Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face a situation where accidentally deleted photos or documents need to be urgently restored. Unlike desktop operating systems, where the basket is a standard and always visible interface element, in the mobile shell of MIUI or the new HyperOS, this mechanism is implemented differently. Users may not find the usual icon, believing that the files are gone forever, when in fact they are temporarily hidden in the application system storage.
The Android system that runs the Redmi Note devices and the flagship Xiaomi 13 or Xiaomi 14 models doesn’t have a single global shopping cart for the entire file system. Instead, each application that works with media or documents has its own temporary storage buffer, which is done for security and space optimization, but creates a certain confusion for those who are used to the logic of Windows. Understanding where to look for remote data is a critical skill for any user of the ecosystem.
In this guide, we will take a look at all the ways you can access remote files, the built-in features of the Gallery, the Mi Cloud service, and third-party file managers, and how to extend your data retention period and what to do if standard methods do not help you return important information.
Where is the basket in the standard MIUI Gallery and HyperOS
The first place to look for deleted images or videos is the built-in Gallery app. Starting with certain versions of the MIUI 12 shell and later, developers have implemented the functionality of temporary storage of remote objects. However, this section is often hidden from the user’s eyes until the user activates the corresponding option or deletes the file.
To access this storage, you need to open the Gallery app and go to the Albums tab. At the bottom of the screen or in the option menu (often indicated by three dots), you should look for Deleted. Here the files are stored for 30 days, after which the system automatically destroys them to free up space.
- 📷 Open the Gallery app on your Redmi smartphone.
- 📁 Go to the tab "Albums" in the lower interface menu.
- ⏳ Find and click on "Deleted" (sometimes called "Recently Deleted").
- 🔄 Select the desired photo and click "Restore" or "Clean all".
⚠️ Note: If you don’t see Deleted, it’s possible that the sync function with Mi Cloud is disabled or you’re using an outdated version of the Gallery app where this partition is not implemented.
It's important to understand that automatic cleaning happens without additional warning, if a file has been in the bin for more than 30 days, it can't be restored with standard means, and it's worth noting that the bin is limited in size, and if you delete a lot of heavy video, old files can be removed from the bin early to make room for new ones.
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Enable sync with Mi Cloud in the Gallery settings so that deleted photos are saved in the cloud basket for up to 60 days, even if the phone was turned off.
Set up the Mi Cloud cloud basket for advanced storage
Xiaomi’s ecosystem offers users a powerful backup tool, the Mi Cloud. Using cloud storage not only synchronizes data between devices, but also significantly increases the lifespan of deleted files. While the local cart stores data for 30 days, the cloud version can save it up to 60 days or more, depending on the status of the acc.
To activate this function, you need to log into your Mi Account through your system settings. In the section responsible for the cloud, you should activate the synchronization of the Gallery. After that, all photos you delete will be duplicated in a special section of the cloud basket, which can be accessed not only from your phone, but also through the web interface on your computer.
| Parameter | Local basket | Mi Cloud basket | Google Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage period | 30 days | 60 days | 60 days |
| Dependence on location | It takes up the phone's memory. | Doesn't take up memory. | Doesn't take up memory. |
| Availability | Only on the device. | From any device | From any device |
| Limit of volume | Limited to phone memory | Restricted by tariff (5GB free) | Restricted by tariff (15 GB) |
Using Mi Cloud is especially important for owners of low-end Redmi models with a small amount of internal memory. By moving deleted files to the cloud, you prevent the main storage from overflowing with junk, which is formally already deleted but physically still takes up gigabytes.
Recycle Bin in File Manager and Explorer
Documents loaded with APK files and archives are different from media files. The standard MIUI Explorer also has its own mechanism for protecting against accidental deletion, but it depends on the specific version of the firmware. In some builds, when a file is deleted through this manager, a pop-up pops up with a suggestion to move the object to the basket.
If you use third-party file managers, like Total Commander, ES Explorer, or Files by Google, the logic changes. These applications create their own isolated folders for temporary storage, so if you delete a document through one Explorer, you should look for it in that one, not in the system application.
To check for a basket in a standard conductor:
- 📂 Launch the Files app (Folder icon).
