How to Clean the Recycle Bin on Xiaomi Redmi 6: 5 Proven Ways

Why the Recycle Bin on Xiaomi Redmi 6 Stops Freeing Up Space and How to Fix It

Xiaomi Redmi 6 owners often face the paradox of having their files deleted but not freed up their phone’s memory, due to the built-in Recycle Bin in MIUI firmware, which defaults to storing deleted data for 7 to 30 days. Even after manually clearing through the standard menu, many users find that “junk” remains in hidden folders. This article will reveal all the nuances of working with the Recycle Bin on Redmi 6, including little-known ways to force clean and recover accidentally deleted files.

Feature of the Redmi model 6 (cereus codename: limited internal memory (16/32 GB in most versions) and the lack of microSD slot in some versions. Here every megabyte counts, and the standard basket. MIUI may take up 1–2 GB of hidden debris. We've analyzed all the current cleaning methods, including ADB-commands and third-party utilities so that you can choose the best option without risking damage to the system.

Where is the basket on Xiaomi Redmi 6 and how to open it

Unlike the newer versions of MIUI, Redmi 6 (with firmware up to MIUI 12) has a basket hidden deep in the file manager to find it:

1. Open the standard Files app (yellow folder icon).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines in the upper left corner (menu).
3. Select the Recycle Bin - it only appears if it has files.

If you don't have a Recycle Bin, it's empty or disabled in the settings, in which case you can check the hidden folders through Settings → Memory → Cleanup. Here, the system shows the amount of junk, but it doesn't always allow you to remove it by standard means.

Method 1: Standard Recycle Bin Cleaning Through File Manager

The safest method that is suitable for most users.

1. Launch the Files app.
2. Go to the menu (three lines) → "Basket".
3. Click on the basket icon in the upper right corner (or select "Clean" in the menu).
4. Confirm the action by pressing "Delete".

Importantly, this method only deletes files that have entered the recycle bin through a standard file manager, and photos from the gallery, documents from Google Drive or Mi Cloud can be stored in separate shopping carts of these applications.

Check the free space in memory

Backup of important files

Close all applications that work with files

Connect your phone to charge (if the memory is almost full)

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Method 2: Forced cleaning through memory settings

If the Recycle Bin does not appear in the file manager but the memory is full, use the system cleanup utility:

1. Go to Settings. → Memory.
2. Slip on "Cleaning" (or "Freeing Place").
3. Wait for the system analysis (it can take 1-3 minutes).
4. In the section "Junk files" find the item "Basket" and tick it.
5. Click "Clean" at the bottom of the screen.

A critical feature of Redmi 6 is that system cleaning does not always remove files from the gallery basket, but requires a separate procedure (see Method 4).

⚠️ Note: Do not use the Deep Clean feature in this menu – it can remove the cache of important applications, which will lead to their unstable operation.

Method 3: Cleaning the gallery basket (for photos and videos)

Xiaomi Gallery has its own shopping cart, which is not connected to the system one.

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → "Basket".
3. Select "Clear All" or mark individual files and click "Delete".

If there is no "basket" item in the gallery, it means:

• 📁 Files were deleted not through a gallery but through a file manager (see Method 1).
• 🔄 Gallery settings disabled save to cart (Gallery settings) → Basket → Off.).
• 🗑️ Files deleted more than 30 days ago and automatically erased.

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To avoid losing important photos, enable auto-save in Mi Cloud: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery → Synchronization.

Method 4: Manually remove hidden basket folders through conductor

For advanced users who are willing to work with system files, this method allows you to remove residual data from the basket that is not cleaned in standard ways.

1. Install a file manager with root access (such as FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Enable the display of hidden files in the manager settings.
3. Go to /storage/emulated/0/.trash or /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.mi.android.globalFileexplorer/files/.trash
4. Delete all files and folders inside these directories.

After cleaning, restart the phone to make the changes take effect, a method that is particularly effective if the standard Recycle Bin shows 0 files but the memory is still busy.

⚠️ Attention: Deleting files from.trash folders is not manually restored! make sure there is no important data there before clearing.

Method 5: Completely clean the cart through ADB (for advanced)

If all previous methods failed, use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) to force cleanup.This method requires a computer and basic command line knowledge.

Instructions:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on PC.
2. On your phone, turn on Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times to activate the developer mode).
3. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable “Debugging by USB”.
4. Connect Redmi 6 to your PC and execute: adb shell pm clear com.mi.android.globalFileexplorer
5. To clean the gallery basket, use: adb shell pm clear com.mi.android.gallery

These commands reset file managers and gallery settings, which will delete all temporary files, including the contents of the shopping cart. Once executed, the phone can run slower than 1-2 minutes – this is normal (the system recovers cache).

How to recover files from the Recycle Bin if they are not already deleted

If you accidentally cleared the cart or deleted important files, you can try to restore them within 30 days (the default storage period in MIUI).

1. Open the Files" → "Basket".
2. Select the desired files with a long tap.
3. Click "Restore" (the icon with the arrow down).
4. Select a folder to restore (by default – Internal Memory)/Download).

To recover photos from the gallery basket:

• 📷 Open the Gallery" → "Basket".
• 🔍 Select a photo/video and tap "Restore".
• 📁 The files will be back in the album All photos".

If the cart is already cleaned, try data recovery software:

• 🛠️ DiskDigger (there is a free version).
• 🔧 Recuva (requires root rights for deep scanning).
• 📱 Mi File Recovery (official app from Xiaomi, but not all firmware).

⚠️ Warning: Do not install recovery software on the same memory partition where the deleted files were stored! This will overwrite the data and make recovery impossible.

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The faster you start recovering from deletion, the better the chances of returning files, and once you clean the recycle bin, the odds of success drop by 30 percent every day.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning the cart on Xiaomi Redmi 6