Where does the shopping cart on Xiaomi Redmi 4X go: where to look for deleted files in MIUI

Did you delete an important file on Xiaomi Redmi 4X and it's not in the Recycle Bin? Or can't find the cart itself? The problem is familiar to many owners of this smartphone — especially on older versions of MIUI 8/9, where the folder interface with deleted files is hidden in an unobvious way. Unlike modern Android devices, where the basket is integrated into the Gallery or Files, on Redmi 4X, its location depends on the method of removal and the firmware version.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible places your Recycle Bin can store on your Xiaomi Redmi 4X, from the standard.Trash folder to hidden system directories. We’ll also find out why files sometimes disappear without a trace and how to recover them if the Recycle Bin is empty. For clarity, we’ll take a screenshot of the MIUI 8-10 menu (relevant to Redmi 4X) and a table with folder paths.

1.The standard basket in the Gallery is the first place to search

On most Xiaomi smartphones, deleted photos and videos are defaulted to the Gallery app basket. On Redmi 4X with MIUI 8/9, the algorithm is the same, but access to the folder can be hidden.

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) top-left.
3. In the drop-down menu, select the "Basket" option (or Trash in English firmware).

If there's no item, it means the basket is disabled in the settings.

1. In the “Gallery” go to Settings → Recycle Bin.
2. Turn on the "Save Deleted Files" switch.
3. Set a storage period (by default - 30 days).

⚠️ Attention: On Redmi 4X With custom firmware (like LineageOS), the standard Gallery Recycle Bin may not work.

The Gallery Recycle Bin only stores media files (photos, videos, GIFs) and documents, APKs and other types of files are permanently deleted, requiring a system basket (see Section 3).

2. Recycle Bin in the Files app: where to look for deleted documents

For non-media files (PDF, DOC, APK, archives) on Xiaomi Redmi 4X, there is a separate basket in the standard Files file manager.

• 📁 You deleted files through this application (not through Explorer or third-party managers).
• 🔄 In the settings, the option of the basket is enabled (default is turned off on) MIUI 8).
• 🗑️ Files deleted no more than 15 days ago (default period).

To check:

1. Open Files → go to the Categories tab.
2. Scroll down to the “Basket” (or Trash) section.
3. If there is no section, tap on three points (⋮) → Settings → Basket and turn it on.

Important: The Files Recycle Bin does not save files deleted through other applications (e.g. Downloads or Google Files) and will require data recovery via DiskDigger or Recuva (see Section 6).

Open the Files app

Go to the "Category" tab

Find the "Basket" section at the bottom of the screen

Enable the basket in the settings (if disabled)-->

3. Hidden system folder.Trash: manual search

If standard methods didn't work, the Recycle Bin on Redmi 4X can be hidden in the.Trash system folder, which is created automatically when you first delete a file through MIUI File Explorer, but doesn't show up in normal mode to find it:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC via USB (in File Transfer mode).
2. Open the internal memory of the device in Windows Explorer.
3. Enable the display of hidden files: 🪟 In Windows: View → Hidden elements. 📱 On the phone: in the Files» → ⋮ → Settings → Show hidden files.

• .Trash (at the root of memory)
• .Trash-1000 (for user files)
• /storage/emulated/0/.Trash (full path)

If the.Trash folder is not available, the recycle bin is disabled at the system level, in which case you can only recover files through specialized utilities (section 6).

⚠️ Warning: Do not manually delete files from the.Trash folder via your PC, this may disrupt the system basket. Use only the Files or Gallery interface on your phone.

4.Why the basket might disappear: 5 reasons

On the Xiaomi Redmi 4X, the basket sometimes goes missing for no apparent reason.

• 🔄 Update MIUI: After the upgrade, MIUI 8 on MIUI 9/10 The folder structure changes, and the old basket can reset. Solution: Check new paths from the table in the section 3.
• 🧹 Cache Clearing: When cleaning the data of the Gallery or Files applications (in Settings) → Applications) Reset the basket. Solution: do not manually clean the cache of these applications.
• 📱 Reset to factory: After Hard Reset, all system folders, including.Trash, are deleted. Solution: Recover data via Recuva or 7-Data Recovery.
• 🛠️ Ruth-rights: Deleting system files via Root Explorer could damage the Recycle Bin.Solution: Restore access rights by the team: chmod 777 /storage/emulated/0/.Trash
• 🦠 Viruses: Some Trojans (like Android.Triada) modify system folders.Solution: scan Malwarebytes' device.

If the basket disappeared after one of these actions, try restarting the phone – sometimes the.Trash folder is restored automatically the next time the system starts.

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Before resetting or updating MIUI, copy the contents of the.Trash folder to the cloud or PC – this will save deleted files even after the reset.

5. How to recover files if the basket is empty

If the Recycle Bin on the Redmi 4X doesn’t contain the files you need, you can try to recover them using third-party tools, and the effectiveness depends on how long it has been since you deleted them and how much memory the device has been using.

Method 1: Android programs (without ROOT)

• 📱 DiskDigger scans internal memory for deleted files, supports recovery of photos, documents and archives.
• 🔍 Dumpster is an alternative basket that intercepts deletes. Requires pre-installing.
• 📂 GT Recovery – specializes in media file recovery (works without rooting on the site) MIUI).

Method 2: PC software (with USB connection)

• 💻 Recuva is a free utility for Windows, effective if the file has been deleted recently.
• 🛠️ 7-Data Recovery – a paid tool with deep scanning.
• 🔧 EaseUS MobiSaver – specializes in data recovery from Android.

Instructions for Recuva:

1. Connect Redmi 4X to your PC in File Transfer mode.
2. Start Recuva → select the file type (such as “Images”).
3. Specify your phone’s drive (usually This device → Internal memory).
4. Click Analysis → wait for the scan to be completed.
5. Mark the files you need and click Restore.

⚠️ Warning: Do not save recovered files back to your phone - this will overwrite memory sectors and reduce the chances of recovering other data.

6. Alternative ways of protecting against data loss

To avoid the trouble of finding a cart on the Xiaomi Redmi 4X, set up automatic backups and alternative storages:

• ☁️ Cloud Services: Enable autoload photos in Google Photos (Settings) → Backup and sync. Use Mi Cloud (5GB for free) to back up contacts and notes.
• 📁 Local Copies: Create a Backup folder on a memory card and manually copy important files there. Use FolderSync to automatically sync with your PC.
• 🔄 Third-party baskets: Install Dumpster - it intercepts all deletes, even system ones. ES Conductor to create backup copies before deletion.

For maximum reliability, combine cloud and on-premises redundancy.

1. Photo by Google Photos + Memory Card.
2. Documents - Mi Cloud + Backup folder.
3. Applications - APK Extractor for creating APK backups.

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On Redmi 4X with MIUI 8/9, the cart is unstable — don’t rely on it as your only recovery option. Always duplicate important data to the cloud or external media.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the cart on Xiaomi Redmi 4X