Accidental removal of photos from Xiaomi Redmi 9A is a familiar situation, one careless click, and precious footage disappears from the gallery, leaving only a void and panic. Fortunately, even if you did not back up, the chances of returning pictures remain — thanks to the features of data storage in MIUI and the capabilities of modern recovery tools.
In this article, we will look at 7 proven methods adapted specifically for the Redmi 9A (including Android 10/11)-based firmware models. From the simplest check of the Recycle Bin to the use of professional utilities like DiskDigger or Recuva, you will learn how to proceed depending on how long it has been since the deletion and whether the phone used sync functions. Importantly, the effectiveness of each method depends on whether the data is overwritten on internal memory after deletion - the faster you start to restore, the better chances of success.
Before you get to the instructions, remember a key rule: do not save new files to your phone after losing a photo. Every new photo, video or application update can overwrite the memory clusters where the deleted photos were stored. If the phone is connected to the Internet, turn off mobile data and Wi-Fi to prevent automatic synchronization.
1. Checking the basket in the standard MIUI Gallery
The first thing you need to do is to look at the Gallery App Recycle Bin, where MIUI 12/13 (installed on Redmi 9A) stores deleted files for 30 days before being permanently erased, and this method works even if you deleted the photo a few weeks ago.
How to check:
- 📱 Open the Gallery app (icon with floral logo).
- 🗑️ Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → pick the basket.
- 🔍 Scroll through the list and find the photos you want. To get them back, click on the picture. → Restore.
- 📤 For Mass Recovery: Press Management → highlight files → Restore.
If the cart is empty or there is no photo, go to the next method. Note: in some versions of MIUI, the cart may be disabled. To activate it, go to Gallery Settings → Recycle cart → Enable.
2. Restore via Google Photos (if synchronized)
If your Redmi 9A enabled autosynchronization with Google Photos, the deleted images could have been saved to the cloud, which works even after the phone is reset to factory settings, since the data is stored on Google servers.
Instructions:
- 🌐 Open your browser on your PC or phone and go to photos.google.com.
- 🔑 Sign in with the same Google account that was used on Redmi 9A.
- 🗑️ In the left menu, select the basket (photos are stored there for 60 days).
- 🔄 Find the right pictures, highlight them and click Restore.
If the Google Photos Recycle Bin is empty, check the Archive – sometimes users mistakenly archive photos instead of deleting them. → Xiaomi Redmi 9A, where backup copies can be stored.
⚠️ Note: If you have deleted photos from Google Photos manually (not through the phone gallery), it is impossible to recover them after cleaning the cloud cart.
3.Using backups of MIUI (Mi Cloud)
Xiaomi offers its own cloud storage, Mi Cloud, which automatically backs up photos when the feature is activated. Unlike Google Photos, it reserves not only images from the gallery, but also screenshots, images from messengers.
How to restore:
- 📱 On the phone go to Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud.
- 🔒 Sign in to your account (if not authorized).
- 📷 Choose the Gallery → Restore.
- 📅 Specify the backup date (if there are several) and confirm the restoration.
If you don’t have backups in Mi Cloud, check your sync settings: the feature may have been disabled. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Data Sync and make sure the slider opposite the Gallery is active.
Check if your phone is connected to Wi-Fi
Make sure that your Xiaomi account is not blocked
Free up space on your phone (at least 10% of memory)
Battery charge of at least 50%
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4. PC Recovery with DiskDigger
If you don't save the photos in the clouds and the cart, you'll have to go deep, and you'll need a computer and DiskDigger, one of the most efficient solutions for Android devices, and it works even if the phone isn't rooted, but with root rights, you'll have a better chance of success.
Step-by-step:
- 💻 Download and install DiskDigger on PC (Windows).
- 📱 Get Redmi on board. 9A computer-to-computer USB-cable (in file transfer mode).
- 🔍 Start DiskDigger, select your phone from the list of devices.
- 📸 Specify the types of files to search: mark JPG, PNG, HEIC (photo-on).
- 🔎 Press Dig Deep (deep scan) and wait until the process is complete.
- 💾 Select the photos found and save them on PC.
The scan can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours, depending on the memory capacity of the Redmi 9A (32 or 64 GB). If DiskDigger does not find a photo, try alternative programs: Recuva (for memory cards) or EaseUS MobiSaver.
| Programme | Support without root | Deep scanning. | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| DiskDigger | ✅ Yes. | ✅ Yes. | Free (paid version for recovery) |
| Recuva | ❌ No (only for memory cards) | ✅ Yes. | Free of charge. |
| EaseUS MobiSaver | ✅ Yes. | ✅ Yes. | Paid (free trial period) |
| Dr.Fone | ✅ Yes. | ✅ Yes. | Paid |
⚠️ Note: When connecting Redmi 9A To PC in File Transfer mode, do not open your phone folder through Windows Explorer. This can lead to overwriting data and reduce the chances of recovery.
5. Recovery from a microSD card
If you have photos stored on a memory card, the recovery process is simplified, microSD cards are less susceptible to overwriting data, so the chances of returning pictures are higher, and PhotoRec (free) or R-Studio (paid, but with a demo mode) will do this.
Instructions for PhotoRec:
- 💻 Download PhotoRec and unpack the archive.
- 📁 Connect the memory card to the PC via the card reader (not via the phone!).
- 🖥️ Launch it. photorec_win.exe (for Windows or photorec (for Windows) macOS/Linux).
- 🔠 In the terminal, select a disk with a memory card (arrows) ← →, Enter).
- 📂 Specify the file system (usually) FAT32 exFAT).
- 🔍 Start the scan and wait for the results.
PhotoRec doesn't have a graphical interface, but it's very efficient. recup_dir File names will be random, so you'll have to manually sort the photos by date after you recover them (they'll be stored in metadata).
Why not restore the photo to the same memory card?
6.Manual recovery via ADB (for power users)
If previous methods have failed, you can try to extract photos through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires command line skills and is only suitable if the phone is enabled debugging over USB. On Redmi 9A, it can be activated like this:
Settings → About the phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times)
Settings → Additional → For developers → Debugging by USBFollow the instructions:
- 💻 Install. ADB Tools on PC.
- 📱 Get Redmi on board. 9A to the computer and confirm the debugging permission.
- 🖥️ Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (macOS/Linux) file ADB.
- 🔧 Enter the commands adb devices adb shell su cd /storage/emulated/0/DCIM ls -la (If the folder is empty, try cd /storage/emulated/0/Pictures)
- 📤 Copy files on PC: Adb pull /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Camera/ C:\Redmi_Photos\
This method will help if the photos are physically left on the phone, but are not displayed in the gallery due to a database failure, and if the commands return the Permission denied error, then root rights are required.
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If USB debugging is not enabled because of a locked screen, try connecting your phone to your PC via Mi Assistant (the official software from Xiaomi), which sometimes allows you to bypass the lock for backup.
7. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center
If all attempts to recover photos on their own have failed, the last chance is to contact an authorized service center Xiaomi, experts have access to professional tools such as Chip-Off or JTAG, which allow you to extract data directly from the memory chip.
What you need to know:
- 💰 Cost of service: from 3 000 to 10 000 rubles (depending on the complexity of the service).
- ⏳ Timeframe: 1-5 working days.
- 📄 Passport and phone check (if warranty) will be required).
- 🔒 Data security guarantee: official Xiaomi services provide it.
Before visiting the service, do not update the firmware or reset the settings - this can permanently erase the remnants of deleted files, and check by phone whether they are engaged in data recovery, since not all centers provide this service.
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The service center is the only way to return photos if they were deleted more than 6 months ago and are not saved in the cloud.