How to completely clean the basket on Xiaomi Mi 7: instructions with pictures and nuances

Delete photos or documents on Xiaomi Mi 7, but memory is not freed? The reason is a hidden basket that saves files for 30 days after deleting. This feature is useful if you accidentally erase an important photo, but over time it clogs the internal memory of the smartphone. In this article, we will discuss how to find and clean the basket on the Mi 7, why files are not deleted immediately, and what to do if the basket is not displayed in the gallery.

Many users confuse the shopping cart with the app cache or the temporary files of the system. In fact, they are different things: the basket is part of the Gallery application (or Files), and the cache is cleared through the phone settings. We will focus on the basket, because it takes up the lion's share of invisible memory, and you will learn how to turn off the basket forever if you do not need it, and what to do if after cleaning the memory is still not free.

—— • —— • ——

Where is the Xiaomi Mi 7 cart and why is it hidden?

On the Xiaomi Mi 7, the shopping cart is built into the standard Mi Gallery app, which doesn't appear on the home screen as a separate folder, but you need to look it up in the app menu, which is why many users don't even know it exists until they're running out of memory.

The recycle bin is activated automatically when you delete a file for the first time, and it takes deleted photos, videos, or documents to that folder and stores them for 30 days (by default), which is designed to protect against accidental deletion, but over time, the folder grows to several gigabytes. For example, if you delete 10 photos a day, you can accumulate 300+ files in a month in the basket that take up to 1-2 GB of memory.

Besides the Gallery, the Recycle Bin is also in the Mi File Manager app, which is called "Recently Deleted" and works on the same principle, but in the Mi 7, the main memory eater is the Gallery Bin, because all media files, including screenshots and downloaded images from messengers, get into it.

⚠️ Note: If you use third-party galleries (like Google Photos), they may have their own shopping cart.

Method 1: Cleaning the basket through the Gallery (fastest)

This is the standard method that works on all Xiaomi smartphones with a shell. MIUI, including Mi 7. Instructions are relevant for versions MIUI 10–14:

1. Open the Gallery app (an icon with colorful photos).
2. Tap the three-point menu (⋮) top-right.
3. Select Recycle Bin (or Remote in some versions of MIUI).
4. Click "Clean" in the upper right corner.
5. Confirm the action by selecting "Delete Forever".

If there is no Clear button, the Recycle Bin is empty, in which case, check the Recently Deleted folder in the Files app, which may also store old files.

Check if the folder is hidden in the Gallery settings|Restart your phone and try again.|Update the Gallery app through Play Market|Try an alternative method (see Method 2)-->

After cleaning, the memory will not be released immediately - the system may take up to 5 minutes to update the data about the free space. If after 10 minutes the changes do not appear, restart the smartphone.

Method 2: Manually delete files (if the Gallery is not working)

If the Gallery app is bugged or the cart is not displayed, use the built-in File Manager, which is suitable for deleting specific files if you don’t want to clean the cart completely.

Instructions:

1. Open the Files app (folder icon).
2. Go to the Categories section (bottom of the screen).
3. Select "Recently Deleted" (or "Basket").
4. Press your finger on the file you want to delete and mark the rest (or click "Select All").
5. Put "Delete Forever" in the bottom menu.

Unlike the Gallery, you can selectively restore files here.

1. Mark the files you want.
2. Click "Restore" (the icon with the arrow down).
3. Select a folder to save (for example, "DCIM" for a photo).

⚠️ Attention: Recovered files take up memory again. If you restore 1 GB of photos, the space will decrease by the same amount.

Once a week | Once a month | Only when memory runs out | Never cleared |I don't know where it is-->

Method 3: Turning off the cart permanently (for power users)

If you don't need the option of temporarily storing deleted files, you can turn the recycle bin off completely, which will free up space and speed up the deletion of files, which will erase immediately, without moving to the folder.

How to turn off the basket in the Gallery:

1. Open the gallery. → click on the profile avatar (or ⋮ → "Settings").
2. Go to "General settings" → "Basket".
3. Turn off the "Switch on the basket" switch.
4. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

How to disable the Recycle Bin in Files:

1. Open the Files" → "Settings" (⋮ top-right).
2. Select Recycle Bin → disable the option “Save Deleted Files”.

Once disabled, all files deleted previously will be permanently erased after 24 hours, and new files will be deleted immediately without getting into the recycle bin.

Why is it that after cleaning the basket, memory is not released?

You cleared the cart, but the space on the Xiaomi Mi 7 hasn't increased?

• 📁 Application cache: System and programs (especially messengers and social networks) accumulate temporary files. → Annexes → Select an application → Memory. → Clear the cache.
• 🖼️ Hidden folders. Files from the basket could be duplicated in folders like DCIM/.thumbnails or Pictures/Screenshots.
• 🔄 Memory mapping error, sometimes MIUI It doesn't count the space correctly, and it helps to reboot or check through the DiskUsage app.
• 📱 System updates. Firmware files can take up to 1–2 GB and don't delete automatically. /sdcard/Download/rom.

To find out exactly what takes up memory, use the analysis in the Files app:

1. Open the Files" → "Memory analysis".
2. Wait for the scan to be completed.
3. See which folders take up the most space (usually DCIM, Download, or Android).

💡

If memory is still not freed, check the /sdcard/MIUI/Backup folder, which can back up applications weighing several gigabytes, and can be safely deleted if you don't plan to restore data.

How to recover files from the cart if they are missing

If you accidentally cleared the cart or disabled it, but you need to return deleted files, there are several ways:

• 🔍 Backup check. If you have backup enabled in Mi Cloud or Google Photos, the files may have been saved there. Go to the appropriate app and check the Archive or Recycle Bin folder".
• 💾 Connect the Xiaomi Mi 7 to your computer via USB (In file transfer mode, and check hidden folders with Recuva or DiskDigger, which scan memory for deleted files.
• ⏳ Recovery through MIUI. Some firmware versions have a "File Recovery" function in the "Security" app (Settings) → Memory. → File recovery).

The chances of recovery depend on how long it has been since you deleted it, and if you kept using your phone (install apps, take photos), the new data could overwrite the old files.

⚠️ Warning: Don't install file recovery software directly on your smartphone - they can overwrite the very data you're trying to return.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When working with the basket on Xiaomi Mi 7 users often make the same mistakes.

• 🗑️ Delete files via PC. If you connect your phone to your computer and delete files through Windows Explorer, they won't get into the bin. MIUI — They'll be deleted immediately, and that could lead to the loss of important data.
• 🔄 Ignoring sync. If you have Google Photos or Mi Cloud sync enabled, deleted files can be restored the next time you connect to the Internet.

To avoid problems:

• Before mass deleting files, check the cart for important data.
• Do not use memory card formatting as a method of cleaning – it will delete all data without the possibility of recovery.
• Regularly (every 1-2 weeks) clean the basket so that it does not grow to a giant size.

💡

The Xiaomi Mi 7 Recycle Bin is not just a folder, but part of the MIUI storage system. Its contents can be duplicated in other memory areas, so check both Files and Gallery for complete cleanup.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions