Recovery of deleted photos on Xiaomi Redmi 9A: all ways with a guarantee of results

Delete important photos with Xiaomi Redmi 9A and don't know how to get them back? Don't panic: Android smartphones have several hidden recovery mechanisms, even if you've already cleaned your cart or formatted your memory card. In this article, 5 proven methods that work on Redmi 9A with any version of MIUI (including MIUI 12/13/14), without having to get root rights.

The rule is, the faster you start, the better the chances of success. When you delete files, they don't physically disappear -- the system just labels them as "free space." Until those sectors are overwritten with new data, photos can be recovered, but if you keep using your phone, taking new photos, or installing apps, the odds drop by 20 to 30 percent every hour.

We'll go from the simplest (checking the cart) to the most advanced (using ADB and specialized utilities). On the Redmi 9A with a Helio G25 processor and 2GB of RAM, some methods may work slower — consider this when choosing a method.

1.A check of the basket at the Mi Gallery

The first thing you need to do is to look into the built-in Gallery app bin. On Xiaomi Redmi 9A, deleted photos are stored there for 30 days (by default), then permanently erased, which will work even if you deleted the pictures a few days ago.

How to open the basket:

• 📱 Open the Gallery app (image with multi-colored squares).
• 🗑️ Click on three dots in the upper right corner → pick the basket.
• 🔍 Scroll through the list and find the photos you want. To recover, click on the image. → Restore.
• 📤 For Mass Recovery: Press Management → highlight files → Restore.

⚠️ Note: If the cart is empty but you are sure that the photos were deleted recently, check the storage settings.Perhaps the retention period of files is reduced to 7 or 15 days. → Basket → Storage period.

If the cart is empty or the storage period has expired, move on to the next method, but first you need to stop writing new data to the phone: don't take photos, don't install apps, don't update the system, and this will prevent overwriting deleted files.

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

If your Redmi 9A was enabled to sync with Mi Cloud, the photos could be automatically saved to the cloud, which is suitable even after a complete reset of the phone or damage to internal memory.

How to check the cloud:

• 🌐 Go to i.mi.com from any device and log in with the same Mi Account as you do on your phone.
• 📁 In the Gallery section, check the folders All photos, recent and deleted (if any).
• 🔄 Xiaomi Cloud Stores Remote Files for 60 Days, Twice as Long as a Local Recycle Bin.
• 📥 To download photos on your phone, highlight them → Download.

If there are no photos in the cloud, check:

• 🔧 Whether synchronization was enabled: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery.
• 📡 Is there enough space in the cloud (free 5 GB, the rest is by subscription).
• 📅 Last synced date (same Mi Cloud section).

⚠️ Note: If you reset your phone to factory settings and don’t remember the Mi Account password, it will be difficult to restore access to the cloud. Xiaomi requires a phone number or email to reset your password – prepare this data in advance.

3. Use of Google Photos (if backed up)

Many Redmi 9A users don't know that Google Photos can automatically save copies of all the shots - even if you didn't manually configure this.The program often includes backups when you first run.

How to check:

1. Install Google Photos from Play Market if you don’t have one.
2. Sign in with the same Google account as you do on your phone.
3. Go to the Photos → Recycle Bin (files are stored there for 60 days).
4. If the basket is empty, check the Archive or search by date.

If photos are found:

• 📲 Click on the picture. → Save it to the device.
• 🔄 For mass recovery: highlight files → Exports.

💡

Google Photos has a feature called "Help" that can automatically create collages and animations from old photos. Check the For You section, sometimes it shows restored snapshots from backups.

If you don’t have backups, but you plan to use this method in the future, enable autosynchronization:

Google Photos settings → Backup and sync → Enable

4. Computer Recovery (using DiskDigger or Recuva)

If the previous methods didn’t work, you’ll have to connect Redmi 9A to your computer and use specialized programs that scan the internal memory or microSD card at the file system level and recover deleted data.

The best free utilities for Windows:

• 🛠️ DiskDigger - Supports FAT32/exFAT/NTFS, work-in.
• 🔍 Recuva – Simple interface, high speed scanning.
• 📁 EaseUS Data Recovery is paid, but there is a trial version (recovers up to 2 GB).

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger:

Get Redmi on board. 9A PC-only USB-cable|Enable file transfer mode (MTP) notice-curtain|Install DiskDigger from the official website|Close all programs that can block access to memory-->

1. Start DiskDigger and select Complete Scan.
2. In the list of disks, look for Redmi 9A (usually referred to as Internal Storage or SD Card).
3. Select the file types to search for: tick JPG, PNG, HEIC (if shot on iPhone).
4. Press Scan and wait until it is completed (may take 1-3 hours).
5. View the files found, highlight the ones you need and click Recover.

⚠️ Note: Do not save recovered files back to Redmi 9A — Use a computer or other external drive to prevent the remaining deleted data from being overwritten.

5. Advanced methods: ADB and root access

If the photos are critical and the previous methods didn’t help, there are two options:

1. ADB (no root) is suitable for recovering files deleted in the last 24-48 hours.
2. Getting root rights – gives access to system partitions, but cancels the warranty and can lead to locking the phone.

Method with ADB (without root):

1. Enable USB debugging: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times) → Additional → For Developers → USB debugging.


2 Connect the phone to the PC and confirm trust in the computer.




3. Download Platform Tools from the Android site and open the command prompt in the folder.




Enter commands:




adb shell




su (if there is root)




cd /data/media/0/DCIM




ls -la | grep ".jpg" (search for deleted files)




5. Use: For recovery:




cp .deleted_file.jpg /sdcard/Recovered/

For root access on Redmi 9A:

• 🔓 Unlock the bootloader via Mi Unlock Tool (requires a wait of 7-15 days).
• 📥 Install custom recovery (TWRP) and firmware with support for root (for example, Magisk).
• 🛠️ Use Root Explorer or DiskDigger with root to scan system partitions.

💡

Getting root on Redmi 9A voids the warranty and may result in the blocking of Mi Account. This method is only justified for the recovery of critical data.

6.If nothing has worked: Professional services

Once all the independent methods have been exhausted, you have to go to the data recovery lab, and this is true if:

• 💾 The photos were removed more than 3 months ago.
• 📱 Phone is physically damaged (unlocked, drowned, broken memory).
• 🔒 Files were encrypted or password protected.

What the services offer:

• 🔬 Chip-off recovery – extracting data directly from the memory chip (cost from 5 000 USD) ₽).
• 🛠️ JTAG-method - connection to test contacts of the board (from 3 000) ₽).
• 📊 Analysis RAW-Data recovery – file fragments (from 2 000) ₽).

How to choose a reliable service:

• 📌 Check reviews on Yandex.Maps or 2GIS.
• 💰 Check the cost of the diagnosis (in some places it is free).
• 📄 Request a data recovery warranty agreement.

⚠️ Warning: Avoid services that require 100% prepayment or don’t report files before payment. Real professionals will show what they have recovered and then take the money.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Redmi 9A