Recovery of deleted photos on Xiaomi Redmi Note 5: all working methods

Delete important photos from Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and don't know how to return them? The situation is familiar to many: accidentally clicking, resetting or crashing the system - and precious pictures disappear. Fortunately, even after deleting the files do not disappear from the device instantly. They remain in memory until they are overwritten by new data. This means that you have a chance to recover photos - the main thing is to act quickly and correctly.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to return deleted photos to Redmi Note 5: from standard MIUI features to professional tools. You will learn how to work with the gallery cart, use cloud backups, connect the device to a PC for deep scanning, and how to avoid irretrievable data loss in the future.

Before you start recovering, remember that the less you use your phone after you delete a photo, the better the chances of success. Every new photo, video, or app you install can overwrite deleted data, so immediately after you find a missing phone, turn off your mobile Internet and Wi-Fi to stop automatic synchronization.

1. Checking the basket in the standard MIUI gallery

The easiest way to return deleted photos is to use the built-in shopping cart in the Gallery app. MIUI Deleted files are not erased immediately, but are placed in temporary storage, where they can be from 15 to 30 days (depending on the settings:

1. Open the Gallery app on your Redmi Note 5.
2. Tap the three-point menu (⋮) top-right.
3. Select the Recycle Bin (or Recently Deleted in some versions).
4. Find the right photos, highlight them with a long tap and click Restore.

If the cart is empty or there are no photos, it means that:

• 🗑️ Shelf life has expired (by default - 30 days, but can be reduced manually).
• 🔄 Files were deleted directly through the file manager, bypassing the shopping cart.
• 📱 The phone disabled the function of the basket (check in the settings of the gallery).

In MIUI 12 and later, the shopping cart can be hidden. To enable it, go to Gallery Settings → Recycle Bin and activate the option. Also note that files deleted through Explorer or third-party apps (such as Google Photos) do not enter the gallery cart - you need to search for them in other ways.

2. Recovery through Xiaomi and Google Cloud Services

If your Redmi Note 5 has been enabled to sync with the cloud, the chances of returning photos are much higher. Xiaomi offers two main cloud services: Mi Cloud and integration with Google Photos. Consider both options.

Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

Mi Cloud automatically backs up photos if the feature is enabled to check for copies:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Make sure you are logged in to the same account that was linked to the phone at the time the photo was deleted.
3. Go to the Gallery or Backups section.
4. Find the photos you need and download them back to the device.

Note: Mi Cloud only provides 5GB of free space. If backups were not created due to space constraints, this method will not work. Also check if manual sync has been disabled in the gallery settings (Settings → Sync with Mi Cloud).

2.2 Google Photo.

Google Photos is another reliable source of backups, if the Redmi Note 5 has autoloaded:

1. Install the Google Photos app (if removed).
2. Log in to the same Google account you used before.
3. Go to the Photos → Recycle Bin (files are stored there for 60 days).
4. Or check the Archives - sometimes the photos get there instead of the basket.

An important nuance: Google Photos compresses images when downloading in High Quality mode (free rate). If you need originals, check if reservations were included in Original Quality (paid). Also note that after June 1, 2021, Google limited free storage to 15 GB for all services (including Gmail and Drive).

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If you have deleted photos long ago, try searching them by date or location in Google Photos, which automatically groups your photos by event and geolocation, making it easier to search.

3.Use of file managers to find hidden files

Sometimes photos are not deleted completely, but simply become hidden or moved to system folders. On Redmi Note 5, this can happen due to a failure in the gallery or file manager.

1. Install a file manager with support for hidden folders, such as Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer.
2. Enable the display of hidden files in the manager settings (usually the option is called Show Hidden Files).
3. Go to DCIM (Photo Primary Storage) or Pictures.
4. Check subfolders:.thumbnails – thumbnails (sometimes contain smaller copies).nomedia – files excluded from scanning by MIUI or Xiaomi – system folders with backups

If you find photos in.nomedia, just rename the folder by removing the dot at the beginning of the title (for example, from.backup to backup). After that, the files will become visible to the gallery. Also check the Download folder - sometimes when transferring over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct, files are saved there.

If the photos were deleted via WhatsApp or Telegram, check the folders of these apps:

• 📱 /storage/emulated/0/WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Images/
• 💬 /storage/emulated/0/Telegram/Telegram Images/

Even if you deleted the photos from the chat, they could still be in your phone’s memory.

4. Recovery with PC and specialized programs

If previous methods have failed, it’s time to connect the Redmi Note 5 to your computer and use deep memory scanning software, which is effective but requires caution: wrong actions can lead to complete data loss.

Preparation of the telephone

Before connecting to the PC:

Disconnect mobile internet and Wi-Fi|Charge your phone at least 50 times%|Use the original USB-cable|Unlock the screen (some programs require access confirmation)

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1. Turn on USB debugging: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version to activate Developer Mode. Go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers and turn on USB Debugging.

File Transfer (MTP)

Recovery programmes

The following tools are suitable for scanning the memory of Redmi Note 5 (all support the F2FS file system used in Xiaomi):

We recommend starting with DiskDigger or EaseUS MobiSaver, as they work best with Xiaomi.

1. Install the program on your PC and connect the phone.
2. Select the Internal Memory section (not the SD-card, if the photo was on the built-in storage).
3. Start a deep scan (may take several hours).
4. After you complete, mark the photos you want (usually displayed as.jpg or.png marked Remote).
5. Save them to your PC, not back to your phone (to avoid overwriting).

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If the phone is not defined by the program, try restarting it in Fastboot mode (hold Power + Volume Down when turned on) and reconnecting. Sometimes this helps bypass the limitations of MIUI.

Without root rights, programs can only find files that have not been overwritten. If photos have been deleted long ago, the chances of success are lower. Also, note that some programs (such as 7-Data Recovery) may require payment to recover large files.

5. Recovery via MIUI backup (local or cloud)

Xiaomi offers a built-in backup feature that can save your photos.There are two types of backups:

• 🖥️ Local copy – saved to the phone or SD-map.
• ☁️ Cloud copy – uploaded to Mi Cloud.

To recover data from the local backup:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Select Local Backup.
3. Find the copy you want (pay attention to the date of creation).
4. Tap Restore and select only Gallery (so as not to erase other data).

For cloud recovery:

1. In the same menu, select Recovery from Mi Cloud.
2. Log in to Xiaomi's account.
3. Select a backup with the desired date and restore only media files.

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If you do backups regularly but don’t remember the date of the latter, check the MIUI/Backup/AllBackup folder through the file manager, and all local copies are stored here, with the creation time.

Important: Recovery from the backup will replace the current data in the gallery, if you take new pictures after you delete them, they may disappear, and also note that MIUI backups sometimes save not the photos themselves, but only the paths to them, in which case recovery will not help.

6. Contacting a service center: when nothing helps

If all of these methods fail, the last option is to contact Xiaomi Service Center, which is relevant in the following cases:

• 🔧 The phone is physically damaged (for example, after falling or getting water).
• 📱 Photos were removed as a result of reset to factory settings.
• 🔒 The device is locked and you cannot access the data.

Xiaomi service centers in Russia and CIS are equipped with specialized equipment for retrieving data from damaged drives.

⚠️ Note: Data recovery in the service is a paid service (from 3000 to 10 000 rubles depending on the complexity), there is also no guarantee that the photos will be restored in full.

Before the service visit:

1. Don’t try to disassemble your phone yourself – this can make the problem worse.
2. Check by phone if they are engaged in data recovery (not all services provide this service).
3. Prepare proof of purchase (if the phone is warranty).

The alternative is specialized data recovery laboratories (for example, HDD Recovery or Data Recovery), which work with memory chips at the chip level, but the cost of services can reach 20,000-30,000 rubles.

How to Prevent Loss of Photos in the Future

To avoid the problem of deleted photos, follow these recommendations:

• ☁️ Turn on automatic sync with Google Photos or Mi Cloud, and even if you delete a photo from your phone, copies of it will remain in the cloud.
• 📁 Regularly create local backups on your PC or external drive. MIUI Backup or third-party utilities like Titanium Backup (requires root).
• 🔄 Check the basket before final cleaning. MIUI You can set up notifications about new files in the basket.
• 📱 Use it. SD-Photo card. When you reset your phone, the data on the memory card is left intact.
• 🔒 Set a password for the gallery (via Settings) → Blocking applications to avoid accidental deletion.

Also, look at the memory optimization settings in MIUI. Sometimes the system automatically clears the cache and temporary files, which can result in loss of thumbnails or previews.

1. Go to Settings → Memory → Cleanup.
2. Turn off the Auto Clean option or add the gallery to the exceptions.

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The most reliable way to protect your photo is to combine cloud-based backup (Google Photos) with local backup on your PC, so even if your phone gets lost or broken, you won't lose your photos.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Redmi Note 5