Recovering deleted photos on Xiaomi Redmi: from the cart to deep scanning

Delete important photos from Xiaomi Redmi and don't know how to get them back? Don't panic: even if the pictures are gone from the gallery, they often remain in the memory of the device or the cloud - the main thing is to act quickly and correctly. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to recover, from standard MIUI functions to professional utilities, taking into account the features of the Redmi Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10 and other models.

The key point is that the less you use your phone after deleting, the better the chances of success. Every new photo, video or application you install can overwrite deleted data. So the first rule is to turn off mobile Internet and Wi-Fi immediately to prevent automatic synchronization and downloading of new files.

We analyzed user reviews, recovery tests on different versions of MIUI (including MIUI 14), and identified 7 proven methods, from simple to complex.

1. Checking the basket in the Xiaomi Gallery

Modern versions of MIUI (starting with MIUI 12) automatically send deleted photos to the cart, where they are stored for 30 days before final erasure, a section that is often overlooked, although it saves 60% of the time.

How to check:

• 📱 Open the standard Gallery app (icon with colored squares).
• 🗑️ Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → pick the basket.
• 🔍 View the list of files: deleted photos marked with erasure date.
• 🔄 For restoration, select the necessary pictures → press Restore.

If the cart is empty or not on the menu, it means:

• ❌ Photos taken down long ago (more than 30 days ago).
• ❌ You have used the function Clean the basket manually.
• ❌ Deletion is done through Explorer or third-party file managers (they bypass the gallery basket).

⚠️ Note: Some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi) 8A or Redmi 9C With outdated firmware, the basket can be disabled. To activate it, go to Gallery Settings. → Basket → Turn on.

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud Storage)

If your Redmi has been enabled to sync with Mi Cloud, the chances of returning photos increase by up to 80%, the service automatically saves copies of images in the cloud, even if the originals are erased from the device, especially for users who previously set up backup.

Instructions for remediation:

1. 🌐 Go to i.mi.com from your computer or phone.
2. 🔑 Sign in with the same Mi Account that is linked to your smartphone.
3. 📁 Select Gallery or Backups section.
4. 🔍 Find the folder with the date preceding the deletion, and download the necessary photos.

If the photo is not in the cloud:

• 🚫 Synchronization has been disabled in settings (Settings) → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery).
• 🚫 Free storage limit (5GB) exceeded and no new photos were uploaded.
• 🚫 Deleted images did not sync (for example, if the Internet was disabled).

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If Mi Cloud doesn’t have the right photos, check Google Photos – many Xiaomi users set up automatic downloads there. Open photos.google.com and find the Recycle Bin section (stores files for 60 days).

3. Use of Google Photos (if synchronization was enabled)

Google Photos is an alternative to Mi Cloud, which often saves when standard methods fail. The app offers free storage for compressed photos (up to 16 MP resolution) by default and automatically backs up.

How to restore:

1. 📱 Install Google Photos if it is not on your phone.
2. 🔄 Sign in with the same Google account that was used on Redmi.
3. 🗑️ Go to the basket section (in the side menu) - photos are stored there for 60 days.
4. 🔙 Select the right pictures. → press Restore.

If the basket is empty:

• 🔍 Check the Archive folder – sometimes photos are moved there instead of deleted.
• 📅 Use the date search function (calendar icon in the search bar).
• 💾 If the photo was in the Shared Album, check the Shared Access section.

⚠️ Note: If you manually delete photos from Google Photos (not through the gallery cart), they may be permanently erased).

Turn off mobile internet on Xiaomi Redmi|Connect your phone to your PC via the original cable|Make sure that the file transfer mode is enabled on the phone (MTP)|Don't plug others in. USB-device during the process-->

4.Search for hidden copies in phone folders

MIUI and some applications (like WhatsApp or Telegram) create hidden backups of photos in separate folders, which are not visible in the standard gallery, but can be found through Explorer.

