How to recover deleted videos on Xiaomi phone: from cart to deep scan

Remove an important video from a Xiaomi phone and don't know how to get it back? Don't panic - in most cases files can be recovered even if they are missing from the gallery. Redmi, POCO and other Xiaomi models store deleted data in hidden memory sections or temporary folders, and some methods allow you to return the videos even after completely clearing the basket.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to recover from standard MIUI features to professional utilities, learn how to work with the Xiaomi shopping cart, search for videos in the Mi Cloud, use programs like DiskDigger or Recuva, and what to do if the phone doesn’t see files after resetting. Importantly, success depends on how long it has been since you deleted and whether you’ve written new data to the device — the faster you start, the better the odds.

1.Check the basket at Xiaomi Gallery

The standard MIUI Gallery app automatically sends deleted videos to the Recycle Bin folder, where they are stored for 30 days (some models have 15 days), which works if you haven’t manually cleaned the Recycle Bin and used features like Clean Everything.

How to find the basket:

• 📱 Open the Gallery app (camera icon).
• 🗑️ Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → pick the basket.
• 🔍 Scroll through the list or search by deletion date.
• 🔙 Select the required video (long press) → press Restore.

If the cart is empty or the video is not there, move to the next method. Note: files from the cart do not take up space in the memory of the phone, but after the expiration of the storage period they are deleted irrevocably.

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On some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 12), the cart is hidden. To see it, update the Gallery app via Google Play or Mi App Store.

2.Recovery through the Mi Cloud Cloud

If your Xiaomi had Mi Cloud sync enabled, the deleted videos could be saved to cloud storage, which is a good way to even reset your phone to factory settings, as long as the Mi Account is linked to the device.

Instructions for checking the cloud:

• ☁️ Go to Settings. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud.
• 📁 Select Gallery or Backups section.
• 🔍 Use a filter by date or file format (e.g,.mp4,.mov).
• 📥 Click on the video. → Download or Restore to the Device.

Important: Mi Cloud only provides 5GB of storage for free. If the space is out, old files could be deleted automatically. Also check the Archive folder in the cloud - sometimes videos move there instead of the basket.

3. Search for hidden folders and temporary files

MIUI sometimes stores copies of videos in service folders, especially if the videos were recorded through third-party applications (such as TikTok, Instagram or CapCut).

Where to look:

• 📂 folder DCIM/.thumbnails — Video miniatures (sometimes kept in low quality).
• 📂 Android/data → Application folders (e.g. com.zhiliaoapp.musically for TikTok).
• 📂 MIUI/Camera/Recycle — alternative basket for some models.
• 📂 Download or Movies – if the video was downloaded from the Internet.

How to enable the display of hidden files:

1. Open Files (application from Xiaomi or Google Files).
2. Switch to three points → Settings → turn on Show hidden files.
3. Enter the video extension in the search box:.mp4,.3gp or.mkv.

4.Programs for deep memory scanning

If you don't find videos in the cart or the cloud, you'll have to use specialized tools that scan the physical memory sectors of the phone and recover files even if they were deleted months ago, but success depends on how much new data is written on top of the old ones.

Top.-3 Xiaomi:

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger:

1. Download DiskDigger from Google Play (there is a free version).
2. Start the app and select Full Scan (requires root for internal memory).
3. Specify the formats to search: mark MP4, MOV, 3GP.
4. Wait until the scan is finished (it can take up to 1 hour).
5. Select the video found and click Restore (save on) SD-card).

1. Enable Developer Mode (7 times tap on the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone).

2. Activate. USB-Debugging in Developer Settings.

3. connect the phone to the PC via the original cable.

4. Install ADB drivers (download from Xiaomi site).

5. Run the recovery program on behalf of the administrator.

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Warning: Do not save recovered files to the same drive from which they were deleted! SD-card or external drive, otherwise you risk overwriting the remaining pieces of data.

5. Recovery after resetting settings or firmware

If you reset your phone to factory settings or reflash it through Fastboot, the chances of returning the video are much lower.

• 🔧 Backup Check: If you created a backup before reset via Settings → Additionally. → Backup, connect your Mi Account and restore data.
• 💾 Memory Image Analysis: Using utilities like Autopsy or PhotoRec (for PCs), you can scan a phone's memory dump, a complex method that requires root rights and technical skills.
• 📱 Contacting the service center: Xiaomi does not provide data recovery services, but some private labs can extract files from the memory chip (expensive but effective).

If the reset was done via Fastboot, the data is destroyed irrevocably, in which case only professional chip-off recovery equipment (costs from 5,000) will help. ₽).

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After resetting settings through Settings → Reset, the chances of recovery are higher than after firmware via Fastboot or EDL.

6. How to Prevent Future Video Loss

To avoid the problem of deleted files again, follow these tips:

• ☁️ Automatic Sync: Enable video downloads to Google Photos or Mi Cloud (settings) → Autoboot).
• 📁 Backups to PC: Once a month, copy important videos to your computer or external drive.
• 🔄 Use the basket: Don't manually clean it - wait for automatic removal in 30 days.
• 🛡️ Turn off garbage cleanup: In safety → Clean up disable the option to Delete large files.

You should also install file monitoring apps, such as Files by Google, which warns of duplicates and rarely used videos before deleting them.

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Xiaomi phones with MIUI 14+ have a Secure folder feature (in the Gallery), move important videos there - they will not be deleted when you clear the memory and will not get into the basket.

Frequent Questions (FAQ)

If none of these methods worked, don't despair, because sometimes you can find videos in unexpected places.

• 📧 Included in letters (if sent video by mail).
• 💬 Chats in messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp – there can be saved copies of the app).
• 🖥️ Other devices (maybe the video synced to a tablet or laptop).