How to go to the cart on the phone Xiaomi Redmi 9: where to look and how to use

Have you accidentally deleted an important file on Xiaomi Redmi 9 and now you don’t know how to return it? or just want to figure out where the basket is stored on this smartphone and how it works? MIUI) The shopping cart is not always obvious — its location and functionality depend on the firmware version, file manager, and even the type of deleted data. In this article, we will discuss in detail all ways to access the shopping cart on Redmi 9, including hidden nuances for different versions. MIUI (12 to 14, and explain why some files are lost forever.

It's important to understand that Xiaomi's shopping cart doesn't work like a PC. There's no single trash can for all types of files: photos, videos and documents can be stored in different temporary folders or not at all. For example, files deleted through the Gallery end up in one bin, and those erased through the File Manager end up in another, and system applications (like Downloads or Music) may not use the shopping cart at all, deleting data at once. We'll help sort out this confusion and show you how to recover deleted files as efficiently as possible.

Where is the basket on Xiaomi Redmi 9: the main places

On Redmi 9, the Recycle Bin is not a separate application, it is an integrated feature in standard MIUI utilities, and its location depends on how you delete the file. Below are all the possible options that are relevant to MIUI firmware 12, 13 and 14.

• 📷 Gallery (Photo/Video): Deleted photos and videos are stored in a basket inside the Gallery app (flower icon) Shelf life is 30 days (configurable).
• 📁 File Manager: Files erased through Files (folder icon) end up in the Recycle Bin temporary folder in Categories, APK, archives.
• 🎵 Music: The Music app has its own audio file basket, but it only works if you have removed tracks directly from that app.
• ⚠️ System applications: Files deleted through Downloads, Browser or Mail usually do not fall into the Recycle Bin and are permanently erased.

If you don't remember which application you deleted the file from, start by looking at the Gallery and File Manager, which is where the garbage is most often stored. Note that the Recycle Bin in MIUI is not synced to the Mi Cloud by default. To backup your files automatically, you need to enable this feature manually (discussed below).

How to Open a Cart in the Gallery on Redmi 9

Most users lose photos and videos through the Gallery, and fortunately, MIUI has a built-in multimedia cart that stores files for up to 30 days.

1. Open the Gallery app (flower icon).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) top-right.
3. In the drop-down menu, select the basket item.
4. You'll see a list of deleted photos and videos. To recover a file, click on it and select Restore.

If the item is not on the menu, it means:

• 🔍 You use a third-party gallery (e.g. Google Photos), in which case the shopping cart may be located elsewhere or not.
• ⚙️ The function is disabled in the settings. To enable it, go to Gallery Settings. → Recycle bin and activate the switch.
• 🗑️ You have already cleaned the cart manually or it has automatically deleted files older than 30 days.

Note that in MIUI 14, the interface of the shopping cart has changed, so that deleted files are displayed as thumbnails rather than a list. To speed up your search, use a date filter (the calendar icon in the upper right corner). If you don't find the right file, try searching the shopping cart (the magnifier at the top of the screen).

Recycle Bin in File Manager: Where to Look and How to Restore

The MIUI file manager has its own basket, where documents, archives, APKs and other files deleted through this application go.

1. Open Files (the folder icon on the desktop).
2. In the lower menu, select the Categories section.
3. Scroll down the list and find the basket folder (the bin icon).
4. You tap it, you'll see a list of deleted files, and to recover, click on the file and select Restore.

Unlike the Gallery, there is no hard 30 days limit, and by default, files are stored in the bin until they take up more than 5% of the internal memory, and when that threshold is exceeded, the oldest files are automatically deleted, to change this setting:

1. In the File Manager Recycle Bin, click on three dots (⋮) top-right.
2. Select basket settings.
3. Here you can:

💡

If you often work with important documents, increase the size of the basket to 10%, which will protect files from automatic deletion if memory is scarce.

One important caveat: the Recycle Bin in Files does not restore folder structure, for example, if you delete a file from the Documents/Projects folder, it will be in the Internal Drive root directory when it is restored, and you will have to manually transfer it back.

Why some files don’t get into the trash

Many Redmi 9 users face a situation where a deleted file does not appear in the Recycle Bin in either the Gallery or the Files, for several reasons:

Especially often, problems arise with files downloaded through the browser, for example, if you downloaded a document in Chrome or Mi Browser, and then deleted it through the “Completed” notification, it will not get into the basket and will be erased forever, the same applies to files deleted through Downloads (application with a down arrow).

How to set up automatic synchronization with Mi Cloud

To avoid file loss, set up automatic backup in Mi Cloud. This will not replace the shopping cart, but will create an additional copy of important data.

1. Open your Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud
2. Sign in to your Xiaomi account (or create a new one).
3. Go to the Synchronization section.
4. Activate the switches next to:

Synchronization settings

Only through Wi-Fi.

Once set up, all new files will automatically upload to the cloud, and note that Mi Cloud only provides 5GB for free — if memory is scarce, you’ll have to clean old backups or buy additional space.

1. Open the gallery. → Settings (⚙️).
2. Select Mi Cloud → Autoboot.
3. Make sure that Auto Download option is enabled and the desired albums are selected.

💡

Mi Cloud does not replace the Recycle Bin, but it provides additional protection, and even if the file is removed from the Recycle Bin, a copy of it can remain in the cloud (provided that sync is enabled).

What to do if the cart is empty and files are urgently needed

If you didn’t find files in the Recycle Bin, but they are critical, try the following recovery methods: Keep in mind that success depends on how long it has been since you deleted and how much you’ve been using your phone since (new data can overwrite old ones).

⚠️ Warning: Do not install recovery software on Redmi 9 itself, as this can overwrite deleted files.

• 💻 Scanning via PC: Connect Redmi 9 to your computer via USB (Select File Transfer Mode. Install Recuva or EaseUS Data Recovery. Select your phone's drive and run a deep scan. Once complete, mark the files you want and restore them to your PC.

Checking other clouds:

Google Photo

Yandex.Disc.

Dropbox

Root access (for advanced):

DiskDigger

Undeleter

If you're recovering photos, look for the DCIM/.thumbnails folder -- sometimes thumbnails remain even after the originals are deleted, and can be extracted using a hidden folder file manager (like FX File Explorer).

How to Clean the Recycle Bin on Redmi 9 and Free Your Memory

The basket takes up space in the phone's internal memory, and if you're not planning on recovering files, it should be cleaned periodically, and you can do this in a number of ways:

• 🗑️ Through the Gallery: Open the Gallery → Click Control (or Edit in) MIUI 14) Select Clear All or mark individual files and click Delete.
• 📁 Through File Manager: Open Files → Categories → Bin, press three points (⋮) → Clean the basket.

Auto-cleaning:

Files. → Basket → ⋮ → Settings

⚠️ Warning: Cleaning the cart is irreversible, and if you delete files from the cart, it will be extremely difficult to recover them (specialized programs will be required).

If the recycle bin takes up too much space but you don’t want to lose files, transfer them to your PC or cloud before cleaning.

1. Connect Redmi 9 to your computer.
2. In Windows Explorer, go to Internal Storage → MIUI → Gallery → Trash (for photos) or Internal Storage → MIUI → FileExplorer → Trash (for documents).
3. Copy the necessary files to the hard disk.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the cart on Xiaomi Redmi 9