Where is the cart on Xiaomi Redmi 6A: a detailed guide with pictures and tips

Why users can’t find a shopping cart on Redmi 6A – and where to find it

You deleted an important file or photo on the Xiaomi Redmi 6A but can't find a shopping cart to recover data? This problem is familiar to many owners of Xiaomi budget smartphones - especially on older versions of MIUI. The fact is that on the Redmi 6A (released in 2018), the basket doesn't work like on modern flagships. There is no single "junk bucket" for all types of files, and the location itself depends on the firmware version and applications used.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible places that a shopping cart might be hiding on your device, from a standard file manager to a Mi Cloud storage, and find out which files are permanently deleted (yes, most of them!), and which can be saved. If you’re using Redmi 6A on MIUI 9, 10, 11 or 12, you’ll find the right instructions for each version.

We warn you right away, this smartphone doesn't have a shopping cart like a computer, there's no one-size-fits-all solution, open folder, restore everything, you have to check a few places and understand Xiaomi's logic, but don't worry, we'll show you where to look and how to return deleted data with minimal loss.

1. Recycle Bin in Xiaomi’s Standard File Manager: Where to Search and How to Use

The first place to look is the built-in file manager (the folder and magnifier icon, called Files or Explorer). On Redmi 6A, the cart only appears in MIUI 10 and later. If you have MIUI 9, this section simply does not exist (more on this below).

To find the basket:

1. Open the Files app (if you don’t find it, check the Tools folder or use a smartphone search).
2. In the lower menu, tap on the Categories section (or the Browser in older versions).
3. Scroll the list up - there should be a basket folder (a bin icon).

Important: The file manager bin only stores files that you deleted through the same app, and if you erased photos through a gallery or documents through Google Drive, they won't be here!

Delete the file through "Files"? → Search in the application basket

Have you deleted your photo through the gallery? → See the section “Recently deleted” in the Gallery

Have you deleted the document through a third-party app? → Check the cart of this app (for example, in Google Drive)

Didn't find the basket? → You may have it. MIUI 9. She's not there)

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The files in the bin last 30 days, and then they are deleted automatically, to restore:

1. Open the file in the basket.
2. Slip three points in the top right corner.
3. Choose Restore.

⚠️ Note: If you cleared the cache or data of the Files app through Settings → Applications, the basket could have reset, and then you can't recover the files.

2. "Recently Deleted" in the Gallery: How to Return Photos and Videos

Photos and videos on Redmi 6A are not removed to the shared bin, but to a special section called “Recently Deleted” inside the standard Gallery, a separate repository that works independently of the file manager.

To find the deleted photos:

1. Open the Gallery app (an icon with a flower or photo).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (menu) in the upper left corner.
3. Select the recently deleted section (or the Recycle Bin in some versions of MIUI).

It stores files deleted only through the Gallery, with a storage period of 15 days (in MIUI 9) or 30 days (in MIUI 10+) to recover:

• 📷 Select the necessary photos / videos with a long tap.
• 🔄 Click on the recovery icon (arrow down or button "Restore»).
• 📁 Files will return to the folder they were deleted from (for example, in Camera or Screenshots).

⚠️ Note: If you deleted photos through Google Photos, look for them in the shopping cart of this application (Basket section in the side menu). The storage period there is 60 days, but only if you have sync enabled.

Through the standard gallery

Through Google Photos

Through the file manager

I just click "Delete" in the photo viewing.

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The basket in MIUI 9: why it is not and what to do

If you have Xiaomi Redmi 6A on MIUI 9 (which is the majority of users who haven’t updated), there’s no standard Recycle Bin in the file manager at all. This feature only appeared in MIUI 10. But that doesn’t mean that all deleted files are lost forever — some of them can be recovered in other ways.

Here's what works in MIUI 9:

• 📁 Gallery: section "Recently deleted" is here (storage period - 15 days).
• ☁️ Mi Cloud: If sync was enabled, files can be restored via the web version (more on this below).
• 🔄 Third-party apps: the basket is in Google Photos, ES The guide (if you use them).

If you deleted a file through a file manager on MIUI 9, there is no chance of returning it through standard means.

• 🛠️ Recovery software (such as DiskDigger or Recuva) but require root rights).
• 🔍 Check backups (if you did backup via Mi Cloud or Google Drive).

4. Cloud Recycle Bin: Recovery via Mi Cloud and Google Drive

If your smartphone has been enabled to sync with the cloud, the chances of returning files are much higher: Xiaomi and Google store deleted data in their shopping carts longer than locally on the device.

Recovery through Mi Cloud:

1. Open your Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud
2. Make sure that file sync has been enabled (the Backup section).
3. Go to i.mi.com from your computer or phone.
4. Log in and check the “Recently Deleted” or “Recently Deleted” section.

Recovery via Google Drive:

1. Open the Google Drive app or go to drive.google.com.
2. In the side menu, select the basket.
3. Find the file you want and click “Restore”.

⚠️ Note: If you deleted the file before you connected your account Mi/Google, It won't get into the cloud bin. Synchronization only works for files created or copied to the device after authorization.

5.What is deleted irrevocably: a list of files that do not fall into the basket

Not all files on Redmi 6A end up in the Recycle Bin, but there are categories of data that are deleted permanently once you click "Delete." Here's the full list:

• 📂 System files (in Android, data, system folders).
• 🎵 Music and audio files deleted via Mi Music player (no shopping cart).
• 📥 Downloads removed through a browser or download manager.
• 📱 Application data (cache, settings – cleared without recovery capability).
• 📞 Call log and SMS (Deleted permanently if there is no backup).

Also, files deleted are not included in the basket:

• 🗑️ Through ES Conductor or other third-party managers (they have their own basket).
• 🔍 Through a search by device (if you clicked “Delete” in search results).
• 🖥️ From the computer (when connected to the USB and deletion via PC).

💡

On Xiaomi Redmi 6A, the Recycle Bin only works for files deleted through standard applications (Gallery, Files). All other data is permanently erased if there was no backup.

If you remove something from this list, all that remains is:

• 🔄 Check backups in Mi Cloud or Google Drive.
• 🛠️ Use recovery software (such as DiskDigger, but it requires root access).
• 📱 Contact the service center (if files are critically important).

6 How to turn on the basket if it is not: hidden settings and workarounds

If your Redmi 6A doesn’t show the cart, there are several ways to unlock it or create an analog:

Method 1: Update MIUI to 10+ version

The recycle bin in the file manager only appears in MIUI 10 and later.

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. If the update is available, download and install.
3. After the reboot, check the file manager.

Method 2: Install a third-party file manager

Applications like ES Explorer or Solid Explorer have their own basket.

1. Open the manager's settings.
2. Find the “Basket” or “Recycle Bin” section.
3. Enable the function (usually activated by default).

Method 3: Set up automatic backup

To avoid losing files in the future:

• ☁️ Enable synchronization with Mi Cloud (Settings) → Mi Cloud → Backup).
• 📁 Set up auto-save photo in Google Photos (app) → Settings → Backup).
• 🔄 Regularly copy important files to your computer or external drive.

💡

If you frequently delete files by mistake, install the Recycle Bin widget on the home screen (if you have one in your MIUI version). To do this, tap long in the free space of the screen → “Widgets” → find the file manager widget.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the cart on Xiaomi Redmi 6A