How to completely clean the cart on Xiaomi Redmi 7: instructions with pictures and nuances

You deleted photos or documents on your Xiaomi Redmi 7, but the memory is still busy?The thing is, the files don't disappear immediately -- they end up in a basket that's stored for 7 to 30 days depending on your settings. This "hidden" folder can take up gigabytes of precious space, especially if you're actively using the camera or downloading files.

In this article, we will explore all the ways to clean the Recycle Bin on Redmi 7 (relevant to MIUI 10–14), including manual deletion, automatic cleanup and recovery of accidentally erased data, and find out why the Recycle Bin can not be cleaned and how to fix it without resetting the phone to factory settings.

Important: the procedure is different from the standard cleaning on the iPhone or Samsung – Xiaomi has its own nuances related to the MIUI shell and proprietary applications like Gallery or Files.

Where is the basket on Xiaomi Redmi 7 and how to open it

The Recycle Bin in Redmi 7 doesn't have a separate label on the desktop, it's built into standard applications. It can be found in three places:

• 📷 Gallery (photos and videos): This is where deleted media files are stored.
• 📄 File Manager: Document Recycle Bin, APK, archive.
• 🌐 Google Photos (if sync is enabled): a separate cart for cloud files.

To open the basket in the Gallery:

1. Launch the Gallery app (a icon with colored squares).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) top-right.
3. Select Recycle Bin (or Remote in older versions of MIUI).

In Files, the way is different: open the application → go to the Category → tab → scroll down to the Recycle Bin section. If there is no item, then the Recycle Bin is empty or disabled in the settings.

💡

If the Recycle Bin is not displayed, check if it is hidden in the Files app settings. Go to Settings → Additional → Show the Recycle Bin

Method 1: Manually delete files from the Recycle Bin

The most reliable method is selective deletion, which is good if you want to make room, but you're not sure if you need some files.

1. Open the basket in the Gallery or Files (instruction above).
2. Press and hold your finger on the file to activate the selection mode. Tick the boxes for unnecessary items.
3. Slip on the Remove (Junk Bucket) icon in the lower menu.
4. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

To speed up the process, packet removal can be used:

• 🔍 In the basket, press three dots (⋮) top-right.
• 📅 Choose Remove Everything or Clean the Cart.
• ⏳ Wait a few seconds – the files will be deleted irrevocably.

Check if there are any important files in the cart | Backup the data you need | Close all applications that work with files | Connect your phone to charge (if the memory is almost full)

-->

Method 2: Automatically clean the basket on schedule

MIUI allows you to configure the cart auto-cleaner so you don't have to do it manually.The feature is available in the Security app (or Optimization in newer versions).

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Security.
2. Go to the Cleanup (or Deep Cleaning) section.
3. Select the basket in the list of categories.
4. Activate the AutoClean switch and set a period (e.g., Every 7 days).

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ It does not require manual control.
• ✅ Frees up memory automatically.
• ⚠️ Risk of losing files if you forget to check the cart.

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

Method 3: Cleaning the Recycle Bin via PC (for power users)

If the shopping cart on the phone does not clear (for example, due to a malfunction), you can delete files through the computer.

• 🖥️ PC Windows/macOS;
• 📱 USB-cable (original);
• 🔧 Initiated Debugging Mode USB (In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI Press 7 times, then return to Additional → For developers).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Redmi 7 to your PC and select File Transfer mode.
2. Open This Computer → Find a Xiaomi Device
3. Go along the way: Internal Memory → MIUI → Gallery → trash or Internal Memory → Android → data → com.miui.gallery → trash
4. Remove all files from the trash folder (it can be hidden – turn on the display of hidden files in the Explorer settings).

⚠️ Note: Do not delete other folders in MIUI Or Android, which can cause a system crash, and if the trash folder is missing, it means the basket is empty.

Method 4: Recover files from the Recycle Bin before cleaning

If you accidentally delete important data, it can be returned from the cart within 30 days (by default in MIUI).

1. Open the basket in the Gallery or Files.
2. Select the necessary files (long press → ticks).
3. Click on the Restore icon (arrow up).
4. Files will return to the original folder (for example, DCIM/Camera for photo).

If the cart is already cleaned, try the recovery programs:

⚠️ Warning: After cleaning the cart, new files can overwrite deleted data. To increase the chances of recovery, don't save anything on your phone before using the software.

Why the cart is not cleaned and how to fix it

Sometimes users are faced with the fact that the cart on Redmi 7 is not cleaned manually or automatically.

• 🔄 Application failure: Reboot your phone or clear the Gallery/Files cache in Settings → Annexes → Application management.
• 📛 Insufficient rights: If you use a third-party file manager (such as Solid Explorer), give it access to memory in Settings. → Permits.
• 🛠️ Damage to System Files: Update MIUI Up to the latest version or reset settings (but this will delete all data!).
• 📱 Manufacturer restrictions: Some firmwares lock the basket for system files. Check if you're trying to delete something from folders MIUI Android.

If nothing helps, try an alternative method:

1. Install a file manager with root access (such as Root Explorer).
2. Go to /data/data/com.miui.gallery/trash.
3. Delete all files manually.

💡

If the basket does not clear after all the manipulations, the problem may be a hardware failure of memory, in which case only the firmware of the phone or the replacement of the drive in the service center will help.

How to turn off the cart on Xiaomi Redmi 7 (and whether it is worth it)

Some users prefer to completely disable the cart so that files are deleted immediately, which frees up space but makes it impossible to recover data.

1. Open the settings → Applications → Gallery.
2. Tap it on three points (⋮) → Settings.
3. Find the basket item and turn off the switch.

For the Files app:

1. Start Files → Settings (cog icon).
2. Pick a basket. → Turn off the basket.

Cons of shutdown:

• ❌ No way to recover accidentally deleted files.
• ❌ Risk of losing important data when you click wrongly.

Pros:

• ✅ Free up to 5-10% of memory (due to the absence of duplicate files).
• ✅ Speeds up the removal process (no need to wait for the transfer to the basket).

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning the cart on Xiaomi