How to recover deleted photos on Xiaomi Redmi 8: from the cart to deep scanning

Deleting photos on Xiaomi Redmi 8 is one of the most painful mistakes for users. Even if you accidentally clicked "Delete" or formatted a memory card, the chances of returning photos remain. The main thing is to act quickly and correctly. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods of recovery, from standard MIUI functions to professional utilities, taking into account the features of the Redmi 8 model (codenamed olive).

It's important to understand that the longer you delay recovery, the lower the likelihood of success. New files written on top of deleted files can irrevocably overwrite them. So first of all, stop using your phone to shoot or download content. If the photos were stored on a microSD, remove the card and connect it to your PC through a card reader.

We tested all methods on Redmi 8 with MIUI 12.5 and MIUI 13 (Android 10/11) firmware. Instructions are adapted for Global and China versions, but some features (such as Mi Cloud) may differ depending on the regional software. If your phone is rooted or has custom firmware, pay attention to individual recommendations in the ADB section.

1.A check of the basket at MIUI Gallery

The easiest way to return photos is to use the built-in basket in the Gallery app. MIUI Deleted files are stored there for up to 30 days (by default) unless they have been manually cleaned:

1. Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines in the lower right corner (menu).
3. Select the Cart item (or Trash in English version).
4. Click on the desired photos, then tap Restore at the bottom of the screen.

If the basket is empty, check the storage settings:

• 🔄 Go to Gallery Settings → Basket → Auto-clean and make sure that the shelf life is not reduced to 1-7 days.
• 📁 If the photos were stored on a microSD, the cart can be turned off – in this case, proceed to the next method.
• 🔍 Use Cart Search: Type in a keyword (such as a date or event) in the search bar inside the section.

⚠️ Note: In some versions MIUI For Redmi 8, the cart is hidden by default. To activate it, go to Settings. → Additionally. → Show the basket.

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

If your Redmi 8 was enabled to sync with Mi Cloud, the photos could be saved to the cloud, and this method works even after you reset your phone to factory settings.

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Make sure you are logged in to the same account that was used when you deleted the photo.
3. Go to the Gallery or Photos section.
4. Check all the photos, recently deleted or archived.

If there are no photos, try to restore them through the web version:

• 🌐 Go to i.mi.com from a PC or other device.
• 🔑 Sign up with the same Xiaomi account.
• 📂 Open the Gallery section and check the basket folder (stored for up to 60 days).

Note: Mi Cloud will only sync photos in the original resolution by default, unless Traffic Saving mode is selected in the settings, in which case compressed versions can be stored in the cloud.

💡

If you don’t have photos in Mi Cloud, check your sync settings: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery → Auto Sync. The feature may have been disabled.

3. Use of Google Photos (if backed up)

Many Redmi 8 users set up automatic backups in Google Photos, and if you logged in to a Google account and enabled sync, the photos could have been saved there.

1. Open the Google Photos app (if removed, install from the Play Market).
2. Slip on the profile avatar in the upper right corner.
3. Select a Recycle Bin - the photos are stored there for 60 days.
4. To recover, click on the picture and select Restore.

If the cart is empty, check the archive:

• 🔍 In the search bar, enter an archive or archive.
• 📅 Filter photos by date of deletion in the Search section → By date.
• 📱 If the photos were taken on a different phone but synced to the same Google account, they can be stored in the Device folder.

⚠️ Attention: Google Photos from June 2021, free storage of high-quality photos is limited to 15 GB per account. If the limit is exhausted, new images will not sync.

4. PC recovery: programs for deep scanning

If the photos are not found in the cart or cloud, you will have to connect Redmi 8 to your computer and use specialized programs. We recommend DiskDigger, Recuva or EaseUS MobiSaver - they support the F2FS and ext4 file system used in Xiaomi.

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger:

1. Download and install DiskDigger (Windows version).
2. Connect Redmi 8 to your PC via USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode when requested).
3. Run the program and select the drive that matches the phone’s internal memory (usually Xiaomi Redmi 8 or Internal Storage).
4. Press Dig Deep (deep scan) and wait for the process to be completed.
5. Tag the photos you find (.jpg,.png,.heic formats) and click Recover.

Nuances for Redmi 8:

• 🔌 If the phone is not defined as a drive, turn on Debugging by USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Tap 7 times, then return to the additional → For developers).
• 📱 To scan the microSD, remove the card and connect it through the card reader.
• ⚡ Deep scanning can take hours – don’t interrupt the process.

Disable Wi-Fi and Mobile Data on Redmi 8|

Charge your phone at least 50% |

Use the original USB-cable|

Do not connect other devices to the same PC port|

Download the program from the official website-->

5. Recovery through ADB (for advanced users)

If standard methods didn’t help, and photos are critical, you can try extracting them through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires command line skills and is suitable for Redmi 8 with unlocked bootloader or root rights.

Instructions:

1. Install ADB and Fastboot on PC.
2. Connect Redmi 8 to your computer and enable USB Debugging (see previous section).
3. Open the command prompt (cmd) and type: Adb devices Make sure the device is defined.
4. Create a backup of the photo section (usually) /data/media/0/DCIM): adb pull /data/media/0/DCIM C:\Redmi8_Backup
5. If files are not retrieved, try rooting: adb shell su cp -r /data/media/0/DCIM /sdcard/Backup Then copy the Backup folder to your PC.

Warnings:

• 🛡️ Without root rights, you won’t be able to access some system folders.
• 🔧 Wrong teams ADB It can cause the system to fail.
• 📴 If your phone is locked (forgot the password), unlock it through your Mi Account first.

6. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center

If all of these methods have failed and the photos are of high value (for example, family archives or work documents), you can contact an authorized Xiaomi service center.

What you need to know:

• 💰 The cost of the service starts from 3 000 rubles and depends on the complexity (average 5 000-10 000 rubles).
• ⏳ Recovery period – from 1 to 5 working days.
• 📄 You will need proof of ownership of the phone (checks, box, binding to Mi Account).

Before the service visit:

1. Don’t tell them you’ve tried to recover data yourself, which can make it harder for the team to do the work.
2. Check whether the center provides a guarantee for the safety of other data (for example, contacts or messages).
3. If the photos were stored on a microSD, take them with you – sometimes recovering from the card is cheaper.

⚠️ Note: Not all service centers work with logical data recovery. Check by phone whether they provide data recovery service for smartphones. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, you can contact Xiaomi Care or partner centers, for example, Communication Service.

💡

Service recovery is an extreme method, and it is only useful for high-importance photos, as the cost can exceed the price of the Redmi 8 itself.

7. How to prevent future loss of photos

To avoid the problem of deleted photos, set up Redmi 8 according to these recommendations:

• ☁️ Enable autosynchronization with Mi Cloud and Google Photos: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery → Autosynchronization Google Photos → Settings → Backup and synchronization
• 📁 Regularly copy photos to a PC or external drive (once a month).
• 🔄 Use cloud-based versions like Dropbox or Yandex Drive – they save your file changes history.
• 🛡️ Install a backup app like Swift Backup (requires root rights) or Titanium Backup.

Additional advice:

• 📲 Avoid storing photos only on microSD – memory cards are more likely to fail than internal memory.
• 🔋 Keep an eye on battery status: with a low charge (less than 15%), the phone may shut down while copying files, which will damage them.
• 📧 Set up automatic sending of important photos to email via IFTTT Tasker.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Redmi 8