How to turn off the cart in the Xiaomi Gallery: the complete guide for MIUI

The Recycle Bin feature in the standard Xiaomi gallery is often annoying for users: deleted photos and videos do not disappear immediately, but take up space in memory, requiring additional actions for final erasure. This is especially true for owners of smartphones with limited internal storage (for example, Redmi Note 10 or POCO X3 Pro), where every megabyte is in the account. In this article, we will analyze all ways to disable the basket – from hiding its icon to completely removing the function through system settings.

It is important to understand that depending on the version of MIUI (12, 13 or 14) and the smartphone model (Xiaomi 12T, Redmi A2, POCO F5, etc.), the available options may differ. For example, on the firmware for the global market (MIUI Global), there is sometimes no direct configuration of the basket, while on the Chinese versions (MIUI China), it may be more flexible. We tested all methods on the current versions of the software (2026) and highlighted those that work stably.

Why the shopping cart in the Xiaomi gallery is hindering users

At first glance, Recycle Bin seems to be a useful feature, protecting against the accidental deletion of important files, but in practice, many people face the following problems:

• 📱 It takes up space in memory: deleted photos and videos stay in the cart for 30 days, taking up precious gigabytes. 4K 2GB will hang in the cart for a month, even if you erase it».
• ⏳ Double Actions: To make room, you have to go into the basket and clean it manually – an extra step that is annoying.
• 🔍 Confusion in the interface: the basket icon in the gallery takes up space on the toolbar, and the folder itself appears in the album list, clogging it up.
• 🔒 Limitations MIUI: In some versions of the firmware, the basket does not sync with the Mi Cloud cloud, which can cause files to be lost when resetting the phone.

According to a survey of Xiaomi users (2023), 68% of respondents would like to completely disable the cart or at least reduce the retention period of deleted files, while 22% did not know that this feature can be configured or removed.

Method 1: Disconnect the cart through gallery settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in options of the Gallery app, which works on most devices with MIUI 12-14, including the Xiaomi 13, Redmi Note 11 and POCO X4 Pro.

1. Open the Gallery app (a icon with multi-colored squares).
2. Tap the three-point menu (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Settings.
3. Scroll down to the basket section and click on it.
4. Activate the Disable Recycle Bin (or Delete files right away in some versions).
5. Confirm the action in the pop-up window by pressing OK.

After that, all deleted files will be permanently erased, bypassing the basket. Please note that some firmware (for example, MIUI 13.0.6 for Redmi 10) may not have this item.

⚠️ Note: If you disable the Recycle Bin, it will be impossible to restore deleted files without specialized programs (for example, DiskDigger or Recuva.

Method 2: Hiding the basket from the gallery interface

If you can't completely disable the cart (for example, on Xiaomi 11T with MIUI 12.5 Enhanced), you can at least hide its icon and folder from the visible interface. This won't solve the problem with the space occupied, but it will make it easier to work with the gallery.

1. Launch the Gallery and go to the Albums section (bottom of the screen).
2. Find the Recycle Bin folder (usually located at the end of the list).
3. Press and hold the icon until the context menu appears.
4. Choose Hide the album (or Take it Out of View).
5. Confirm the action by pressing Ready.

Now the Recycle Bin folder will not appear in the main album list. To return it back, go to Gallery Settings → Hidden Albums and uncheck the Recycle Bin item.

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If you can’t hide the cart, try updating the Gallery app through Google Play or Mi App Store, and sometimes newer versions add missing options.

Method 3: Using ADB to disable the cart (for advanced)

On some devices (such as the POCO F3 or Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite), standard settings do not allow you to remove the basket, in which case ADB (Android Debug Bridge) – a debugging tool that gives access to hidden system parameters – will help, this method requires connecting the phone to the computer and works only on unlocked bootloaders.

Instructions:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on your computer.
2. Turn on the developer mode on the phone (go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and tap 7 times on the build number).
3. Activate Debugging by USB in the Developer section.
4. Connect your smartphone to your PC and open the command line (cmd) in the folder with adb.exe.
5. Enter the command: adb shell settings put global gallery_trash_enabled 0
6. Reboot the phone.

Once you do this, the basket will be disabled at the system level, and to get it back, use the same command, replacing 0 with 1.

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB If you are not sure about your actions, skip this method or ask for help in forums. XDA Developers or 4PDA.

Method 4: Installation of an alternative gallery

If none of the above methods worked, consider using a third-party gallery. Many alternative applications (e.g. Google Photos, Simple Gallery or A+ Gallery) don’t have a built-in cart or allow you to flexibly customize it, and the advantages of this approach are:

• 📁 No forced shopping cart: Most third-party galleries delete files immediately.
• 🔧 Flexible settings: You can set the retention period of deleted files (for example, 1 day instead of 30 days).
• 🛡️ Additional features: cloud synchronization, photo editor, password protection for albums.

To install an alternative gallery:

1. Download the app from Google Play (e.g. Simple Gallery Pro).
2. When you first start, give access to files and media.
3. In the application settings, find the Delete Files section and disable the Use Recycle Bin option.
4. Make the new gallery the default app (in phone settings: Apps → Default → Gallery).

If you choose Google Photos, note that the Recycle Bin stores files longer (60 days), but it has a convenient backup to the cloud. Simple Gallery or A+ Gallery is better for a complete abandonment of the Recycle Bin.

Method 5: Manually clean the basket through the file manager

If you don't really want to disable the cart, but you want to free up space, you can manually delete the contents through the file manager, which is suitable for devices where the basket is stored in a separate folder (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro or Redmi K50).

1. Open any file manager (such as the built-in Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/.Trash or /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.Trash
3. Select all files in the folder (long-term press → Select everything).
4. Click Delete and confirm the action.

This method allows you to free up space without turning off the Recycle Bin function itself. However, remember: the.Trash folder is hidden, and you may need to enable the option to display hidden files in the file manager.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When trying to turn off or clean the cart, users often encounter typical problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:

• 🔄 The cart returns after the update MIUI: After major updates (for example, with the MIUI 13 on MIUI 14) gallery settings may be reset. Solution: Repeat disabling the cart through settings or ADB.
• 📂 The.Trash folder is not deleted: System folders are protected from deletion. Solution: clear the contents of the folder, but do not delete the folder itself - this can cause the gallery to crash.
• 🔒 No access to ADB: On some devices (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra) debugging USB The solution: unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi website.
• 📱 Gallery stopped working: If after manipulation with the basket the application gives errors, reset its settings: Settings → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the data.

If none of these methods worked, check to see if your device has custom software (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience) that may have different gallery logic than standard MIUI.

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Before any manipulation of system folders or ADB, back up your data, which will save you from losing photos and videos in the event of a crash.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions