How to recover deleted photos on Xiaomi phone: from cart to deep scan

You deleted important photos from Xiaomi and you don't know how to get them back? Don't panic -- in most cases, files can be recovered even if they were erased a few days ago. The key is to act quickly and correctly so that you don't overwrite the data to internal memory.

Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark models) store deleted photos in the hidden Recycle Bin folder for up to 30 days, and sync them with the Mi Cloud — if the function was activated. But what to do if the basket is empty and the cloud was not used? In this article, we will discuss 7 working methods for recovery, from simple to advanced, including the use of PCs and specialized utilities.

The more you delay recovery, the lower the chances of success. Every new photo, video, or app you install can overwrite the memory sectors where the deleted files were stored, so take action immediately after you find a loss!

1.Check the "Basket" folder in the Xiaomi Gallery

The first thing you need to do is look in the system basket. On all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12 firmware and later deleted photos are stored there for 30 days before final deletion, and even if you cleaned the gallery manually, the files could remain in the basket.

How to open the basket:

• 📱 Open the Gallery app (icon with colored squares).
• 🔍 Click on the three horizontal lines (menu) in the lower right corner.
• 🗑️ Select the item "Baskbasket" (or Trash in English version).
• 🖼️ View the list of files: photos are sorted by date of deletion.

To restore:

1. Select the desired photos with a long tap.
2. Click "Restore" (the icon with the arrow down).
3. Files will return to the original folder (Camera, Screenshots, etc.).

⚠️ Warning: If you don't have the right photos in your cart, don't add new files to your phone, which reduces your chances of recovering through other methods.

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

If your Xiaomi had Mi Cloud sync enabled, the deleted photos could be saved to the cloud, which works even after you reset your phone to factory settings, so you need to have your Mi Account linked to the device.

How to check the cloud:

• 🌐 Go to i.mi.com and log in.
• 📁 Select the section "Gallery).
• 🔍 Use a date filter or keyword search (e.g, 2023-10).
• 📥 Click "Download" for the desired photos (they will be saved in the ZIP-archive).

If the photo is not in the cloud, check:

• 🔄 Was autosynchronization enabled: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery.
• 📅 Last sync date (Photos may have been deleted before activation).
• 📱 Model phone: on POCO F1 And old Redmi Note synchronization gallery could work unstable.

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If Mi Cloud doesn’t show a photo, try logging in via another browser (e.g. Chrome in incognito mode) or changing the region on the site (top right).

3. Use of Google Photos (if backed up)

Many Xiaomi users set up automatic backups for photos in Google Photos. If you’ve logged in to a Google account on your phone, check out this service — it can store copies of deleted photos for years.

Instructions:

1. Open the Google Photos app or go to photos.google.com.
2. Sign in with the same account as Xiaomi.
3. Click on the avatar. → «Bin, the photo is stored there for 60 days.
4. If the cart is empty, check the main gallery: it is possible that the photos are simply hidden or archived.

Features:

• 📸 Google Photos compresses photos for free storage (quality "High"). Originals are only saved when you pay the tariff.
• 🔄 If backup was disabled, the service will not help.
• 📱 On Xiaomi MIUI 13+ Google Photos may conflict with the system gallery – check your sync settings.

4. PC recovery: programs for deep scanning

If the photos are not found in the cart or clouds, it is time to connect the computer. Special programs (for example, DiskDigger, Recuva or EaseUS MobiSaver) scan the internal memory of the phone at the file system level and can find the photos even after formatting.

The best tools for Xiaomi:

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger (recommended for Xiaomi):

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

Connect your phone to your PC via the original cable

Install Xiaomi USB Drivers (download from the official website)

Start DiskDigger and select Full Scan (requires root)

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Important:

• 🔌 Use the original cable – cheap analogues can interrupt the connection.
• 🛠️ For a deep scan of the MIUI Root access is often required (but it is a risk to the guarantee!).
• 💾 Save recovered photos on your PC, not back to your phone.

⚠️ Note: Programs like Dr.Fone can show ghost files, thumbnails of photos that don't open, which means that the data is partially overwritten, in which case, try another utility or contact the service center.

5. Recovery after reset to factory settings

If you have done a hard reset (reset via Settings) → The phone. → Resetting, the chances of returning a photo are reduced, but not zero:

Recovery methods:

1. Check Mi Cloud: After reset, log in to the same Mi Account - sometimes photos are synced back.
2. PC scanning: connect your phone to your computer and use Recuva or PhotoRec (works rootless but slower).
3. Call to service: Workshops with chip-off recovery equipment can extract data directly from the memory chip (expensive but efficient).

Which won't help:

• ❌ Recovery via fastboot – This mode doesn’t work with user data.
• ❌ Utilities like ADB — They can’t see deleted files without rooting.
• ❌ Flashing the phone – it will finally delete all data.

6 How to recover photos from damaged memory card

If the photos were stored on a microSD and the card was no longer identified, don't rush to throw them away. In 80% of cases, the data can be saved using utilities to work with the drives.

Algorithm of action:

1. 🛑 Don’t format the map – it will reduce the chances of recovery.
2. 💻 Connect the card to the PC via card reader (not via phone!).
3. 🔍 Run PhotoRec (free, works without installation) or R-Studio.
4. 📂 Select a memory card drive and start scanning (the process can take several hours).

Tips for Xiaomi:

• 📱 On models Redmi Note 10 Pro and newer memory cards are formatted in exFAT - choose this format in the settings of the utility.
• 🔋 If the card is not determined, try another card reader or connect through USB-powerhouse.
• 💾 Save the recovered files to your PC hard drive, not the same card.

7.Prevention: How to avoid loss of photos in the future

To avoid looking for recovery options, you should set up your backup beforehand. Here are 5 reliable methods for Xiaomi owners:

• ☁️ Mi Cloud: Enable autosynchronization in Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Gallery. 5GB is free.
• 📸 Google Photos: Install the app and activate Backup and Sync.
• 💾 Local Copy: Transfer a photo to a PC or external disk once a month through Explorer → This computer → [Xiaomi model].
• 🔄 Duplication to memory card: in camera settings (Storage) → Save it on. SD-map) select duplication.
• 📱 Backup apps: SyncMe or FolderSync can automatically copy photos to Dropbox or Yandex Drive.

For models with MIUI 14+ (for example, Xiaomi 13T or POCO F5) added "backup" MIUI»:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup.
2. Choose Local Backup or Cloud Backup.
3. Specify backup folders (be sure to check DCIM and Pictures).

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Even if you use the cloud, make sure that your photos are synced regularly. For example, go to Photos → Archive and make sure the latest photos are in place.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi