How to completely clean the cart on the Xiaomi Redmi phone: all ways

Why Clean the Recycle Bin on Xiaomi Redmi and What It Stores

The Xiaomi Redmi Recycle Bin is a temporary storage for deleted files, similar to the garbage bin on your computer. When you delete photos, videos or documents through the standard MIUI file manager, they don't disappear immediately, but they end up in this folder, where they take up space in the device's memory for 7 to 30 days (depending on the settings) before they are permanently erased.

First, the bin can take up gigabytes of memory, especially if you actively delete large files (e.g., videos in the video box). 4K or RAW-Second, some users experience bugs when files get stuck in the cart and are not automatically deleted. Third, if you sell or transfer a phone, forgotten files in the cart can become a threat to privacy.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways to clean the cart on Redmi Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10/13 and other models – from standard MIUI tools to hidden features and third-party utilities, and explain how to permanently disable the cart if you don’t need one, and what to do if files are not deleted.

Method 1: Cleaning through a standard MIUI file manager

The easiest method is to use Xiaomi’s built-in file manager, which is available on all Redmi smartphones with MIUI 12 shell and later, and is suitable for models from Redmi 7 to Redmi Note 13 Pro+.

How to do this:

• 📁 Open the Files app (icon with yellow folder).
• 🗑️ In the lower menu, tap on the basket tab (or garbage in some versions). MIUI).
• ✅ Click Clean in the top right corner. Confirm action.
• 🔄 If there is no button, select files manually (long press) and select Delete Forever.

Important: in MIUI 14 and later, the Recycle Bin can be hidden if there are no files in it, and if there is no Recycle Bin tab, it means that it is empty or disabled in the settings.

The necessary files are saved in the cloud or on PC

The basket does not contain system files (Android folders, MIUI, etc.)

The phone is charged at least 20% (to avoid failures)

After cleaning, restart the device-->

⚠️ Note: If after cleaning the basket files reappear in it - this is a sign of a malfunction MIUI. Try restarting your phone or updating your firmware through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.

Method 2: Manual removal through the.trash folder (for power users)

The MIUI basket is a common hidden folder called.trash (or.recycle in older versions) that is stored in internal memory and can be manually cleaned if the standard method doesn't work.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your phone to your PC via USB (in File Transfer mode).
2. Open internal memory in Windows/macOS Explorer.
3. Enable the display of hidden files: 🪟 On Windows: View → Hidden elements. 🍎 On Mac: Command + Shift +. (point).

.trash

/storage/emulated/0/

Delete all files inside it or the folder itself (it will be restored automatically).

This method is useful if:

• 📱 MIUI Does not show the basket in the file manager.
• 🔄 Files are “hang” and are not deleted in the standard way.
• 🛠️ You need to make room immediately and the phone is slowing down.

Method 3: Cleaning through MIUI storage settings

MIUI has a built-in memory management tool that can clear the bin along with other unnecessary files, a method that is suitable for Redmi with MIUI 13 and later.

How to find and use:

1. Go to Settings. → Memory.
2. Slip on the cleanup (or clear the place).
3. Wait for the memory analysis (may take 1-2 minutes).
4. In the list, find the Recycle Bin or Deleted Files item.
5. Mark it with a tick and press Clean.

Advantages of this method:

• 🧹 Removes not only the basket, but also cache, temporary files, duplicates.
• 📊 Shows how much space each type of garbage takes up.
• 🔒 Safer to delete manually (less risk of damaging system files).

Method 4: Use of third-party applications (CCleaner, Files by Google)

If the built-in MIUI tools don't work, you can use third-party utilities, and they often find files that standard methods skip.

Top.-3 basket-cleaning:

• 🧹 Files by Google: free, no ads, removes garbage and duplicates. Download to Play Market.
• 🔍 CCleaner: Finds hidden temporary files, but can aggressively clean the cache.
• 🗃️ SD Maid: for advanced users, cleans system debris.

How to clean your cart through Files by Google:

1. Install and open the application.
2. Go to the Cleanup tab.
3. Select Recycle Bin or Deleted Files.
4. Press Clear XXMB.

⚠️ Note: Some apps (like CCleaner) may offer to "optimize" the phone for money.These features are often useless - don't pay for things that can be done manually.

Standard File Manager

Through the storage settings

Manual removal of the.trash folder

Third-party applications

I'm not cleaning at all.-->

Method 5: Turn off the cart permanently (for MIUI 12-14)

If you don't need a cart and you want files deleted immediately, you can turn it off, so you can free up space and you don't have to manually clean it.

How to turn it off:

1. Open the files. → ⋮ (three-point) → Settings.
2. Find the basket section.
3. Turn off the switch Use the basket.
4. Confirm the action in the dialog window.

What happens after the shutdown:

• ✅ Files will be deleted irrevocably (not in the basket).
• ✅ Free up to 1-5 GB of memory (depending on the number of junk files).
• ⚠️ You can’t recover accidentally deleted files.

💡

Before you turn off the basket, check if it contains any important files, and after deactivation, all of its contents will be deleted without recovery.

What to do if the cart is not cleaned or files are returned

Sometimes Xiaomi Redmi users encounter bugs when the cart:

• 🔄 It is not cleared through the file manager.
• 📥 Recovering deleted files by yourself.
• 🚫 Error Not removed failed to be deleted.

Solutions for each problem:

If nothing helps, reset the file manager settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Files and tap it.
3. Select Warehouse. → Clear the data.

💡

If the cart behaves strangely (files are not deleted, return), most likely the problem is the MIUI failure. Update the firmware or reset the phone settings to factory (pre-decline backup!).

FAQ: Frequent questions about the cart on Xiaomi Redmi