Recover deleted photos on Xiaomi Redmi 5: from the cart to deep scanning

Removed important photos from Xiaomi Redmi 5 and don’t know how to get them back? This problem is familiar to many owners of smartphones from 2017-2018 release, where memory often ran out and backups were created irregularly. Fortunately, even after cleaning the gallery or resetting the settings, the chances of recovery are there — but they depend on how the files were deleted and whether time has passed since the deletion.

In this article, we will discuss 7 Proven methods - from simple (checking the cart and cloud backups) to complex (using PCs and specialized utilities). 5 his MIUI 9/10 limited resources (total) 16/32 Important: the faster you start acting, the more likely you are to succeed, new data can overwrite deleted images.

1.A check of the basket at MIUI Gallery

The first thing you need to do is to look into the built-in Gallery application cart, and in MIUI 9-12 (relevant to Redmi 5), deleted photos are stored there for up to 30 days — unless you've manually cleaned the cart, which works even without the Internet and requires no additional software.

How to check:

• 📱 Open the Gallery app (Icon with flower).
• 🗑️ Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → pick the basket.
• 🔍 View the list of files: photos are sorted by date of deletion.
• 🔄 Select the right pictures. → Click Restore (Icon with a down arrow).

⚠️ Warning: If the cart is empty but you are sure that the photos were deleted recently, check the settings of the gallery. MIUI The cart is disabled by default. Go to Gallery Settings. → Basket and turn it on.

Redmi 5 with firmware older than MIUI 11 may not have a basket at all, in which case move on to the next method.

2. Restore via Google Photos (if synchronized)

If your Redmi 5 has been enabled to sync with Google Photos, the chances of returning images are extremely high, the service automatically saves copies of all photos in the cloud - even if the originals are deleted from the phone, the main condition: you had to log into Google account and not disable backup.

Instructions:

• 🌐 Open photos.google.com on your PC or in your phone browser.
• 🔍 In the menu on the left, select the basket (photos are stored there for 60 days).
• 📤 If the basket is empty, check the Archive or search by date/place.
• 💾 Select the photo → Click Restore (they will return to the main gallery).

If sync isn’t set up, try another cloud service:

• 🇨🇳 Mi Cloud (if you used a Xiaomi account): go to Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery.
• 📱 Other clouds: check Yandex Drive, Mail.ru Cloud or Dropbox if there were backups.

⚠️ Attention: B MIUI 9-10 sync with Mi Cloud is disabled by default. If you didn't manually turn it on, this method won't work. Also note that free storage in Mi Cloud is limited to 5 GB - if you exceed the limit, old photos could be deleted automatically.

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To avoid losing photos in the future, enable autosynchronization in Google Photos: open the app → your profile → Photo settings → Backup and Sync. Choose High quality (unlimited storage) or Source (Google Drive counter).

3. Use of third-party applications (without ROOT)

If the basket is empty and there are no backups, it is time to turn to specialized utilities. Xiaomi Redmi 5 will be suitable for applications that scan internal memory for the "remnants" of deleted files. Importantly, do not install programs on the same partition of memory where the photos were stored - this will reduce the chances of recovery.

Best Free Apps (tested on MIUI 9-12):

• 🛠️ DiskDigger – Supports Recovery JPG, PNG, HEIC (Android 5.0 requires+, I got a Redmi 5).
• 🔍 Recuva for Android (portable version) – deep scanning, but slower.
• 📸 Photo Recovery – specializes in media files, simple interface.

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger:

1. Download APK from Google Play or official website.
2. Start the app → select Full Scan (requires more time, but more efficiently).
3. Specify the memory partition (usually /storage/emulated/0/DCIM for photo).
4. Wait for the scan to end → mark the found photos → click Restore.
5. Save files to another medium (SD-map or cloud to avoid overwriting data.

⚠️ Attention: Applications without ROOT-The only ones that recover the rights are files that haven't been overwritten by the new data, and if you've taken a video, installed a game, or updated the firmware after you delete the photo, the odds drop dramatically. Also avoid using “memory cleaners” like Clean Master – they can permanently delete the remaining files.

Do not install new programs on the phone

Disable automatic update of applications

Use a charged battery (minimum 50%)

Save the recovered files to SD-card-->

4. Computer recovery (deep scan)

If the apps on your phone didn't work, connect Redmi 5 to your PC and use desktop utilities, which are more efficient because you have direct access to your device's memory.

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows or macOS.
• 🔌 Cable USB Type-C (original, undamaged).
• 🛠️ Program: Recuva, EaseUS Data Recovery or 7-Data Recovery.

Instructions for Recuva (free version):

1. Download and install Recuva.
2. Connect Redmi 5 to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode (select this mode in the phone notification curtain).
3. Run Recuva → select Image file type → specify your phone’s drive (usually This device → Internal Storage).
4. Click Analysis → wait until completion (may take 1-2 hours).
5. View the files found (green circle – high probability of recovery, red – low) → mark the desired → click Restore.

Disk Drill or PhotoRec (the latter requires command line knowledge) is a good option for Macs, but the rule is: don't save recovered files to the same drive that you're scanning from!

5. Recovery after reset to factory settings

If the photo is missing after Hard Reset (reset via Settings) → Additionally. → Recovery and reset, the chances of recovery are minimal, but they are, in which case you need to stop using the phone - any actions (install applications, take new photos) will overwrite the data.

What can be done:

• 🔧 Use PC and specialized utilities (as in the previous section), but choose Deep Scan mode.
• 📱 Try the applications with ROOT-access (if the phone is unlocked) for example Undeleter or GT Recovery.
• 💾 Contact the service center – some workshops offer data recovery services using professional equipment (costs from 2000-5000) ₽).

It is important to understand: after the discharge MIUI overwrites some of the system files, which can damage deleted data. SD-card, the chances are higher - extract it and connect it to the PC through the card reader.

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Soft Reset and Hard Reset. In the first case, photos are left in place, and in the second case, they are deleted along with other user data. If you reset through Fastboot, recovery is almost impossible.

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After resetting to factory settings, never accept MIUI’s offer to recover data from a backup – this will overwrite memory sectors where deleted photos may have been left.

6.Recovery from damaged memory or after firmware

If Redmi 5 doesn't turn on, or if it's a memory reader error, or if it's been overflashed, standard methods won't work.

Method 1: Removing a memory chip (for power users)

• 🔧 Take the phone apart (you need a set of screwdrivers). T3–T5 mediator).
• 💾 Carefully remove the eMMC chip (usually labeled as Samsung, Hynix or Kingston).
• 🖥️ Connect it to a programmer (e.g. EasyJTAG) and read the data.

This method requires soldering skills and costs from 3000-10000. ₽ service-centre.

Method 2: Recovery via TWRP (if custom recavery is installed)

1. Boot to TWRP (hold Power + Volume up when turned on).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and use it. ADB For data copying: adb pull /data/media/0/DCIM C:\Redmi5_Photos
3. Or install the DiskDigger app via TWRP (download the APK to the flash drive).

Method 3: Contacting the Laboratory

Companies like Hetzner Recovery or ACE Labs specialize in recovering data from damaged drives, starting at 5,000. ₽, But there are no guarantees - it all depends on the degree of damage.

7.Prevention: How to avoid loss of photos in the future

In order not to look for ways to restore, it is enough to follow simple rules:

• ☁️ Enable autosynchronization with Google Photos or Mi Cloud (even if memory is limited, select compressed quality).
• 📁 Regularly copy the photo on PC (once a month) or on an external drive.
• 🗑️ Do not clean the cart in the gallery manually - wait for automatic removal (30 days).
• 🔄 Before resetting or firmware, save copies on SD-map.
• 🛡️ Use backup apps like Swift Backup (requires) ROOT) Titanium Backup.

For Redmi 5 with its modest 16/32 GB of memory, it is especially relevant:

• 📱 Install. SD-card (up to 256 GB) and set up the photo saving on it by default.
• 🧹 Clean cache and unnecessary files regularly through Settings → Memory. → Cleanup.
• 🚫 Avoid “memory optimizers” – they often delete data without confirmation.

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V MIUI 10+ There is a hidden backup function: go to Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset → Local backup. Create a backup on SD-Map - This will include photos, contacts and SMS.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi Redmi 5