Recycle Bin in Xiaomi Redmi: where to look for deleted files and how to restore them

You accidentally deleted an important photo, document or video on your Xiaomi Redmi and now you can't find a basket to return files? This problem is familiar to many Xiaomi smartphone users - the MIUI interface hides the basket not where you expect it to be. Unlike Windows or macOS, where the basket is always in plain sight, in Redmi it can "hide" depending on the type of files and the firmware version.

In this article, we’ll take a look at all the possible places that a Recycle Bin in Xiaomi Redmi can be (including Redmi Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10/13C and others), explain why some files are lost irrevocably, and show you how to set up backups to avoid future losses, and learn which apps (such as Gallery, Files or Google Photos) have their own Recycle Bin and how to use them.

Why Xiaomi Redmi doesn’t have a classic cart?

Many users who switch from iPhones or smartphones to pure Android are lost: where is Xiaomi’s single file basket? The fact is that MIUI doesn’t have a centralized recycle bin — instead, each system component (gallery, file manager, cloud services) stores deleted data separately, and this is due to the Android architecture, where applications are isolated from each other.

For example:

• 📷 gallery MIUI It has its own photo and video cart (it stores files for up to 30 days).
• 📁 File Manager – a basket for documents, APK Other files (storage period is set up).
• ☁️ Google Photos or Mi Cloud – Cloud Carts with their own rules.
• 🗑️ Third-party applications (e.g, ES Explorers can create their own baskets or delete files irrevocably.

In addition, in some versions of MIUI, the file manager basket is disabled by default — you need to activate it manually, which is done to save memory, but often leads to unexpected data loss.

⚠️ Note: Files deleted through ADB, Fastboot or third-party utilities (like Root Explorer) bypass the cart and are erased forever, the same goes for formatting a memory card or resetting settings.

Where to look for a cart in the standard Xiaomi Gallery

If you have deleted a photo or video through the Gallery app (icon) 📷), The files are sent to her internal basket to find her:

1. Open the Gallery app (if it is not on the home screen, find it in the app menu).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) lower-right.
3. Select Recycle Bin (or Remote in older versions of MIUI).
4. Here you'll see all the deleted media files sorted by date. To recover, select the files and click Restore.

By default, files are stored in the recycle bin for 30 days, after which they are automatically deleted.

1. In the gallery basket, tap on ⚙️ (Settings).
2. Select Cart Cleaner → Auto Cleaner.
3. Set the desired period: Never, 7 days, 15 days or 30 days.

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If you often delete photos by mistake, set the gallery's auto-cleaning settings to Never - so the files will be stored in the cart until manually deleted.

Important: The gallery cart does not reserve files deleted through:

• 🔍 File Manager (they get into another basket).
• ☁️ Cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud).
• 📱 Third-party applications (such as WhatsApp or Telegram).

Recycle Bin in the File Manager app

Standard File Manager MIUI (badge 📁) It also has a basket, but it works differently than in a gallery:

1. Open the Files app (if not, download it from Google Play – it’s called Mi File Manager).
2. In the lower menu, select the Category tab (or Review in new versions).
3. Scroll down and find the Recycle Bin section (may be called Deleted Files).
4. You tap on it, there'll be documents, APKs, archives, and other files deleted through this manager.

If the Recycle Bin section is missing, it's disabled.

1. In the appendix, tap on ⚙️ (Settings).
2. Select the basket → switch the slider to the position VL.
3. Set the storage period (by default - 15 days).

⚠️ Note: If you connect Xiaomi Redmi to your computer and delete files through Windows Explorer or macOS Finder, they will not fall into the smartphone basket – they can only be restored using specialized utilities (for example, Recuva or DiskDigger).

Recycle Bin in Google Photos and Mi Cloud

If you use Google Photos or Mi Cloud to back up, deleted files can be stored in their cloud bins. Here's how to find them:

Google Photo

1. Open the Google Photos app.
2. Slip on the profile avatar in the upper right corner → Cart.
3. The files are stored for 60 days and then deleted forever.
4. To restore, select files and click Restore.

Mi Cloud

1. Open your Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud
2. Select Gallery or Files (depending on the type of data).
3. Tap on. ⚙️ → Basket.
4. Shelf life is 30 days.

Important: If you delete a file locally (from your smartphone) and then sync Mi Cloud, it can disappear from the cloud. Always check the basket on both devices.

How to recover files if the basket is empty

If the file is not found in the bins, but you are sure it was on the device, try the following methods:

1. Checking hidden folders

Some apps (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) store media files in hidden folders:

• 📂 Open the files. → Internal memory.
• Enable the display of hidden files: ⚙️ → Show hidden files.
• Check folders: WhatsApp/Media Telegram/Telegram Images DCIM/.thumbnails (miniatures)

2. PC-based recovery

If files have been permanently deleted, connect Redmi to your computer and use recovery software:

• 🖥️ Recuva (for Windows)
• 🍎 Disk Drill (for macOS)
• 📱 Undeleter (for Android, it requires) ROOT)

Instructions for Recuva:

1. Connect your smartphone in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Run Recuva and select the file type (such as Images).
3. Specify your Redmi drive (usually a removable drive).
4. Start scanning. Once you're done, mark the files you want and click Restore.

⚠️ Note: PC recovery is more effective if no new data is recorded on the smartphone after deleting files. Each new photo or application installed reduces the chances of successful recovery.

3. Contact the service center

If the files are critical (for example, single photos from the event), and self-recovery did not help, you can contact the Xiaomi service center.

• ⏳ Long-term lessons (from 3 days).
• 💰 Expensive (from 5,000 rubles).
• 🔓 Device Requires Disassembly (Risk of Warranty Loss).

How to set up backup so you don’t lose files

To avoid data loss in the future, set up automatic backups. Here are the best ways to get Xiaomi Redmi:

1. Automatic sync with Google Photos

1. Install Google Photos from the Play Market.
2. Open the app and log in to your Google account.
3. Slip on the avatar → Photo settings → Backup and synchronization.
4. Turn on the slider and select quality (Original or High).

2. backup in Mi Cloud

1. Open your Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud
2. Enable backup for Gallery, Contacts, Notes and other data.
3. Press Sync.

3. Local backup to memory card

If you don’t trust the cloud, copy important files to microSD.

1. Open the files. → select the right folders.
2. Click Copy → Select Memory Map → Insert.
3. Use applications like FolderSync to automate.

Enable the basket in the "Files" and the Gallery|Set up autosynchronization with Google Photos|Create a backup of contacts in Mi Cloud|Regularly copy important files to a memory card|Check your carts once a week for the right files-->

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Xiaomi Redmi users often experience the same problems when working with the cart, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to prevent them:

• 🚫 Delete files via PC: As mentioned earlier, files erased through your computer do not end up in your smartphone shopping cart. Always use Files or Gallery to delete files.
• 🔄 Resetting settings: when resetting to factory settings (Settings) → The phone. → Resetting) all data, including the contents of the baskets, is deleted irrevocably.
• ☁️ Turn off sync: If you turn off Google Photos or Mi Cloud, backups will stop being created. Check settings once a month.
• 📱 Using third-party file managers: applications like ES The Explorer or Solid Explorer can have their own baskets or delete files past them.Tune them properly or use standard MIUI File Manager.

Another common problem is that the cart doesn't clean automatically. If you see a "Basket is full" notification, do this:

1. Open the basket in the Gallery or Files.
2. Click Clean or highlight unnecessary files and delete them manually.
3. If the option is not available, reboot your smartphone – sometimes it solves the problem.

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The most reliable protection against data loss is a combination of local backup (memory card) and cloud (Google Photo or Mi Cloud).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions