Why not remove photos from the phone Xiaomi: a full analysis of the problem

You're trying to make room on a Xiaomi smartphone, but the photos are persistently not deleted? This is familiar to many owners of Redmi, POCO or Mi devices. Sometimes files are returned after a reboot, in other cases the system gives an error "failed to delete", and sometimes the pictures just disappear from the gallery, but continue to occupy memory. In this article, we will analyze all possible causes, from the banal to the technically complex - and give specific solutions for each of them.

It's not always a software problem. Often it's the sync settings, the access rights, or even the F2FS file system that Xiaomi uses on some models. We won't be suggesting "flash the phone" in the first paragraph, we'll start with simple steps that work 80 percent of the time, and if they don't work, we'll go to deep diagnostics.

Sync with the cloud: why photos “resurrection” after deletion

The most common reason is automatic sync with Mi Cloud or Google Photos. Many users do not suspect that deleting a file from a gallery does not mean it disappears from the cloud. Moreover, some Xiaomi settings automatically restore “deleted” images the next time you connect to the Internet.

How it works:

• 📁 Photos are deleted only from local storage, but remain in the cloud.
• 🔄 When synchronized (for example, after restarting), the system again uploads files to the device.
• 📱 In Redmi Note 10 and later there is a function "Memory Optimization", which can temporarily hide files, creating the illusion of deleting them.

To permanently remove the photos, you need to:

1. Open the gallery → Albums. → Mi Cloud (or Google Photos).
2. Find the right pictures and remove them from there.
3. Disable autosynchronization in Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud → Synchronization of the gallery.

💡

If you use Google Photos, check the Recycle Bin folder – the files are stored there for 60 days before final deletion.

2. Hidden system folders: where your photos are actually stored

Xiaomi creates several hidden directories where photos can be duplicated, and even if you deleted the image from the main DCIM/Camera folder, a copy of it could remain in:

• 📂.thumbnails – miniatures for quick downloading of the gallery.
• 📂 MIUI/Extra — backup copies created by the system.
• 📂 Android/data/com.miui.gallery — gallery-cash.
• 📂 Pictures/Screenshots — If the photo was taken as a screenshot.

To see these folders:

1. Connect your phone to your PC or use a file manager (such as Mi File Explorer).
2. Enable the display of hidden files: in Mi File Explorer, click ⋮ → Settings → Show hidden files.
3. Remove unnecessary duplicates manually.

Important: A.thumbnails folder can take up to 1-2 GB, even if there are only a few photos in the gallery.

File system errors: When the phone "does not see" the command

If the photos are not deleted either through the gallery or through the file manager, the problem may be a file system corruption, most often after:

• ⚡ Unexpected power outage during file recording.
• 🔌 Wrong extraction SD-cards (if the photo is stored therein).
• 📱 Updates MIUI faulty.

Signs of file system damage:

• 🚫 Message "File failed to delete" or "File occupied".
• 🔄 Photos disappear from the gallery, but space on the disk is not vacated.
• 📉 The speed of the phone drops significantly when opening folders with photos.

Decisions:

1. PC Disk Check: Connect your phone to your computer in File Transfer (MTP) mode. Open This computer, find your device. Right-click → Properties → Service → Check (in Windows).
2. Formatting SD-maps (if the photo is on it): Settings → Warehouse → SD-map → Format ⚠️ Attention: formatting will remove all data from the card. Pre-copy important files on the PC.

4. Access rights and restrictions of MIUI

MIUI is known for its aggressive application rights management, and sometimes a gallery or file manager simply doesn't have permission to delete files.

• 🔒 System updates (some permissions are reset).
• 🛡️ Activation of the “Privacy” or “Guest mode” mode".
• 📱 Third-party launcher installations (e.g. Nova Launcher).

How to check and correct:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Gallery (or Files) and select Permissions.
3. Make sure it's on: 📂 Warehouse (reading and writing). 🗑️ Deletion of files.

Reset permits

For POCO F3, Redmi K40 and later:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Special facilities → Managing permissions for applications.
• 🔍 Find the Gallery and turn on all the switches.

5. Viruses and malware: when photos are "blocked"

Rarely, but accurately, some viruses block access to files so that the user cannot delete them, especially on phones with:

• 📱 Established APK unverified.
• 🔓 Google Play Protect is disabled.
• 📲 Suspicious applications for "optimization" or "cleaning".

Signs of infection:

• 🚨 Unknown folders with photos appear (for example, DCIM/100ANDRO).
• 📵 Files are now “read-only” (read-only).
• 🔄 After removal, the photos are returned with a different name (for example, IMG_2023.jpg → IMG_2023_copy.jpg).

Action:

1. Install an antivirus (Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light)
2. Scan the device in Safe Mode: Press the power button → hold off "Stop" → select "Safe Mode." In this mode, launch the antivirus.
3. If a virus is found, delete the infected files via your PC (by connecting your phone as a drive).

⚠️ Note: some viruses disguise themselves as system processes (e.g. com.android.system) Do not delete files if you are not sure of their purpose - this can lead to loss of service of the phone.

6. Hardware problems: when the drive itself is to blame

If all software methods have been tried, but the photos are still not deleted, the problem may be hardware.

• 📱 Phones older than 3-4 years (wear and tear flash memory).
• 💾 Devices with SD-low-quality cards.
• 🔥 Phones that have been overheated or dropped.

Symptoms of hardware malfunctions:

What you can do on your own:

1. Create a backup of all data on the PC.
2. Try formatting internal memory through Settings → Additional → Resetting → Cleaning all data.
3. If the problem is SD-Replace it with a new card (SanDisk Ultra or Samsung) EVO).

💡

If the phone is warranty, do not try to disassemble it yourself - the hardware problems should be diagnosed by the service center.

7. Features of firmware and regional restrictions

Some versions of MIUI (especially global and Chinese) have file restrictions, such as:

• 🇨🇳 In Chinese firmware (China) ROM) You can also disable the ability to delete files from certain folders (for example, MIUI/Camera).
• 🌍 In Global Firmware (Global) ROM) Sometimes system directories are blocked due to Google policy.
• 📱 On locked bootloader phones, some file operations require additional permissions.

How to check the firmware version:

1. Open the settings → About the phone → version of MIUI.
2. If you have CN at the end of the name, you have Chinese firmware, Global is global.

Decisions:

• 🔄 Update your firmware to the latest version through Settings → Updating the system.
• 📲 Install an alternative file manager (e.g. Solid Explorer or Solid Explorer) FX File Explorer).
• 🔓 If the problem is China ROM — Consider the possibility of re-flashing on Global ROM (requires unlocking the loader).

💡

Flashing your phone takes it off the warranty and can lead to data loss.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the inability to delete photos on Xiaomi