How to completely clean the basket in the smartphone Xiaomi Redmi 8T: a step-by-step guide

Xiaomi Redmi 8T owners often face a situation where the phone’s internal memory is filled with unknowns and standard cleaning methods fail, which may be due to a hidden bin that includes deleted files, such as photos, documents or videos, unlike computers where the basket is visible on the desktop, Android smartphones depend on the firmware and file manager to locate it.

In this article, we will discuss all ways to clean the cart on Redmi. 8T, including embedded tools MIUI You'll learn how to find hidden files, why they take up space even after they're deleted, and what settings will help you avoid re-accumulation of garbage. MIUI 12/13, under which most of the devices of this model operate.

Where is the Recycle Bin on Xiaomi Redmi 8T and why is it filling up?

On Xiaomi smartphones, the shopping cart is not a separate application, but a function of the MI File Manager (or third-party analogues like Google Files), which, when files are deleted through a standard manager, are moved to the.Trash folder (or.Recycle in older versions of MIUI), which is hidden from the user, and this folder can take up 5-10 GB of memory if it is not cleaned for years.

The main reasons for filling the basket:

• 📸 Automatic backup of photos in Google Photos or Mi Cloud followed by “deletion” of the originals (they remain in the cart).
• 📁 Delete files through Explorer without using the function "Delete forever".
• 🔄 Cloud sync where files are deleted on the device but saved in the local shopping cart.
• 🤖 Mistakes. MIUI, When the system does not clean the cart after updates or resets.

It's important to understand that the Recycle Bin on Redmi 8T doesn't clean automatically -- unlike Windows, where files are deleted after 30 days. Here they stay until manually cleaned or until disk space runs out -- which often causes lags and slow phone performance.

Method 1: Cleaning the cart with a standard MI File Manager

The easiest method is to use a built-in file manager. It is available on all Xiaomi smartphones with firmware. MIUI It doesn't require any additional applications. 8T on MIUI 12–14:

1. Open the Files app (the icon with the folder on the home screen or in the app menu).
2. In the bottom panel, click on the "Category" tab (or ⋮ → The basket in old versions).
3. Slip on the "Basket" section - all temporarily deleted files will be displayed here.
4. Click on “Clean” in the top right corner or select files manually and delete them permanently.

If the "Basket" button is not on the menu, it means:

• 🔍 The function is disabled in the manager settings (see the next section).
• 📂.Trash folder is damaged – you will need to clean through Settings → Memory.
• 🛠️ Uses a third-party file manager (for example, Solid Explorer), which has its own basket.

Attention! If you don't have any disk space after cleaning the cart, check the DCIM/.thumbnails folder, which stores thumbnails of photos that also take up to 1-2 GB of storage.

Method 2: Manually clean through hidden folders (for power users)

If a standard manager doesn’t show the Recycle Bin or clean it completely, you can manually delete files through hidden system folders, a method that requires activation of hidden files and caution – incorrect actions can lead to malfunctioning applications.

Step-by-step:

1. Open MI File Manager and go to Settings → Show hidden files.
2. Go back to the root directory (/storage/emulated/0/) and find the folders:.Trash.Trash-1000.Recycle.RecycleBin
3. Delete all files inside these folders. If the folder doesn't open, use Root rights (requires unlocking the bootloader).
4. Reboot your phone to make the changes take effect.

Warning: ⚠️ Don't delete the folders.android_secure Or Android, which can cause apps to crash. If you're not sure what to do, use Safe Mode. → "Reboot to Safe Mode").

Method 3: Clean through memory settings (for MIUI 12 and later)

MIUI 12-14 firmware has a built-in deep memory cleaner that automatically finds and deletes temporary files, including the contents of the shopping cart, a technique that works if you don't want to dig through folders manually.

How to use:

1. Go to Settings. → Memory.
2. Slip on "Memory Clearing" (or "Deep Cleaning").
3. Wait for the analysis to be completed and select the category "Basket".
4. Click "Clear" and confirm the action.

Advantages of this method:

• ✅ No need to manually search for folders.
• ✅ Deletes app cache and other temporary files.
• ✅ Safe for beginners (does not affect system data).

Attention! ⚠️ Once cleaned through this tool, some applications (like a gallery) may be slower because they have to rewire the thumbnail cache.

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If after cleaning the basket the place is not freed, check the folder Android/data — here are stored caches of games and social networks (for example, Facebook or TikTok can borrow from the Internet). 3–5 GB).

Method 4: Using third-party applications (for complete cleaning)

If embedded tools MIUI They can't do it, you can use third-party utilities, and they not only clean the cart, but they also find duplicate files, cache and residual data from remote applications. 8T:

Instructions for Google Files:

1. Install an app from the Play Market.
2. Open it and go to the "Cleaning" tab.
3. Select the category "Baskbasket" or "Dublicates".
4. Mark unnecessary files and click "Clear".

Important: Before using SD Maid or CCleaner, back up your data – these apps can delete files that are necessary for some games or programs to run.

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The application side is more effective than the built-in MIUI tools, but you need to be careful. Always check which files are marked for deletion so you don't lose important data.

How to disable the Recycle Bin on Xiaomi Redmi 8T (so that files are deleted immediately)

If you don't want deleted files to get into the bin, you can turn it off in the file manager settings, which will free up space and eliminate the need for regular cleaning, but be careful, this mode will permanently delete files.

Instructions:

1. Open the MI File Manager.
2. Move to the ⋮ → Settings → Basket.
3. Turn off the "Use the basket" option.
4. Confirm the action in the dialog window.

After that:

• 🗑️ All files will be deleted permanently (without recovery capability).
• 📉 The.Trash folder will no longer fill.
• ⚠️ Risk of Accidental Deletion of Important Data Increases.

Tip: If you often work with important documents, instead of completely disabling the basket, reduce the storage time of files in it. To do this, in the same settings, select "Clean the basket through" and set a minimum period (for example, 1 day).

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When cleaning the cart on Redmi 8T, users face typical problems, and let's look at the most common and ways to fix them:

Attention! ⚠️ If after all the manipulations the basket still does not clear, this may indicate damage to the file system. In this case, only a factory reset will help (don’t forget to make a backup!). To avoid this, regularly check the memory for errors through the DiskDigger application.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions