Recycle Bin on Xiaomi: where is on the phone and how to use it

Why you can’t see the cart on Xiaomi and where to look for it

Did you delete an important file on Xiaomi but not find it in the cart? Or do you have no idea where that cart is? The problem is that Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark) don't have a single system basket like a computer. Instead, each type of file (photos, videos, documents) gets into its temporary folder - or doesn't get into it at all.

In this article, we will analyze all possible locations of the shopping cart on Xiaomi depending on the file type, version of MIUI (12/13/14/15) and the applications used, also show how to recover deleted data if the shopping cart is empty, and how to set up automatic garbage cleanup to avoid clogging the memory of the phone.

Spoiler: If you're looking for a photo and video basket, it's hidden in the gallery. For documents and downloads, it may not be at all. And in some Xiaomi firmware, the basket is disabled by default. But about everything in order.

Shopping cart for photos and videos: where to look in the gallery Xiaomi

Most users lose files because they don’t know that Xiaomi has a shopping cart, which works on the principle of “soft removal”: photos and videos are not erased immediately, but moved to temporary storage for 30 days (in new versions of MIUI 14/15 – up to 60 days).

To find the basket in the gallery:

• 📱 Open the standard Gallery app (icon with colored squares).
• 🔍 Click on the three dots in the upper right corner (or swipe down if you have one). MIUI 15).
• 🗑️ Select the Recycle Bin (in some versions – Recently deleted).
• 🔄 Here you will see all deleted media files. To recover, click on the file and select Restore.

Important: If you deleted a photo not through the gallery, but through a file manager (for example, Explorer), it may not get into the gallery basket! In this case, check the section Recently deleted in the Explorer itself (more about this below).

Recycle bin in file manager: where is the garbage from documents stored

If you have not deleted a photo, but a document (.pdf,.docx), an archive or a document. APK-The file, you need to look for it in Explorer (standard file manager Xiaomi:

1. Open the Explorer app (icon with folder).
2. Go to the Categories section (bottom of the screen).
3. Choose a Recycle Bin or Recently Deleted (in) MIUI 15 could be called Garbage).
4. Click on the file and choose Restore or Delete Forever.

⚠️ Attention: In some Xiaomi firmware, the basket in Explorer is disabled by default:

1. Go to Explorer Settings (three points → Settings).
2. Select the Recycle Bin and activate the switch.
3. Set a storage period (from 1 day to 30 days).

If you don’t see the Recycle Bin partition even after you turn it on, your version of MIUI doesn’t support this feature, in which case deleted files are permanently erased (unless you use third-party recovery utilities).

Open Explorer | Go to Category → Recycle Bin | Check the Recycle Bin settings (is enabled) | Recover the right files or clean up the garbage-->

Recycle Bin in the cloud Xiaomi Cloud: how to recover files from synchronization

If your Xiaomi has enabled sync with Xiaomi Cloud, deleted files can be saved in the cloud basket.

• 📤 Automatically reserve photos/videos to the cloud.
• 📁 Synchronize documents through Mi Drive.
• 🔄 Use the function of the cloud disk in MIUI.

To check the cloud cart:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Choose Gallery or Mi Drive (depending on file type).
3. Click on the icon of the cart (or recently deleted).
4. Restore files or clear the cart.

🔹 Features of the cloud basket:

• 🕒 Files are stored for 30 days (for free accounts).
• 💾 Recycle bin volume is limited to your cloud storage (usually 5GB free).
• ⚠️ If you delete a file from the cloud on another device, it may not appear in your phone’s shopping cart.

Recycle Bin in third-party apps: Google Photos, WhatsApp, Telegram

Many Xiaomi users use third-party apps that have their own shopping carts.

⚠️ Note: If you delete a file via WhatsApp or Viber, it cannot be restored by standard means. The only way is to restore the backup of chats (if any:

1. Remove and reinstall the application.
2. When you first start, select Restore from Google Drive (or iCloud).
3. Confirm the restoration of the backup copy.

How to Clean the Recycle Bin on Xiaomi: Full Instruction

If the bin is full of unnecessary files, you can manually clean it or set up an automatic cleaning system.

1. Cleaning the gallery basket:

• 🗑️ Open the gallery. → Basket.
• 🔘 Click Clean (or select files manually and delete permanently).

2. Cleaning of the Conductor's basket:

• 📂 Enter the Conductor. → Categories → Basket.
• 🧹 Click Delete All or select individual files.

3. Automatic cleaning (MIUI 14/15):

• ⚙️ Go to Settings. → Memory. → Cleaning up garbage.
• 🔄 Enable the option of Auto Cleaning the basket.
• ⏳ Set a period (e.g., every week).

💡 Useful tip: If you delete files often but don't want to clog the trash, reduce the shelf life. For example, in Explorer you can set 1 day instead of the standard 30:

Settings Explorer → Cart → Storage period → 1 day

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Before cleaning the cart, check if there are any important files, sometimes screenshots or documents deleted by mistake.

What to do if the cart is empty and the files are gone

If you don't find files in the Recycle Bin, it doesn't mean they're lost forever. Here are 3 ways to recover that will work 80% of the time:

1. Recovery through MIUI backup:

• 🔄 Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Backup and reset.
• 📦 Select a Local Backup (if any).
• 🔙 Restore the data for the desired date.

2. Use of third-party utilities (without root):

• 📱 Install DiskDigger or Dumpster from Google Play.
• 🔍 Start the scan (select No root access).
• 💾 Save the recovered files to a safe place.

Connection to PC (for power users):

• 🖥️ Connect your phone to your computer in File Transfer mode (MTP).
• 🛠️ Use Recuva or EaseUS Data Recovery to scan your internal memory.
• ⚠️ Do not save the recovered files to the same disk you are recovering from!

⚠️ Warning: If you reset your phone to factory settings or format your memory, your chances of recovery drop dramatically, and only professional software (like Dr.Fone) or a service center will help.

💡

The faster you start recovering from deletion, the better the chances of returning files, and each new record on your phone (photo, video, app installation) reduces the likelihood of success.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the cart on Xiaomi