- 🗑️ Click on the menu (three bars or dots) in the corner of the screen.
- 🔍 Look for the item "Basket" or "Recently deleted".
- 📤 If a file is found, select it and select "Restore".
⚠️ Note: When you clear the Files or Gallery app cache through your Android settings, the contents of the local cart can be permanently deleted.
Note that the Android file system is designed so that when you delete a file, the tag on the file system table is marked as free space. Until that place is overwritten with new data, the file can theoretically be restored. However, the standard basket only mimics this process by simply hiding the file from the user.
Why do files disappear from the cart before the time?
Specifics of the cart in Google Photos and other services
Many Xiaomi Redmi smartphones, especially global firmware, preinstalled the Google Photos app. This is a separate ecosystem that works in parallel with the MIUI gallery. If you have synchronization enabled with a Google account, then deleted photos fall into the basket of this service, ignoring the settings of the Chinese shell.
Google Photos has a storage life of 60 days for users who have enabled backup. This is a reliable way to protect data, since Google’s cloud is less prone to local system crashes or accidental resets of phone settings. The interface is more intuitive, and recovery is almost instantaneous.
To verify:
- Open the Google Photos app.
- In the bottom panel, select "Library".
- Press the "Basket" button at the top of the screen.
- Here you can restore the photo or clean the cart completely.
It is important to distinguish which app is the main one for viewing photos on your system. If you delete a photo through a widget on your desktop, it can go to the basket of the application that this widget represents. Double synchronization (simultaneously in Mi Cloud and Google Photos) can lead to confusion when the photo is restored in one place but remains deleted in another.
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Always check both baskets – both in the Xiaomi System Gallery and Google Photos, as they work independently of each other.
What to do if the cart is empty or has been cleaned
It is quite common for the files not to be found in standard storage, which can occur if more than 30 days have elapsed since the deletion, or if the user manually cleared the cart without realizing the consequences, in which case the standard Android operating system tools will not help, and more serious methods are required.
The first step is to stop using your smartphone, writing new data, installing apps, taking new photos or downloading videos, which increases the chance that the memory sector where the deleted file was physically located will be overwritten. The less activity, the better the chances of success using specialized software.
There are a number of PC programs, such as Dr.Fone, DiskDigger, or Recuva (requires root access for deep scanning), that allow scanning of a device’s memory. However, on modern versions of Android with data encryption, the effectiveness of such programs without superuser rights (Root-right) is extremely low.
- 💻 Connect the phone to the computer in debugging mode USB.
- 🔍 Start a program to restore data on the PC.
- ⏳ Wait for the deep memory scan to be completed.
- 💾 Save the found files to the computer's hard drive.
⚠️ Attention: Getting Root rights for data recovery can lead to loss of warranty on Xiaomi device and disruption of banking applications (Google Pay, Mi Pay.
If data is critical and software methods don't work, the only option is to go to a dedicated service center, where professionals use programmers and sector-by-sector memory reading techniques, which allows information to be extracted even from damaged or overwritten media, although the cost of such services can be high.
☑️ Action plan for data loss
Prevention of data loss and setting up autosave
The best way to deal with file loss is to properly configure the system before a problem occurs. Xiaomi Redmi owners should configure the synchronization settings in advance so that the question of how to get into the cart arises as rarely as possible. Automating processes (backup) will relieve stress in the future.
It is recommended to set up automatic uploading of photos to the cloud only when connected to Wi-Fi, so as not to waste mobile traffic. It is also useful to periodically make full backups of the system to an external hard drive or computer using the built-in "Backup and Restore" function in the phone settings.
The main recommendations for setting up:
Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization Gallery (HCL)
Settings → Google → Backup (VCL)
Appendix Gallery → Settings → Synchronization with Mi Cloud (HC)Regularly checking the contents of the shopping cart should also become a habit: once a month, take a couple of minutes to permanently delete the unnecessary or restore the forgotten, which will help keep the file system in order and provide free space for new tasks.
Remember that no system gives 100% guarantee.The combination of local storage, cloud sync Mi Cloud and periodic backups on the PC will create a strong protection of your data from any failure.