sync with Mi Cloud or Google Photos. Go to Settings → Accounts. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud and activate the Synchronization Gallery option.
• 🗃️ Regularly (once a month) copy important files to your PC or external drive.
• 🔄 Use backup apps like Swift Backup (requires root) or Titanium Backup.
• 🚫 Avoid clearing gallery cache through cleaners (such as Clean Master) as they can delete thumbnails and service files.
• 📱 On Xiaomi models with microSD support (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro)+) save the photo directly to the memory card – it is easier to connect it to another device for recovery.

Also pay attention to the camera settings: in Camera Settings → Save, you can choose the HEIF format instead of JPEG – it takes up less space, which reduces the risk of memory overflow and accidental deletion.

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The most reliable way to protect is a combination of cloud backup (Mi Cloud + Google Photos) and local backup on the PC, which eliminates data loss even if the phone breaks down.

FAQ: Frequent questions about file recovery on Xiaomi