Where in the phone Xiaomi is a basket with deleted photos: the complete guide

Why Deleted Photos Don't Disappear Immediately and Where to Look for Them

Do you accidentally delete an important photo on Xiaomi and now panic? Don't be too upset: its smartphones (including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark) default to sending deleted images to a virtual shopping cart where they are stored for 15 to 30 days before final erasure. However, finding this folder is not so easy — its location depends on the version of the MIUI firmware, the phone model and even the application you used to view the photo.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible places that a shopping cart might be hiding on Xiaomi, from the standard Gallery app to the Mi Cloud storage, and how to recover files if they’re already missing from the shopping cart, and why sometimes the folder with the deleted photos doesn’t show up at all. Spoiler: 90% of the time, the problem is solved in 2 minutes, if you know where to look.

Before you go to the instructions, make sure you do not use the “Delete Forever” or “Clean the Recycle Bin” functions – in this case, recovery will require special utilities (we will discuss them at the end of the article). Also check whether your Xiaomi has Incognito mode in the gallery – it blocks the saving of deleted files to the Recycle Bin.

Standard basket in the Gallery app: where to look

In most Xiaomi smartphones (starting with MIUI 10 and later), the cart is built right into the standard Gallery app.

1. Open the Gallery app (an icon with colorful photos).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) in the lower right corner or swipe to the right to open the side menu.
3. Select Recycle Bin (sometimes called Recently Deleted or Deleted Files).

If the item is not on the menu, try another way:

• 📁 Go to the Albums section in the gallery.
• 🔍 Scroll down the list – sometimes the shopping cart is hidden among other folders (like Screenshots or Downloads).
• ⚙️ Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Settings. → Showing Hidden Albums.

In the Recycle Bin, you'll see all deleted photos and videos grouped by date. To recover a file, just click on it, then tap Recover (the icon with the arrow down). Note that the files in the Recycle Bin are stored for a limited time — usually 30 days, but on some models (for example, POCO F5) this period is reduced to 15 days.

Why the cart may not be in the gallery

If you don’t find a shopping cart in the Gallery app, the reasons may be as follows:

Another common problem is hidden system folders, and some firmware has a basket hiding along the way.

/storage/emulated/0/Pictures/.trash

To see it, you need to enable the display of hidden files in Explorer (Settings → Show hidden files).

⚠️ Note: If you deleted a photo through Google Photos, look for the cart in this app - it does not sync with the standard Xiaomi gallery.

Recycle Bin in Explorer: Alternative storage of deleted files

Many users don’t know that Xiaomi has two baskets: one in the Gallery and the other in System Explorer (Files app), and files deleted through:

• 📂 File Manager (Files by Google).
• 🖼️ External drives (microSD memory card).
• 🔧 Mass removal in the gallery mode.

To find this basket:

1. Open the Files app (folder icon).
2. Go to the Category section → Basket.
3. Or manually walk along the way: Internal memory → Recycle Bin.

Unlike a gallery, it stores all types of files (not just photos), and the default storage period is 10 days.

1. Select the desired files with a long tap.
2. Click Restore (the icon with the arrow up).
3. Select a folder to save (for example, DCIM/Camera).

Make sure there is enough memory on your phone.|Check the storage period of files in the basket|Turn off incognito mode in the gallery|Update the Gallery app to the latest version-->

Cloud Recycle Bin in Mi Cloud: How to Recover Photos from the Cloud

If your Xiaomi has Mi Cloud sync enabled, deleted photos can be stored in the cloud cart, especially for models with little internal memory (such as the Redmi 9A or POCO M3), where users often use the cloud for backup.

To check the cloud cart:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Choose the Gallery → Basket.
3. Sign in if you need to.

In the cloud, the storage period of deleted files is 30 days, but there are nuances:

• 📱 Photos deleted from the phone only enter the cloud bin if synchronization was enabled before deletion.
• 💾 Recovered files are automatically downloaded back to the device (if there is space).
• ⚠️ If you manually delete photos from the cloud (via i.mi.com), they will disappear without recovery.

If the photo is not in the cloud cart, but you are sure that the sync was enabled, try:

1. access i.mi.com from PC.


2. Go to the Gallery → Basket section.




3. Restore files from there (they will appear on the phone after the next synchronization).

⚠️ Note: The Mi Cloud cloud cart doesn’t work on phones with unofficial firmware (like LineageOS or custom builds) MIUI). In this case, you can restore the photo only through a local basket or third-party utilities.

What to do if the cart is empty or the photo is deleted forever

If you didn't find any photos in any of the bins, it doesn't mean they're lost forever. Here are 3 working ways to return deleted files:

1. Restoration through backup

If you’ve ever done a backup through MIUI Backup or Google Drive, try recovering data from there:

• 🔄 Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Recovery and discharge → Local backup.
• 📅 Select the most recent copy (check the date – the photo should be in it).
• ⚙️ Check the Gallery and click Restore.

2. Use of recovery programs

For deep scanning of the phone memory, utilities are suitable:

• 🖥️ DiskDigger (there is a version for Android).
• 📱 Recuva (requires root rights for full scanning).
• 💻 EaseUS MobiSaver (works through PC).

Important: Do not write new files to your phone after deleting the photo, which reduces the chances of recovery.

3. Contact the service center

If the photos are critical (such as documents or unique photos), you can contact the official Xiaomi service.

• 💰 Service paid (from 1,500 to 5 000 rubles).
• ⏳ Recovery time - up to 3 days.
• 🔒 Proof of ownership of the phone is required.

💡

If you lose photos often, enable automatic sync with Google Photos or Mi Cloud, and even if the file is deleted from your phone, a copy of it will remain in the cloud.

How to increase the storage period of files in the basket

By default, Xiaomi stores deleted photos in the basket for 10 to 30 days, but this period can be changed.

1. Open the gallery. → Basket.
2. Press three points (⋮) top-right.
3. Select basket settings.
4. Set the required time (maximum 60 days).

On some models (such as the Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi K60), this option is hidden.

1. Install a file manager with root access (e.g., FX File Explorer).


2 Go down the path: /data/data/com.miui.gallery/shared_prefs/




3 Find the file com.miui.gallery_preferences.xml




4 Change the setting "trash_days" to the desired number of days (e.g., 60).




5. Reboot the phone.

You can also turn off automatic cleaning of the basket:

• 📱 In the settings of the basket, uncheck the box from Auto Cleanup.
• 🔄 Check your cart regularly to prevent memory overflow.

⚠️ Warning: Extending the shelf life of the basket can slow down the gallery if too many files accumulate. Optimum balance is 30 days.

💡

On Xiaomi models with MIUI 14+ firmware, the cart automatically syncs with the Mi Cloud, even if you haven't manually enabled this option.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the cart on Xiaomi