How to completely clean the cart on Xiaomi Redmi 4X: instructions with pictures and tips

Xiaomi Redmi 4X owners often face a problem: deleted photos, videos or documents do not disappear from the device immediately, but go to the basket, taking up precious space in memory. This is especially true for the Redmi 4X model with its modest 16-32 GB of internal memory, where every megabyte counts. But how to properly clean the basket so that files are deleted forever, and the system does not give out errors?

Many users mistakenly believe that just clicking Delete will make files disappear. In fact, the Recycle Bin in MIUI works as a buffer: it stores deleted data from 7 to 30 days (depending on settings), allowing you to restore it if necessary. If you don’t manually clean it, it can inflate to several gigabytes, slowing down the smartphone. In this article, we will examine all the ways to clean the Recycle Bin on the Redmi 4X, from standard tools to hidden MIUI functions.

The Redmi 4X (codenamed santoni) is based on MIUI 8-12 (depending on updates), where the logic of the shopping cart differs from current versions. For example, in new firmware, the shopping cart can automatically clear when space is scarce, and on Redmi 4X it is necessary to do this manually. It is also important to consider that some files (such as screenshots or downloads from the browser) can be stored in separate “baskets” of applications – they also need to be checked.

Before you start cleaning, make sure that the cart does not contain important files. Unlike a PC where the cart stores data until manually cleaned, on Xiaomi files can be automatically deleted after 30 days — even if you did not click “Clean”. This applies to photos synchronized with the Mi Cloud: their recovery after final deletion may not be possible.

1. Cleaning the basket through the standard Gallery

The easiest way is to use the built-in Gallery app (com.miui.gallery), which automatically sorts deleted photos and videos into a separate folder that can be cleaned into several taps.

Instructions:

1. Open the Gallery app (a icon with multi-colored squares).
2. In the upper right corner, press three dots (⋮) and pick the basket.
3. Click Manage (or Edit in older versions of MIUI).
4. Tick all the files or select the ones you need, then click Delete.
5. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

If the Recycle Bin button is missing, update the Gallery app through the Play Store or check the settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Gallery → Memory.
2. Click Clear Data (this will reset the Gallery settings, but will not delete files).

⚠️ Attention: B MIUI The 8-9 basket in the Gallery may not be displayed if you previously disabled it in the settings:

Settings → Additional settings → Recycle Bin → Enable

Backup important photos in Mi Cloud or Google Photos

Make sure there are no screenshots with passwords or codes in the cart

View the date of deletion of files (older 30 days are deleted automatically)

Close all applications that work with media files (for example, photo editor)

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2. Delete files from the Recycle Bin through the File Manager

Not everyone knows, but the file manager (com.mi.android.globalFileexplorer) on Xiaomi Redmi 4X also has its own shopping cart, which stores not only media files, but also documents, APKs, archives.

Steps:

• 📁 Open the file manager (yellow folder icon).
• 🔍 In the top bar, select the Recycle Bin tab (or Recent ones). → The basket in old versions).
• 🗑️ Click Clean in the upper right corner or highlight files manually and delete.
• 🔄 If files are not deleted, restart your phone and try again.

The Redmi 4X feature is that in MIUI 8-10, the Recycle Bin in the File Manager may not appear if you have never deleted files through it.

File Manager settings → Additional → Show the basket

⚠️ Warning: If files still take up space after cleaning the bin, check the.trash folder in the root directory of internal memory through a Root Explorer (such as Solid Explorer). MIUI Creates hidden baskets that are not visible in the standard manager.

Once a week.

When memory ends

Never clean.

I didn't know I had to clean up.

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3. Automatic Cart Cleaning: Setup MIUI

To avoid manually clearing the bin, you can set up automatic deletion of files after a certain period, which is especially useful for Redmi 4X, where memory often ends unexpectedly.

How to turn on:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Warehouse.
• 🔄 Click on Cleanup (or Free up the Place).
• 🗑️ Select the Cart and activate the Auto Clean option.
• ⏳ Set a period: 7 days, 15 days or 30 days.

