Where is the Recycle Bin in Xiaomi Phone and How to Recover Deleted Files?

You accidentally deleted an important file on a Xiaomi smartphone and now you can't find a basket to recover it? Or just want to figure out how the MIUI remote storage system works? Unlike computers, where the basket is always in plain sight, on Xiaomi smartphones, its location depends on the firmware version, device model and even the type of deleted files. In this article, we will detail where to look for the basket in different scenarios, how to use it and what to do if it is not at all.

Many users mistakenly believe that Xiaomi has no shopping cart — it is not. In MIUI 12/13/14 and newer versions, the shopping cart is integrated into the standard File (or File Manager) application, but its behavior may differ depending on whether you delete files through a gallery, guide or third-party applications. Moreover, some models (for example, POCO or Redmi with custom firmware) may have alternative solutions for data recovery.

Where is the basket in the standard application “Files” on Xiaomi

In most modern Xiaomi smartphones (starting with MIUI 11), the basket is built into the Files app (an icon with a blue folder) to find it:

1. Open the Files app (if it is not on the home screen, search through the system search).
2. In the lower menu, tap on the Categories section (or Categories in English).
3. Scroll down the list – there will be a basket (or Trash) item with a bin icon.

Inside the basket, you'll see all the deleted files, grouped by type: images, videos, documents, etc. The rule is that the files are stored in the basket for 30 days, after which they are deleted irrevocably.

• 📁 Files deleted through the Gallery may be placed in a separate basket within this application (more on this below).
• 🔄 If you cleaned the basket manually, recovery with standard means is impossible.
• 📱 Some models (e.g. Xiaomi Mi) A1/A2 With pure Android, the cart may not be available at all.

Important: If you don't see the Recycle Bin section in the Files app, check the settings. It may be disabled.

1. Open Files → click on the three dots in the upper right corner.
2. Select Settings → General.
3. Make sure the switch is active.

Recycle Bin in the Xiaomi Gallery: How to Recover Deleted Photos and Videos

If you delete photos or videos through the standard Gallery (Photo app), they are placed in a separate shopping cart, not associated with the basket in the Files, to find it:

1. Open the Gallery (or Photos) app.
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (menu) in the upper left corner.
3. Select the Recycle Bin (or Recently Deleted in English).

This is where you store deleted media files for 15 to 30 days (depending on the model) to recover the file:

• 🖼️ Select the necessary photos / videos with a long tap.
• 🔙 Click on the Restore (or Restore) button in the lower menu.
• 📂 The files will be returned to the folder from which they were deleted.

Note that if you delete files through Google Photos, they end up in the shopping cart of that app, not the system one.

1. Open Google Photos.
2. Slip on the profile avatar. → Basket.
3. Shelf life there is 60 days.

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If you frequently delete files by mistake, enable Deletion Confirmation in the Gallery settings: Settings → Deletion Confirmation.

Why your Xiaomi cart is not on your cart and what to do

If you didn’t find the shopping cart either in the Files or in the Gallery, the reasons may be:

If your model falls under the first or second item, the only way to recover deleted files without the Recycle Bin is to use specialized utilities.

• 🛠️ DiskDigger scans internal memory for deleted files.
• 🔍 Recuva (requires root rights) – deep recovery.
• ☁️ Cloud backups (if enabled).

⚠️ Note: When using data recovery software, do not write new files to your device, which reduces the chances of successful recovery, as deleted data can be overwritten.

How to permanently delete files from Xiaomi Recycle Bin

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

1. Open the basket in the Files or Gallery.
2. Slip three points in the top right corner.
3. Choose Clean the Cart (or Empty Trash).

For individual files:

• 🗑️ Select the required files with a long tap.
• 🚮 Click on the icon of the basket with the cross (Delete forever).

Some models (such as the Xiaomi 12 Pro or Redmi Note 11) have a Safe Delete option that rewrites data by zero to protect privacy.

1. Go to Settings → Memory → Recycle Bin.
2. Enable the option of Safe Deletion.

⚠️ Warning: After cleaning the Recycle Bin through Secure Deletion, file recovery even with specialized programs becomes almost impossible.

Check if there are any important files|Create a backup copy of the necessary data|Make sure that files are not synced to the cloud|Turn off automatic cleaning (if enabled)-->

Hidden features of the Xiaomi basket: what few people know

The MIUI cart has several hidden features that many users are unaware of:

• 🔒 Password protection: On models with MIUI 14 can be installed PIN-Recycle Bin access code (setting hidden in Settings) → Confidentiality).

Another useful trick: if you deleted a file, but do not remember which application you did it through, use the search system:

1. Open Settings → Search (lap in the top menu).
2. Enter the file name.
3. The system will show where it can be, including baskets of different applications.

On hyper OS models (e.g. Xiaomi 14), the shopping cart is integrated with Mi Cloud cloud storage, which means that deleted files can sync between devices if you are logged in to a Xiaomi account, to disable this feature:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn off sync for Files and Gallery.

Frequent Mistakes When Working With Xiaomi Cart and How to Avoid Them

Many users have trouble recovering files from the Recycle Bin, and here are the most common errors and solutions:

• 🚫 "The basket is empty, although the files have been deleted": "Make sure you have manually cleaned it. Also, some files (for example, downloaded via Telegram) can be deleted without being placed in the basket.
• ⏳ "Files disappear from the cart before 30 days: This happens if the phone's memory is full. MIUI Automatically cleans the basket to make room.
• 🔄 "You can't restore files to a memory card": the Recycle Bin only works with internal memory. SD-cards, can not be restored by standard means.

Another common problem is that once you've recovered the files don't appear in the original folder.

1. Check the Download or MiXplorer folder – sometimes files are restored there.
2. Use a search by system (swipe down on the home screen → search bar).
3. If the file was media (photo/video), update the gallery: open it → click on three dots → Update.

On MIUI models for POCO (e.g., POCO X3 Pro), the basket may not work smoothly due to firmware optimizations.

1. Reinstall the Files app through Settings → Apps → Files → Remove updates.
2. Update the firmware to the latest version.

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The Recycle Bin in MIUI is not a reliable backup storage. Always duplicate important files to the cloud or to an external drive.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions about the Xiaomi cart