Recovery of deleted videos on Xiaomi Redmi Note 4: from the cart to deep scanning

Deleting important video from a smartphone is a familiar situation, especially for owners of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, where internal memory is often filled and backups are created irregularly. Fortunately, even after cleaning the gallery or formatting the memory card, the chances of returning files remain — provided that you act quickly and correctly.

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to recover video on Redmi Note 4, from standard MIUI functions to professional utilities, separately discuss the nuances of working with internal memory and microSD, and give recommendations on how to avoid data loss in the future.

Note: Redmi Note 4 (codenamed mido) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and has a hybrid memory card slot. This affects the choice of recovery methods - for example, universal utilities will suit microSD, and root rights will be required for internal memory or ADB-team.

Before you start, answer the key question: where was the video stored? It depends on the algorithm of actions:

• 📱 Internal memory of the phone is more difficult to recover, but it is possible through backups or special software.
• 💾 MicroSD card – high probability of success if card is not overwritten.
• ☁️ Cloud Services (Mi Cloud, Google Photos) – Check sync.

1.A check of the basket at MIUI Gallery

The first thing you need to do is to look into the hidden basket of the standard Gallery app. MIUI Deleted files are stored there for 30 days before final erasure:

1. Open the Gallery app (an icon with colored squares).
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → select the basket.
3. Find the right video, hold your finger on it → click Restore.

If the cart is empty or there is no video, move on to the next method. Note: the cart is cleaned automatically when there is a shortage of space or after manual cleaning in the settings (Settings → Storage → Cleaning).

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In MIUI 12+, the cart is hidden by default. To see it, first delete any video from the gallery, the folder will appear in the menu.

2. Recovery through backups

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 supports automatic backup of media files in Mi Cloud and Google Photos.

Mi Cloud:

• 🔗 Go to Settings. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery.
• 📤 If sync was enabled, download the video back to your phone.
• ⚠️ By default, only 5GB is available in the free fare – check if the cloud drive is full.

Google Photos:

• 📱 Open the Google Photos app → Library → Recycle bin (files are stored for 60 days).
• 🔍 Use a search by date or keyword (e.g., “birthday video").
• 💾 If the video is found, click Save on the device.

If there are no backups, don’t despair – go to deep scanning methods.

3. Recovery programs from internal memory

To scan the internal memory of Redmi Note 4 without root-rights suitable mobile utilities.

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger:

1. Download DiskDigger from Google Play (or APK from the official website).
2. Start scanning (Basic Scan for rootless video, Full Scan for root).
3. Tag the found videos and press Recover.
4. Save files to a memory card or cloud (not internal memory!).

⚠️ Warning: Don't install recovery software on the same memory as the files you deleted! This will overwrite sectors and reduce your chances of success. Use a microSD card or external drive.

Charge your phone at least 50% | Connect to Wi-Fi (download large files) |Free up space on the microSD | Turn off automatic cache clean--->

4.Working with a microSD memory card

If the video was stored on a removable card, the chances of recovery are higher, and this is the right software for a PC: Recuva, PhotoRec or R-Studio.

Step 1 Connect the card to the computer:

• 🖥️ Use a card reader (preferably) or connect your phone in File Transfer mode.
• 🚫 Do not format the map, even if the system suggests it!

Step 2. Scan in Recuva:

1. Select a memory card in the list of devices.
2. Specify the file type: Video (or All Files).
3. Start a deep scan (takes 10–30 minutes).
4. View the files found (see the extension:.mp4,.mov,.3gp).

Critical nuance: if the card was used after deletion (for example, to shoot new videos), it will be impossible to restore old files - they are overwritten with new data.

5. Recovery through ADB (for power users)

If the video was stored in internal memory and standard methods did not work, you can try to extract files through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires command line skills.

Preparation:

• 🖥️ Install. ADB Tools on PC.
• 📱 Turn on Debugging. USB on the phone: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Tap 7 times, then additionally → For developers → Debugging by USB.
• 🔌 Connect Redmi Note 4 to PC via original cable.

Commands for video retrieval:

adb shell


su




cd /sdcard/DCIM/Camera




ls -l | grep ".mp4"




pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/your video.mp4 C:\backup\

If the video is not in the DCIM folder, check:

• /sdcard/Movies/
• /sdcard/MIUI/Gallery/cloud/ (for synchronized files)
• /data/media/0/ (root rights required)

⚠️ Note: Su commands only work on rooted devices. Without root, you can scan only open folders (for example, open folders, DCIM). Do not use rm or format commands, this will lead to permanent data loss!

6.Prevention: How to Avoid Losing Video in the Future

In order not to look for ways to restore, it is enough to follow simple rules:

• 🔄 Automatic Sync: Enable video upload to Google Photos (unlimited storage for compressed files) or Mi Cloud.
• 💾 Backups: Once a month, copy important videos to your PC or external drive.
• 🚫 Caution in cleaning: Do not use the functions of the garbage cleaning type in MIUI — They often delete media files.
• 📱 Separate Memory Card: Store video on microSD, not internal memory – it’s easier to recover it.

For Redmi Note 4, it is especially important to turn off automatic memory optimization:

1. Go to Settings. → Warehouse.
2. Turn off the garbage cleanup option when you lock the screen.
3. In the Cleanup section, uncheck the box with Large Files.

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Even if the video is permanently deleted, it can be recovered from a screenshot (if the video was played before being deleted).

FAQ: Frequent questions about video recovery on Xiaomi