Where in the phone Xiaomi Redmi is the basket – and how to recover deleted files

Have you accidentally deleted an important file on Xiaomi Redmi and now you don’t know where to look for the cart? or just want to figure out how the remote data storage system in MIUI works? This article will help you find the cart on your smartphone – regardless of the model (Redmi Note 12, Redmi 10, POCO X5 or older versions).

Unlike computers where the basket is always visible, on Android phones (including Xiaomi), its location depends on the type of content deleted. Photos, videos, documents and applications are stored in different "baskets" - and not all of them are available by default.

• 📁 Where to look for a photo and video basket (Gallery) MIUI)
• 📄 How to Recover Deleted Files through Files"
• 🗑️ Why some apps don’t make it into the cart and how to fix it
• ⚙️ Hidden settings MIUI, which affect the work of the basket

If you are a Redmi user with custom firmware or a global version of MIUI, the instructions below are suitable for you, and the main difference may be in the names of the menu items (we will specify alternative options).

1.The basket in the MIUI Gallery: how to recover photos and videos

The most obvious shopping cart on Xiaomi Redmi is hidden in the standard Gallery app, and all deleted photos and videos are included there – but only if you haven’t used the Delete Forever feature.

To find the basket:

1. Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) lower-right.
3. Select the Recycle Bin (or Recently Deleted in the global version).
4. Hold your finger on the file to recover or click Restore Everything.

⚠️ Note: The files in the Gallery Recycle Bin are only stored for 30 days (in some versions). MIUI — 15 days. After that, they are deleted automatically. If you manually cleaned the basket (Clean the basket), it will be impossible to recover data without specialized programs.

Tip: To avoid accidentally losing important photos, turn backup to Gallery Settings → Cloud → Autosynchronization. Then even after cleaning the basket, the files will remain in the Mi Cloud.

Check the basket folder in the Gallery.|Make sure that files are not hidden (Settings) → Show hidden files)|Try to find through the Files app (Section Images")|Check out Mi Cloud Cloud Storage-->

2. basket in the application "Files": documents, music and other data

For the other file types (PDF, DOCX, MP3, APK, etc.), MIUI has a separate basket built into the standard Files application (Blue folder icon), but by default this feature can be disabled!

How to turn on and use the basket in the "Files":

1. Open the Files app.
2. Tap it on three points (⋮) top-right → Settings.
3. Find the Recycle Bin partition and activate the switch.
4. Now, when you delete files, they will move to the recycle bin, rather than permanently erasing.

To recover the deleted file:

1. In the Files app, go to the Recycle Bin section (the bin icon in the bottom menu).
2. Select the desired files with a long tap.
3. Press Restore (Arrow Up icon).

*Note: APK-Files don't fall into the cart by default. To fix this, turn on the Manage option. APK in the basket in the settings of the application "Files".

Recycle Bin in Gallery | Recycle Bin in Files | Cloud Storage (Mi Cloud/Google Photo) | I don't use the basket-->

3.Why some files don't make it to the bin (and how to fix it)

If you delete a file but do not find it in either the Gallery Recycle Bin or the Files Bin, the reasons may be:

• 🚫 File Deleted Forever: You used the option to Delete Forever (in the Gallery) or manually cleaned the shopping cart.
• 🔍 File hidden: System files or files with a dot at the beginning of the name (e.g..nomedia) are not displayed without enabling the hidden file mode.
• 📱 Delete via another application: Some file managers (e.g. Solid Explorer or Solid Explorer) FX File Managers have their own carts.
• ⚙️ Recycled Recycle Bin in Settings: In the Files or Gallery app, the Recycle Bin function can be deactivated.

To find hidden files:

1. Open the Files" → three-point (⋮) → Settings.
2. Activate the option to show hidden files.
3. Check DCIM/.thumbnails, Android/data folders – there are often “lost” files.

4. Application Recycle Bin: Can Recover Remote Software

Unlike files, remote apps don't make it to the Xiaomi Redmi basket, but there are workarounds:

• 📥 List of Remote Applications: MIUI It keeps a log of installed software. To see it, go to Settings. → Annexes → App management. Tap three points (⋮) → Installation log. This shows every program ever installed, including remote programs.

Recovery through Mi Cloud:

Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization → Applications

Reinstallation from Google Play:

Play Market

Library

⚠️ Note: If you have removed the system app (such as Mi Video or Mi Music) through Settings → Annexes → You can only remove it, restore it, by resetting or flashing it. Use the option to disable instead of completely uninstall it for system programs!

5. Recycle bin settings: how to change the shelf life and other parameters

MIUI allows you to customize the basket to your needs, for example, you can increase the storage life of files or completely disable the basket (not recommended!).

Where are these settings:

• 🖼️ For the Gallery: Gallery → ☰ → Settings → Basket → Storage period (15/30 Days) You can also enable the option Confirm before deleting to avoid accidental erasure.
• 📁 For the Files app: Files → ⋮ → Settings → Basket → Enable/disable, change the storage period In the global version MIUI The path may look like Settings. → Trash → Trash retention period.

Tip: If you often work with important files, set a maximum retention period (30 days) and enable bin clean notifications to help avoid data loss.

💡

To keep the cart from taking up a lot of space, check its contents regularly. For example, high-resolution (20+MB) photos can quickly fill internal memory. Use cloud services to automatically back up important files.

6. Alternative ways of backing up (if the cart did not save)

The cart isn't the only way to protect against data loss. Xiaomi Redmi has built-in and third-party backup tools:

*Note: Titanium Backup only works on root-access phones. For most Xiaomi Redmi users, built-in MIUI tools are enough.

⚠️ Note: If you use Mi Cloud to back up your photos, please note that only files up to 10MB in original quality are downloaded by default. To save all photos without compression, go to Mi Cloud Settings → gallery → Quality of loading → Original.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Even experienced Xiaomi Redmi users sometimes experience problems with the cart, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to solve them:

• 🔴 "Recycle Bin is empty, but space is taken": Reason: Deleted files may remain in folders Android/data or DCIM/.thumbnails. Use the Storage Analyzer app (from Play Store) to find and clean up junk files.
• 🔴 "Can't recover files from the trash: Check if there's enough space on the phone, MIUI It can block recovery. Free up at least 10 percent of memory.
• 🔴 "Recycle Bin does not appear in Gallery: Update Gallery app via Play Store or clear its cache (Settings) → Annexes → gallery → Clear the cache).
• 🔴 "Files disappear from the cart ahead of time: In some versions MIUI The basket automatically clears when there is a lack of memory. To avoid this, set the storage limit of the basket manually (for example, 1 GB).