Where is the basket in Xiaomi’s Android phone: the full guide 2026

You accidentally deleted an important photo, video or document on your Xiaomi and now you don't know where to look for a shopping cart? Unlike computers, Android smartphones don't have a single system trash can - instead, the baskets work inside individual applications. In this article, we'll look at where the shopping cart is stored on Redmi, POCO and other Xiaomi models, how to recover deleted files and what to do if the shopping cart is empty.

It's important to understand that on pure Android, there's no shopping cart at all, but manufacturers like Xiaomi integrate it into their own apps — Gallery, Files, or Notes — and that the deleted files are limited in life (usually 30 days), after which they are deleted irrevocably. If you use third-party apps like Google Photos, they also have their own shopping carts — with different rules.

Next, detailed picture instructions, a basket-based application comparison table, and answers to frequent questions. If you're in a hurry, use the FAQ at the end of the article.

1.The basket in the standard Xiaomi Gallery

The most obvious place to look for deleted photos and videos is the Gallery app, which has a cart called Recently Deleted and is available in all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO MIUI-based models.

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Slip along three horizontal lines (menu) in the lower right corner.
3. Select Recently Deleted (or Recycle Bin in older versions of MIUI).
4. Here you will see all the deleted media files in the last 30 days.

To recover a file, click on it and select Restore. If you want to delete permanently, use Clear or Delete forever.

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In MIUI 14 and later, the basket in the Gallery is hidden behind an additional swipe left on the app's home screen. Try swiping your finger across the screen from left to right to quickly open it.

⚠️ Note: If you deleted files through Google Photos, they won't be in the Xiaomi Recycle Bin.Look for them in the Google Photos Recycle Bin (Bibliography section) → The basket has a shelf life of 60 days.

2. basket in the application "Files" (File Manager)

For documents, archives, and other files (not media), Xiaomi has a separate basket in the standard file manager, called the Recycle Bin, which works on the same principle: files are stored for 30 days, then deleted automatically.

How to open it:

• 📁 Open the Files app (Icon with blue folder).
• 🔍 In the lower menu, select Categories (or Review in older versions).
• 🗑️ Scroll down to the basket point and tap on it.
• 🔄 To recover a file, click on the three dots next to it and select Restore.

If the basket is empty, check:

• 🔍 Is Auto Clean option not included in the application settings (Files) → Settings → Basket).
• 📅 Has it been 30 days since the removal.
• 📱 Have you deleted files through another application (such as Total Commander or the ES The guide -- they have their own baskets).

3.Basket in Notes, Contacts and Other Xiaomi Apps

Not everyone knows, but the baskets are in other standard Xiaomi apps, and here's where you can look for deleted data:

Please note: if you have used Google services (such as Google Contacts or Google Keep), the shopping cart will be in the corresponding app from Google, not MIUI.

4. How to recover files if the basket is empty

If it's been more than 30 days or the cart has cleared itself, the chances of recovery are there, but they depend on whether the phone's memory was overwritten after deleting.

1. Check backups: 📱 B Settings → Google → Backup (if synchronization was enabled). ☁️ In Mi Cloud (Settings) → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Backup copies).
2. Use third-party utilities: 🛠️ DiskDigger (restores photos and videos). 📄 Recuva (requires root rights for deep scanning).

⚠️ Warning: Do not install recovery software on the same disk as the deleted files, which will reduce your chances of success. SD-card.

Please contact the service center:

If files are critical (such as family photos), specialists can extract data using professional equipment (such as Chip-Off).

5.Why the Xiaomi basket might not work

Sometimes users are faced with the fact that the Recycle Bin does not display or save files. Here are the main reasons and solutions:

• 🔄 Update MIUI: After major updates (e.g., with the MIUI 12 on MIUI 14) the basket may reset. Check the firmware version in Settings → The phone.
• 📵 Internet: Some shopping cart features (e.g. Mi Cloud) require a network connection.
• 🔧 Application settings: In the Gallery → Settings → Recycle Bin can be disabled parameter Save deleted files.
• 🛠️ Data Damage: If the phone is turned off while deleting files, the recycle bin may not save them.

In Xiaomi models on Android 13+ (MIUI 14 and later), the basket in the Files app is hidden by default to save space. To enable it, go to Settings → Additional → Show the Recycle Bin.

6. How to permanently delete files from the Recycle Bin (without recovery)

If you want to permanently erase files from your shopping cart (for example, before selling your phone), do the following:

1. Open the cart in the desired application (Gallery, Files, etc.).
2. Select files by holding your finger on one of them.
3. Click on the basket icon or choose Delete Forever.
4. Confirm the action.

For complete cleaning:

• 🧹 In the Gallery: The basket → Clear it all up.
• 🗑️ In Files: The Recycle Bin → Settings → Clean the basket.

⚠️ Note: Even after cleaning the cart, you can recover files using special programs (if they were not overwritten). For complete removal, use applications like Shreddit or Secure Eraser, which overwrite data.

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To ensure you delete files before selling your phone, reset to factory settings (Settings → Additional → Resetting) and format your memory card (if any).

7.Comparison of Xiaomi baskets and other brands

If you are switching to Xiaomi from a different phone, it is useful to know how different carts are from different manufacturers:

As you can see, Xiaomi has one of the most fragmented approaches: it's spread across applications, and there's no single control center, so on the one hand, it gives you flexibility (you can set the storage time for each file type), on the other hand, it makes it harder to find.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the cart on Xiaomi