Mi Data Recovery: 4 Ways to Recover Deleted Files from Mi Phone
TL;DR:
The most effective approach depends entirely on whether a backup exists, as each method in the following guide addresses a specific scenario.
- Consider MobiKin Doctor for Android when no backup is available; it performs a deep scan of the phone's internal memory to recover lost files.
- It is compatible with a wide range of Xiaomi models and supports recovering contacts, messages, photos, and more directly to your computer.
Xiaomi is popular for its great features and low price, but data loss can still occur due to viruses, SD card damage, formatting, or user errors. However, deleted data remains in the internal memory and can be recovered as long as you don't overwrite it. How to recover deleted data from Mi phone is simple and straightforward.
Before we start, ask yourself a question: Is there a backup of your Mi phone? The answer to this question will also guide you to find the most suitable solution for you.
Part 1: How to Restore Lost Data from Mi Cloud
Mi Cloud is a major feature of Xiaomi devices. It works in the same way as Google Drive and iCloud. Users can store data in Mi Cloud and restore deleted data from Mi Cloud. It provides 5GB of storage space and 6 layers of data encryption.
So, if you have backed up your data in Mi Cloud, let's go below and see the way of Mi data recovery from Mi Cloud.
- Log in to your Mi account on your device.
- Go to Settings > Mi Account > Mi Cloud > Restore from Backup.
- Now, you can choose the backup files that you want to restore and then tap on the "Restore" button.
- OK, all the wanted data will be restored from Mi Cloud to your phone.
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Part 2: How to Recover Deleted Files from Mi Phone via Google Drive
Almost every Android user has a Google account. And Google Drive is an excellent alternative to Mi Cloud. Google Drive provides 15GB of storage space; users can back up their important files to Google Drive, and then access them anywhere and on any device. Now we will teach you how to access the backup files and restore the files to the Xiaomi phone.
- Access the Google Drive app on your Xiaomi phone or open the site - https://google.com/drive via any browser.
- You can see all uploaded files listed here. You can even search for the file you need by typing its name.
- Preview the files you have backed up on Google Drive and select the ones you want to restore.
- Finally, you can click on the "Download" option to restore lost Mi phone data from Google Drive.
Part 3: How to Perform Mi Phone Data Recovery with Xiaomi Backup App
Xiaomi has provided its users with a dedicated backup application (known as local backup). With this built-in backup service, you can easily back up your data to the program, and then click "Restore" to restore the files you want. This is also one of the easiest ways to retrieve lost data from Xiaomi/Redmi phones. Please follow the steps below:
- First of all, run the backup app on your Mi phone.
- You can see all backed up files are listed here, which can be recovered.
- Select the files you want to restore.
- Tap on the "Restore" option to retrieve deleted data from Xiaomi phone.
Tips: What should I do if the built-in Xiaomi Backup app cannot recover my data? First, check whether another local, Xiaomi Cloud, Google, or app-specific backup exists. If no usable backup is available, a dedicated Android data recovery tool may be necessary, although recovery of permanently deleted data is not guaranteed.
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Part 4: How to Recover Deleted Files from Mi Phone without Backup
If you have not had time to back up the files in your Xiaomi phone, the above three methods are not effective for you, then MobiKin Doctor for Android (Windows/Mac), a professional Xiaomi data recovery software, can help you. It will perform a deep scan of your phone, find lost files, and retrieve them with zero loss.
In addition to working on Xiaomi devices, it is also applicable to other Android phones. With a very user-friendly interface, you can easily complete the Mi phone data recovery process.
More features of this Mi recovery tool:
- It can recover lost contacts, text messages, call logs, photos, videos, music, apps, etc., from Mi phones.
- It retrieves lost data from the phone's internal memory, as well as the external SD card.
- Wide compatible with various Xiaomi models such as Xiaomi Mi 15-9T (Ultra/Pro), T 14-8T (Pro/Lite), Mi Note 10-3 (Lite/Pro), Redmi Note 9/Note 8/Note 7/Note 4/Note 5/Note 4, Redmi/POCO, etc., and also working for Samsung, Sony, Motorola, Google, OPPO, OnePlus and most Android phones.
- Supports all Android OS, Windows, and Mac OS.
Just give MobiKin Doctor for Android a try and then follow the steps below to see how to recover deleted files from a Mi phone using this Xiaomi data recovery software.
Step 1: Run the Mi data recovery program
Launch the software and connect your Xiaomi device to the computer using a USB cable. Stand by until your device is detected by the computer successfully. To ensure a stable connection between the Xiaomi phone and your computer, a window will appear asking you to switch on USB debugging mode on your Xiaomi phone.
Step 2: Choose which file types you want to recover
You can see a list of file types that you can recover. Tick off the file categories you want to recover and click "Next". This way, the program starts to scan your device and presents you with all the scanned out files, with a series of options displayed on the top.
Step 3: Recover selected data to Xiaomi device
Preview the scanned out files and mark on those you want to recover. Then, specify a destination folder where you want the files to be saved and tap the "Recover" button to save the selected files on your computer.
Video Directions:
FAQs about Recovering Deleted Files from Mi Phone
Q1. Where is the Trash Bin located on a Mi phone?
In the Gallery app, tap the menu (three dots) > Trash Bin. In File Manager, open the "Recent" or "Categories" section to find deleted files stored temporarily.
Q2. How long do deleted files stay in the Mi Trash Bin?
Most Xiaomi phones retain deleted items for 30 days, after which they are permanently erased.
Q3. Do Mi Cloud deleted items take up cloud storage?
No. Xiaomi states that the Cloud Album recycle bin does not consume your cloud storage quota.
Q4. Why can't I find older photos in Mi Cloud?
Xiaomi uploads older photos only when the phone is charging and on Wi?Fi to save power. You can manually trigger sync via the Album cloud page.
Q5. How do I restore files using Google Photos?
Google Photos keeps deleted items in its Trash for 60 days. If Backup is enabled, you can restore photos and videos from there.
Q6. Do I need root access for deep recovery scans?
Root access can improve scan depth, especially when it comes to recovery lost contacts, call records, and SMS from the Mi phone's internal storage.
Q7. Can deleted files be recovered after a factory reset?
Possibly - if cloud backups exist or if the reset hasn't overwritten the deleted data. USB-based tools may still detect recoverable fragments when a hard reset is done.
Q8. What reduces the chances of successful recovery?
Taking new photos, installing apps, or writing new data quickly overwrites deleted storage blocks, making recovery impossible.
Final Thoughts
Because accidents of data loss can happen at any time, we strongly recommend that you back up your Mi phone regularly. You can use the Mi Cloud, Google Drive, and Xiaomi backup app mentioned above to back up files, or you can transfer data from Xiaomi to a PC.
However, if you don't have a backup file, don't worry. You only need to download and install MobiKin Doctor for Android to recover lost data from Xiaomi without a backup. It is an efficient, fast, and safe solution for recovering lost data from Xiaomi and any Android device.
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