Accidental removal of important images is a stress familiar to every smartphone owner. When a finger slips and you confirm the gallery clear, it seems that the moments are lost forever. However, in the Android operating system on which Xiaomi and Redmi devices are based, data does not disappear instantly.
That's why the speed of the reaction is crucial, because the sooner you start, the more likely you are to successfully return files, and in this article, we'll look at all the current methods, from the built-in shopping cart to the use of specialized software for deep scanning.
Recovery is possible through both cloud services and direct connection to your computer. It's important to understand that standard MIUI tools often allow you to return files without installing additional software. Let's take a closer look at the algorithms.
Checking the built-in basket in the Gallery
The first and easiest step is to check the Recycle Bin system folder, where in the MIUI shell, deleted images are not permanently erased immediately, but are moved to a special buffer where they are stored for 30 days, which is standard protection against random user actions.
To access this section, you need to open the standard Gallery app. At the bottom of the screen, select the Albums tab and scroll to the bottom, and you'll find Deleted. If less than a month has passed since the loss, your photos will be located here.
- 📸 Open the Gallery app on the main screen
- 📂 Go to the Albums tab and find the Deleted folder.
- 🔄 Click and hold the desired photo, then select Restore.
- 🗑️ For complete cleaning, click Clean Everything, but remember that it is irreversible.
If you didn't find the file in that folder, it was deleted more than 30 days ago or the basket was forced to be cleaned, and then you can't get the data back with standard system tools, and you have to resort to more sophisticated methods.
⚠️ Note: Files in the Recycle Bin take up space in the phone's memory. If (memory) is crowded, the system can automatically delete the oldest files from the Recycle Bin before the expiration of 30 days.
Use of the Mi Cloud cloud service
Mi Account holders have access to a proprietary cloud storage, and if you have a gallery sync activated on your device, copies of all your images are automatically uploaded to Xiaomi servers, the most secure way to protect your data that users often ignore.
Check for backups not only from your phone, but also through your browser on your computer. Go to the official i.mi.com website and log in under your login. The Gallery section can store even photos that you have already deleted from your device, if the sync worked correctly.
There's a nuance with Wi-Fi networks. By default, photo sync is often configured only over wireless networks to save mobile traffic. If you deleted the photo immediately after taking it while the phone was in flight mode or without Wi-Fi, the sync may not have time to pass.
What to do if the synchronization is turned off?
To enable the function, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud. Make sure the switch opposite the Gallery is active. In the same menu, you can see the status of the last sync and the amount of occupied space.
Recovery via Google Photos and other clouds
Google's ecosystem is an alternative to Xiaomi's branded services, and Google Photos is pre-installed on most smartphones and can backup by default, similar to Mi Cloud, but the servers are owned by another company.
Go to the app and check the Library → Recycle Bin folder, which also has 60 days for Google One users and 30 days for others, and features a service that can store photos in compressed (high) quality for free and without limiting volume.
| Service | Storage period in the basket | Account required | Free seat limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Oblako | 30 days | Mi Account | 5GB |
| Google Photo | 30-60 days | Google Account | 15 GB (total) |
| Yandex Disk | 30 days | Yandex ID | 10GB |
And don't forget about third-party services like Dropbox, OneDrive or Yandex.Disk. If you have any of these apps installed with the camera autoload enabled, the chances of recovery are greatly increased. Check the web versions of these services through your browser.
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Make a rule: Never delete photos from the cloud until you make sure they are correctly displayed on another device or computer.
Analysis of messenger folders and cache
Often, users search for deleted photos in the gallery, forgetting that the original could have been saved in the folders of messengers. Apps like WhatsApp, Telegram or Viber create their own copies of media files. Even if you deleted an image from the main album, it can lie in the back of the file system.
Use the built-in Explorer app. Go to the internal memory section and find folders with messenger names. For example, the path to WhatsApp usually looks like Android → media → com.whatsapp → WhatsApp → Media → WhatsApp Images.
Inside these directories, there is often a "Private" or "Sent" subfolder where files sent or received are stored. It's also worth checking the DCIM →.thumbnails folder. It's a hidden system folder where Android stores thumbnails of images. The quality will be low, but the contents of the frame can be seen.
- 📁 Open Explorer and enable the display of hidden files
- 🔍 Check the folders. DCIM, Pictures and Android/media
- 💬 Look at the directory of installed messengers
- 👀 Look for prefixed files. IMG_ date-name
⚠️ Warning: The.thumbnails folder can take up several gigabytes of space, and periodic cleaning of this folder speeds up the gallery, but destroys the ability to restore thumbnails.
Use of specialized software for PC
When embedded methods are powerless, deep memory scanning software comes to the rescue, and it works by looking for digital traces, so even if the file system has placed a file as deleted, its contents physically remain on the medium until they are overwritten.
One popular tool is DiskDigger (PC or phone root). To work with your computer, you will need to turn on the USB debugging mode on your smartphone. This is done in the Developer menu, which is hidden by default.
To activate the developer menu, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7 times on “MIUI Version.” After that, a new section will appear in the advanced settings. Enable “Debugging by USB” there and connect the phone to your computer with a cable.
adb devices
adb shell ls /data/media/0/DCIMPrograms like Dr.Fone, Tenorshare UltData, or Recuva (for memory cards) scan the device, which can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, and it's important not to interrupt the connection or use the phone while scanning, so as not to damage the memory sectors.
☑️ Preparing for recovery via PC
Prevention of data loss and work with SD-map
If your photos are stored on a microSD card, it's a simplification, you can extract the card, paste it into the card reader, and connect it to your PC like a regular flash drive, and data recovery software works much more efficiently with external media than with the phone's internal memory.
For memory cards, the free Recuva utility is great. Choose the deep scan mode and specify the disk letter corresponding to the card. The chances of success are maximum here, since the card file system is simpler and less likely to use the complex encryption algorithms characteristic of internal Android memory.
However, if the map has been damaged logically or physically, the software methods may not help, and in critical cases, when the data is of high value, the only way out is to go to a specialized laboratory center.
To avoid problems in the future, set up automatic backups, which can be a weekly backup to your computer or a constant sync with the cloud, and regular copy creation is key to the security of your memories.
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The most effective method of recovery is to have a fresh backup, and a regular backup saves time, nerves and money at a critical time.