Deleting photos on a smartphone is one of the most painful mistakes, especially when it comes to valuable footage: family photos, documents or unique moments. Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro with 128 GB of memory is no exception: despite the bulk storage, users regularly face data loss due to accidental pressing, software failures or formatting. The good news is that in 80% of cases, photos can be returned even if they were deleted months ago. The bad: the longer you delay with recovery, the chances of success are lower.
In this article, we have 7 proven methods for returning deleted images, from basic (check basket) to advanced (working with ADB and hex editors). We have taken into account the specifics of Redmi 8 Pro: its F2FS file system, features of MIUI and restrictions on reading partitions without root. All instructions are adapted for 128 GB modification - taking into account the nuances of working with large amounts of data.
Key point: If you deleted a photo less than 30 days ago and didn't write new files to your device, the chances of recovery are close to 95%, and after a month or active use of your smartphone, they drop to 40-60%.
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, where MIUI 12-14 (relevant to the Redmi 8 Pro) stores deleted photos for 30 days before being erased, which works even without the Internet and requires no additional software.
How to check:
- Open the Gallery app (an icon with a floral logo).
- Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → select the basket.
- View the list of deleted files. Photos are sorted by date of deletion.
- Select the desired images → click Restore (the icon with the arrow down).
Important: If the cart is empty, it doesn't mean that the photos are lost forever, but they may have been removed manually or through third-party apps (like Google Photos), in which case move on to the next method.
Another nuance: the basket in MIUI has a limit of 500 MB. If you deleted a large number of photos (for example, 1-2 GB), some of them could automatically erase to make room.
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If you don't have the photos in the cart, but you remember their names, try searching for keywords at the top of the gallery. Sometimes the images stay in the system but lose the preview.
2.Restore via Google Photos
If your Redmi 8 Pro has been enabled to sync with Google Photos, the chances of returning photos increase to 99%, the service stores deleted photos for 60 days in a special archive, even if they were erased from the device, the main condition: you must have access to the same Google account that was used for backup.
Instructions for remediation:
- 📱 Open the Google Photos app (if not, install it from Play Market).
- 🔍 In the top menu, tap on the profile avatar → Basket.
- ⏳ Look at photos that are sorted by date of deletion, and there may even be photos that you deleted a year ago.
- 🔄 Select the files you need. → Click Restore. They'll go back to the main gallery and back to the device.
Limitations of the method:
- Photos are restored to their original quality, but if you have compressed ("High Quality"), the resolution may be lower than the original.
- If the synchronization has been disabled, this method will not work.
- A free Google account holds up to 15GB of data, and if the limit is reached, no new photos are saved.
Check your backup settings: go to Google Photos → Settings → Backup and Sync. If the option is active but the photo is not in the Recycle Bin, they may have been deleted more than 60 days ago.
What if Google Photos don’t show you the cart?
3. Use of recovery applications (without root)
If the photo is not found in the cart and Google Photos, the next step is specialized utilities. 8 Pro without root rights, we'll use programs that scan cache and residual data. 5 popular tools and selected the top-3 efficiency:
| Annex | Efficiency | Pluses | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| DiskDigger | 85% | Deep scanning, F2FS support, cloud recovery | Paid version for full recovery |
| Recuva (via PC) | 70% | Free, simple interface | Can't see some sections of MIUI |
| Dumpster | 60% | It works like an extended basket. | You need to install the SIGN (will not restore already deleted files) |
We recommend starting with DiskDigger:
- 📲 Install an application from the Play Market.
- 🔍 Run a full scan (may take 1-2 hours at 128 GB).
- 📂 Select the Internal Storage (Internal Memory) section).
- 🖼️ Check the photos found (they are displayed with a preview) → press Recover.
- 💾 Save files to SD-Map or cloud (not internal memory!).
⚠️ Warning: Do not save recovered photos back to the internal memory of the Redmi 8 Pro! This can overwrite the very sectors where lost data is still stored. SD-card.
If DiskDigger doesn’t find the photos you want, try Recuva on your computer:
- Connect your smartphone to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
- Install Recuva on your computer and select the scan of the connected device.
- Mark the file types of Images and Videos.
- Wait until the analysis is complete (it can take up to 3 hours for 128 GB).
Disable battery optimization for gallery app
Connect the charger (energy-intensive process)
Use the original USB-cable (not cheap analogues)
Do not interrupt the scan even if it is frozen (wait 10-15 minutes)-->
4. Recovery with ADB (for power users)
If standard methods don't work, you can try extracting raw data through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which doesn't require root, but requires command line work, and is suitable if the photos were recently deleted and not overwritten.
What you need:
- 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
- 📱 Included debugging by USB Redmi 8 Pro (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap to unlock the developer options, then additionally → For developers → Debugging by USB).
- 🔌 Original. USB-cable (important for stable connection).
Step-by-step:
- Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission on the device screen.
- Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the adb folder.
- Enter the command to create a photo partition image: adb shell su -c "dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p53 of=/sdcard/recovery.img" Note: mmcblk0p53 is the standard partition for user data on Redmi 8 Pro. If the command doesn't work, try mmcblk0p54 or mmcblk0p55.
- Copy the image on PC: adb pull /sdcard/recovery.img C:\Temp\
- Scan the image with PhotoRec (free, running on Windows/macOS/Linux).
⚠️ Note: Incorrect use of dd can lead to the loss of all data on the device. If you are not sure about the commands, skip this method or contact a specialist.
An alternative way is to extract files via adb pull:
adb shell "find /storage/emulated/0/ -name '.jpg' -o -name '.png' > /sdcard/photos_list.txt"
adb pull /sdcard/photos_list.txt C:\Temp\
adb pull /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/ C:\Temp\DCIM_backup\This command will find all the images in the DCIM folder (including hidden ones) and copy them to the PC.
5. Deep scan with root access
If previous methods fail, the last chance is root-right recovery, which will allow you to scan all memory areas, including system ones, where standard utilities do not have access. Redmi 8 Pro can be unlocked through the official Mi Unlock Tool, but this will reset all data.
How to get root on Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro:
- Unlock the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool (requires an account binding Mi).
- Install custom recovery (TWRP) for your model.
- Please use Magisk to obtain root rights.
After getting root, use deep scanning apps:
- 🛠️ Undeleter scans all sections, including /data and /system.
- 🔍 Hex Editor – for manual signature search JPEG (Suitable for experienced users).
- 📁 Root Browser – Checking hidden folders like /data/media/0/.thumbnails.
Key folders to search:
/storage/emulated/0/DCIM/
/storage/emulated/0/Pictures/
/data/media/0/ (hidden files)
/data/data/com.android.gallery3d/ (galleries cache)⚠️ Attention: Unlocking the bootloader and getting root erases all data on the device. This method only makes sense if: Photos are critical (such as documents or unique pictures). Other recovery methods have failed. If you're in doubt, contact the service center.
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Root access gives you the best chance of recovery, but requires technical skills. For most users, methods 1-4 are enough.
6. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center
If the independent attempts are unsuccessful, professional assistance remains, and Xiaomi’s official service centers do not restore data, but can redirect you to partners specializing in extracting information from flash memory.
What the services offer:
- 🔬 Chip-off analysis – extracting data directly from the memory chip (effective even after formatting).
- 🛠️ JTAG-recovery – connecting to test contacts of the board to access raw data.
- 💾 Recovery from damaged partitions – if the smartphone is not turned on or booted to bootloop.
Cost and timing (2026):
| Type of recovery | Cost (₽) | Timeline | Chances of success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logical (programmatic) | 3 000 – 8 000 | 1-3 days | 70–80% |
| Chip-off (physical) | 15 000 – 30 000 | 5-10 days | 90–95% |
| JTAG | 10 000 – 20 000 | 3-7 days | 80–85% |
How to choose a reliable service:
- 📌 Check reviews on 2GIS or Yandex.Maps (look for mentions of successful photo recovery).
- 📄 Request a contract with guarantees (e.g., “no result – no payment").
- 🔒 Please specify whether it is provided NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement for Confidential Data.
In Moscow and St. Petersburg, you can contact:
- Data recovery laboratory "Flashback" (specializes in Xiaomi).
- Center for Digital Forensics (working with damaged devices).
- Official partners of Xiaomi (list on the website mi.com).
7.Preventing future data loss
To avoid the problem of losing a photo, set up automatic backup and follow the simple rules:
Cloud services:
- ☁️ Google Photos – free up to 15GB (settings: Original quality for saving without compression).
- 📦 Mi Cloud – 5GB free, integrated into MIUI (Settings → Accounts. → Mi Cloud → gallery).
- 🌐 Yandex Disk or Mail.ru Cloud – 10-20 GB free, there is autoload photo.
Local backup:
- 💾 Copy the folder regularly DCIM on a PC or external drive (once a month).
- 📁 Use applications like FolderSync to automatically sync with NAS or FTP.
- 🔄 Set up a backup. MIUI: Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset → Local backup.
Safety regulations:
- 🚫 Don’t store a single copy of important photos on your smartphone.
- 🔋 Avoid formatting or resetting settings without backup.
- 📵 Do not connect Redmi 8 Pro to suspicious PCs/chargers (risk of viruses, ransomware).
- 🔄 Update. MIUI Up to the latest version – the stability of the file system has been improved in the new firmware.
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Create a folder on your PC called "Backups [Model Phone]" and copy it every time you make room on your smartphone, which will take 5 minutes, but save you days of nerves in the future.