Where to look:

• 📂 DCIM/.thumbnails — Photo miniatures (quality below the original).
• 📂 Pictures/Screenshots — Sometimes the screenshots are duplicated here.
• 📂 MIUI/Backup/AllBackup — backups of the system (if included backup).
• 📂 Android/data/com.whatsapp/media — WhatsApp chat photo.

How to access:

1. 📱 Open Explorer (Folder icon on the desktop).
2. 🔍 Enable the display of hidden files: tap on three dots → Settings → Show hidden files.
3. 🔎 Enter the folder name in the search bar (e.g..thumbnails).

If the folders are not available:

• 🚫 They may have been cleaned by an optimizer application (e.g. Security or Clean Master).
• 🚫 You use a memory card and the photos are stored on internal memory (check both).

5. Deep scanning programs (without root)

If standard methods don't work, it's time to plug in specialized utilities that scan the phone's internal memory at the binary data level and can recover photos even after formatting. Importantly, the less time has passed since deleting, the better the odds.

Top.-3 Programs for Xiaomi Redmi:

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger (the easiest option):

1. 📱 Install the app from Google Play.
2. 🔍 Start a basic scan (does not require root).
3. 📸 Select the file type JPG/PNG.
4. 🕒 Wait until it is completed (may take 10 to 30 minutes).
5. 💾 Save the recovered photos to a memory card or cloud.

⚠️ Attention: Deep scans can cause the phone to get very hot if the temperature is above 45.°C, take a 10-15-minute break to avoid processor trottling.

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Programs without root (such as DiskDigger) will only restore photos that have not been overwritten by new data, and if you have taken many new photos/videos after deleting, the chances drop dramatically.

6. PC Recovery (for power users)

If photos are critical and there aren't enough software on your phone, connect Redmi to your computer and use desktop utilities, a method that's more complicated but more effective -- especially if the photos were deleted long ago.

Tools required:

• 🖥️ PC Windows/macOS.
• 🔌 Original. USB-cable (poor cables may interrupt the connection).
• 🛠️ PhotoRec (free) or EaseUS Data Recovery (paid).

Instructions for PhotoRec:

1. 📥 Download PhotoRec and unpack the archive.
2. 📱 Connect Redmi to PC in File Transfer Mode (MTP).
3. 🖱️ Launch it. photorec_win.exe (for Windows or photorec (for Windows) macOS/Linux).
4. 🔠 Select your phone’s drive (usually this one) [E:] or similar).
5. 📂 Specify the folder to save the recovered files (not on the phone!).
6. 🔍 Start the scan (may take several hours).

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ It works even if the phone is not turned on (when connected via Fastboot).
• ✅ Recovers photos from damaged memory areas.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Requires skills to work with the command line.
• ❌ Recovered files can be without names (you have to sort manually).

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If PhotoRec finds thousands of files but doesn’t have the right photos, try narrowing down the search by extensions, for example, for photos, only.jpg,.png,.heic in the program settings.

7. Contact Xiaomi Service Center (extreme case)

If all of these methods have failed, and the photos are of high value (for example, they are the only copies of important documents or family photos), you can contact the authorized service center Xiaomi.

What you need to know:

• 💰 Cost of service: from 5,000 to 20,000 ₽ (depending).
• ⏳ Timeframe: 3 days to 2 weeks.
• 📌 Addresses of the centers: check on the official website.

When justified:

• 🔹 Photos removed more than 6 months ago.
• 🔹 The phone is physically damaged (e.g., drowned, broken memory).
• 🔹 You tried to recover the data yourself and made the problem worse.

What to expect:

• 🔸 Not all photos can be recovered (depending on the extent of memory overwriting).
• 🔸 In some cases, you will need to disassemble the phone (risk of loss of warranty).

⚠️ Warning: Before contacting the service, do not try to sew the phone or reset it to factory settings. This can irrevocably erase the remaining data.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi Redmi