Previous articleCan I Accidentally Deleted Photos From Xiaomi Phone – How to Recover in 5 Minutes?

You just deleted precious photos from Xiaomi — and now you panic, trying to remember if you were enabled to sync with the cloud? Don't despair: in 80% of cases, deleted photos can be returned, even if you have already cleaned the cart. In this article, we will analyze all possible ways of recovery, from basic (check folder "Recently deleted") to advanced (use of PC and specialized utilities).

The rule is, the faster you start, the better the chances of success. Every new photo, video, or app you install overwrites the space on your internal memory, erasing the trail of deleted files, so postpone the shooting, turn off automatic download in your instant messengers, and follow the instructions below.

Note: Recovery methods depend on where the photo was stored (internal memory, SD-map, Mi Cloud), and how they were removed (normal deletion, formatting, resetting).We will look at options for all scenarios, including cases where the phone does not turn on or was reset to factory settings.

1. Check the folder "Recently deleted" (Basket)

The easiest way to do this is to check the built-in shopping cart in the Xiaomi Gallery, where the deleted photos are stored for 30 days by default (some models have up to 60 days), and then they are permanently erased.

1. Open the standard Gallery app (an icon with a floral logo).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (menu) in the lower right corner.
3. Select the Recycle Bin or Recently Deleted.
4. Find the right photos, highlight them and click Restore.

If the “Basket” folder is not on the menu, it means:

• 📱 On your Xiaomi model (e.g. Redmi Note 8 Pro or POCO X3) This function is disabled by default.
• 🔧 You manually disabled the cart in the gallery settings (Settings) → Basket → Off.).
• ⏳ The photos were deleted over a month ago and were automatically cleaned.

⚠️ Note: If you have used a third-party gallery (such as Google Photos or Simple Gallery), check the shopping cart in this app. In Google Photos, deleted photos are stored for 60 days in the Recycle Bin section (available via the web version or app).

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

If your Xiaomi has enabled sync with Mi Cloud, the chances of returning photos are very high. The cloud keeps backups of photos even if they were deleted from your phone.

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Make sure that the gallery synchronization slider is active (green).
3. Go to i.mi.com and log in to the same account.
4. In the Gallery section, find the Remote folder or check the main album for the right pictures.

If the photo is not in the cloud, it is possible:

• 📵 Synchronization has been disabled (Settings) → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization of the gallery).
• 📶 Photos deleted before they could upload to the cloud (check the date of last sync).
• 💾 The cloud is out of space (only 5GB is free, the rest is subscription-based).

⚠️ Note: If you reset your phone to factory settings and don’t remember the Mi Account password, it will be difficult to restore access to the cloud. Xiaomi requires a phone number to be tied to reset your password, and without this, the data can be lost forever.

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Before resetting your phone to factory settings, make sure to check whether your Mi Account is linked to it and whether cloud sync is enabled, which will save your data even after the device is completely cleaned.

3. Connect to a PC and search for hidden copies

If the photo is not in the cart or in the cloud, the next step is to connect Xiaomi to your computer and scan the internal memory. Often deleted files remain in the system as “shadow” copies, especially if you used backup applications (for example, Mi PC Suite).

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode on the Phone Screen).
2. Open This Computer and find the Xiaomi device in the Devices and Disks section.
3. Go to DCIM → Camera or Pictures.
4. Enable the display of hidden files (View → Hidden elements in Explorer).
5. Check folders with the names.thumbnails,.nomedia or Backup – sometimes thumbnails or backups are stored there.

For macOS:

• 🖥️ Use Android File Transfer (official software from Google).
• 🔍 Enable the display of hidden files via Terminal: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES killall Finder
• 📁 Look for photos in the same folders: DCIM, Pictures or MIUI/Backup.

⚠️ Warning: Do not copy new files to your phone or save anything to internal memory while searching. This can overwrite sectors where deleted photos are still stored.

Disable Wi-Fi and mobile data on your phone|Not installing new applications|Use the original USB-cable|Don't extract. SD-map-->

4. Deep scanning programs (if the photo is not in the basket)

If previous methods didn't work, you'll have to use specialized data recovery tools that scan the phone's internal memory at a low level and can find photos even after formatting.

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger (the most reliable option without root):

1. Download DiskDigger from Google Play.
2. Launch the app and select Start basic scan.
3. Mark the file types: JPG, PNG, HEIC (for photo).
4. Wait until the scan is finished (it can take up to 1 hour).
5. Select the photos found and click Restore by selecting the save on SD-map.

Important: If the phone has been reset to factory settings, the chances of recovery through software drop dramatically, in which case only professional equipment (such as chip-off recovery) that is available in service centers will help.

Reconstruction of c SD-cards (if the photo is stored on it)

If the photos were saved to a memory card, the recovery process is simplified. SD-cards are less likely to be overwritten, so the chances of returning data are higher:

• 💾 Connect the card to your PC through the card reader and scan it with Recuva or PhotoRec.
• 🔄 Check backups: Some apps (like Google Photos) automatically copy photos from your photos. SD-cloud-card.
• 📱 Use your phone as a card reader: connect Xiaomi to your PC, select mode USB-The storage and scan only SD-The card without affecting the internal memory.

If the memory card is damaged (the phone can't see it or asks you to format it), don't agree to format it!

1. Remove the card and connect it to the PC via the adapter.
2. Start TestDisk (free utility) and select the option Recover lost partitions.
3. If the card is determined but the files are not read, try DMDE (file recovery mode).

⚠️ Attention: If SD-the card is physically damaged (for example, after falling into water or overheating), do not attempt to recover the data yourself.

6. If the phone is not turned on or has been dropped

The hardest case is when Xiaomi doesn't respond to the on-boarding or has been reset to the factory settings. There are few options, but there are:

• 🔌 Connect your phone to charge for 30 minutes – sometimes the battery is discharged to a level at which the device does not turn on, but the data is still intact.
• 🖥️ Use Fastboot mode: if the phone reacts to the connection to the PC (vibrates, lights up), try to restore the firmware through the Mi Flash Tool with the option Save User Data.
• 🛠️ Contact the service center: specialists can extract the memory chip and read the data directly (a service called chip-off recovery).

If your phone was reset but your Mi Account was previously linked, try:

1. Sign in to the same account on another device.
2. Check Mi Cloud for backups (Devices section → [your Xiaomi model] → Backups).
3. If you have a copy, restore it on your phone via Settings → Additional → Restore and Reset → Local Backup.

Critical information: Xiaomi models with Qualcomm processors (such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO F3) have a higher chance of recovering from a reset than those with MediaTek (such as the Redmi 9A).

7. How to prevent future photo loss

To never lose important photos again, set up automatic backup on Xiaomi. Here is the minimum set of actions:

• ☁️ Enable synchronization with Mi Cloud: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization of the gallery (Incl.)
• 💾 Regularly copy photos to your PC (for example, once a month via Mi). PC Suite).
• 🔄 Use two-step protection: it's risky to keep your photos on your phone only. + Google Photo + PC-copy.

Also useful:

• 📂 Create separate albums for important photos in the Xiaomi gallery (they are less likely to be lost when crashes).
• 🔒 Set a password for folders with personal pictures (via Gallery Settings) → Album protection).
• 📱 Check for backups before updating your firmware or resetting your phone.

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Even if you deleted the photo a month ago, don't give up. Check all the cloud services (Mi Cloud, Google Photos, Yandex.Disk), the shopping cart in the gallery, and try programs like DiskDigger. In 60% of cases, the data is returned.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi