How to recover deleted photos in the Xiaomi gallery: from the cart to deep scanning

Why are photos disappearing from the Xiaomi gallery and can they be returned?

Have you accidentally deleted important photos on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or another model - and now you don't know how to restore them? Don't panic: in most cases, files don't disappear irrevocably immediately after clicking "Delete." MIUI provides several protection mechanisms, and modern data recovery methods allow you to return pictures even months after deletion.

The reasons for loss of photos on Xiaomi smartphones fall into two categories: software (cleaning the cart, resetting, errors in the Gallery app) and hardware (damaging flash memory, device fall). In the first case, the chances of success are close to 90%, in the second – depend on the degree of damage. It is important to act quickly: the less time has passed since the deletion, the higher the probability of recovery.

In this article, we will look at 5 proven methods, from standard MIUI features to professional tools that work even on locked phones, and at the end you will find answers to frequent questions and a table of methods compatibility with different Xiaomi models.

Method 1: Recovery from the basket of the MIUI Gallery

The easiest and fastest method is to check the shopping cart in the standard Gallery app, where the deleted photos are stored for up to 30 days in MIUI 12-14 (some models have a reduced time to 15 days), and then they are automatically cleared, so you need to act quickly.

To recover the photo from the cart:

1. Open the Gallery app on your Xiaomi.
2. Slip on three dots in the top right corner and select Recycle Bin (or Recently Deleted on older versions).
3. Select the desired photos with a long tap or check the boxes manually.
4. Click Restore at the bottom of the screen.

The files will be returned to the same folder from which they were deleted.

• ✅ Pros: does not require root rights, works without the Internet, takes 2 minutes.
• ❌ Cons: If the basket is cleaned, the method will not work; on some firmwares, the basket is disabled by default.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi with custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience), the basket may not be available. In this case, move to method 2 or 3.

Method 2: Recovery via Mi Cloud (if synchronization was enabled)

If your Xiaomi has Mi Cloud sync enabled, the chances of returning photos are much higher, the cloud keeps backups of media files even if they were deleted from the device, the main condition is the presence of a Mi Account account and the option to autosynchronize the gallery in the settings.

Instructions for recovery through Mi Cloud:

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in to your account.
2. From the menu on the left, select Gallery → Cart (or All photos if the cart is empty).
3. Find the right pictures, highlight them and click Restore.
4. Confirm the action – the photos will be uploaded back to the phone the next time you connect to Wi-Fi.

If the photos are not displayed in the Mi Cloud cart, check:

• 🔹 Whether synchronization was enabled before deleting files (see Settings) → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → gallery).
• 🔹 Is the storage limit exceeded (if new photos are exceeded, they are not synchronized).
• 🔹 Have you changed your Mi Account after removing your photos.

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If Mi Cloud doesn’t find a photo, try to go to the web version via your browser on your PC – sometimes the mobile app doesn’t display all backups.

Method 3: Using Google Photos (if backed up)

Many Xiaomi users set up automatic photo backup in Google Photos. If you are one of them, you can restore photos even years after deleting. The service saves files in the Archive or Recycle Bin (depending on the method of deleting).

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Google Photos app on your phone or go to photos.google.com.
2. In the menu (three lines at the top) select the Recycle Bin - there the photos are stored for 60 days.
3. If the basket is empty, check the Archive or search by date/place.
4. Select the desired photos and click Restore.

Important: Google Photos only restores photos to the cloud, so that they appear in the Xiaomi gallery, you need to:

• 📱 Manually download them to the phone through the application.
• ☁️ Enable autosynchronization in Google Photos Settings → Backup and synchronization.

⚠️ Note: If you have deleted photos from the Google Photos Recycle Bin or more than 60 days have passed since you deleted them, you cannot restore them through this service.

Has sync been enabled in Google Photos?|Checked the "Basket" and "Archive" folders"|Is there access to a Google account linked to your phone?|Is there enough space on the device to download photos-->

Method 4: Deep scanning programs (without root)

If standard methods fail, it’s up to specialized utilities like DiskDigger, EaseUS MobiSaver, or Dr.Fone to scan Xiaomi’s internal memory at the file system level and can find photos even if they’ve been deleted months ago, and the main condition is not to write new data to your phone after you lose your photos (this reduces the chances of recovery).

The best photo recovery software on Xiaomi:

• 🔧 DiskDigger - Free version of the search JPG/PNG, supportive RAW It works without root, but it's more efficient.
• 💾 EaseUS MobiSaver is a paid tool with a preview of found files. MIUI 12–14.
• 📱 Dr.Fone (Wondershare) - recovers photos, contacts and messages. There is a PC version and a mobile application.

Instructions for DiskDigger (example):

1. Download and install DiskDigger from Google Play.
2. Start the program and select Start a simple scan (without root).
3. Wait until the process is completed (it can take 10–30 minutes).
4. View the photos found, highlight the necessary ones and click Restore.
5. Save files to a memory card or cloud (not internal memory!).

⚠️ Note: When using such programs, do not connect your phone to the PC through MTP (File transfer mode: this can overwrite deleted data, better scanned directly from your phone or through the phone. ADB.

Method 5: Recovery via PC (ADB and specialized utilities)

For experienced users, there is a recovery method through ADB (Android Debug Bridge) that is suitable if:

• 🔹 The phone is not rooted, but there is access to debugging USB.
• 🔹 Photos recently deleted (within 1-2 weeks).
• 🔹 The standard methods didn't work.

Algorithm of action:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on Xiaomi: go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install it. ADB-Drivers and check the connection with the command: Adb devices
4. Use the Android Data Recovery utility (e.g. from Tenorshare) or the command to create a memory dump: adb pull /data/media/0/DCIM/C:\Backup\
5. Scan the files via PhotoRec or TestDisk.

This technique requires technical knowledge, but it allows you to recover photos even with a corrupted file system. If you are not sure about yourself, you should contact the Xiaomi service center.

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ADB-The method is the most powerful, but also the riskiest. Wrong commands can cause your phone to reset or lose all the data. Use it only if other methods have not worked.

What if none of the methods worked?

If all of these methods have failed, there are three options:

1. Official partners of Xiaomi have access to professional data recovery tools (for example, Chip-Off – removal of a memory chip for reading on a programmer). The cost of the service: from 3 000 to 10 000 rubles depending on the model.
2. Try recovery using TWRP. If you have customized recaps installed on your phone (like TWRP), you can create a full /data partition backup and analyze it on your PC. This method requires root rights.
3. Accept the loss. Unfortunately, if photos were deleted more than a year ago and new data was recorded on your phone, the chances of recovery tend to zero, and then you have to learn the lesson: set up automatic backups in Mi Cloud or Google Photos.

A warning for Xiaomi owners with damaged memory:

• 🚨 If the phone doesn’t turn on or reboots constantly, don’t try to recover the photo yourself – this can make the problem worse.
• 🔧 In case of physical damage (fall, water) immediately carry the device to the service - every hour of delay reduces the chances of saving data.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi