Recovering Deleted Videos on Xiaomi: From Recycle Bin to Deep Scanning

Losing video on a Xiaomi smartphone is a familiar situation: accidentally tapping, resetting or crashing firmware can deprive you of valuable records. Fortunately, 90% of files are recovered if you act quickly and correctly. In this article, we will examine all the current methods, from standard MIUI tools to professional utilities that save even after formatting memory.

It is important to understand that success depends on three factors: time (the earlier you start recovery, the better the chances), type of storage (internal memory vs. internal memory. SD-We will not be spraying on general tips – we will focus on specific steps for Xiaomi devices, including nuances for models with a new file on top of old ones. MIUI 12-14 older versions.

1. Checking the basket in the Xiaomi Gallery

The first thing you need to do is look into the Gallery's built-in application cart, and in MIUI, deleted files are stored there for 30 days (by default), and it takes less than a minute to recover them, and this method works even if you've cleaned the recent ones or rebooted your phone.

How to open the basket:

• 📱 Open the Gallery app (icon with colored squares).
• 🗑️ Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → pick the basket.
• 🔍 Scroll through the list or search by date/file type.
• ↩️ Select the right videos → Press Restore (down arrow icon).

If the cart is empty or the video is not there, check:

• 🔄 Have you changed your storage settings (Gallery settings)? → Basket → Storage period: files may have been deleted immediately.
• 📁 Have you used third-party file managers (e.g., Solid Explorer or other file managers)? FX File Manager – They can ignore the cart MIUI.

⚠️ Attention: In Xiaomi models on Android 11+ (For example, the Redmi Note 10 Pro, POCO X3 Pro) the basket may be deactivated to SD-Check the storage settings in the Settings → Memory. → Storage settings.

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (if synchronized)

If your Xiaomi has Mi Cloud sync enabled, the chances of returning videos increase, the service automatically backs up photos and videos (if there is space in the cloud), the main condition is that you had to log in to Mi-account before deleting files.

Instructions for remediation:

1. Open your browser on your PC or phone and go to i.mi.com.
2. Sign in with the same account as on your phone.
3. Go to Gallery → Cart (or Albums → Remote in older versions).
4. Select the videos you want and click Restore. The files will be returned to the phone gallery the next time you connect to the Internet.

Limitations of the method:

• 📶 Videos are only restored if they have time to download to the cloud before being deleted.
• 💾 Free tariff Mi Cloud gives only 5 GB – if the memory was full, new files are not synced.
• ⏳ The recovery process can take up to 24 hours (depending on file size).

⚠️ Note: If you reset your phone to factory settings without leaving Mi-account, the video will remain in the cloud. But if you reset with deletion of your account (the option to delete all data and account), access to backup copies will be lost.

3. Use of a file manager (for "soft" deletion)

When videos are deleted through Gallery or Google Photos, they often remain in the phone's memory, simply become invisible to the user. They can be found using a file manager with access to system folders. The best fit is standard Files from Xiaomi or Solid Explorer (requires root permissions for deep scanning).

Step-by-step:

1. Install Solid Explorer from Google Play (or use standard Files).
2. Open the manager and go to Inner Memory → DCIM →.thumbnails or MIUI → Gallery → trash.
3. Enable the display of hidden files (in Solid Explorer: ☰ → Settings → Show hidden files).
4. Look for files with extensions.mp4,.mov,.3gp or without extension, for example, VID_20231015_123456).
5. Copy the files found to another folder (such as Download).

If the video is not reproduced:

• 🔧 Try renaming the file by adding an extension.mp4.
• 🎬 Use the player. VLC — He often opens corrupted files.
• 🛠️ Use the utility. MP4 Repair (available on Windows).

4. Deep scanning programs (without root)

If previous methods have failed, it’s time to plug in specialized utilities that scan the phone’s memory at a low level and restore files even after formatting.

• 🖥️ DiskDigger (Android) – works without root, but with limitations.
• 💻 EaseUS MobiSaver (Windows/Mac) — requires connection USB.
• 📱 Dumpster (Android) – alternative cart, but must be installed before removal.

Instructions for DiskDigger (on the phone):

1. Download DiskDigger from Google Play.
2. Launch the app and select Full Scan (requires more time, but more efficiently).
3. Specify file types: tick Video (MP4, MOV, AVI).
4. Wait until the scan is completed (may take 1-3 hours).
5. Select the videos you find and click Restore. Save them on SD-map.

Instructions for EaseUS MobiSaver (on PC):

1. Connect Xiaomi to your computer via USB (enable File Transfer Mode).
2. Run EaseUS MobiSaver and select Android Data Recovery.
3. Allow debugging over USB on your phone (if requested).
4. Select the Video section and start scanning.
5. View the files found and save them to the PC.

⚠️ Warning: Don't save restored videos back to the same Xiaomi you're recovering them from! this can overwrite the remaining data snippets.

💡

If the program finds videos but they play with artifacts, try to restore them in RAW format (the option is in DiskDigger Pro).

5. Recovery after reset to factory settings

Hard Reset doesn’t always mean permanent data loss. If you reset Xiaomi through Settings → Additional → Restore and Reset, the chances of a video being returned are there — but they depend on whether the memory was overwritten after the reset.

What to do:

1. Disconnect your phone from the Internet (Wi-Fi and mobile data) immediately, which will prevent new files from being automatically written.
2. Do not install apps or take photos.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and use EaseUS MobiSaver or Dr.Fone for deep scanning.
4. If the phone is not identified, try enabling Developer Mode and allowing USB Debugging:

Settings → About the phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times)


Settings → Additional → For developers → Debugging by USB

Important: After reset, do not restore data from a MIUI backup – this will overwrite memory sectors where video fragments may remain.

6. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center

If the videos are critical (e.g., court evidence or unique footage) and the self-attempts have failed, it is worth considering professional assistance. Xiaomi does not provide official data recovery services, but authorized service centers can:

• 🔧 Remove the memory chip and read it on specialized equipment (Chip-off method).
• 💾 Recover data from damaged sectors (if the phone is not turned on).
• 📊 Provide a report on the possibility of recovery (free of charge in most centers).

Cost of services in 2026:

Before contacting the service:

• 📋 Make a list of lost files (dates, approximate size).
• 🔋 Charge your phone at least 50% (for diagnosis).
• 📄 Prepare a check or a warranty card (if the phone is guaranteed).

⚠️ Note: Not all service centers work with data – some only specialize in iron repair. Before visiting, check by phone if they provide data recovery services for Xiaomi.

💡

Self-recovery is more effective in the first 72 hours after deletion, and the longer you wait, the greater the risk of overwriting data with new files.

FAQ: Frequent questions about video recovery on Xiaomi