How to Clean the Recycle Bin on Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus: From Standard Methods to Hidden Settings

You delete files on Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus, and the memory is still clogged? MIUI It automatically moves deleted photos, videos and documents, and many users are unaware that these files continue to take up space on the internal drive or the internal drive. SD-In this article, we will discuss how to find and clean the cart on Redmi 5 Plus in every possible way, from standard to little-known tricks for power users.

The Redmi 5 Plus (codenamed vince) was originally powered by MIUI 9, and later by MIUI 10/11 with Android 7.1-9.0. These versions have a different interface to the current MIUI 12-14, so the universal instructions from the Internet often don't work. We tested all the methods on a real device and highlighted the ones that are guaranteed to work even on an unupdated firmware.

If you delete important files and want them back, don't rush to clean the cart! At the end of the article, there's a section on recovering data from the.trash folder without root rights. And for those who want to permanently disable the cart and delete files right away, we've prepared a bonus method using ADB.

Where is the basket on Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus and how to open it

On Redmi 5 Plus, the Recycle Bin folder is hidden in the File Manager app, but its location depends on the version of MIUI. In older firmware (MIUI 9-11), the entrance to the Recycle Bin is not obvious - many users do not know about its existence for years.

To find the basket:

1. Open the Files app (an icon with a yellow folder).
2. In the top menu, tap three points. ⋮ → Select “Basket” (or “Trash” in English firmware).
3. If there is no item, scroll down the list of categories (e.g., Images, Audio) and find the Recycle Bin section with the bin icon.

In MIUI 12+, the basket is displayed on the home screen of the Files app as a separate tab, but on Redmi 5 Plus with MIUI 9-11, it often has to be searched manually. If you can't see the partition, check if it's disabled in the app's settings.

The basket in MIUI is divided into two parts:

• 📁 Local Recycle Bin – Stores files deleted from internal memory or SD-map.
• ☁️ Cloud Recycle Bin – contains deleted files from Mi Cloud (if sync is enabled).

By default, files in the local basket are stored for 30 days, then automatically deleted, but this rule does not apply to files larger than 250 MB - they remain in the basket indefinitely until you manually clean it.

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If you don’t see the Recycle Bin in the Files app, try updating it through Google Play. On Redmi 5 Plus, it sometimes helps to install an alternative file manager, such as Solid Explorer or FX File Manager, which show hidden system folders.

Method 1: Cleaning the basket through a standard menu

The easiest method is to use built-in MIUI tools. It is suitable for users who do not want to dig into settings or install third-party apps.

Step-by-step:

1. Open Files → go to Recycle Bin (see previous section).
2. Press three points. ⋮ top-right.
3. Select “Clean the Cart” (or “Empty Trash”).
4. Confirm the action in the dialog window.

If you don't have a "Clear Recycle Bin" button, it means that the folder is empty or your version of MIUI requires a different approach, in which case, try to select files manually:

• 📌 Hold your finger on any file in the basket → mark the rest.
• 🗑️ Click on the basket icon at the bottom of the screen → «Delete forever».

On Redmi 5 Plus with MIUI 9, there is sometimes a bug: after cleaning, the basket continues to show files, in which case it will help to restart the device or force the Files application to stop through the settings.

Check if there are any important files in the cart

Make a backup copy of the data (if necessary)

Connect the charger (for long-term operations)

Close all background applications-->

Method 2: Remove the Recycle Bin through the Hidden.trash folder

MIUI stores the cart files in a hidden.trash system folder, which can be manually found and cleaned if the standard method doesn't work.

• 🔍 The basket does not open through the "files».
• 📱 You only need to delete certain files, not everything.
• 🛠️ You suspect that the basket is damaged and takes up excess space.

How to find a.trash folder:

1. Open the Files» → Go to the "Inner Memory" (or «SD-map if the files were on it).
2. Enable the display of hidden files: Tap on three dots ⋮ → «Settings» → «Show hidden files».

.trash

"Delete"

If you don’t have a.trash folder, check the following ways:

/storage/emulated/0/.trash (internal memory)


/storage/XXXX-XXXX/.trash (SD- map where XXXX is its ID)

Attention! Don't delete the.trash folder completely - MIUI will restore it automatically, but this can cause a failure in the file manager.

Method 3: Cleaning the cart through ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work and the.trash folder isn’t available, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires connecting your smartphone to your computer, but is guaranteed to clean the cart even on locked or damaged firmware.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/Linux/macOS.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 📦 Installed drivers Xiaomi and ADB Tools.

Instructions:

1. Turn on Redmi 5 Plus to Debug USB: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version. Tap 7 times on MIUI to activate Developer Mode. Go back to Settings → Additional → Developers and turn on USB Debugging.

cmd

Terminal

adb devices


adb shell




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




rm -rf /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.android.providers.media/.trash/*

Reset the device.

⚠️ Attention, rm teams -rf They delete files irrevocably. If you make a mistake on the way, you can erase important data. Before you do it, make sure that the bin doesn't have the right files.

This method will also help if the basket is “hang” and shows the wrong size of the occupied memory. After cleaning through ADB, it is recommended to check the free space in Settings → Memory.

Method 4: Disable the Recycle Bin for Good (So Files Are Deleted Immediately)

If you are annoyed that deleted files continue to take up space, you can completely disable the Recycle Bin in MIUI, after which all files will be deleted irrevocably, bypassing the.trash folder.

How to turn off the basket:

1. Open the Files» → three-point ⋮ → «Settings».
2. Find the “Basket” section (or “Trash Settings”).
3. Turn off the option “Automatically move deleted files to the Recycle Bin”.
4. Confirm the action.

In MIUI 9-11, this item may be called something else, such as "Storage deleted files" or "Use the Recycle Bin." If you don't have an option, your firmware version doesn't support disabling the Recycle Bin through the menu, in which case editing system settings through ADB will help:

Enter the command:

adb shell settings put global trash_can_enabled 0

To return the basket, replace 0 with 1.

⚠️ Attention! Once you turn off the Recycle Bin, recovering files that are accidentally deleted will be impossible without specialized programs (such as DiskDigger or Recuva.

Method 5: Recover files from the Recycle Bin before cleaning

If you accidentally delete important photos, documents or videos, they can be returned from the cart within 30 days (or longer if the files are large).

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Files» → «Basket».
2. Find the files you want (you can use a name search).
3. Select them (press your finger on the file → mark the rest).
4. Click on "Restore" (the icon with the arrow down).
5. Select a folder to save (for example, “Downloads” or “DCIM”).

If files are not restored or the cart is empty, check:

• 🔍 Handwritten.trash folder (see Method 2).
• ☁️ Mi Cloud Cart (if synchronization was enabled).
• 📁 folder MIUI/Backup/Trash — sometimes MIUI Creates backup copies of deleted files.

To recover files after cleaning the basket, you will need specialized utilities, such as:

Important! The sooner you start recovery, the better the chances of returning files. After cleaning the trash, don't write new data to the device, which can overwrite deleted files.

Why the Recycle Bin on Redmi 5 Plus is Not Cleaning: Common Problems and Solutions

Sometimes users find that the shopping cart is not cleaned or continues to show files after deleting, and here are the main reasons and ways to fix them:

Problem 1: The basket is empty, but takes up space

• 🔄 Reset the device.
• 🗑️ Clear the cache of the Files app (Settings) → Annexes → Files. → Clear the cache).
• 🛠️ Check the.trash folder manually (see Method 2).

Problem 2: Files are not deleted from the Recycle Bin

• 📵 Check if the files are blocked (for example, DRM-protection).
• 🔧 Update the Files app via Google Play.
• 🖥️ Use it. ADB for forced cleaning (see Method 3).

Problem 3: The basket won't open

• 📲 Install an alternative file manager (e.g., file manager, FX File Explorer).
• 🔄 Reset the Files app settings (Settings) → Annexes → Files. → Warehouse → Drop it).
• 🛠️ Check your device for viruses (for example, through Malwarebytes).

⚠️ Attention! If after all the manipulations the basket still does not work, the problem may be in the file system damage. In this case, only a factory reset will help (don't forget to make a backup!). On Redmi 5 Plus, the reset is performed through Settings. → Additionally. → Recovery and discharge → Resetting settings.

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If the Recycle Bin on the Redmi 5 Plus is not stable, try upgrading MIUI to the latest available version for your device first. Often, bugs with the Recycle Bin are fixed in security patches.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning the cart on Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus