How to Clean the Recycle Bin in Xiaomi Phone: 5 Ways + File Recovery

Did you delete an important file from a Xiaomi phone but not find it in the cart? Or vice versa, is the cart full of unnecessary data, taking up precious gigabytes of memory? In this article, we will discuss how to properly clean the cart on Xiaomi, where it is in all versions of MIUI, and what to do if the files are lost without the possibility of recovery.

Unlike computers, where the recycle bin is the single storage for all deleted files, Xiaomi smartphones are more complicated, where the baskets can be separate for photos, documents and even instant messengers. For example, in the MIUI gallery deleted photos are stored for 30 days, and in the file manager - only 10. If you do not know these nuances, you can lose data forever or, conversely, for years, accumulate garbage that slows down the phone.

We tested all the methods on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+, POCO X5 Pro and Xiaomi 13 Ultra with MIUI 14 models – the instructions are relevant for all modern devices of the brand. And if you have an old firmware version (for example, MIUI 12), at the end of the article there is a separate section with features for it.

Where is the basket on Xiaomi: 3 main places

Xiaomi smartphones don’t have a single shopping cart, instead, the files are distributed to different “junk buckets” after deletion, depending on their type, and here are three key places to look for deleted data:

• 📷 Gallery (Photo/Video): Removed images and videos are stored here, 30 days (starting with the last one). MIUI 13) Previously, this period was 15 days, but Xiaomi increased it after users complained.
• 📁 File Manager: All other files (documents) are included here, APK, The storage time is 10 days, after which the data is deleted irrevocably.
• 💬 Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp, etc.): Some apps (e.g. Telegram) have their own baskets for media files.

To open the Recycle Bin in the Gallery, run the Gallery app, tap three dots in the top right corner, and select the Recycle Bin. In the file manager, the path is: open the Files app → go to the Category tab → scroll down to the Recycle Bin section.

If you can't see the basket in the file manager, it might be disabled to activate it.

1. Open the files → Settings (cog icon).
2. Scroll to the Additional section and turn on the Recycle Bin switch.
3. After that, deleted files will go to the basket, and not erase immediately.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F3 s MIUI 12.5) The file manager may not have a recycle bin at all, in which case deleted files are erased immediately and can only be restored through special programs (as we will discuss below).

How to clean the basket in the gallery Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

The gallery basket is the most crowded seat on Xiaomi phones, and all deleted photos and videos, including screenshots, memes and duplicates, go into it, and if you don't clean it for years, it can take up several gigabytes of memory.

To clear the gallery basket:

If you only need to delete a part of the files:

1. In the gallery basket, click Control (or long-click on any file).
2. Select unnecessary photos/videos (you can use Select All).
3. Tap on Delete → OK.

Important: After cleaning the cart, the files are deleted forever. If there was any important data, first transfer it back to the gallery:

1. In the basket, select the necessary files.
2. Click Restore (the icon with the arrow down).
3. Files will return to the All Photos folder or the directory from which they were deleted.

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If the gallery cart doesn't clear (the process is hanging), try restarting your phone or deleting files one at a time, and sometimes the system freezes when you try to massively delete a lot of data (e.g., 1000+ files).

Cleaning the basket in the file manager: nuances and errors

The Recycle Bin in the Files app works differently than in the gallery, where the shelf life is only 10 days, and the maximum size of the Recycle Bin is limited (usually 500 MB), and when the limit is exceeded, the old files are automatically deleted to make room for new ones.

To clean the file manager basket:

1. Open the files. → tab Categories.
2. Scroll down to the basket section and tap on it.
3. Click Clean (urn icon) → Confirm the action.

If the Clean button is inactive or the cart is empty, check:

• 🔍 Whether the basket is included in the settings (see the instructions above).
• 📱 Is the storage limit (500 MB) exceeded, in which case the old files are already deleted automatically.
• 🔄 Has the application been updated recently? Sometimes after the update, the settings are reset.

⚠️ Note: If you use Xiaomi with root rights, cleaning the cart through the file manager may not work.In this case, delete files manually through Root Explorer along the way /storage/emulated/0/.trash (for MIUI 14).

