How to Clean the Recycle Bin on Xiaomi Phone: Instructions for MIUI 12-14

Have you ever faced a situation where memory on Xiaomi is running out even though you have already deleted all unnecessary files? The reason often lies in the hidden MIUI basket, where deleted photos, videos and documents are temporarily stored. Unlike computer OSes, where the basket is manually cleaned, on Redmi, POCO and Mi smartphones, this process has its own nuances - especially if you use Mi Cloud cloud storage or third-party file managers.

In this article, we will discuss not only the standard method of cleaning the basket through the Gallery, but also alternative methods for cases where:

• 📱 Files disappear from the bin, but memory is not released
• 🔄 Recycle Bin automatically restores deleted data after restarting
• ☁️ Deleted files are duplicated in the Mi Cloud
• 🚫 The system emits an error: "It is impossible to clean the basket"

Special attention will be paid to the hidden folders of the basket in MIUI 14, which do not appear in the standard interface, but take up up to 10% of internal memory, which often goes unnoticed even after resetting.

1. Standard cleaning of the basket through the Gallery

The most obvious way is to use the built-in Gallery from Xiaomi, but there are pitfalls: if you deleted files through third-party apps (like Google Photos or Files by Google), they may not show up in the standard MIUI Recycle Bin. Here's how to clean it correctly:

1. Open the Gallery app (an icon with colorful photos).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines in the lower right corner (menu).
3. Select the Recycle Bin (on some models – Recently deleted).
4. Click Clear Everything in the upper right corner or select files manually.
5. Confirm the action by clicking Remove in the pop-up window.

⚠️ Note: On smartphones with MIUI 13+ The Recycle Bin in the Gallery only stores files for 30 days, and then they are automatically deleted, but the space they occupy may not be vacant due to the app cache. → Annexes → gallery → Storage and click Clear Cache.

MIUI version (settings → about the phone)

Free space in memory (settings → storage)

Is backup disabled in Mi Cloud (settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Gallery)

All file managers are closed (to avoid conflicts)

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2. Cleaning the basket through File Manager

If files are not displayed in the Gallery or you have deleted documents (PDF, APK, ZIP), you should search for them in the File Manager system. This method is suitable for all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Mi 11:

1. Open the Files app (an icon with a yellow folder).
2. Go to the Category tab in the lower menu.
3. Scroll down and select the Recycle Bin (or Recently Deleted).
4. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Clean the basket.

🔍 Important: File Manager has two sections:

• 📁 Local Recycle Bin – files deleted from the phone’s internal memory.
• ☁️ Cloud Recycle Bin - files deleted from Mi Cloud (requires authorization).

If you don’t see the cloud cart, update the Files app via Play Market or MIUI App Store.

💡

After cleaning the basket through Files, restart the phone – this will speed up the release of memory, since MIUI will update the free space data only after the reboot.

3. Hidden Recycle Bin folders: Where They Are Stored and How to Delete Them

One of the little-known features of MIUI is the presence of hidden bin folders that don’t appear in standard interfaces, which can take anywhere from 500 MB to several GB, especially if you’re actively using the camera or downloading files from instant messengers.

To find and clean them up:

1. Connect your phone to your computer via USB (select File Transfer mode).
2. Enable the display of hidden files in Windows/macOS Explorer.
3. Go on the path: Internal Memory → MIUI → Gallery → Cloud → Trash Internal Memory →.trash
4. Delete all files from these folders manually.

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete the folder.trash-1000 or.trash-{numbers} are system directories that are linked to user rights, and their cleaning can cause malfunctions. MIUI.

4. Cleaning the basket in Mi Cloud (cloud storage)

If you use Mi Cloud to back up photos and videos, deleted files can stay in the cloud bin even after cleaning the local one, resulting in double the space consumption on your phone and in the cloud.

To clean up the cloud basket:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Select the Gallery in the backup list.
3. Slip on the basket icon in the upper right corner.
4. Click Clear Everything or select files manually.
5. Confirm the deletion (files will be deleted irrevocably after 30 days).

🔄 Important nuance: If you have Google Photos enabled, deleted files from Mi Cloud can remain in the Google Recycle Bin to avoid duplication:

• 📱 Open Google Photos → Library → Basket.
• ☁️ Turn off autosynchronization in Settings → Backup and synchronization.
• 🔄 Use only one cloud to back up your data.

Mi Cloud

Google Photo

Yandex Disc.

Cloud Mail.ru

I don't use clouds.

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5. Automatic Cart Cleaning: Setup and Risks

MIUI 14 has a automatic basket cleaning feature, but it's disabled by default to activate it:

1. Open the Settings → Storage.
2. Select Memory Cleanup.
3. Activate the Auto Clean Cart Switch.
4. Set a period: 7 days, 15 days or 30 days.

⚠️ Warning: Autocleaning has two hidden risks:

• 🔄 If you accidentally delete an important file, it will be impossible to restore it after auto-cleaning.
• 📱 On some models (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3) Autocleaning may work ahead of schedule due to an error in MIUI.

We recommend that you back up important data before enabling this function.

💡 Useful tip: If you often work with important files, instead of auto-clean, set up bin filling notifications:

1. Open Settings → Notifications and Status bar.
2. Find the Gallery in the list of applications.
3. Enable notifications for the basket filled.

Errors in cleaning the basket and their solutions

Sometimes users are confronted with messages like "It is impossible to clear the cart" or "Delete error" and these are the most common reasons and ways to fix them:

🛠️ If no method has helped:

1. Reset the Gallery app settings in Settings → Apps → Gallery → Storage → Reset.
2. Update MIUI to the latest version (often, basket errors are fixed in patches).
3. In extreme cases, perform a reset to factory settings (don’t forget to make a backup!).

💡

Before resetting settings, disable the binding of the Xiaomi account in Settings → Xiaomi Account → Delete the account, otherwise after resetting the phone will require the entry of the old password.

7. Alternative methods: third-party applications

If the built-in MIUI tools don't work, you can use third-party file managers with advanced features.

• 📂 Solid Explorer – Shows Hidden Recycle Bin Folders and Lets You Clean Them Manually.
• 🗑️ Files by Google – has a separate tab Recycle Bin and the function “Memory Cleanup".
• 🔍 FX File Explorer – Supports access to system folders (requires root permissions for full access).

⚠️ Note: When using third-party applications:

• Do not grant them permission to change system files unnecessarily.
• Before mass deletion, check the contents of folders – some managers show system files as “junk”.
• Avoid applications like Clean Master, which often delete useful data under the guise of “optimization.”

📌 Example of work with Solid Explorer:

1. Install an app from the Play Market.
2. Enable the display of hidden files in the settings.
3. Cross the path. /storage/emulated/0/ and find the.trash folders or.recycle_bin.
4. Remove their contents (long tap → delete).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)