How to completely clean the basket on the smartphone Xiaomi Redmi 9: instructions with pictures

When you delete photos, videos or documents on Xiaomi Redmi 9, many users are faced with an unpleasant surprise: files disappear from folders, but the phone’s memory is not freed up, because of the hidden basket, which by default stores deleted data for 15 to 30 days. If you do not clean it manually, garbage accumulates, taking up precious gigabytes.

In this article, we will discuss all the ways to clean the Recycle Bin on Redmi 9 (including Redmi 9A, 9C, 9T models), explain why files remain in memory after deletion, and show you how to set up automatic cleaning, learn what to do if the Recycle Bin is not displayed in the menu, and how to return accidentally deleted data before it is finally erased.

Why do files remain in memory after deletion?

Xiaomi smartphones (like most Android devices) have a soft delete mechanism. When you click Delete in the Gallery or Files, the system doesn't erase the data immediately, but moves it to a temporary storage bin. This is done to protect against accidental deletion, but has the flip side: the memory isn't released until you manually clean the basket.

Here are the key points you need to know:

• 📅 Storage period: by default, files are in the basket for 30 days (for photos – 15 days in some versions). MIUI).
• 📱 Different baskets: Gallery and Files apps have separate baskets.
• 🔄 Auto Cleaning: In New Versions MIUI Automatic deletion of files older than 7 days.
• ⚠️ System Limitations: The Recycle Bin does not work for files deleted from third-party developers via Explorer (e.g. Total Commander).

If you deleted a file a month ago and the memory is still busy, check the cart — most likely, the data is still there. In the next section, we will show you how to find and clean it.

Method 1: Cleaning the basket through the Gallery app

The easiest way to do this is to use the standard Gallery app, which is installed on all Redmi 9 smartphones by default, which stores deleted photos, videos and screenshots, and is suitable for MIUI 12-14 versions.

How to clean the basket:

1. Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) top-right.
3. Select Recycle Bin (may be called Recently Deleted in older versions of MIUI).
4. Click Clean in the upper right corner or highlight files manually and tap Delete Forever.
5. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

If the Recycle Bin button is not on the menu, update the Gallery app through the Play Store or check the settings:

⚠️ Attention: Some firmware has a basket hidden. To turn it on, go to Gallery Settings. → General. → Show the cart and activate the switch.

Check out the MIUI version (Settings → About the phone)

Update the Gallery app in the Play Store

Make sure that files are not needed for recovery.

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

After cleaning, check the space in Settings → About Phone → Storage. If the memory is not free, go to the next method - the basket in the Files application can be filled with other types of data.

Method 2: Delete files from the Recycle Bin in the Files app

The File Manager app on Redmi 9 is responsible for storing deleted documents, archives, APKs and other types of data, and its shopping cart works independently of the Gallery, so both need to be cleaned.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Files app (Icon with folder and magnifying glass).
2. Go to the Category tab in the lower menu.
3. Scroll down and select the Recycle Bin (or Recently Deleted).
4. Tap Clean everything in the top right corner or highlight unnecessary files and click Delete Forever.

If the cart is not displayed, try:

• 🔍 Update the Files application through the Play Store.
• 🔄 Reboot your phone (sometimes the cart appears after restart).
• 📱 Install an alternative file manager (e.g. Files by Google) that shows hidden folders.

Important: The File Recycle Bin can store system files (such as app cache or temporary data), delete only those files you recognize, and if in doubt, transfer them to your computer before you delete them.

Method 3: Complete cleaning through resetting (if the basket is not cleaned)

In rare cases, the shopping cart may freeze — files don't get deleted, buttons don't respond, or apps give an error — because of MIUI failures or damage to system files. If the first two methods didn't work, try resetting (without losing data).

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Recovery and Reset.
2. Select Clear all data (setting reset).
3. Check Clear cache and temporary files, but uncheck with Delete media files and documents.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

After discharge:

• 🔄 The Recycle Bin will be empty (all temporary files will be deleted).
• 📱 Applications will return to factory settings (you will have to re-enter accounts).
• 📁 Personal files (photos, videos, music) will remain intact.

⚠️ Warning: If you choose to Delete all data (full reset), the phone will return to factory status, and all files - including the basket - will be erased without recovery.

If the reset didn’t work, the problem could be that the file system is damaged, and only by flashing the phone through Fastboot or contacting a service center will help.

How to set up automatic cleaning of the basket?

To avoid manually cleaning the Recycle Bin, MIUI has an automatic deletion feature for old files, available in the latest firmware versions (MIUI 13 and later). If you have an older version, upgrade your phone via Settings → System Update.

How to turn on auto-cleaning:

1. Open the Gallery or the Files.
2. Tap it on three points (⋮) → Settings.
3. Select the Recycle Bin (or Storage Management).
4. Activate the Automatic Cleaning Switch.
5. Set a period: 7 days, 15 days or 30 days.

Comparison of auto-cleaning regimes:

If you don’t have an auto-clean option, install a third-party file management app like Files by Google or CCleaner, which can automatically remove garbage, including the contents of the shopping cart.

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To speed up the cleanup, manually transfer all important files from the cart to the cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud) or to your computer before setting up auto-delete, so you avoid losing data if the timer accidentally triggers.

What to do if the cart is not displayed?

Sometimes the shopping cart disappears from the Gallery menu or Files, which may be due to:

• 📱 An outdated version MIUI (firmware MIUI 11 basket no).
• 🔧 Failure of the application (for example, after updating).
• 🛠️ Rooting or modifying the system (removing system applications).
• 📲 Restrictions of regional firmware (in some countries the function is disabled).

Decisions:

1. Update MIUI: Settings → System Update → Check for Updates Install the latest firmware version.
2. Reset application settings: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Gallery/Files → Warehouse → Clear the data ⚠️ Note: This will delete all application settings, but will not affect personal files.
3. Install an alternative gallery: Apps like Google Photos or Simple Gallery have their own shopping cart and are not dependent on MIUI.
4. Check Hidden Folders: Connect your phone to your computer and manually delete the contents of folders: Internal Storage →.trash Internal Storage → MIUI → Gallery trash →

If the Recycle Bin never came out, your Redmi 9 model may run on custom firmware without this feature, in which case use third-party file managers with basket support (such as Solid Explorer).

How to recover files from the Recycle Bin if they have not been deleted yet?

If you accidentally delete important data but haven't cleaned the cart yet, you can get it back, and recovery time is limited, and once the cart is cleaned or the storage period expires (15-30 days), the files will be lost forever.

Instructions for remediation:

1. Open the Gallery or Files and go to the Recycle Bin.
2. Select the necessary files (photos, videos, documents) with a long tap.
3. Click Restore (Icon with arrow down).
4. Files will return to the original folders: 📷 Photo and video - in the Gallery → Albums. 📄 Documents - in Files → Internal memory. → Download or Documents.

If the Restore button is not:

• 🔄 Try restarting your phone.
• 📥 Copy files from the basket to the computer through USB-cable (they can be hidden in the.trash folder).
• 🛠️ Use data recovery software (such as DiskDigger or Recuva), but they only work until the cart is cleaned.

Important: Once restored, check files for integrity. Videos and photos can be damaged if the shopping cart was almost full. In this case, try opening them through VLC Player or Google Photos, these applications are able to recover partially damaged media files.

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Recovery is possible only before cleaning the cart. Once you click "Delete Forever" or expiration of the storage period, files are erased irrevocably (unless you have used backup to the cloud).

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning the cart on Redmi 9