In MIUI 11 and later, there is an option called Smart Cleanup, which removes files from the Recycle Bin when there is a memory shortage, to enable it:

Settings → Special features → System settings → Smart cleaning

⚠️ Attention: On Redmi 4X s MIUI 8-9 automatic cleaning may not work properly. If files are not deleted, check:

• 🔋 Is the battery enough (MIUI blocks background processes at low charge).
• 📶 Internet access (some cleaning features require synchronization with Mi Cloud).

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If the automatic cleaning doesn’t work, try manually running the process through Settings → About Phone → System Update → Three Dots → Cache Clearing. This often solves problems with background MIUI tasks.

4. Clean the cart through Mi Cloud (if synchronization is enabled)

If you use Mi Cloud for backup, deleted files can be duplicated in the cloud cart, and they also need to be cleaned, otherwise they will take up space on both the phone and the cloud.

Instructions:

• 🌐 Open the Mi Cloud app or go to i.mi.com.
• 📁 Go to the Gallery or Files section.
• 🗑️ Find the Recycle Bin tab (or Deleted Files).
• 🧹 Select unnecessary files and click Delete Forever.

Important: files in Mi Cloud are stored in the Recycle Bin for up to 60 days, then deleted automatically. If you clean the Recycle Bin on your phone but not in the cloud, the files will remain in cloud storage and sync back to the next connection.

📌 To avoid duplication, turn off automatic synchronization of the Gallery with Mi Cloud:

Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud → Synchronization → Gallery (disable)

5. Third-party applications for deep cleaning

If standard methods don't work, you can use third-party utilities, which not only clean the trash can, but also find junk files that are not available. MIUI The best options for Redmi. 4X:

Top.-3 applications:

How to use (for example, Files by Google):

• 📱 Install and open the application.
• 🔍 Go to the Cleanup tab.
• 🗑️ Select Recycle Bin or Unnecessary Files.
• 🧹 Press Clear Clear. XX MB and confirm the action.

⚠️ Attention: Some applications (e.g, SD Maid) require root rights for complete cleanup. 4X You can get root through Magisk, but this will void the warranty and may cause failures. MIUI. Without root, third-party utilities will not be able to clear system baskets, for example, from the Downloads app or the Browser.

6. Manual Removal of the Cart via ADB (for experienced)

If the cart is not cleaned by any method, you can manually remove it through the Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that is suitable for power users and requires connecting the phone to a PC.

Step-by-step:

1. 🖥️ Install. ADB-PC drivers.
2. 📱 On the Redmi. 4X Enable Developer Mode: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times)
3. 🔌 Connect your phone to the PC by USB and select the File Transfer Mode.
4. 🐍 Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (Mac/Linux) and type: adb shell pm clear com.miui.gallery This will reset the Gallery settings, including the cart.
5. 🗑️ To clean the File Manager Recycle Bin, use: adb shell pm clear com.mi.android.globalFileexplorer

⚠️ Note: pm clear commands will delete all application data (including saved settings and cache) but will not affect user files. If you only want to delete the shopping cart, use a more accurate command:

adb shell


rm -rf /storage/emulated/0/.trash/*

📌 Important: Some firmware may have different paths to the basket:

adb shell ls -la /storage/emulated/0/ | grep trash

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ADB-The method is the most radical way to clean, but it requires caution. Wrong commands can cause a system to fail. If you're not sure, use standard methods.

7 What to do if the basket is not cleaned?

Sometimes the files in the shopping cart get stuck and aren’t deleted in any way. Consider the typical reasons and solutions for the Xiaomi Redmi 4X:

Table of errors and decisions:

If nothing helps, reset the settings of the Gallery:

Settings → Applications → Gallery → Storage → Clear data

📌 Last Chance: Reset your phone settings to factory (Settings) → Additionally. → Recovery and reset), but pre-backup data.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning the cart on the Redmi 4X