How to recover files if the cart is already cleaned

If you accidentally cleared the bin or the file shelf life expired, not all is lost. There are 3 ways to restore, but their effectiveness depends on how long it has been since deleting and whether the phone has been actively used (new data can overwrite old ones).

Method 1: Using a backup of the Mi Cloud

If your Xiaomi has automatic backup enabled in the Mi Cloud, check:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Select Gallery or Files (depending on the type of data).
3. Check the date of the last sync. If files were deleted after it, they can be restored.

Method 2: Recovery applications

For Android, there are several reliable programs that scan the phone’s memory for deleted files:

• 🛠️ DiskDigger is the best choice for photos and videos. The free version finds files, but you need to buy Pro to restore it.
• 🔍 Recuva (for PC) – if you connect Xiaomi to your computer as a drive.
• 📱 Dumpster is an alternative basket that intercepts deleted files (you need to install before data is lost).

Method 3: Through ADB (for Advanced)

If you have experience with ADB, you can try recovering files via the command line:

adb shell su -c "find /storage/emulated/0/ -name 'trash' -type d"

This team looks for folders with baskets. Then you can copy files manually.

adb pull /storage/emulated/0/.trash/ /sdcard/Restored/

How to turn off the cart on Xiaomi (and whether it is worth it)

Some users prefer to disable the cart so that files are deleted immediately and do not take up space, but this approach has risks: if you accidentally delete the data, it will be almost impossible to restore the data.

To disable the basket in the file manager:

1. Open the files. → Settings (cogs).
2. Go to Additional and turn off the Recycle Bin switch.

There's no such option for a gallery, because the cart is always open, but you can reduce the shelf life.

1. Open the gallery → three points → Settings.
2. Select the Recycle Bin → Shelf life.
3. Set the minimum value of 7 days (instead of 30 by default).

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Turning off the cart is only necessary if you regularly make backups or use cloud storage, otherwise the risk of data loss increases significantly.

Features of cleaning the basket on older versions of MIUI (12 and below)

If you have a Xiaomi smartphone with a MIUI 12 or older (like the Redmi Note 9 Pro or Mi 9T), the cart cleaning process has several key differences:

• ⏳ The storage period of files in the gallery is 15 days (instead of 30 in new versions).
• 📂 The basket in the file manager may not be available at all (depending on the model).
• 🔄 There is no mass recovery function – files must be returned one at a time.
• 🛠️ When cleaning the basket, the system sometimes gives an error, "Can't delete" in which case it will help to reboot or clean the cache of the gallery.

To clear the basket on MIUI 12:

1. For the gallery: open the app → Albums → Cart → Control → Clean everything.
2. For files: If you don't have a recycle bin, the deleted data is erased immediately. Try to restore it through Mi Cloud or DiskDigger.

On some devices (like Redmi 8), the basket may be hidden in the gallery to be seen.

1. Open the gallery. → slip on the Albums.
2. Scroll down to the Others section - there should be a Recycle Bin.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When working with a shopping cart on Xiaomi, users often encounter typical problems. Here are 5 common mistakes and ways to solve them:

1. Error: "Basket is empty" but memory is occupied Reason: System failure or hidden files Solution: Reboot your phone or check the.trash folder through Root Explorer.
2. Files are not recovered from the Recycle Bin Reason: File damage or space shortage Solution: Free up 1-2GB of storage and try again.
3. Reason: Too many files or conflict with another application Solution: Delete files of 50-100 pieces or use Safe Mode.
4. Deleted files do not fall into the Recycle Bin Reason: Recycle Bin disabled or file deleted through another application (e.g. Google Photos) Solution: Check the Recycle Bin settings or search for files in the cloud.
5. After cleaning the basket, the memory is not released Reason: Cache or temporary files. Solution: Clear the cache in Settings → Applications → Files / Gallery → Storage.

⚠️ Note: If you use Xiaomi with a memory card (microSD), the basket may not work properly. files from the external drive are sometimes deleted immediately, bypassing the basket. To avoid losses, regularly copy important data to the cloud or on your PC.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions