Where deleted photos are stored on Xiaomi and how to return them: the full guide 2026

Deleted photos on Xiaomi, Redmi or smartphones POCO Even if you have cleaned your cart or formatted your memory card, files can remain in hidden folders, backups of Mi Cloud or memory fragments. In this article, we will analyze the physical ways of storing deleted images, how to restore them – from standard tools to advanced methods using the use of remote images. ADB, I also want to explain why some files cannot be restored.

Many users mistakenly believe that after cleaning the basket in the gallery, the photos are erased forever. MIUI (even in the latest versions 14/15) It leaves traces of deleted data in several places, for example, thumbnails can be saved in the app cache, and full-size copies can be saved in the.thumbnails folder or backups of Google Photos. The main thing is not to write new files to the device after deletion, otherwise the old data will be overwritten.

Recovery of deleted photos on Xiaomi depends on three factors:

1. Removal method (basket, formatting, resetting settings);
2. Availability of backups in the cloud or on PC;
3. The time elapsed since the removal (the longer the less chance).

1. Where are deleted photos physically stored on Xiaomi

On Xiaomi smartphones, deleted photos go through several stages of storage (/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Gallery/trash/), stored 30 After cleaning the basket, files are not erased instantly - their paths are simply excluded from the system index, and the data itself remains in memory until overwriting.

Main folders where traces of deleted images may remain:

• 📁 Gallery basket: /MIUI/Gallery/trash/ — Here the photos are left until manual cleaning or expiration of the term (30 days).
• 📁 Cash miniature: /DCIM/.thumbnails/ — reduced photo copies (size) ~320px), Sometimes they are saved even after the original is removed.
• 📁 Backups of Mi Cloud: If sync was enabled, photos can be stored in the cloud in the Mi folder Cloud/Backup/Photos/.
• 📁 Temporary camera files: /DCIM/Camera/temp/ — Sometimes there are unsaved photos.
• 📁.nomedia folder: hidden files in /DCIM/.nomedia/ or /Pictures/.nomedia/, which are not displayed in the gallery.

On microSD devices, deleted photos can remain in non-indexed sectors until they are completely overwritten. For example, if you delete a photo and then card video of the same size, the chances of recovery drop dramatically (eMMC/UFS) The process of overwriting is faster due to the mechanism TRIM, cleansing out the junk blocks.

Important! F2FS (It is used by the new Xiaomi with MIUI 13+) More aggressively cleanses deleted data than ext4. Therefore, on older models (for example, Redmi Note 8) the chances of recovery are higher than on Xiaomi 13 Pro.

2. How to recover photos from the shopping cart of the Xiaomi Gallery

The easiest way to return deleted photos is to check the cart in the standard gallery. MIUI. It works on the principle of "soft removal": files are not erased immediately, but only hidden from the main view:

1. Open the Gallery app (flower icon).
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → select the basket.
3. Find the right photos, click on them → Restore.

If the basket is empty, check:

• 🔍 Recycle Bin Settings: Go to Gallery → Settings → Cart and make sure that the shelf life is not reduced to 0 days.
• 🔍 folder /MIUI/Gallery/trash/ through a file manager (e.g. Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer) Sometimes files are displayed here but not shown in the gallery interface.
• 🔍 Access rights: If you use a third-party gallery (such as Google Photos), its shopping cart may be separate.

Critical nuance: after the update MIUI before version 14.0.5+ The gallery basket can be automatically cleaned when you first connect to Mi Cloud if you have the option "Storage Optimization" enabled. → Accounts. → Mi Cloud → Synchronization settings.

3. Recovery via Mi Cloud and Google Photos

If photos have been synced to the cloud, they can be returned even after the device is completely cleaned. Xiaomi offers two cloud-based backup services:

To recover photos from Mi Cloud:

1. Sign in to the same Mi Account that was linked to your phone at the time of deletion.
2. Go to i.mi.com → gallery → Basket.
3. Select the photos you want and click Restore. They'll go back to the gallery on the device.

The algorithm is similar for Google Photos, but there is a caveat: if photos were deleted before June 1, 2021, they could be stored in the shopping cart indefinitely (the old Google policy), after which the period was reduced to 60 days.

⚠️ Note: If you delete a photo from the Mi Cloud Recycle Bin and immediately disable sync, files can be deleted from Xiaomi servers without recovery. Unlike Google Photos, where data is stored on servers longer, even after cleaning the Recycle Bin.

4.Search for hidden folders and cache thumbnails

Even if the shopping cart is empty, deleted photos can remain in hidden folders or cache of system applications to find them:

• 🔍 Use a file manager that supports hidden files (e.g., file manager, FX File Explorer or Root Explorer).
• 🔍 Move to the /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails/ — Miniatures are stored here, which can sometimes be increased to acceptable quality.
• 🔍 Check the folders: /DCIM/Camera/temp/ — camera-file; /Pictures/Screenshots/.trash/ — screen-basket; /Android/data/com.miui.gallery/cache/ — gallery-cash.

To view the thumbnails from the.thumbnails folder:

1. Copy files with the.thumb extension on your PC.
2. Rename the extension to.jpg.
3. Open it through Photoshop or GIMP — Sometimes it is possible to increase the resolution with 320px before 1024px lossless.

Example of the path to the cache of the gallery: /data/data/com.miui.gallery/cache/images/. Access to this folder requires root rights or use ADB (about this in the next section).

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If thumbnails in the.thumbnails folder don’t open, try using the program. JPEG Repair Tool – It Recovers Damaged Headers JPG-file.

5. Advanced methods: ADB and recovery programs

If standard methods do not help, you can try low-level recovery through the ADB (Android Debug Bridge or specialized programs:

• The photos were deleted less than 72 hours ago.
• No new files were recorded on the device;
• There's access to the PC and USB-cable.

Instructions for recovery through ADB:

1. Turn on the debugging. USB on the phone: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (tap 7 times) → Go back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB.
2. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
3. Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (Mac/Linux) and enter adb shell su find /data -name ".jpg" -o -name ".png" > /sdcard/recovered_files.txt This team is looking for everything. JPG/PNG-files in system folders and saves paths to text file.
4. Download the file. recovered_files.txt from your phone and find the paths to the deleted photo.

For recovery without root, you can use programs:

• 🖥️ DiskDigger (there is a version for Android) – scans memory for the remains of deleted files;
• 🖥️ Recuva (for PC) – if you connect the memory card through a card reader;
• 🖥️ EaseUS MobiSaver – supports recovery from Xiaomi without root.

⚠️ Note: Programs like Dr.Fone or Tenorshare often require a recovery fee without guaranteeing results. Before using, check for reviews of a particular version of the program - some of them contain malicious code.

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The faster you start recovering from deletion, the better the chances of returning a photo, and 3-5 days after deletion (especially in internal memory), the data is almost always overwritten.

6 What to do if the photo is permanently deleted

If all methods have been tried and the photo has not been recovered, there are two options:

1. Contact a service center – some workshops offer data recovery services from memory chips (cost from 5 000 USD) ₽). Efficiency depends on the phone model and type of memory (eMMC recovers worse than the memory). UFS).
2. Check backups on other devices – sometimes photos are synced with: 💻 PC (Download folder or DCIM when connected USB); 🖥️ Cloud services (Yandex Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive); 📱 Other smartphones (if Mi Share or Nearby Share were enabled).

If the photos were of high value (such as documents or unique footage), you can try contacting a data recovery lab, such as:

• ACE Lab (Moscow, St. Petersburg);
• Data Recovery (Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk)
• HDD Recovery (online application with the device being sent).

The cost of recovery depends on the complexity:

7. How to prevent future photo loss

To avoid the problem of deleted photos again, follow the simple rules:

• 🔄 Enable automatic sync with Mi Cloud or Google Photos (settings) → accounts → gallery-synchronization).
• 💾 Make regular backups to your PC or external drive (e.g., via Mi) PC Suite).
• 🗑️ Do not manually clean the cart – wait for automatic removal in 30 days.
• 📱 Use a two-step cleaning: first transfer the photo to the cart, and after a week, check if they are not needed again.

For additional protection:

1. Install the Dumpster app (an alternative shopping cart for Android) that saves deleted files in a separate storage.
2. Set up Planned Backup in Settings → Additionally. → Backup (select weekly copy creation).
3. For important photos, use hidden albums in the gallery MIUI: highlight the photo → More. → They won't show up in the main list, but they'll stay in the folder. /DCIM/.hidden/.

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If you frequently delete photos by mistake, turn on the “Delete Confirmation” option in the gallery settings (Gallery) → Settings → Confirm removal. This will add an extra step before cleaning.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi