How to find and open a basket on the smartphone Xiaomi Mi 8: all ways

You accidentally deleted an important file on the Xiaomi Mi 8 and now you don't know where to look for the trash, or you just want to figure out how the remote storage system works on this smartphone? Unlike computers where the shopping cart is always in plain sight, on Android devices (including the Mi 8), everything is different. There is no one universal place for garbage, it all depends on the type of file and the application through which it was deleted.

In this article, we will discuss in detail where the shopping cart on the Xiaomi Mi 8 is physically stored, how to get there through standard and third-party tools, and what to do if files are lost without recovery. We will focus on the nuances of the MIUI firmware, which controls the logic of deleting data, you will learn why some files disappear forever immediately after clicking Delete, and others are sent to temporary storage.

We warn you beforehand, if you've used security-type cleaning or formatted a memory card, the chances of recovery are minimal, but in most cases, the data can still be returned, so you have to act quickly and correctly.

What is a shopping cart on Xiaomi Mi 8 and how it works

The Xiaomi Mi 8 (as well as other Android smartphones) doesn’t have a single system basket, like Windows or macOS. Instead, each file type and each application can have its own temporary storage for remote data.

• 📁 File manager MIUI: It has a built-in recycle bin for files deleted through it, and it stores data for up to 30 days.
• 📷 Gallery: Photos and videos are sent to a separate shopping cart (.Trash folder) if deleted through a standard app.
• 📄 Third-party apps: Google Photos, Dropbox and others create their own shopping carts with their own storage rules.
• 🗑️ System files: Deleted permanently without recovery through the Recycle Bin.

It is important to understand that the basket in MIUI is not protected from resetting to factory settings – if you completely reset all temporary files will be erased, and the volume of the basket is limited: if it is exceeded, the old files are automatically deleted to make room.

If you delete a file through Explorer (the embedded file manager), it will only enter the Recycle Bin if the feature was enabled in the settings. By default, it is active on Mi 8, but may be disabled after updates or resets.

Where is the Recycle Bin in the standard MIUI file manager

The easiest way to find deleted files is through the built-in Explorer (aka Files or File Manager).

1. Open the Files app (an icon with a blue folder).
2. In the lower menu, tap on the Categories section (or Browse in English).
3. Scroll down to the Trash item.
4. Click on it and a list of files that can be recovered will open.

If the item is not on the menu, it means:

• 🔄 The function is disabled in the settings (see the next section).
• 🧹 The Recycle Bin (all files are already deleted forever).
• 📱 You have custom firmware where the logic of the work is changed.

In the file manager basket you will see:

Open the Files app

Go to the category section

Find the "Basket" item at the bottom of the list

View the list of deleted files

Restore the necessary or clean the basket-->

How to turn on the basket if it is not in the file manager

If your Explorer doesn't have a Recycle Bin partition, it's likely that the function is disabled to activate it:

1. Open Files and tap three dots (⋮) top-right.
2. Select Settings (or Settings).
3. Find the basket section and move the slider to the position VL.
4. Set a storage limit (by default 500 MB) or select No Limits (not recommended).

Once enabled, all new deleted files will fall into the Recycle Bin, and old files deleted before activation of the function will not be restored.

⚠️ Note: If you are using the Mi 8 with firmware older MIUI 12, the section with the basket settings may be located elsewhere: Settings → Additionally. → Recycle cart. Update the system to get the right interface.

Also check if the cart is hidden due to parental control restrictions.

Settings → Accounts and Sync → Family Access → Disable Restrictions

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

Photos and videos deleted through the standard Gallery on the Xiaomi Mi 8 are placed in a separate shopping cart to return them:

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) top-left.
3. Select the Cart item (or Albums → Trash in English).
4. Hold your finger on the file you want to restore and click Restore.

Pay attention to the features:

• 🕒 Files are only stored in the gallery bin for 15 days (as opposed to 30 days in the file manager).
• 📁 Deleted photos do not take up space in the main memory, but do not free it until the cart is completely cleaned.
• 🔄 If you deleted a file through Google Photos, you should search for it in the shopping cart of this application, not in the standard gallery.

If the gallery cart is empty but you are sure that the files have been deleted recently, try:

1. Reboot the smartphone.
2. Clear the cache of the gallery in Settings → Applications → Gallery → Memory.
3. Check hidden folders through the file manager (enable the display of hidden files in the settings).

Search for Recycle Bin for other file types (music, contacts, messages)

Not all data on the Xiaomi Mi 8 gets into the cart. Here's how things are with different file types:

🎵 Music and audio files

The standard MIUI Music app doesn't have a shopping cart, and deleted tracks disappear forever if:

• You deleted them through the file manager without the basket enabled.
• Used the "Delete" function in the Music app itself.

Solution: Restore through Explorer → Recycle Bin (if the function was active) or specialized programs like DiskDigger.

📞 Contacts

Remote contacts are stored in Google Account (if sync was enabled) to return:

1. Go to contacts.google.com.
2. On the left menu, select the basket.
3. Mark the necessary contacts and click Restore.

If the synchronization is disabled, the contacts are permanently deleted.

💬 Communications (SMS/MMS)

The standard Messages app in MIUI does not have a Recycle Bin.

• 🔄 Use backups (if they were created through Settings) → Additionally. → Backup).
• 📱 Set up third-party. SMS-Managers with a basket function (e.g. Textra).

Settings → Accounts and synchronization → Mi Cloud → Backup

Select data types (photos, contacts, notes) and enable autosynchronization. This will not replace the basket, but will help to recover data when the phone is reset or broken.-->

Third-party applications for recovering files from the basket

If standard MIUI tools didn’t help, use specialized utilities.The best options for Xiaomi Mi 8:

Before using third-party utilities:

1. Stop recording new data on your phone (do not install apps, do not take photos).
2. Connect charging – the scanning process can take several hours.
3. Use the original cable to connect to your PC (if you restore it via a computer).

⚠️ Note: Apps like DiskDigger show files that have not yet been overwritten with new information, and if you've been using your phone for a long time after deleting them, your chances of recovery are close to zero. Also avoid cleaners like Clean Master – they can permanently erase temporary files.

What to do if the cart is empty and the files are gone

If you have checked all possible baskets but there are no files, try the following steps:

1. Check out cloud storage: 🌥️ Mi Cloud (if synchronization was enabled). 📁 Google Drive or Google Photos (automatic backup). 📦 Dropbox, Yandex Drive (if you used them for storage).
2. Look for copies on other devices: 💻 Check the computer where the files may have been copied. 📱 Other smartphones or tablets connected to the same account.

Restore from backup:

Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Restore

Choose the most recent copy (make sure it has the right files).

If files are critical and none of the methods worked, contact Xiaomi Service Center. they have specialized tools for deep data recovery, but:

• 💰 Service paid (from 1500 to 5000 rubles depending on the complexity).
• ⏳ The process can take up to 5 working days.
• 🔒 There is no 100% guarantee of recovery (especially if the data has been overwritten).

💡

The most reliable way to avoid losing data is to set up an automatic backup to the cloud (Mi Cloud or Google Drive), and even if the file is deleted from the phone, a copy of it will remain online and be available for recovery for several years.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the cart on Xiaomi Mi 8