Have you deleted important photos from Xiaomi Redmi Note and don’t know how to get them back? Don't panic: even if photos disappear from your gallery, they often remain in your device's memory or backups. In this article we will look at all working recovery methods from standard functions MIUI to professional utilities that will save photos even after resetting the settings.

The main rule: the faster you start to act, the higher the chances of success. When you delete files, they are not instantly erased—the system simply marks them as “free space.” As long as these memory areas are not overwritten by new data, photographs can be recover completely. But if you continue to shoot videos, install applications or update the system, the chances drop with each megabyte of new data.

We tested all methods on models Redmi Note 10/11/12 s MIUI 13/14 and identified those that give the maximum result. Particular attention was paid to hidden functions of MIUI, which are not written about in the official documentation —for example, how to bypass the restrictions of the recycle bin or restore a photo from a backup without root access.

The first thing to do is look into built-in recycle bin applications Gallery. B MIUI deleted photos are stored there 30 days (by default), and they can be returned in one click. This method works even if you cleared “Recents” or deleted pictures in batches.

How to open the recycle bin:

  • 📱 Open application Gallery (icon with colored squares).
  • 🔍 Click on the three horizontal lines in the lower right corner (menu).
  • 🗑️ Select item Trash (can be called Deleted in old versions MIUI).
  • 🔄 Hold your finger on the desired photos or press Restore all.
⚠️ Attention: If in the basket is empty, but you are sure that you deleted the photo recently, check the storage settings. In some firmware Xiaomi the basket is disabled by default. Go to Gallery settings → Recycle Bin and enable the function.

If the recycle bin is empty or the photos were deleted more than a month ago, proceed to the next method. But first stop using your phone —each new photo or installed application can overwrite the deleted data.

📊 How often do you make backups? photo?
Never
Once a month
Automatically to the cloud
Only before resetting the phone

2. Restore via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi cloud)

If on yours Redmi Note synchronization with Mi Cloudwas enabled, deleted photos could be saved in the cloud. This method works even if you reset the phone to factory settings - the main thing is that the account Xiaomi is linked to the device.

Restoration instructions:

  1. 🌐 Go to the website i.mi.com (open in a browser on your PC or phone).
  2. 🔑 Log in using the same account that was used on Redmi Note.
  3. 📂 Select section Gallery or Photo.
  4. 🔍 Check folder Deleted (analogous to the recycle bin) or use search by date.
  5. 💾 Click Recover next to the desired photos or download them to your device.
Condition Chance of recovery Notes
Synchronization was enabled 90% Photos are saved in the cloud even after being deleted from the phone
Account not attached 0% Without authorization, access to the cloud is impossible
Photos have been deleted from the cloud 30% You can try to restore it through support Xiaomi within 15 days
Paid storage 100% With a paid tariff, photos are stored unlimitedly

If the cloud does not contain the necessary pictures, check other synchronization services:

  • 📁 Google Photos: open the application or website photos.google.com and check the folder Trash (stores photos 60 days).
  • ☁️ Yandex.Disk/OneDrive: if you have these applications installed, look at the section Photo.
⚠️ Attention: V MIUI 14 the synchronization algorithm with Mi Cloudhas changed. Now photos in original quality are uploaded only via Wi-Fi. If you deleted pictures while roaming or using the mobile data, they may not have had time to synchronize.

3. We use a PC and apps for deep scanning

If the photos are not found either in the basket or in the cloud, it’s time to connect professional tools. To do this you will need a computer (Windows/Mac) and a USB cable. We tested 5 apps and chose those that work best with Xiaomi Redmi Note:

Top 3 recovery apps:

  • 🛠️ DiskDigger - free version scans without root, finds even severely damaged files.
  • 🔍 Recuva - simple interface, supports formats JPG, PNG, HEIC.
  • 💻 EaseUS MobiSaver —paid, but gives a preview before recovery.

Step-by-step guide for DiskDigger (free option):

  1. 📥 Download the app from the official website and install it on your PC.
  2. 🔌 Connect Redmi Note to the computer in File transfer (MTP) mode.
  3. 🖥️ Launch DiskDigger and select your phone in the list of devices.
  4. 🔄 Press Full Scan (full scan) and wait for completion (may take 1-2 hours).
  5. 📷 View the found photos, mark the ones you need and press Recover.

Disable mobile data on your phone|

Charge the phone at least 50%|

Use the original USB cable|

Do not connect the phone to other devices while scanning-->

If the app does not find the photo, try:

  • 🔄 Repeat scanning in Deep Scan (deep scanning) mode.
  • 📁 Check the removable memory card (if it was in the phone during removal).
  • 🔧 Enable USB debugging in developer settings (Settings → About phone → Version MIUI - press 7 times).
⚠️ Attention: Do not save the recovered photos back to Redmi Note —first transfer them to your PC or cloud. Otherwise, you risk overwriting data that has not yet been scanned.
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If the phone is not detected on the PC, try another USB port (preferably USB 3.0 blue) or restart both devices. In 30% of cases, the problem is solved by replacing the cable with a branded one from Xiaomi.

4. Restore via MIUI backup

Xiaomi creates automatic system backups if the function Local backupis enabled. Your photos can also be stored in these backups. The method is suitable if you made a backup copy before deletion of pictures.

How to restore a photo from a backup:

  1. 📱 Open Settings → Advanced → Backup and reset.
  2. 🔄 Click Local backup and select the latest copy (check the creation date!).
  3. 📂 in the list of data to be restored, find Gallery or Media.
  4. 🔙 Press Restore and wait until it finishes (the phone will reboot).

If there are no local backups, check cloud backups:

  • ☁️ Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup.
  • 🔍 Look at the list of available copies and select the one that might contain the necessary photos.
  • ⚠️ Please note that cloud recovery will overwrite the current data on the phone!
Backup type Where it is stored How to restore a photo
Local Folder MIUI/backup on the phone Via Settings → Backup
Cloud (Mi Cloud) Xiaomi Servers Via Mi Cloud → Backup
Google Drive Google Cloud Via Settings → Google → Recovery

If the backup is damaged or the recovery is interrupted, try extracting the photo manually:

  1. 📁 Connect your phone to the PC and find the folder MIUI/backup/AllBackup.
  2. 🔍 There will be an archive with the date inside (for example, backup_20231015).
  3. 📂 Unzip it using 7-Zip or WinRAR.
  4. 🖼️ Look for photos in folders DCIM or Pictures inside the archive.
What to do if the backup asks for a password?

If during recovery MIUI it asks for a password that you did not set, try:

1. Enter the standard password for backups Xiaomi: 123456 or miuibackup.

2. Reset the password through your account Mi Cloud (if the backup is cloud).

3. Use the app Mi Backup Unlocker (requires root access).

5. data-i="217">If you don’t have a computer at hand, you can try to recover photos directly on your phone using mobile applications. We have selected those that actually work

If you don’t have a computer at hand, you can try to restore photos directly on your phone using mobile applications. We have selected those that actually work for Redmi Note without root:

The best applications for recovery:

  • 📱 Dumpster - an analogue of the recycle bin that saves deleted files (needs to be installed to photo loss).
  • 🔍 DiskDigger (mobile version) — scans internal memory without a PC.
  • 🛠️ GT Recovery — supports recovery from WhatsApp, Viber and others messengers.
  • ☁️ Google Photos —if synchronization was enabled, check Cart in the application.

Instructions for DiskDigger (mobile version):

  1. 📥 Install the application from Google Play.
  2. 🔍 Start scanning (select Basic Scan to start).
  3. 📷 View the found photos - they will be displayed from preview.
  4. 💾 Mark the ones you need and click Recover (recovered files will be saved to a folder DiskDigger on your phone).
⚠️ Attention: Mobile versions of apps are less effective than desktop ones. They cannot scan system partitions and often miss photos taken in Pro or with effects MIUImode. For maximum results, use a PC.

If the application does not find the photo, try:

  • 🔄 Restart scanning in mode Full Scan (takes longer).
  • 📁 Check the removable memory card separately (insert it into another phone or card reader).
  • 🔧 Give the application rights superuser (root), if any.
💡

Mobile recovery applications only work if the deleted photos have not yet been deleted overwritten with new data. The less you used the phone after deletion, the higher the chances of success.

6. Restoring after a factory reset (Hard Reset)

If you did reset to factory settings (Hard Reset) and lost the photo, the chances of recovery drop to 20-40%. But there are several ways that can help:

What to do after the reset:

  1. 🛑 Stop using the phone immediately —do not install applications, do not take new photos.
  2. 🔌 Connect Redmi Note to a PC and scan the memory using DiskDigger or Recuva (select mode Deep Scan).
  3. ☁️ Check Mi Cloud, Google Photos and other cloud services - sometimes photos are synchronized automatically before resetting.
  4. 📁 If the phone was connected to the PC earlier, check the folder DCIM on the computer - perhaps the photos were copied there.

If the reset was done a long time ago (more than a week ago), try professional services:

  • 💼 Contact the service center Xiaomi —they can extract data using special equipment (paid service, ~1500-3000₽).
  • 🔧 Use chip-off method (reading data directly from the memory chip). This is an extreme measure, as it requires disassembling the phone.
⚠️ Attention: After resetting the settings MIUI overwrites part of the system partitions where photo metadata could be stored If you have already started setting up the phone again. (installed applications, took new pictures), the chances of recovery are close to zero.

If none of the methods worked, the last option remains - contact data recovery specialistsThere are laboratories in Moscow and St. Petersburg that work with Xiaomi (For example, Data Recovery or Hetman Software). The cost depends on the complexity:

  • 📱 Logical recovery (without disassembly): 2000-5000₽.
  • 🛠️ Physical recovery (chip-off): 5000-15000₽.

7. How to prevent photo loss in the future

To no longer lose important pictures, set up automatic backup and follow simple rules:

Checklist for photo protection:

Enable auto-upload to Google Photos|

Activate synchronization with Mi Cloud|

Create a local copy in Settings → Backup|

Install the Dumpster application for “soft” deletion|

Regularly copy photos to your PC (once a month)-->

Setting up auto-upload in Google Photos:

  1. 📱 Open the application Google Photos.
  2. 👤 Click on the account avatar → Photo settings.
  3. ☁️ Select Backup and synchronization and enable the function.
  4. 📶 Specify through which connection to upload photos (Wi-Fi only recommended).

Setting up Mi Cloud:

  1. 📱 Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
  2. 🔄 Enable Gallery synchronization.
  3. 📂 Select which folders to synchronize (we recommend DCIM i Pictures).
  4. ☁️ Click Automatic download and select Original quality (if cloud space allows).

Additional tips:

  • 📁 Store photos on a memory card: when resetting the phone, data from SD cards are not deleted (unless formatting is selected).
  • 🔧 Use two clouds: set up autoloading in both Google Photosand Mi Cloud —this way you will get double protection.
  • 📱 Export photos periodically: copy pictures to an external hard drive or PC once every 3 months.
⚠️ Attention: The policy for storing backup copies has changed. Now local backups are stored for only 7 days (previously - 30). Update the settings in MIUI 14 The backup storage policy has changed. Now local backups are stored for only 7 days (previously - 30). Update your settings in Settings → Advanced → Backupto avoid data loss.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about photo recovery on Xiaomi

Is it possible to recover photos deleted more than a year ago?

The chances are extremely low (1-5%). If the photos were not synced to the cloud and the phone was actively used, the data was most likely overwritten. Try scanning using DiskDigger in Deep Scanmode, but do not rely on results. In such cases, only professional restoration in the laboratory helps (method chip-off).

Why do apps find photos, but they open with artifacts?

This means that parts of the file have been overwritten with new data. The stronger the damage, the less chance of a complete recovery. Try:

  1. Open the photo in Photoshop or GIMP —sometimes more details are visible there.
  2. Use specialized tools like JPEG Repair.
  3. Restore the file in format RAW (if the camera was filmed in this mode).
Is it possible restore photos after flashing the phone?

When flashing via Fastboot or Recovery user data is usually erased. However, if you flashed the firmware without formatting (OTA update), there are chances. Try:

  • Scanning via DiskDigger with enabled Deep Scan.
  • Checking the folder MIUI/backup for old backups.
  • Contacting the service center - sometimes data can be retrieved using EDL mode.

If the firmware was completely reset (clean flash), recovery is unlikely.

How to recover a photo from a damaged card memory?

If the photos were stored on SD card, and it is no longer detected, try:

  1. 📁 Connect the card to the PC via a card reader.
  2. 🔧 Use apps PhotoRec or TestDisk (free, work with damaged media).
  3. 🛠️ If the card is not readable, try scanning it in readonly (without writing) mode.
  4. 💼 Contact the laboratory - sometimes soldering restoration of contacts helps.

Do not format the card - this will completely destroy the chances of recovery!

Why does Mi Cloud not show all my photos?

Possible reasons:

  • 📶 Synchronization via Wi-Fi: if you deleted photos while roaming, they may not have had time to load.
  • 📁 Limited by date: in the free plan Mi Cloud stores photos for only 90 days.
  • 🔄 Synchronization error: try manually updating the data in the cloud settings.
  • 📱 Other device: check if your account is linked to another phone where the photos could be saved.

If photos disappeared from the cloud for no reason, write to support Xiaomi through the official website - sometimes they restore data upon request.