Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the need to quickly delete an unnecessary file, but accidentally clicking can lead to the loss of important information. Android, which runs the MIUI shell, has a system of buffer zones for storing deleted data. However, unlike computers, there is no single, visible “Basket” in the classical sense. Redmi 6A users often panic without finding the usual icon on the desktop or in the settings menu.
Understanding the logic of your gadget's file system avoids losing photos, documents, and records. In Xiaomi devices, the apps themselves are temporary storage: Gallery, Explorer, or Google services. If you delete a picture through a standard Gallery, it doesn't disappear instantly, but moves to a special album. Similarly, files deleted through File Manager are coming in. It's important to know where to look for these temporary storages, because the file life in them is limited.
This guide will explain in detail how to find hidden folders with deleted data on Redmi. 6A. We will consider the regular means of shelling MIUI, Google Photos and third-party cloud services, you'll learn how to set up automatic backups to protect yourself from accidental losses in the future, and you'll also learn how to work with the memory of a device that's in budget models like Redmi. 6A, It is often overcrowded, which speeds up the cleaning of temporary buffers.
Search for deleted photos in the standard gallery
The most common place that remote media files on Xiaomi smartphones get into is the built-in Gallery app. MIUI developers have a security mechanism that saves deleted images for 30 days. To get into this section, you need to launch the Gallery app and switch to the Album tab, and this is where, at the bottom of the list, the folder with deleted elements usually hides.
In some versions of the firmware, access to this folder may be hidden or otherwise called, for example, it may be called "Recently Deleted." If you don't see this album right away, try scrolling through the list of all the albums to the very end. Sometimes the system requires authorization to the Mi Account to display this feature, although this is rarely affected by local files. Inside the folder, files are sorted by deletion date, which allows you to quickly find the desired image.
Keep in mind that the amount of memory taken up by deleted files is still consumed on your device. Redmi 6A has a limited amount of internal memory, and storing "junk" in the cart can be a problem. If you are sure that you no longer need the files, they should be deleted permanently. To do this, inside the album "Recently deleted" click the menu button (three dots) and select the option Clean.
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If the recently deleted folder is empty but you just deleted the photo, check your sync settings – it’s possible the photo went to the cloud and went away from there, rather than from the device.
It's important to remember that there are time limits. The system automatically cleans this album 30 days after deleting the file. After that, it's not possible to restore the image by regular means, so if you find a critical frame missing, you need to act immediately, without waiting for the cache to be automatically cleaned by the system.
Recovery of files through File Manager
For documents, apk files, music and videos downloaded from the Internet, a different storage mechanism is used. In Xiaomi, the Explorer app (or File Manager) is responsible for this. The logic here is similar to the Gallery, but the interface may differ. When you open the application, look at the top of the screen or side menu, where the basket icon is often located. In new versions of MIUI, it can be hidden in the profile menu or application settings.
If the standard Recycle Bin in Explorer is empty or missing, this may mean that the feature was not activated in advance or files were deleted bypassing the system buffer (for example, through third-party cleaners).
☑️ Checking the conductor's settings
Special attention should be paid to file formats. File Manager often separates the basket for different types of data. For example, deleted videos can lie apart from documents. When searching for a lost file, use sorting by date. This will greatly speed up the process, especially if the device stores thousands of files.
⚠️ Note: The Recycle Bin function in Explorer may not work if the device has third-party launchers or modified versions of the system. In this case, try running the standard application through the default settings.
For users accustomed to the classic folder structure, it will be useful to know the path to system logs, but access to them requires root rights, obtaining which on Redmi 6A can lead to loss of warranty and disruption of banking applications.
Using Google's Cloud Cart Photos
Most Android smartphones, including Redmi 6A, have Google Photos preinstalled, a powerful tool that often duplicates the system gallery’s features, but with an important feature: cloud sync. If your device is synced, the deleted photo is placed in the Google Photos Recycle Bin, which is stored separately from the MIUI Recycle Bin, and can be found by opening the app and going to the Library → Recycle Bin.
The main advantage of using Google services is the long shelf life. For users of Google One accounts or just with active cloud storage, files in the cart can be saved up to 60 days, and sometimes longer. This gives more time to make a decision on recovery.
But there's a caveat: if you delete a file in both the Xiaomi Gallery and Google Photos (or if the sync was active), the file can disappear from both places, hitting the appropriate shopping carts. You need to check both apps. Often users forget that they have an autoload, and look for the file only in the phone's memory, overlooking the cloud trail.
| Parameter | MIUI Gallery | Google Photo | Conductor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage period | 30 days | 60 days (usually) | 30 days |
| Network dependency | Not required | Required for synchronization | Not required |
| File types | Photos, Videos | Photo, Video, Gif | All types of files |
| Access to PC | Through the Mi Cloud | Through photos.google.com | No. |
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Google Photos often saves copies of files longer than Xiaomi’s system gallery, so when looking for long-deleted photos, start checking with it.
Autosave and synchronization settings
To avoid the problem of finding deleted files in the future, it is advisable to set up automatic backup. Redmi 6A owners are advised to use the Mi Cloud and Google Drive bundle. This will create a double level of data protection. The settings are set up through the Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud. Here you can activate the synchronization of the Gallery, Contacts and other important sections.
For Google Photos, the settings are inside the app itself. Click on the profile avatar and select Photo Settings → Autoload and Sync. Make sure the switch is active. This will save copies of all new images to the cloud instantly. Even if the phone is lost or broken, your photos will remain in your account.
Consider the amount of free space. Google's tariffs provide 15 GB for free, which is divided between Mail, Drive and Photos. If the space is over, sync will stop. Regularly check the status of storage. For Redmi 6A with its modest amount of internal memory, uploading photos to the cloud and then removing local copies (Free Space feature) is a great way to speed up the smartphone.
⚠️ Note: When you enable synchronization via mobile Internet (3G/4G) It is recommended to configure the download only via Wi-Fi in the appropriate menu of the application settings.
Third-party applications for data recovery
If the standard methods did not help and the file was deleted without the basket (for example, using the combination Shift + Delete on a connected PC or through ADB), you can turn to specialized software. There are applications such as DiskDigger or Recycle Bin that allow deep memory scanning. However, on modern versions of Android without root rights, their effectiveness drops sharply.
Recycle Bin applications are interceptive, not retrieving what is already remote, but creating a buffer for future deletion, and you can get a computer basket for all files that are deleted through the system, which is a useful tool for those who often work with documents on Redmi 6A.
Why is it difficult to restore without root rights?
Be careful when installing programs from unverified sources. Data recovery requests often require broad permissions to access the entire file system. Use only proven applications from the Google Play Market. False programs may not help, but may also lead to personal information leakage or infection of the device with viruses.
Frequent problems and their solution
Xiaomi users sometimes face a situation where the folder "Recently deleted" disappears or does not display files.This may be due to overflow of the cache of the Gallery application.In this case, it is recommended to clear the cache. → Annexes → All applications → find the gallery → Memory. → It is important not to confuse it with the "Clear Data" button, as this can reset the settings of the albums.
Another common problem is that files in the bin take up space but are not deleted. These are hanging files that are caused by a file system error. This is solved by restarting the device. If the problem persists, try to delete files one at a time, not all at once. On budget devices like Redmi 6A, the simultaneous removal of a large amount of data can lead to a temporary system freeze.
If you're planning to sell or give up your phone, make sure you clean it completely. Simply deleting files isn't enough, because they're left in the trash. Go through all the storage facilities: Gallery, Explorer, Google Photos, and clean them completely. Only then you can reset them to factory settings.