Deleting files on Xiaomi devices doesn’t always mean losing them forever. Like most modern gadgets, there’s a shopping cart, a temporary storage that keeps data available for 15 to 60 days (depending on the model and settings), but it’s not easy to find: different versions of MIUI and different devices (smartphones, TVs, tablets) can take a different path to the shopping cart, and even some users don’t even know it exists until they accidentally stumble upon deleted photos or documents.
In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can access the shopping cart on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, including smartphones, Mi TVs and even Mi Notebooks. We’ll focus on the hidden MIUI features that the manufacturer doesn’t advertise but can save your data. You’ll also learn how to recover files when the shopping cart is empty, and why sometimes deleted data disappears from it early.
1.Where is the basket on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones
On smartphones running MIUI, the shopping cart is built into the standard File Application (or File Manager in English firmware), but its location depends on the shell version:
- 📱 MIUI 12/13/14: The basket is in the Category section → Basket or Warehouse → The basket. In some versions, it can be found through an in-app search.
- 🔍 MIUI 11 and older: the path may be different - try Local Storage → Bin or Settings → Basket.
- 🌐 Global vs. Chinese firmware: in Chinese versions MIUI The basket is often hidden, and to see it, you might need to change the region of the device to India or Russia.
If you don’t find a basket in a standard file manager, check out the following points:
- Update the Files app via Google Play or the MIUI App Store.
- Make sure the cart function is enabled: go to Settings → Additional → Show the cart.
- On some models (such as the POCO F3 or Redmi Note 10 Pro), the recycle bin only appears after the first deletion of the file.
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If the Recycle Bin disappeared after the MIUI update, try clearing the Files app cache in your device settings. This often solves the problem of displaying deleted files.
Important: the MIUI Recycle Bin has a maximum of 30 days (some models have 15 days), and then it's deleted automatically, and if you use Google Photos, there's a different set of rules, as we'll explain below.
2. How to open a shopping cart in Google Photos on Xiaomi
Many Xiaomi users default to sync photos with Google Photos, which also has its own shopping cart, which works independently of the MIUI system basket and has different storage periods:
- 📸 Storage period: 60 days for deleted photos and videos (free account) for paid Google One subscriptions is unlimited.
- 🔗 How to open: Open the Google Photos app, tap on the avatar in the upper right corner → Basket.
- 🔄 Recovery: Select files, click Restore. They'll go back to the main gallery.
Note that if you delete a photo from both MIUI and Google Photos, it will end up in two bins at the same time, and you can recover it from either one, but it's better to do it faster - the shelf life counts from the moment you first delete it.
What to do if the Google Photos Recycle Bin is empty?
⚠️ Note: if you used the Free up space in Google Photos, the files are deleted irrevocably, bypassing the basket, in this case, you can only restore them using specialized programs (we will talk about them at the end of the article).
Recycle Bin on Mi TVs: Where to look for deleted files
On Xiaomi Mi TVs (including Mi TV 4S, Mi TV Q1 and others), the shopping cart is implemented differently than on smartphones, here it is called Recently Deleted and is located in the File Manager app.
- Run the File Manager (the folder icon on the home screen).
- Go to the Local Storage section or USB-device (if the files were on the flash drive).
- In the top menu, select Recently Deleted or Recycle Bin.
- To recover the file, click on it and select Restore.
Features of the basket on Mi TV:
- 🕒 Storage period: 15 days (regardless of model).
- 📁 Supported files: media only (photos, videos, music) Documents and APK squander.
- 🔌 If the files were on an external drive (a flash drive, a hard drive), the basket may not work – check the storage settings.
⚠️ Attention: on some of the Mi firmware TV (Especially Chinese) the cart is disabled by default. To activate it, go to Settings. → Annexes → File manager → Permissions and enable the option to Store deleted files.
Make sure files are deleted through the file manager, not third-party apps|Check your internet connection (to sync your cloud cart)|Update the TV firmware to the latest version|If the basket is empty, try connecting. USB-Driver – sometimes files are recovered from it-->
4.Why the Xiaomi basket might not work
If you don’t see the cart or it’s empty despite the fact that the files were deleted recently, the reasons may be as follows:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The basket is not on the menu | An outdated version of MIUI or file manager | Update the software through Settings → About the phone → System update |
| Files disappear from the cart before the deadline | Lack of free space on the device | Clear the cache or transfer the files to SD-map |
| The basket won't open. | Failure of the file manager | Clear the application data in Settings → Applications |
| Recovered files damaged | Interrupted removal process or virus | Check the device with antivirus and restore files again |
Another common reason is root rights or custom firmware, and if you've been installing unofficial software (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the MIUI system basket may not work, and you can only recover files through TWRP or specialized utilities like DiskDigger.
Also check if Auto Clean the Recycle Bin option is enabled in the file manager settings. On some devices (such as Xiaomi 12T or Redmi K50), it is activated by default and deletes files after 7 days.
5. How to recover files if the basket is empty
If files are missing from the cart or not on the device, try the following methods:
- 🔍 Searching through Google Drive or Mi Cloud: it is possible that files were automatically uploaded to the cloud.
- 📱 Third-party applications: utility like Dumpster, Recycle Bin or ES File Explorer can create their own baskets. Install them and check the deletion history.
On devices with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip (for example, POCO X3 Pro or Redmi Note 11) has a better chance of recovery than MediaTek because of the memory. If the smartphone is not computer-defined, try using it. ADB-commands to access the file system:
adb shell
su
cd /data/media/0/
ls -la⚠️ Note: Recovery of data via PC may damage current files if you write new data over deleted ones!
6.Setting up the basket: how to change the shelf life and turn it off
In MIUI, you can customize the shopping cart settings to suit your needs, such as extending the storage life of files or disabling it altogether if you prefer to delete data immediately.
- Open the Files app.
- Go to Settings (the gear icon in the top corner).
- Select Recycle Bin or Storage Management.
- Set up the settings: Storage period: 7 to 30 days. Autoclean: turn on/off. Show notifications: Reminder reminders.
On Mi TVs, similar settings are in File Manager → Settings → Recycle Bin. Note: on some models (e.g. Mi TV A2), the storage period is fixed and is not subject to change.
If you want to completely disable the cart, do the following:
- In the file manager settings, find the option to Use the Recycle Bin.
- Turn it off.
- Confirm the action – now the files will be deleted irrevocably.
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Disabling the cart frees up space on the device, but increases the risk of permanent data loss, and we recommend using this option only if you regularly create backups.
7. Frequent mistakes when working with a basket on Xiaomi
Even experienced users sometimes make mistakes that lead to data loss, and the most common ones are:
- 🗑️ Delete files through third-party apps: If you delete photos via Instagram, WhatsApp or Telegram, they don’t fall into the shopping cart MIUI. These applications use their own storage mechanisms.
- 🔄 Reset: When you run Hard Reset, the Recycle Bin is automatically cleaned. All files in it will be deleted without the ability to restore them.
- 📲 Reflashing the device: installing a new version MIUI Or custom firmware resets the basket. Always back up before upgrading!
- 🔋 Battery Discharge: If the device turns off while deleting files, they may disappear from the basket or get damaged.
Many users also confuse the MIUI basket and the Google Photos basket. For example, if you deleted a photo through the Xiaomi gallery, but sync with Google Photos is disabled, the file will remain only in the system basket. Conversely, if sync is enabled, the file will be in two baskets at the same time, but you will need to restore it separately in each service.