How to completely clean the cart on Xiaomi Redmi 3: instructions with pictures and nuances

Xiaomi Redmi 3 (released in 2016) is still popular with users due to its reliability and low price, but over time, even this device begins to lack memory — especially if you actively use the camera, download files from instant messengers or download documents. Many people do not know that deleted photos, videos and documents do not disappear immediately, but fall into the basket, occupying precious space.

In this article, we will explain where the Recycle Bin on Redmi 3 is, how to clean it through standard settings and third-party apps, and what to do if the files are not deleted or the Recycle Bin is not displayed at all. We will pay special attention to the nuances of working with MIUI 7/8/9, the firmware for which this smartphone was released. If you haven’t cleaned the Recycle Bin for a long time, after reading the instructions you can free up to 5-15 GB of memory (depending on the number of deleted files).

Where is the basket on Xiaomi Redmi 3 and how to open it

Unlike modern smartphones, where the basket is displayed on the main screen of the gallery, on Redmi 3 its location depends on the version of MIUI and the applications used.

• 📷 Gallery (Mi Gallery): open the application, tap three dots in the upper right corner → Select “Trash” or “Recently Deleted»).
• 📁 File Manager (Explorer): Go to Categories → Basket or hand on the way /storage/emulated/0/.trash.
• 🔄 Google Photos: If sync is enabled, deleted files are stored in the cloud (Basket section in the app menu).

On MIUI 7, the Recycle Bin may not be in the gallery, so instead, files are deleted immediately. In this case, check the file manager or use third-party applications (we will discuss them below). If you can't see the.trash folder, it may be hidden, turn on the display of hidden files in the manager settings.

It is important to understand that the Recycle Bin on Redmi 3 works on a “temporary storage” principle: files are automatically deleted after 30 days (in MIUI 8/9) or 15 days (in MIUI 7). However, if the phone’s memory is full, the system can clean the Recycle Bin earlier, and some files (such as screenshots or downloads from Telegram) may not get into the Recycle Bin at all – they will have to be deleted manually.

Method 1: Cleaning the basket through a standard gallery

This is the simplest method that works on most versions of MIUI.

1. Open the Gallery app (an icon with a colored rhombus).
2. In the upper right corner, press three vertical dots (⋮) → Choose "Basket" (Trash).
3. Click on the “Empty Trash” button at the bottom of the screen.
4. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

If there is no Delete All button, select files manually: press and hold your finger on any file → mark the rest → click on the Recycle Bin icon at the bottom. In MIUI 7, the interface may be different: instead of the Recycle Bin button, look for the Recently Deleted section.

Make sure important files are restored.

Connect your phone to charge (in case of long processing)

Close the background applications to speed up the process

Make a backup (if you have any doubts about the files)

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Once cleaned, the cart will become empty, but the space may not show up immediately. To speed up the process, restart your phone or check the memory through Settings → About Phone → Memory. If the files are not deleted, try the next method.

Method 2: Manual deletion through file manager

If the Recycle Bin doesn’t show up in the gallery or files are stuck, use the built-in Explorer, which is suitable for advanced users, as it requires working with system folders.

1. Open the Files app (an icon with a yellow folder).
2. Go to Categories → Cart. If you don't have one, manually open the path: /storage/emulated/0/.trash
3. Select all files (long click → ticks on the rest) → click “Delete”.
4. Confirm deletion. If you see a "File is used" error, restart your phone and try again.

In some cases, the.trash folder can be hidden to see it.

1. In the file manager, click on three dots. → «Settings».
2. Activate the option “Show hidden files”.
3. Go back to the root directory (/storage/emulated/0/) and find the.trash folder.

After manual removal, it is recommended to clear the cache of the gallery and file manager. To do this, go to Settings → Applications → Application Management, find Gallery and Files, then click Clear Cache. This will help avoid errors in the next use.

Method 3: Cleaning up the Google Photos Recycle Bin (if used)

If you sync photos with Google Photos, deleted files can be stored in the cloud bin, taking up space in your account (rather than on your phone) to clear it:

1. Open the Google Photos app.
2. Slip on the profile avatar in the upper right corner → “Basket”.
3. Click on “Delete Everything” or select unnecessary files manually.
4. Confirm the action. The files will be deleted from the cloud forever (no recovery is possible).

Note that cleaning up your Google Photos Recycle Bin does not free up your phone’s memory, but only space in your Google account. However, if you have Free up space enabled, the app can automatically delete local copies of files that have already been uploaded to the cloud. Check this in Google Photos settings.

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If you delete photos often, set up automatic cart cleanup in Google Photos: go to Settings → Backup and Sync → Storage Management and enable Automatic Deletion.

If you're not using Google Photos, but the shopping cart is still not cleared, the problem may be in the app's cache. Clean it through Settings → Apps → Google Photos → Storage → Clear the cache. This won't delete your files, but it can solve the problem with the "hung" items in the shopping cart.

Method 4: Third-party applications for deep cleaning

If standard methods don't work, use specialized utilities that allow you to find and delete "invisible" files from the trash, as well as optimize memory.

Let’s look at the example of Files by Google:

1. Install and open the application.
2. Go to the Cleaning section.
3. Select “Recycle Bin” or “Recently Deleted Files”.
4. Mark unnecessary items and click “Delete”.

SD Maid will require storage and (optional) root rights if you want to clean your system folders. Be careful: deleting files through such utilities is irreversible, making it harder to recover them than from a standard shopping cart.

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Third-party apps help you find files that don't show up in the standard shopping cart, but only use them if you're confident in your actions.

Method 5: Reset gallery settings (if the cart doesn't work)

If the shopping cart doesn't open, files aren't deleted, or errors like "Unfortunately, the gallery has stopped" help reset the app settings, which will return the gallery to factory settings without losing files:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Mi Gallery and tap it.
3. Select “Storage” → “Clear Data” and “Clear Cache”.
4. Confirm the action. The app will restart.

Once reset, all gallery settings (including album sorting and hidden folders) will return to standard. The shopping cart will also be cleared, but the files it stored will disappear forever. If you need to save any data, restore them first (see next section).

⚠️ Note: Reset gallery data does not affect the photos and videos on the phone, but deletes: Album display settings; Hidden folders (they will have to be reconfigured); Cache thumbnails (when you first open the gallery will take longer to load).

If the basket still doesn’t work after resetting, the problem may be in the corrupted system files, in which case only the phone’s firmware will help (see “Frequent Problems”).

How to Recover Files from the Recycle Bin Before Cleaning

Before you clear the bin, check if there are any important files in it, and you can restore them in two ways:

• 🔄 Through the gallery: Open the basket in the gallery. Select the files you want (long press). Click on the recovery icon (arrow up or Restore»).

Through the file manager

1. Go to /storage/emulated/0/.trash.
2. Copy files to another folder (for example, DCIM/Camera).

If files are not restored (the “failed to recover” error appears), try the following:

1. Reboot the phone.
2. Check if there is enough space on the phone (free space is required to recover).
3. Use third-party utilities like DiskDigger or Recuva (you need a PC connection).

⚠️ Note: Recovered files may lose original quality or metadata (film date, geotags). If the photos are critical, it is best to copy them to the PC before any manipulation of the shopping cart.

If you delete files from the trash and want them back, the odds depend on how long it's been and whether the space on the phone has been used. The faster you start recovering, the more likely you are to succeed.

• 7-Data Recovery (for PC)
• GT Recovery (for Android, requires root)

Frequent problems and their solutions

When you're working with a cart on Redmi 3, you're going to have a common mistake.

If none of these methods worked, the last resort is to reset your phone to factory settings, which will delete all the data, including the files in the cart, so back up first.

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Recovery and Reset.
2. Select "Settings Reset."
3. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

Once reset, the phone will be as new as it is, and all the problems with the basket will disappear, but this method should only be used as a last resort when other methods have not worked.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions