How to Clean a Recycle Bin on a Xiaomi Phone: A Complete 2026 Guide

Why you need a shopping cart on Xiaomi and how it works

The Recycle Bin in Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones is a temporary storage for deleted files, similar to the Recycle Bin on your computer, where when you delete a photo, video or document through a standard Files or Gallery app, the system doesn't erase them immediately, but moves them to the Recycle Bin, which protects against the accidental deletion of important data.

By default, files are stored in the cart for 30 days, then automatically deleted without recovery, but this period can be changed or disabled completely. It is important to understand that the cart takes up space in the internal memory of the device — if you have not cleaned it in a long time, gigabytes of unnecessary data can accumulate there.

Unlike Google Photos or third-party file managers, the Recycle Bin in MIUI only works for files deleted through standard Xiaomi apps. If you use Total Commander, ES Explorer or other programs, they may have their own baskets (or they may not be at all).

Where is the basket on Xiaomi: 3 ways to open

There are several ways to find a cart on a Xiaomi smartphone, depending on the version of MIUI and the model of the phone.

• 📁 Through Files: Open the standard file manager, tap three dots in the upper right corner → pick the basket.
• 🖼️ Through Gallery: Go to the Gallery app, click on the profile icon (or three lines) → Basket.
• 🔍 Through Search: Swipe down the home screen to open the search, and type "basket." The system will show all available options.

If you don't see Recycle Bin item on the menu, it may be disabled in the settings. To enable it, go to Settings → Storage → Recycle Bin and activate the slider. On some firmware, the path may be different: Settings → Additional → Recycle Bin.

How to completely clean the cart on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

To make room for memory, you not only have to delete files from the trash, you also have to clean it completely.

1. Open the Files app (the folder icon on the desktop).
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select the basket.
3. In the upper right corner, click Control (or Edit on older versions of MIUI).
4. Check all files or select Allocate everything.
5. Click Delete Forever and confirm the action.

Alternatively, through the gallery:

1. Open the Gallery → go to the Albums section.
2. Scroll down and find the basket folder.
3. Tap on three points. → Clean the basket.

If the cart doesn't clear or gives an error, try restarting the phone. Sometimes the system blocks deletion due to active processes (for example, if the file is used by another application).

How to change the storage period of files in the Xiaomi basket

By default, files in the Recycle Bin are stored for 30 days, but this setting can be changed.

1. Open the Settings → Storage.
2. Slip on the basket (on some models the path: Settings → Additional → Recycle Bin).
3. Select the File Retention Period.
4. Set the desired period: 1 day, 7 days, 30 days or Always (files will not be deleted automatically).

If you choose Always, the Recycle Bin will become a regular storage bin, and the files will take up space indefinitely. This is convenient if you often restore deleted data, but can lead to overflowing memory. The optimal option is 7 days: this is enough to recover a accidentally deleted file, but not so much that the Recycle Bin grows to gigabytes.

How to recover files from the cart on Xiaomi

If you accidentally delete an important file, it can be returned from the cart during the shelf life.

1. Open Files or Gallery → go to the Recycle Bin.
2. Find the file you want (you can use a search by name).
3. Slip on the file and select Restore (or click on three dots → Restore).
4. The file will return to the folder from which it was deleted.

If you don't remember where the file was deleted, the system will suggest that you restore it to the Recovered Files folder on the internal drive. Please note that you can only restore files that were deleted through standard Xiaomi applications. If you used third-party programs (for example, Google Photos), check the basket in them.

⚠️ Note: After cleaning the basket, files are deleted irrevocably. If you used the Delete Forever feature, you can only restore data using specialized programs (for example, DiskDigger or Recuva), but the chances are low - especially if new files were written to the phone.

Why the cart on Xiaomi does not work: common problems

Sometimes users find that the Recycle Bin does not open, clean or save files, and here are the main reasons and ways to fix them:

If none of these methods worked, try updating your firmware to the latest version. In older versions of MIUI (e.g. MIUI 11 and below), the basket may not work properly, and check if the phone has root rights, which may interfere with the normal operation of system functions.

How to Clean a Recycle Bin on Xiaomi Without Phone Access (via PC)

If the phone screen is broken or the device is not turning on, but you need to urgently clean the basket, you can do it through the computer.

1. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable.
2. Open this computer (or my computer on Windows).
3. In the Devices and Disk section, find your Xiaomi (usually displayed as Internal Storage or Xiaomi [model]).
4. Go to the MIUI → Trash folder (or.trash on some firmware).
5. Delete all files from this folder.

If the Trash folder is not visible, turn on the hidden files in the Windows Explorer settings.

1. In the Explorer, click View → Settings → Change folder and search settings.
2. Go to the View tab.
3. Uncheck the tick from Hide protected system files and show hidden files, folders and drives.

⚠️ Attention: Deleting files through a PC bypasses the bin - data is erased forever. If you accidentally delete something important, it will be harder to recover than through a standard shopping cart. MIUI.

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If you often connect your phone to your PC, install Mi PC Suite, which allows you to manage Xiaomi files more conveniently than through a standard Windows Explorer.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the cart on Xiaomi

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The Xiaomi basket is not just a garbage folder, but a tool to protect against accidental deletion of data, check its contents regularly and clean it so that you do not lose precious space in the memory of your phone.