Xiaomi Redmi 9 users often face a problem: they have deleted a photo or document, and it is impossible to find a “basket” to restore a file. Unlike computers where the Recycle Bin folder is always in plain sight, on Android smartphones (including Xiaomi models), the mechanism for storing deleted files works differently, depending on whether you deleted the file through a gallery, a file manager or a third-party application.
On Redmi 9, the shopping cart may be hidden in the settings of standard applications or not at all in the usual form. For example, in the Xiaomi Gallery, deleted photos are in the Recycle Bin for 30 days, and in the File Manager. MIUI This is not the default function, so let's figure out where to look for deleted data, how to recover it, and why some files disappear permanently after a few days.
If you deleted a file recently (less than a month ago), the chances of recovery are high. MIUI It works only for multimedia (photo, video, audio) and does not save documents, APK These files will require third-party utilities or backups.
Holding my finger. → «Delete»|Swipe in the gallery|Through the file manager|I'm using the basket in the cloud.|I don't delete it, I clean it up.-->
1. Recycle Bin in the standard Xiaomi Redmi 9 Gallery: where to look and how to recover photos
The standard Gallery app on Redmi 9 automatically sends deleted photos and videos to the hidden Recycle Bin folder, where they are stored for 30 days, and then the files are deleted irrevocably to find this folder:
1. Open the Gallery app (an icon with multi-colored squares).
2.Shoot three horizontal lines (☰) top-right.
3. In the drop-down menu, select the item "Basket" (dumpster icon).
If there is no Recycle Bin, you have deleted files not through the Gallery, but in another way (for example, through a file manager). MIUI fail.
- 📷 Photos and videos: enter the Gallery basket, stored for 30 days.
- 📄 Documents and APK: They are removed immediately, without a basket.
- 🎵 Audio files: depending on the application (in the music of Xiaomi basket is not available).
- ☁️ Files from the cloud: enter the Mi Cloud Recycle Bin (stopped for 60 days).
To recover a file from the Gallery Recycle Bin:
1. Open the Recycle Bin folder (as described above).
2. Select the desired files with a long tap.
3. Press "Restore" (up arrow icon).
4 Files will return to the original folder (e.g. Camera or Downloads).
⚠️ Note: If there are no files in the Gallery Recycle Bin, but you have definitely deleted them recently, check the.Trash folder through the file manager. It is hidden, so turn on the display of hidden files in the Settings settings. → Additionally. → Show hidden files.
2.Why in the file manager MIUI No basket and how to fix it
Unlike the Gallery, the standard file manager (com.mi.android.globalFileexplorer) on Redmi 9 doesn't have a built-in recycle bin. All files deleted through it are erased immediately, without the possibility of recovery.
- 📂 Documents (.doc,.pdf,.xlsx);
- 📦 Archives (.zip,.rar);
- 📱 APK-file;
- 🎮 Keeping games.
To enable the Recycle Bin feature in the file manager, you need to install a third-party application (such as Files by Google or Solid Explorer), which creates its own folder for deleted files, where they are stored for 7 to 30 days.
If you have already deleted an important document through a standard manager MIUI, try:
1. Check backups in Mi Cloud or Google Drive.
2. Use recovery programs (e.g., DiskDigger or Recuva – root access is required).
3. connect the smartphone to the PC and scan the memory using EaseUS Data Recovery.
⚠️ Warning: Do not install recovery software on the same partition of memory where the deleted files were stored! This can overwrite them irrevocably. Use SD-map.
Stop using your smartphone (do not install new apps)|Connect to a PC and scan the memory|Try to restore it through the Mi Cloud|Use specialized utilities (DiskDigger, EaseUS)|Contact the service center (if files are critically important)-->
Recycle Bin in the Mi Cloud: How to recover files deleted from your phone
If your Redmi 9 is synced to Mi Cloud, deleted files can be stored in the cloud bin for 60 days (as opposed to 30 days in the local Gallery) to check:
1. Open the Cloud app (an icon with a white cloud on a blue background).
2. Go to the "Baskbasket" section (the bin icon in the bottom menu).
3. Select the desired files and click "Restore".
Important: in Mi Cloud, the recycle bin only works for files uploaded to the cloud, and if sync has been disabled, it won't be possible to restore data in this way.
| File type | Where to find a basket | Storage period | Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photo/video (Gallery) | Gallery → Bastard | 30 days | Yes. |
| Photo/video (Mi Cloud) | Cloud. → Basket | 60 days | Yes. |
| Documents/APK | No basket. | Deleted immediately. | Only through recovery. |
| Files on SD-map | Depends on the app. | There's no basket more often. | Hardly. |
If there are no files in Mi Cloud but sync has been enabled, check:
- 🔄 Automatic booting: Settings → Accounts. → Mi Cloud → gallery;
- 📶 Internet connection at the time of deletion (files may not have time to download);
- 📱 Free space in the cloud (when overflowing new files are not synced).
💡
If you regularly delete files by mistake, turn on the "Authorize" feature in Mi Cloud, which stores copies of photos and videos in the cloud even if you erase them from your phone. → gallery → Auto-reservation
4. Hidden folder.Trash: where the basket is stored at the system level
The Xiaomi Redmi 9 (as well as other Android smartphones) has a.Trash system folder where some apps send deleted files. It is hidden by default, but it can be found through the file manager.
Instructions:
1. Open the File Manager (or install Solid Explorer).
2. Enable the display of hidden files:
- In the standard manager: ☰ → Settings → Additionally. → Show hidden files;
- In Solid Explorer: ☰ → Settings → Hidden files.
3. Go to the root catalogue (/storage/emulated/0/) Find the.Trash or.Recycle folder.
There may be subfolders with application names inside (e.g,.Trash-1000 Not all programs use this folder, most often there are files deleted through the:
- 📱 Standard Gallery (if the basket is empty);
- 🎬 Video player;
- 🎵 Music players (e.g. Mi Music).
⚠️ Note: Don’t confuse.Trash with folders like this. DCIM/.thumbnails — It stores thumbnails of photos, not deleted files. Deleting.thumbnails content won't restore the original images!
5. How to recover files if the basket is empty: 3 working methods
If you don’t have files in the Gallery Recycle Bin, Mi Cloud, and.Trash folder, try these methods:
Method 1: Recovery programs (without root)
Apps like DiskDigger or Dumpster scan your smartphone for deleted files, and they even work without superuser rights, but the efficiency is lower:
- 📱 Install DiskDigger from Google Play;
- 🔍 Select a partition to scan (internal memory or SD-map);
- 📂 Wait for the analysis to be completed and select files to recover.
Limitation: The free version only restores photos and videos.
Method 2: Connect to a PC and Deep Scan
This will require:
1. Connect Redmi 9 to your computer in file transfer mode (MTP).
2. Install EaseUS Data Recovery or Recuva on your PC.
3. Select the smartphone drive and start the scan.
4. Save the recovered files to your PC (not your phone!).
Importantly, the longer you use your smartphone after deleting it, the lower your chances of recovery. New data overwrites old data.
Method 3: Contacting a Service Center
If files are critical (e.g., work documents or only photos), you can contact a specialized service, UFS Explorer) and can recover data even from damaged memory. Cost: from 1,500 to 5 000 rubles.
What to do if the recovered files are damaged?
6.How to set up a shopping cart on Xiaomi Redmi 9 so that files do not disappear
To avoid future data loss, set up your system to save deleted files longer or duplicate to the cloud.
Step 1: Increase the storage period in the Gallery
By default, files in the Gallery Recycle Bin are stored for 30 days, which can be extended to 60 days:
1. Open the gallery. → ☰ → Settings.
2. Select "Basket."
3. Set a maximum period of 60 days.
Step 2: Enable automatic sync with Mi Cloud
1. Go to Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud.
2. Activate the Gallery and Notes (if you need documents).
3. Click on Authorization and select Wi-Fi Only (to avoid wasting mobile traffic).
Step 3: Use third-party file managers with a basket
Install one of these applications:
Step 4: Make regular backups
Set up automatic backup in Google Photos or Mi Cloud:
💡
Even with the basket on, don't just store important files on your phone «3-2-1»: 3 copy-paper 2 carrier, 1 cloudy.
7. Frequent Errors: Why Files Are Losing from the Recycle Bin Early
Redmi 9 users often experience files disappearing from the recycle bin in less than 30 days.
- 🔄 Cache cleansing: Some cleaners (such as Security or Clean Master) remove the contents of the shopping cart;
- 📱 Memory shortage: with critically low free space MIUI cleans the basket automatically;
- 🔧 Resetting: After resetting to factory settings, the basket is cleaned;
- 📲 Update MIUI: Sometimes, after updating, system folders (including.Trash) are reset.
To avoid data loss:
1.Don’t use cleaners like Clean Master – they often delete important files.
2. Keep an eye on the vacant space: leave at least 10% of the memory free.
3. Before resetting or updating, check the cart and transfer important files to the cloud.
If the files are missing for no apparent reason, check:
- Activity log: Settings → Google → Account management → Data and personalization → Journal of Activity;
- Notifications: sometimes MIUI Sends an automatic cleaning alert.