Where to look for a basket on Xiaomi devices: smartphones, TV, Mi Home and not only

You deleted an important file on Xiaomi, but you can't find where the cart is stored? Or you're trying to recover photos, but the standard folders are empty? The problem is that on different devices of the brand — smartphones, TVs, smart speakers, and even in the Mi Home ecosystem — the cart works differently. It's hidden in the depths of MIUI, it's not there, and in some cases files are sent to the cloud without your knowledge.

In this article, we’ll look at all possible shopping cart locations on Xiaomi devices, including little-known data recovery tricks. You’ll learn how to find deleted files on a smartphone with MIUI 12/13/14, where to look for a shopping cart in Mi TVs and Redmi Smart TVs, and how junk folders work in the Gallery, Files and Mi Cloud apps. Plus, instructions for cases when the shopping cart is completely missing (yes, this happens!).

Recycled cart on Xiaomi smartphones: where to look in MIUI

On Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO, the shopping cart is not implemented in the same way as on iPhone or Samsung. There is no single garbage bucket for all files, instead, each application stores deleted data separately.

• 📱 Gallery - there is always a shopping cart, but only keeps files for 30 days.

The easiest way to find a shopping cart is to open the Gallery, click on the three dots in the top right corner, and select the Recycle Bin. If you don't have one, you're using a third-party gallery (like Google Photos) where the shopping cart is called Archive or Recently Deleted. In MIUI 14, the path may be different: Albums → Recycle Bin.

⚠️ Note: If you delete files through Explorer (Device tab), they don't get into the Recycle Bin - they are deleted irrevocably! To avoid this, always use the Gallery or Files from Xiaomi.

To include the cart in the Mi File Manager:

1. Open the Files app.
2. Go to Settings → Recycle Bin.
3. Activate the switch Turn on the basket.
4. Choose a storage period (from 1 day to 30 days).

Recycle Bin in Xiaomi TVs: Mi TV and Redmi Smart TV

On Xiaomi TVs, the shopping cart works differently than on smartphones, there is no separate application for deleted files, instead using a built-in storage system that depends on the type of content:

• 📺 Local media files (photos, videos, music) – are deleted irrevocably if an external drive is not connected.
• 🖥️ Downloads from the browser - stored in /storage/emulated/0/Download, but no basket.
• ☁️ Cloud services (e.g. Mi Cloud or Google Drive) – Recycle bins depend on the service.
• 🎮 Games and applications - remote APK-Files can only be restored through Settings → Annexes → Remote (not working on all models).

The main problem with Xiaomi TVs is that there is no full-fledged basket for local files. USB-The only way to do that is to use a side utility like DiskDigger (requires you to restore it with standard means). ADB) Or connect the drive to the computer and scan it with Recuva.

The exception is the TVs on Google TV (e.g. Mi TV Q2 2023). Here the basket appears in Settings → Storage → Recycle Bin, but only works for files deleted through the built-in File Manager.

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If you often work with files on a Xiaomi TV, connect cloud storage (such as Yandex Drive) and set up automatic sync, so that deleted files will go to the cloud basket, rather than being erased forever.

Recycle Bin in Mi Home and Xiaomi Smart Devices

In the Mi Home ecosystem (now Xiaomi Home), the shopping cart is only for certain types of data.

• 📹 Xiaomi Mi Home Security Camera – stored in the bin for 30 days if cloud storage is connected.
• 🔊 Xiaomi Smart Speaker – no basket, but your team history can be viewed in Settings → History.
• 📱 Automation settings – Remote scripts are sent to the Archive (available in the Mi Home web version).

To find a shopping cart for the cameras:

1. Open the Mi Home app.
2. Choose your own camera (Mi Home Security Camera 360°).
3. Go to the Records (or Cloud Storage) tab.
4. Click on the basket icon (the bin icon) in the upper right corner.

If there is no basket, check:

• 🔄 Subscription to cloud storage (without it, records are erased immediately).
• 📅 Storage period (in free tariff - up to 7 days).
• 🛠️ Update of the firmware of the camera (in older versions of the basket may be missing).

Hidden folders and Android system basket on Xiaomi

Many people don't know, but Android (including MIUI) has a hidden system basket that gets files deleted through some apps, and you can access it in two ways:

1. Through ADB (requires USB debugging enabled):

adb shell ls /data/data/com.android.providers.media/databases


adb pull /data/data/com.android.providers.media/databases/external-*.db

These databases store tags of deleted files, but it is difficult to restore them without root rights.

1. Through a root conductor (such as Root Explorer):

Cross the path. /data/com.android.providers.media/external_files/trash. There may be files deleted through standard system tools.

There's also a hidden folder on Xiaomi called.trash (or.recycle), which is created by some file managers to see it:

• Use Mi File Manager with the option to Show Hidden Files enabled.
• Or connect your phone to your PC and enable the display of hidden folders in Windows/Linux/Mac.

⚠️ Note: Delete files through ADB Or Fastboot, a team like fastboot erase userdata, bypasses the cart, and it erases data irrevocably).

How to recover files if the basket is empty

If the shopping cart on Xiaomi is empty but you are sure that the files have been deleted recently, try these methods:

To recover via Mi Cloud:

1. Go to i.mi.com.
2. Sign in with your Mi Account.
3. Select the Recycle Bin (or Recently Deleted) section.
4. Find the file you want and click Restore.

If your files are not synced to the cloud, use DiskDigger:

Install DiskDigger from Google Play

Connect your phone to charge (the process can take hours)

Turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data

Do not save new files to your device

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Frequent Basket Problems on Xiaomi and Their Solutions

Xiaomi users often face typical basket-related problems, and here are the most common ways to solve them:

• 🔍 The basket is not displayed in the Gallery → Update the Mi Gallery app or clear its cache in Settings → Annexes.
• ⏳ Files disappear from the cart before 30 days → Check your sync settings with Mi Cloud (autoclearance may be enabled).
• 📱 Recycle Bin in Files does not save deleted folders → It's a feature. MIUI — folders are deleted irrevocably, only individual files are saved.
• ☁️ The cloud basket is not working. → Check if your Mi Account is connected to your device and sync enabled.

If after the MIUI update the cart stopped working:

1. Reset the device.
2. Clear the data of the Gallery or Files app.
3. Check if the basket settings have been reset in the Settings → Storage.

On some devices (such as the POCO F5 or Redmi Note 12), the cart may be missing due to regional restrictions.

• Install a global version of MIUI (via Fastboot or Xiaomi Flash Tool).
• Use third-party file managers (such as Solid Explorer) that have your own recycle bin.

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On devices with pure Android (for example, Xiaomi 13T with HyperOS), the shopping cart works according to Google standards – deleted files are stored in the Trash folder in Google Photos or Files.

Alternative ways to protect data on Xiaomi

Since the shopping cart on Xiaomi is not always reliable, it is better to take care of file security in advance:

• 🔄 Automatic backup to Mi Cloud or Google Drive (configure Settings) → Mi Account → Backup).
• 📁 Hidden folders – transfer important files to a folder with a point at the beginning of the name (such as.secret) so that they don’t end up in the bin when accidentally deleted.
• 🔐 Encryption – Use apps like Cryptomator to protect sensitive data.
• 🖥️ Local backups – regularly copy files to your PC or external drive.

To set up automatic backup in Mi Cloud:

1. Open the Settings. → Mi Account.
2. Choose Mi Cloud.
3. Activate the switches near the Gallery, Notes, Contacts.
4. Click Backup now.

If you often work with important documents, install Google Drive and set up the Documents folder to download automatically:

1. Open Google Drive.
2. Go to Settings → Backup.
3. Enable Backup of folders and select the directories you want.

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Even if the Xiaomi Recycle Bin works correctly, don’t rely on it as your only recovery option: Combine cloud backups, local copies, and encryption to maximize data protection.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions About Xiaomi Cart