Accidentally deleting an important app on a smartphone Xiaomi or Redmi is an unpleasant situation, but, fortunately, in most cases it is fixable. Users often confuse deleting a shortcut from the desktop with completely uninstalling a package, which leads to panic and attempts to find non-existent files in the system.
Fortunately, the architecture Android provides several reliable mechanisms for returning lost software without the need for complex flashing of the device. In this article, we will look in detail at how to find and reinstall deleted applications using the built-in store tools Google Play and cloud services MIUI.
Before taking active steps, you need to understand where exactly the app was moved. Often, users simply hide icons or move them to folders, mistakenly believing that they have deleted the software forever. Checking the library of installed apps will only take a minute, but will save time on downloading.
Searching for deleted apps through the Google Play Market
The most universal and reliable way to return an application is to use the download history in the official store Google Play. Even if the app has been deleted from the device, a record of its purchase or free download remains in your account forever, unless you delete the account itself.
First, open the application Play Market on your smartphone Xiaomi. Click on the profile icon in the upper right corner of the screen. In the drop-down menu, select Manage applications and device. Next, go to the tab Management.
By default, only installed applications are displayed here. To see the deleted ones, click on the filter (usually the button labeled “Installed”) and switch the mode to Not installed. The list that opens will display all apps that have ever been downloaded to this account, but are currently not on the device.
- 🔍 Check the box next to the desired application from the list for mass recovery.
- ⬇️ Press the download button (down arrow) to begin installation.
- 📱 Make sure the correct device is selected if you have several gadgets in your account.
This method works flawlessly for most user apps. However, it is worth remembering that if the developer completely deleted his application from the store, you will not be able to restore it officially through this interface.
Recovery through the built-in Mi manager GetApps
Smartphone owners Xiaomi and Redmi also have access to the branded application store GetApps (formerly Mi Store). This service often contains regional versions of apps or exclusives that are not available in the global one. The download history here is kept separately. Google Play. The download history is kept separately here.
Go to the application GetApps. In the bottom navigation bar, find the section Profile or the little man icon. Select item My applications or Download history. The interface may vary slightly depending on the firmware version MIUI or HyperOS.
In the list you will see the “Installed” and “Not installed” tabs. Go to the second tab. apps previously downloaded through that particular store are displayed here. The system allows you to restore them in one click by clicking the button Install next to the name.
⚠️ Attention: Applications downloaded through Google Play may not appear in the GetApps history, and vice versa. Always check both stores if you cannot find the software you need.
Sometimes GetApps newer beta versions of apps for devices are available Xiaomi. If the standard version from Google Play is unstable, it makes sense to try to restore the application through the manufacturer's branded store.
If the application has disappeared from both stores, try to find its APK file on the developer's official website, but be careful with download sources.
Using MIUI cloud backup
Ecosystem Xiaomi offers a powerful tool for backing up data via Mi Cloud. If you enabled synchronization of settings and the list of applications before deleting, you can restore not only the app file itself, but also its data.
Go to the smartphone settings along the path Settings → About phone → Backup and restore. In some firmware versions, this item is located in the Advanced settingssection. Select the recovery source - Mi Cloud.
Log in using your own Mi Account. The system will offer a list of available backups with creation dates. Select the most recent backup made before the application was uninstalled. Click Restore.
| Data type | Recovered | Requires Wi-Fi | Affects memory |
|---|---|---|---|
| List of applications | Yes | Desirable | Minimum |
| Application data | Yes (partially) | Required | Depends on volume |
| System settings | Yes | No | No |
| Media files | No (separately) | Required | High |
It is important to understand that restoring from the cloud can take a long time depending on the speed of your Internet connection and the amount of data. Do not interrupt the process to avoid damaging the backup structure.
☑️ Check before restoring from the cloud
Local backup and recovery
In addition to cloud services, smartphones Redmi and Xiaomi allow create local backups directly to internal memory or SD card. This is the fastest recovery method, independent of the speed of the Internet and the manufacturer’s servers.
To create such a copy, you previously had to go to the section Backup and restore and select Mobile device. If you have done this before, the backup files are stored in the folder MIUI/backup/AllBackup.
To restore the application, go to the recovery menu again, select Mobile device and enter the screen unlock password, if one is set. You will see a list of available local archives.
Select the desired archive and check the boxes for the applications that you want to return. Click the button Restore. The system will automatically unpack the APK files and install them on the system, returning the previous state.
⚠️ Attention: Local backups take up space in the phone's memory. If you formatted the device or cleared the memory to zero, these files could be irretrievably lost.
This method is especially useful for restoring system applications MIUIthat could have been deleted through ADB or special tweakers, and which are not publicly available in the Play Market.
Where exactly is the folder with backups?
The path to backup files usually looks like this: /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/backup/AllBackup. If you connect your phone to a PC, look for this folder in the root of the internal drive.
What to do if the application is a system one and was deleted via ADB
Advanced users often use USB debugging and commands ADB to remove pre-installed advertising software (bloatware) from devices Xiaomi. If a critical system component was removed during the process, standard recovery methods may not work.
In this case, the application is not physically in the user partition, but its installation package may be saved in the system partition, which is not available for normal viewing. Try to find the APK file of the remote app on third-party reliable resources that match your firmware version.
To install system applications back, you may need to enter a special command through your computer. Connect your smartphone to a PC with USB debugging enabled and enter the command into the console:
adb shell pm install-existing --user 0 PACKAGE_NAMEInstead PACKAGE_NAME you must substitute the full package name of the remote application (for example, com.miui.weather2). This command tells the system to restore the application for the current user if its files are still in the system storage.
- 🛠 Find out the exact package name through applications like App Inspector.
- 💻 Make sure that ADB drivers are installed on your computer correctly.
- 🔌 Do not disconnect the cable while the repair command is running.
If the command returns success, the application will appear on the menu. If the files have been completely cleared, the only option is to reset to factory settings or flash the device.
The install-existing command only works if the application installation files are physically present in the Android system partition.
Search for APK files and install manually
When none of the automatic methods help, the manual method remains installations via APK files. This is true for older versions of applications that have been removed from stores, or for apps distributed outside official directories.
You will need to find the installation file of the desired app on a trusted resource. Be extremely careful: downloading software from dubious sites on your Android Xiaomi device can lead to virus infection or leakage of personal data. Xiaomi may lead to virus infection or personal data leakage.
After downloading the file, open it through a file manager. The system MIUI will ask for permission to install from unknown sources. You will need to grant this right to the specific application (browser or file manager) through which you launch the installation.
⚠️ Attention: When installing an old version of an application over a new one (if it suddenly remains on the system), a version conflict may occur. Always completely remove remnants of the app before manual installation.
Modern versions Android have a built-in security scanner. If the system blocks the installation, check the file via Google Play Protect. Ignoring warnings is only possible if you are 100% sure that the source is safe.
Why is the installation blocked?
Sometimes MIUI blocks the installation of applications signed with unknown certificates, or applications that seem dangerous to the system. In such cases, you can temporarily disable “Device Protection” in the Security application, but remember the risks.
Is it possible to restore application data after deleting it?
You can restore the data itself (correspondence, settings, game progress) only if the application supported synchronization with the cloud (Google Drive, the developer's own server) or if you have a local backup made before deletion. Simply re-installing the app will not return local data if it was not saved separately.
Where do deleted applications disappear on Xiaomi?
When deleted, the application is erased from the partition /data/app. Its shortcut disappears from the desktop and menu. Cache files may remain in the folder Android/data for some time, but the executable body of the app itself is deleted permanently if a backup copy has not been created.
Why is the application not installed from the Play Market history?
This can happen for several reasons: the application is no longer supported by the developer and has been removed from the store, the Android version is on your Redmi is too new or too old for this app, or there is a regional restriction on the distribution of software.
Does restoring applications affect the Xiaomi warranty?
No, restoring deleted user applications using standard methods (via Play Market, GetApps or backups) does not affect the manufacturer's warranty in any way. The warranty is lost only if root access is obtained, the bootloader is unlocked, or physical damage occurs due to incorrect actions.
How to find a deleted system application without a computer?
It is difficult to restore a deleted system application without a computer. Try performing a factory reset (Settings → About phone → Reset settings). This will return all system applications to their original state, but will delete all your personal data, so be sure to back up your photos and contacts before doing this.