Recovery of deleted photos on Xiaomi Redmi 6: from the cart to deep scanning

Delete important photos from Xiaomi Redmi 6 and don't know how to get them back? Don't panic - even if the pictures disappeared from the gallery, they can still be stored in the device memory or backups. In this article, we will analyze all working methods of recovery, from the simplest (check basket) to advanced (use of PC and specialized software).

Redmi 6 (released in 2018) runs on Android 8.1 Oreo with MIUI shell, which adds to the recovery process. For example, the built-in Recycle Bin here only stores files for 30 days, and standard Android tools don’t always work correctly with /data partitioning on Xiaomi devices, and we took these nuances into account and collected current solutions that work in 2026.

The important thing is that the faster you start to act, the better the chances of success. When you delete files, the system doesn't erase them immediately, it just marks the disk space as free. So don't write new data to your phone (don't take photos, don't install apps) until you've finished recovering.

1.A check of the basket at MIUI Gallery

The first thing you need to do is to look into the Gallery's built-in application cart, and in MIUI, deleted photos are stored there by default for 30 days, after which they are permanently erased.

Instructions:

📱 Open the Gallery app (camera icon).
🗑️ Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → pick the basket.
🔍 View the list of deleted files. To return a photo, click on it. → Restore.
📤 For mass recovery: highlight a few files → Press Restore Everything.

If the cart is empty or there are no photos, go to the next method. Note: in some versions of MIUI, the cart may be turned off. To turn it on, go to Gallery Settings → Recycle cart → Enable the cart.

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If you don't have the photos in the cart, but you remember the date you deleted them, try sorting the files by time. Sometimes the pictures get stuck in the.thumbnails folder, which can be found through the file manager by enabling the display of hidden files.

2. Search in MI Cloud and Google Photos backups

Xiaomi Redmi 6 supports automatic backups via MI Cloud and Google Photos. If sync is enabled, chances are that deleted images are saved to the cloud.

Method 1: MI Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

🌐 Go to i.mi.com and log in with the same account as you do on your phone.
📁 Open the Gallery section → Check the Remote folder (stores files for up to 60 days).
🔄 To restore, highlight a photo → press Restore.

Method 2: Google Photos

📱 Install the Google Photos app (if not installed).
☁️ In the top menu, select Photos. → Recycle bin (files are stored for 60 days).
🔙 To restore, click on the photo → Restore.

If the sync has been disabled, these methods will not work, in which case proceed to restore via PC.

📊 You use cloud backups for your photos?

Yes, only MI Cloud.

Yes, only Google Photos.

Yeah, both services.

No, I don't.

I don't know what it is.

3. Computer Recovery (without ROOT)

If the photo is not found in the cart and cloud, try scanning the phone's internal memory with a PC. USB-We recommend DiskDigger or Recuva, which are free and work without superuser rights (ROOT).

Step-by-step:

🖥️ Install DiskDigger on your PC (you can download it from the official website diskdigger.org).
📱 Connect Redmi 6 to your computer via USB, Selecting File Transfer Mode (MTP).
🔍 In DiskDigger, select the phone drive (usually Internal Storage) → press Next.
📸 Specify the types of files to search: mark JPG, PNG, HEIC (if you're shooting on an iPhone).
⏳ Start the scan (can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour).
💾 After completion, select the found photos → Click Recover and save them to PC.

DiskDigger finds even fragmented files, but the more time has passed since deleting, the lower the chances of recovery.If the program found nothing, try a deep scan (Dig Deeper option), but it requires a deep scan. ROOT-rights.

Enable debugging on USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (tap 7 times)|Connect the original USB-cable|Charge your phone at least 50 times%|Disable the screen lock (if any)|Install Xiaomi drivers on PC (download from the official website)-->

4.Using file managers with hidden folders

Sometimes deleted photos remain in hidden system folders that are not displayed in the standard gallery, for example, thumbnails can be stored in /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails, and backups can be stored in /data/com.miui.gallery.

To find them:

📂 Install a file manager with support ROOT (Root Explorer or standard Explorer from Xiaomi.
👁️ Enable the display of hidden files: in Explorer tap on three points → Settings → Show hidden files.
🔎 Go to the folders: /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/.recent /data/data/com.miui.gallery/cache
📤 If you find files with or without the.thumb extension, rename them to.jpg.

Important: folder /data available only ROOT-Without them, you'll only see a fraction of the system files. If you don't have the right photos, try the following method.

What is a.thumbnails folder?

This folder contains thumbnails (small copies) of photos and videos that the gallery uses to quickly download previews. The thumbnails usually do not exceed 200×200 pixels, but sometimes full-size copies are stored there, especially if the deletion occurred during synchronization.

5. Recovery via TWRP (for advanced users)

If previous methods have failed and the phone has custom recovery TWRP, you can try to recover the photo through it, which requires technical skills, but gives you access to low-level memory scanning.

Instructions:

🛠️ Put the phone on mode. TWRP: turn off the device → clamp down the Power + Volume Up.
🔧 On the menu. TWRP Choose Advanced → File Manager.
📁 Move to the /data/media/0/DCIM Check for files with extension.jpg_deleted or.
📤 Copy the found files to SD-map OTG-accumulator.

If TWRP is not installed, it can be flashed through Fastboot, but it is a risky operation - if the phone fails, it can stop loading. For Redmi 6, TWRP version 3.2.3 (download from the official website) is suitable.

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TWRP is an extreme method, and if you're not sure about your skills, you should go to a service center, and if you do something wrong, you can lose all the data on your phone.

6. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center

If independent attempts were unsuccessful, and photos are critically important (for example, documents or unique photos), you should contact the authorized service center Xiaomi.

What you need to know before your visit:

💰 Cost of service: from 3 000 to 10 000 rubles (depending on the complexity of the service).
⏳ Time: 1-3 days (in some cases up to a week).
📄 Documents required: passport and purchase check (if the phone is guaranteed).
⚠️ Risks: There is a small chance of memory damage with chip repair, but in certified centers, it is unlikely.

The list of official Xiaomi service centers in Russia can be found on the website mi.com/ru/service. Check by phone before visiting whether they are engaged in data recovery – not all centers provide this service.

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If your phone is lost or stolen and photos are synced to MI Cloud, you can restore access to your account via account.xiaomi.com using your linked email or phone number.

Comparison of recovery methods

Method	Difficulty	Time.	Chances of success	Need a ROOT?
MIUI basket	⭐ (simple)	2-5 minutes	⭐⭐⭐⭐ (80%)	No.
MI Cloud / Google Photo	⭐ (simple)	5-10 minutes	⭐⭐⭐ (60%)	No.
Programs (DiskDigger, Recuva)	⭐⭐ (middle-of-the-road)	20–60 minutes	⭐⭐⭐ (50–70%)	No (but better with ROOT)
Searching in hidden folders	⭐⭐ (middle-of-the-road)	10-15 minutes	⭐⭐ (30%)	Partially.
TWRP Recovery	⭐⭐⭐ (difficult)	30-90 minutes	⭐⭐⭐⭐ (75%)	Yes.
Service center (chip-off)	⭐⭐⭐⭐ (difficult)	1-7 days	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (90%)	No.

As you can see from the table, the most effective methods are to check the cart and go to the service center, and PC programs produce average results, but require minimal technical skills.

Frequently asked questions

Can I recover my photo after resetting my settings on Redmi 6?

Yes, but the odds are extremely low. Hard Reset erases the /data partition where user files are stored. If the photos were not synchronized with the cloud, their recovery is possible only through the chip-off method in the service center (cost from 5,000 rubles), self-return data after reset is almost impossible.

Will the phone help you to return deleted photos?

No, flash erases all data in the /data partition, including deleted file remnants. If you plan to flash Redmi 6 to solve other problems, try recovering photos from your PC or cloud first.

What is the best software for photo recovery on Xiaomi?

Redmi 6 is a good fit: DiskDigger is the best balance of simplicity and efficiency. Recuva is free, but less optimized for Android. EaseUS MobiSaver is paid but with a high recovery rate. Dr.Fone supports deep scanning but requires ROOT. Avoid little-known programs - they may contain viruses.

How to prevent loss of photos in the future?

Not to lose a photo of Redmi 6: 🔄 Enable autosynchronization in MI Cloud or Google Photos. 💾 Regularly copy the photo to a PC or external drive. 📁 Use cloud services with versioning (for example, Dropbox or Yandex Drive). 📱 Install a backup application (e.g. Swift Backup).

What if the phone is not turned on and you need a photo urgently?

If Redmi 6 doesn't respond to charging or is stuck on the logo: Try booting into Fastboot (press Power + Volume Down) and plugging into a PC to recover via ADB. If the phone is recognized as a drive, use DiskDigger to scan. If nothing helps, contact the service - they can extract the memory chip and read the data directly. Don't try to disassemble the phone yourself - this can damage the board.

If none of these methods worked, don't despair. Data recovery technologies are constantly improving, for example, in 2023, there were services that restore photos even from damaged memory chips (for example, Flash Extract in Moscow and St. Petersburg), the main thing is not to write new data to your phone and as soon as possible to contact specialists.