How to Clean the Recycle Bin on Xiaomi: Instructions for All MIUI Versions

The Xiaomi smartphone basket is a temporary storage for deleted files that many users forget to check, and over time, it fills with gigabytes of unnecessary data: photos, videos, documents and app cache, and if you notice that the phone’s memory suddenly runs out and the gallery or file manager has “deleted” files, the problem is that the overflowing shopping cart is the problem.

In this article, we will analyze all the ways to clean the basket on Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices. POCO — from standard methods through MIUI You will learn how to delete files permanently without recovery, why the Recycle Bin can not be cleaned automatically, and what to do if the system gives an error when you try to delete. MIUI 14 and HyperOS.

What is a shopping cart on Xiaomi and where it is stored

The Trash or Recycle Bin in Xiaomi is a system folder that is automatically created when a file is first deleted. Unlike Windows, where the basket is seen as a separate item on the desktop, on Xiaomi smartphones it is hidden in the depths of the file system.

• 📁 Location: Recycle bin files are stored in a hidden folder /storage/emulated/0/.trash (for internal memory; or /storage/XXXX-XXXX/.trash (for SD-map).
• ⏳ Storage period: by default, files are stored for 30 days, after which they are deleted automatically (setting is available in Settings). → Warehouse).
• 🔄 Recovery: Any files can be returned to the original folder during the retention period.
• ⚠️ Restriction: Recycle bin takes up to 10% of the total memory of the device. If you exceed the limit, old files are deleted automatically.

It is important to understand that the basket does not work for all types of files, for example, data from messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) or app cache does not get there – they need to be cleaned separately, and the basket does not work when deleting files through ADB or third-party file managers (for example, Solid Explorer).

Method 1: Cleaning the Recycle Bin through a standard file manager

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI file manager, which is available on all Xiaomi devices and does not require any additional applications to be installed.

1. Open the Files app (the folder icon on the desktop).
2. In the lower menu, tap on the basket section (dumpster icon).
3. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Clean the basket.
4. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

If the Clean Cart button is inactive or absent, check:

• 🔍 Are there any blocked files in the basket (for example, screenshots marked "Confidential").
• 📵 Is the power saving mode turned on – it can block background processes.
• 🔄 Has the firmware been updated recently - sometimes after the update you need to restart.

If the Recycle Bin doesn’t clear even after a reboot, try forcefully stopping the file manager:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Files and select Stop.
3. Start the manager again and repeat the cleaning.

Method 2: Delete files from the Recycle Bin through the Gallery

Many users don't know that the Xiaomi Gallery has its own shopping cart, separate from the system one, and only media files (photos, videos, GIFs) deleted through the Gallery app get in there to clear it:

1. Open the Gallery and tap on three horizontal lines in the lower left corner.
2. Select the Recycle Bin section (Dumpster Bin icon).
3. Click Control → highlight all files (check in the upper right corner) → Delete.
4. Confirm the action by choosing Delete Forever.

Features of this method:

• 📸 Gallery files are not duplicated in the system basket – they are stored separately.

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To speed up the cleanup, sort files by date (Sort → Date) before deleting and delete the oldest ones first.

Method 3: Manual cleaning through a hidden.trash folder

If standard methods don’t work, you can manually delete the recycle bin files through any file manager with access to system folders (e.g. FX File Explorer or Root Explorer), a method that is suitable for advanced users.

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with support for displaying hidden folders (in the settings, turn on the option to Show hidden files).
2. Cross the path: /storage/emulated/0/.trash For SD-map the way: /storage/XXXX-XXXX/.trash (where XXXX-XXXX — memory).
3. Select all files and folders inside.trash and delete them.
4. Clean the file manager basket itself (if there is such a feature).

Warnings:

⚠️ Note: Deleting files from the.trash folder manually bypasses the recovery mechanism, and it will not be possible to return data after that, even with programs like DiskDigger.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete the.trash folder itself – the system will create it again, but this can lead to crashes in the basket.

Method 4: Cleaning the basket through ADB (for advanced)

If the cart is not cleaned by standard methods, you can use the ADB tool (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the phone to the computer and enabling debugging mode.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (Tap 7 times)
2. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and open the Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (macOS/Linux).
4. Enter the commands in turn: adb shell su rm -rf /storage/emulated/0/.trash/* exit exit

If the su command is not working, then the device has no root rights, in which case use an alternative method:

adb shell


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

After the commands are executed:

• 🔄 Reboot the phone.
• 📁 Check if the space is available in the settings → Warehouse.
• ⚠️ If you have files, repeat the root rights procedure.

Method 5: Automatically clean the basket on schedule

To avoid manually cleaning the bin, you can set up automatic deletion of files after a certain period of time.

1. Open the Settings → Storage.
2. Slip on the Recycle Bin (or Cleanup in newer versions of MIUI).
3. Select Auto Cleanup and set a period: 🗓️ 1 day to maximize memory savings. 🗓️ 7 days - the best option. 🗓️ 30 days - default. ❌ Disconnect – if you do not want automatic cleaning.

Notify before cleaning

You can also turn on automatic cleaning when there is a lack of memory:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Memory Cleanup.
2. Turn on the Auto Clean option.
3. Set a free space threshold (e.g. 1 GB).

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Autocleaning the cart doesn't delete files forever -- they're still stored in the.trash folder until the deadline. Use manual methods to delete them completely.

What to do if the Xiaomi cart is not cleaned

Sometimes users find that the cart is not cleaned in any way, and consider the main reasons and solutions:

If none of the methods worked, reset the file manager settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Files → Storage.
2. Click Clear Data (not cache!).
3. Confirm the action – it will reset all the manager settings, but it will not delete your files.

Solution: Check the cart regularly and set up an automatic cleaning for 7-15 days.