Remove photos from Xiaomi Redmi: how to restore on Android (including hidden methods)

You just discovered that valuable photos have disappeared from the Xiaomi Redmi gallery - whether it's accidentally clicking "Delete", resetting or crashing the system. Don't panic: most Redmi models (from Redmi Note 10 to Redmi 13C) have built-in data protection mechanisms, and Android offers several ways to get back what's lost.

In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of recovery, from the standard basket in the Gallery app to deep memory scanning with professional utilities. We will pay special attention to the nuances for Xiaomi devices, such as how to circumvent the MIUI restrictions on access to system folders or restore photos after hard reset. You will also learn what actions will irreversibly destroy the chances of returning pictures – this is critical for owners of smartphones with Snapdragon and MediaTek chips.

1. Check the basket in the Gallery app

The first thing you need to do is to look into the built-in shopping cart of the standard Xiaomi Gallery app. Unlike many other Android smartphones, deleted files are stored for up to 30 days here (on some MIUI 14+ firmware, up to 60 days).

• 📱 Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
• 🗑️ Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → pick the basket.
• 🔍 Scroll down the list or search by date (if there are a lot of photos).
• 🔄 Select the files you need. → Click Restore (Icon with a down arrow).

If the basket is empty, check the settings: sometimes Xiaomi will turn it off automatically when memory is scarce. Go to Settings → Storage → Recycle Bin and activate the option to Save Deleted Files.

⚠️ Note: The Recycle Bin in Redmi does not reserve files deleted through Explorer or third-party apps (such as Google Photos.

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

If your Redmi has enabled sync with Mi Cloud, the chances of returning a photo increase by up to 90%. Xiaomi Cloud automatically saves copies of the photos (provided that you signed in to your Mi Account and activated the option).

1. 🌐 Go to i.mi.com from any device and log in.
2. 📁 In the Gallery section, find the Remote (or Recently Deleted) folder).
3. ⏳ Photos are stored here for 60 days - select the necessary and click Restore.
4. 📱 On the phone update the data: Settings → Accounts. → Mi Cloud → Synchronize.

If the photo is not in the Remote section, try to restore the previous version of the gallery:

• 🔙 On the Mi Cloud site, open Settings → History of versions.
• 📅 Select the date when the photo was still on your phone (available for a premium subscription).

⚠️ Warning: Free Mi Cloud account only provides 5GB of storage. If the space is over, new photos are not synced - check the Storage Management section.

Check if your phone is connected to Wi-Fi

Make sure your Mi Account is not blocked.

Make room in the cloud (if necessary)

Turn it off. VPN (It can block access to Xiaomi servers)-->

3. Use of Google Photos (if backed up)

Many Xiaomi Redmi users don’t even know that Google Photos automatically backs up images — if this option is enabled.

1. 📲 Open the Google Photos app (if not, install it from Play Market).

2. 🔍 In the search box, enter Remote or Trash.

3. ⏳ Photos are stored here for 60 days - highlight them and click Restore.

If the cart is empty, try to find a photo through the web version:

1. 🌐 Go to photos.google.com.
2. ☁️ In the menu on the left, select the basket.
3. 🔄 If the photo is there, restore them and wait for sync with your phone.

If you don’t have backups, but remember that photos were uploaded to Google Photos earlier, try using the archive:

• 📦 In the web version, go to the Archive (section in the menu).
• 🔍 Use the filter by date – it is possible that the photos were moved there manually.

4.Programs for deep memory scanning

If standard methods don't work, you'll have to use specialized tools that scan the phone's internal memory at the binary data level, and can recover photos even after formatting, but with the caveats:

• 🛠️ Root rights are required for work (you can get them on Xiaomi through Unlock Bootloader). + Magisk).
• ⚠️ Don’t write new files to your phone – they can overwrite deleted photos.
• 💾 The scan can take hours (depending on the amount of memory).

The best programs for Xiaomi Redmi:

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger (the easiest option):

1. 📱 Install an application from the Play Market.
2. 🔍 Select Basic Scan (without root).
3. 📂 Please specify the internal memory section (or SD-map if the photo was there).
4. 🖼️ After scanning, mark the desired photos and click Restore.
5. 💾 Save them to another medium (not the same memory partition!).

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi Redmi with firmware MIUI 13/14 Some programs may not see system folders (for example, DCIM/Thumbnails). In this case, only root access or connecting the phone to the PC will help. MTP.

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If the phone is not detected on a PC, try to turn on the developer mode and activate debugging over USB. To do this, tap the MIUI version 7 times in the phone settings, then go to Additional → For developers → Debugging over USB.

5. Recovery after resetting (hard reset)

If the photos are missing after a hard reset, the chances of recovery depend on two factors:

1. 🔄 Whether Mi Cloud or Google Photos were enabled before the reset.
2. 📱 Have you used data encryption in your security settings.

If there are no backups, try the following:

• 🔧 Scan via PC: Connect Redmi to your computer and use Recuva or PhotoRec (works with the computer). RAW-partition).
• 📁 Search for temporary files: In a folder /data/media/0/ Sometimes there are fragments of deleted data (root is needed).
• 🛠️ Specialized services: Companies like DriveSavers or Ontrack recover data from a physical drive (expensive but efficient).

A critical nuance for Xiaomi: after a hard reset, MIUI overwrites partitions, which can permanently destroy the photo. If the reset was made recently (within 24 hours), immediately disconnect the phone from the network and do not write new data.

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After resetting, do not update the firmware or install applications – this reduces the chances of data recovery.

6. How to prevent future photo loss

To avoid the problem of losing your photos, set up Xiaomi Redmi according to these rules:

• ☁️ Automatic Sync: Enable backup in Mi Cloud (Settings) → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery) and Google Photos.
• 📁 Local Copies: Regularly transfer photos to your PC or external drive through Explorer.
• 🔄 Cloud Services: Use Yandex Drive or Dropbox to duplicate important files.
• 📱 Recycle Bin Settings: Increase the retention period of deleted files to the maximum (Settings) → Warehouse → Basket → Storage period).

For Redmi models with MicroSD support (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro+):

• 💾 Configure the default photo saving to the memory card: Camera → Settings → Warehouse → Map. SD.
• ⚠️ Remove the card only after safe shutdown (Settings) → Warehouse → Extract SD-map).

7.Frequent mistakes that spoil recovery

Many Xiaomi Redmi users accidentally complicate the process of returning photos.

Especially dangerous is the encryption of the device (option in Settings). → Security → If you turn it on after you delete the photo, it will be impossible to restore them – Xiaomi uses hardware encryption at the chipset level (Snapdragon/MediaTek), and the keys are lost when dropped.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions