How to recover files deleted from the Explorer on Xiaomi

Accidentally removing important documents or photos from a Xiaomi phone is a stressful situation that many users are familiar with. Often we don't even notice a finger slipping and valuable data disappears from the Explorer irrevocably. However, it is too early to panic: modern Android file system and cloud services often save copies or allow you to return information.

Data recovery depends on how the deletion was done and how long it has been since then. If you just cleaned the trash in a standard application, the process will take a couple of minutes. In more complex cases, when the files are completely erased, specialized methods and programs will be required.

Below, we will discuss in detail all the ways available to recover lost information, from built-in MIUI functions to professional software, and it is important to act quickly and clearly so as not to overwrite memory sectors with new data, which would make recovery impossible.

Checking the basket in the file manager

The first thing you need to do is check the built-in security feature of Xiaomi. Most modern MIUI and HyperOS shells have a buffer zone where deleted files go before they are erased, which is the equivalent of a basket on a computer that stores data for a certain time.

Open the standard File Manager app and go to categories or settings, and here you will find the Recycle Bin or Recently Deleted folder, and if the file was deleted less than 30 days ago, it will be here, waiting for your decision to restore or permanently delete.

• 📂 Open the “Conductor” app on the main screen.
• 🗑️ Click on the menu icon (three dots or stripes) and select “Basket».
• ✅ Select the desired files and click the “Restore” button».
• ⏳ Note the retention period: usually 30 days for photos and 7 days for documents.

⚠️ Note: If you manually cleaned the cart or more than a month has passed since the deletion, files are erased from the index table of the file system, and this method will not help.

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If you deleted a file through a third-party explorer (for example, Total Commander), check the basket in the application through which the deletion was performed, since the system basket may not track the actions of third-party programs.

Use of the Mi Cloud cloud service

Xiaomi smartphone owners have access to their own cloud storage, Mi Cloud, and if you had sync enabled on your device, copies of deleted files could have been saved on the company's servers, one of the most reliable ways to do so without having to connect to a PC.

To check, go to your Mi Account settings and select the "Mi Cloud" section, where you can manage gallery, voice recorder, notes and contacts, and even if a file is deleted from your phone's memory, it can be stored in the cloud for up to 60 days in a special folder of remote objects.

The process of recovery through the cloud requires a stable Internet connection, preferably via Wi-Fi, so as not to waste mobile traffic. Once logged in to i.mi.com, you get full file management from any device, whether it is a computer or another smartphone.

It is worth noting that the amount of free storage is limited (usually 5 GB), so old backups could be automatically replaced with new ones. Synchronization in Mi Cloud often works only for system applications: Gallery, Contacts, Notes, Recorder and Browser. Third-party files from download folders to the cloud do not automatically get.

Recovery via Google Photos and Google Drive

Google’s ecosystem is the standard for Android, and its tools cannot be ignored when recovering data. Google Photos is the default service on most Xiaomi devices and can store deleted images in its shopping cart for up to 60 days, and for users of Google One subscriptions for up to 30 days after complete deletion.

The algorithm is simple: run Google Photos, go to the Library tab, and select Recycle Bin. This is where all the photos and videos that have been removed from the phone gallery are located. Similar to Google Drive: files that have been deleted from the Explorer but synced to the disk can be found in the Recycle Bin section of the web version of the service or app.

It’s important to check the boot settings in the Google Photos app. If it was enabled, even if you deleted a file from your phone’s memory, a copy of it could still be in the Google cloud, often saving users who accidentally formatted internal memory or reset the settings to factory.

Professional programs for PC

When embedded tools are powerless, specialized software for Data Recovery comes to the rescue. These programs scan the device's physical memory, trying to find traces of files that have not yet been overwritten by new data. Root rights are often required to work with Xiaomi's internal drive.

One of the popular utilities is Dr.Fone or DiskDigger (PC version), which allows you to conduct deep scans. Before starting the procedure, you need to turn on the phone debugging mode via USB. To do this, go to Settings → About phone and seven times click on the build number to activate the developer menu.

Then, in the advanced settings, find the USB Debugging option and activate it. Connect your smartphone to your computer with a cable and start the recovery program. The process can take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours depending on the amount of memory.

It should be understood that without superuser rights, programs often see only cached thumbnails of photos, not the originals in high resolution. Obtaining Root rights on modern Xiaomi models with a locked bootloader can be difficult and voids the warranty.

Recovery through ADB and Command Prompt

For advanced users, there is a method of working with the device through the Android Debug Bridge debugging bridge, which allows you to interact with the file system at a lower level than a regular Windows Explorer, but it requires the installation of drivers and basic command line knowledge.

First, you need to install the Platform-tools package on your computer. Once you connect the phone with USB debugging enabled, you type in the command line adb devices to check the connection, and if the device is displayed, you can try to find traces of deleted files or make a full partition backup.

adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/ C:/Backup/Photos

This command will copy the contents of the camera folder to the computer. Unfortunately, direct recovery of deleted files through standard ADB commands without root permissions is impossible, since the system blocks access to sectors marked as free, a method that is more effective for backing up important system logs or configuration files that may have survived.

⚠️ Attention: Inexperienced use of commands ADB This can cause system files to be damaged or data to be lost completely.Always back up before experimenting.

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ADB is more suitable for retrieving surviving data or diagnosing than for magically recovering files that are already lost without superuser rights.

Prevention of data loss and frequent errors

The best way to combat file loss is to back up regularly. Set up automatic sync of important folders with Google Drive or Yandex.Disk. Many users forget that messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram) have their own backup settings, which are often disabled by default.

It's a common mistake to keep using your phone actively once you've discovered that you've lost files. When you delete a file, the system only marks the space as free. If you start downloading movies, taking new photos or installing games, new data will be written on top of the deleted ones, and recovery will become impossible.

• 🚫 Do not install new apps on the phone from which you need to recover data.
• 📸 Stop taking photos and videos until you recover.
• 💾 Use the external SD-file-card.
• ☁️ Set up a weekly backup on PC or in the cloud.

And there's also the myth of the "magic" apps in Play Market that promise to restore anything in one click without permission, and in reality, without deep access to the system, they can only show cache, trust only proven solutions, and don't put your account data into questionable programs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)