How to Recover Deleted Videos on Xiaomi Phone: A Complete 2026 Guide

Did you accidentally delete an important video from Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5 Pro? Don't panic - in 80% of cases, files can be returned even if you have already cleaned the cart. In this article, we will analyze all working methods of recovery, including hidden MIUI features, cloud backups and professional tools that do not require root rights.

The rule of thumb is, the faster you start, the better the chances of success. Deleted files don't disappear instantly, they're labeled "free space" and can be overwritten with new data. So immediately stop making new videos, installing apps or updating the system. Even just surfing the Internet creates a cache that can make it difficult to recover.

Important: on devices with MIUI 14+ and Android 13+, the standard shopping cart in the gallery stores deleted files only 30 days - after that they are deleted irrevocably without additional notifications.

1. Checking the basket in the standard MIUI gallery

The first thing you need to do is to look into the Gallery's built-in application cart. Even if you click "Delete," the files can stay there for up to 30 days (default setting).

Open the Gallery app → tap on the three horizontal lines in the bottom right → select Recycle Bin. This displays all recently deleted files, including videos. To recover:

• 📁 Select the required video with a long tap
• 🔄 Click "Restore" in the lower menu
• 📤 Videos will return to the original folder (e.g. Camera or Downloads)

If the basket is empty, check your storage settings: go to Gallery Settings → Recycle Bin → Shelf life. On some firmware, this setting can be reduced to 7 or even 1 day.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with dual SIM-cards (e.g. Redmi) 10C) The shopping cart can be displayed separately for each profile user. Switch between accounts in the top gallery menu.

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (cloud storage)

If your Xiaomi has been enabled to sync with Mi Cloud, there's a chance that the videos have been saved to the cloud, and this method works even after you reset your phone to factory settings.

1. Open the Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud
2. Make sure the Gallery switch is on (green)
3. Go to i.mi.com from your computer or phone
4. Sign in under the same account as on your smartphone
5. Select the section "Gallery" → "Basket" or "Archive"

In Mi Cloud, the video is stored in its original quality, but there are limitations:

• 📦 Free Rate – 5 GB (may not be enough for video in the Internet) 4K)
• ⏳ Files in the cloud bin are stored for 60 days
• 🔄 Recovered files are automatically synced back to your phone.

If video is not in the cloud, check for automatic backups: Mi Cloud has a Backup section where copies of the DCIM folder can be saved (where the video from the camera is stored).

3.Use of the file manager to search for hidden copies

Sometimes videos are not deleted completely, but moved to hidden system folders, especially for devices with MIUI 13+, where a memory optimizer can archive rarely used files.

Open Files (standard manager from Xiaomi) → go to Categories → Video. If nothing, turn on the display of hidden files:

1. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner
2. Select Settings → Show hidden files
3. Go back and check the folders:.thumbnails – video thumbnails.trash – alternative shopping cart Android/data/com.miui.gallery – cache gallery

If you find files with extension.mp4 or.mov, but they are not reproduced, try renaming them by adding an underline symbol (e.g., an underline symbol) to the beginning of the name, _video.mp4). Sometimes it helps to get around the limitations. MIUI access to system files.

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On some Xiaomi models (e.g. Mi 11 Ultra), video from the main camera is saved in the DCIM/Camera/ folder, and from the front one in DCIM/Screenshots/.

4.Programs for recovery without root rights

If standard methods didn’t help, it’s time to connect third-party utilities.We selected 3 proven applications that work on Xiaomi without root access and do not require payment for basic features:

Instructions for DiskDigger (the most convenient option for beginners):

Download the app from Google Play|Select "Start basic scanning"|Check "Video files"|Please specify the folder to save (better to save) SD-map)|Wait until it is finished and select the necessary files.|Click "Restore selected ones"-->

Important nuances:

• 🛑 Do not save recovered files to the same memory area where they were deleted.
• 🔍 Deep scanning takes 1-3 hourly and charge-intensive >50%
• 📱 Nana POCO F4 and new models may require permission to access the storage in Settings → Annexes → Permits

⚠️ Note: Apps like Wondershare Dr.Fone or EaseUS MobiSaver are often advertised as “free” but actually require a fee to recover files over 50MB.

5. Recovery with ADB (for Advanced)

If the videos have been deleted recently and the phone hasn’t rebooted, you can try retrieving them via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that doesn’t require root, but requires minimal command line knowledge.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/Linux/macOS
• 📋 Installed drivers ADB For Xiaomi (download here)
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original)

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (shap 7 times to activate Developer Mode)
2. Return to Settings → More → For developers and enable USB Debugging
3. Connect your phone to your PC and enter in the terminal: adb devices (you should display your device)
4. Run the command to search for deleted videos: adb shell "su -c 'find /storage/emulated/0/ -name \.mp4\" -o -name \.mov\" | grep -v \"Android\"
5. If you find files, copy them to the PC: adb pull /path / to / file C:\Video_Recovery\

This method works because ADB has access to low-level file system operations, but it doesn’t guarantee 100% results — if files are overwritten, it won’t be possible to restore them.

6. Features of recovery on different models Xiaomi

The algorithms for working with memory may vary depending on the model and version of MIUI.

On dynamic memory devices (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro+), a portion of the internal storage can be used as a RAM.

• 🔋 Avoid multitasking during recovery
• 📴 Turn off automatic optimization in Settings → Battery → Optimization
• 🔌 Connect your phone to charge – a low charge can interrupt the scan

7 If nothing worked: Last chances

When all the standard methods are exhausted, there are extreme measures that take longer and sometimes more money, but can save the really important videos:

• 🔧 Xiaomi service centers: Official SCs have access to proprietary recovery tools (for example, Mi Flash Pro).The cost of the service is from 1500 rubles, but there is no guarantee.
• 💽 Chip-off recovery: Specialists take the memory chip and read the data directly (5000-15000₽), efficiency ~90%. Suitable for phones with physical injuries.
• 🔄 Google Cloud Backups Photos: If you had a backup enabled in Google Photos, check the archive.The videos are stored there in a compressed form but better than nothing.

For Xiaomi with an unlocked bootloader, there is another option - flash custom recovery (TWRP) and use the adb pull tool to extract raw data from the /data partition.

• ⚠️ Reset all phone settings
• ⚠️ You will need to unlock the bootloader (waiting). 7-15 days)
• ⚠️ Can cancel the warranty.

If the video was shot on a memory card, do not use it in other devices - connect through the card reader directly to the PC and scan the PhotoRec program (free, cross-platform).

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Xiaomi devices with Android 12+ and MIUI 13+ have enabled the “Secure Video” feature (Settings → Privacy → Secure Video) if your video was hidden there, it can only be restored through the Mi Account password.

FAQ: Frequent questions about video recovery