Trash Bin folder on Xiaomi: why you need, where you are and how to clean

Have you ever noticed that when you delete photos or documents on Xiaomi, the free space on the disk does not increase? The reason for this is the hidden system folder Trash Bin (or “Basket”), which works like a computer basket: files are not erased immediately, but sent to temporary storage. On smartphones running MIUI, this feature appeared in 2019, but still raises questions from users.

Many people mistakenly think of Trash Bin as a virus or junk when they try to manually delete it through a file manager. It's actually a regular firmware component that protects against accidental deletion of important data. However, if you don't clean the basket regularly, it can take up gigabytes of memory -- especially on devices with a lot of photos and videos. In this article, we'll look at how the folder works, where it can be found in different versions of MIUI, and how to free up space without risk to the system.

Trash Bin is not the only shopping cart on Xiaomi. Individual applications (like Gallery or Files) can have their own storage for deleted files, which makes it difficult to find and clean, but we will show you how to manage them centrally.

If you’re using a Redmi, POCO or Mi smartphone on MIUI 12-14, this guide will suit you. Older versions (e.g. MIUI 11) may require additional steps, which we’ll look at.

What is Trash Bin and Why is it Necessary?

Trash Bin folder (in Russian firmware may be called "Basket") is a temporary storage for files deleted by the user, which works similar to a basket on Windows or macOS, but with some features:

• 📁 Automatic backup: When files are deleted through standard applications (Gallery, Files, Screen Records) they end up in Trash Bin, not permanently erased.
• ⏳ Storage period: By default, files are stored in the recycle bin for 30 days, then deleted automatically.
• 🔄 Recovery: Unlike complete deletion, Trash Bin files can be returned to the original folder during the shelf life.
• 📉 Occupied space: The basket can take up to 5-10% of the total memory of the device if it is not cleaned.

The main difference from the computer basket is that on Xiaomi, Trash Bin files are not counted as “free space” in the system, but also do not appear in the standard file manager, so you may not suspect that gigabytes of memory are occupied with “garbage” until you look into the hidden settings.

Why did Xiaomi add this feature? First, to protect against accidental deletion of sensitive data (such as vacation photos), and second, it is part of the company’s policy of “smart” memory management: instead of permanently erasing files, they are first sent to the buffer so that the user can change his mind.

Where is the Trash Bin folder on Xiaomi

Trash Bin is not as easy as it seems, and it depends on the version of MIUI and the file manager you use.

Method 1. Through the Files app (MIUI 12–14)

1. Open the standard Files app (Blue folder icon).
2. In the lower menu, select the Categories section (or Browse in English firmware).
3. Scroll down and find the Trush Bin folder.
4. Slip on it to see the list of deleted files.

Method 2. Through the Gallery (for photos and videos)

• Open the Gallery app.
• Press three points (⋮) top-right.
• Select the Recycle Bin - this is where deleted media files are stored.

Method 3. Through storage settings

1. Go to Settings. → Memory.
2. Slip on "Cleaning" or "Freeing up space."
3. In the list, find the item "Basket" - here will be the amount of occupied space.

If you can't see the Trash Bin folder in any of these places, it's probably hidden, and then a third-party file manager (like Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer) with the option to display hidden files enabled will help you with the path to the shopping cart:

/storage/emulated/0/.trash

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On some devices (such as the POCO F3 or Redmi Note 10 Pro), the folder may be called.recycle instead of.trash.

How to Clean Trash Bin and Free Your Memory

If the basket takes up too much space, you can manually clean it or set up an automatic cleaning system, and let's look at both.

Hand cleaning

1. Open Trash Bin through Files or Gallery (see previous section).
2. In the upper right corner, click “Delete Everything” (or “Clean the Cart”).
3. Confirm the action – the files will be deleted irrevocably.

Setting up automatic cleaning

• Go to Settings → Memory → Recycle Bin.
• Select Auto Clean and set a period (e.g. 7 or 15 days instead of the standard 30).
• Activate the option “Delete files older than [X] days”.

Cleaning through ADB (for experienced users)

If standard methods don’t work (e.g., the Recycle Bin doesn’t open), you can delete files via ADB:

adb shell rm -rf /storage/emulated/0/.trash/*


adb shell rm -rf /storage/emulated/0/.recycle/*

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Note: Using ADB requires an unlocked bootloader and can lead to data loss if you enter instructions incorrectly.

After cleaning, it is recommended to restart the device so that the system correctly updates the free space data.

Check if there are any important files in the cart|Make a backup copy of the necessary data|Make sure that the storage period of the files has expired|Reboot the smartphone after cleaning-->

Why Trash Bin Takes Up a Lot of Space and How to Fix It

Sometimes the basket grows to unexpected sizes — 5 GB, 10 GB or more.

• 📸 Large file removal: Videos in 4K or RAW- photos take hundreds of megabytes each.
• 🔄 Sync errors: If files were deleted during the MIUI update, they could be duplicated in the Recycle Bin.
• 📱 Application malfunctions: Some programs (like Google Photos) create their own shopping carts, but do not always interact correctly with the system.
• ⏳ Long shelf life: By default, files are stored for 30 days, but this period can be shortened.

How to reduce the volume of Trash Bin:

1. Reduce the shelf life: In the shopping cart settings (Settings → Memory → Recycle Bin), set 7 or 14 days instead of 30.
2. Eliminate large files: Check the size of photos and videos before deleting them. For example, a single 4K video can take 1-2 GB.
3. Use cloud services: set up automatic uploads of photos to Google Photos or Mi Cloud so you don’t store duplicates on your device.
4. Clean the basket manually every 1-2 weeks, without waiting for automatic cleaning.

If the basket still takes up too much space, check it through DiskUsage Analyzer, which may have accumulated temporary files from third-party programs.

Trash Bin Differences in Different Versions of MIUI

The functionality of the basket varied depending on the firmware version, and the table below shows the key differences:

On MIUI 14, the shopping cart is smarter: it analyzes which files users are most likely to recover and suggests increasing their shelf life, but this feature doesn’t work on all devices — for example, on budget Redmi models, it can be disabled.

If you upgraded from MIUI 11 to MIUI 14, the old files from the Recycle Bin might not have migrated to the new system, in which case, check for the.trash_old folder in the root directory.

How to disable Trash Bin on Xiaomi (and whether to do it)

Some users prefer to completely disable the shopping cart so that files are deleted immediately, but there are risks to this approach:

• ⚠️ Data loss: Accidentally deleted files will not be recoverable.
• 🔄 Application conflicts: Some programs (such as Google Photos) may not work properly without a system basket.
• 📱 Upgrade failures: On MIUI the recycle bin is integrated into the system and its shutdown may result in errors.

How to turn off Trash Bin:

1. Install a file manager with root permissions (such as Root Explorer).
2. Go to /system/etc/permissions and find the platform.xml file.
3. Add the line: <permission name="android.permission.MANAGE_DOCUMENTS" />
4. Save the changes and restart the device.

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Warning: This method requires root rights and can disrupt the system. We do not recommend turning off the cart completely - instead, reduce the storage time of files to 1-3 days or manually clean it.

An alternative way is to use third-party file deletion apps (like Files by Google) that bypass the system basket, but they don’t guarantee 100% cleanup, as some data may still end up in Trash Bin.

Frequent Trash Bin Problems and Solutions

Xiaomi users often face the following basket-related issues:

• 🔍 Recycle Bin does not open: No access or folder is empty error, even though space is occupied Solution: Clear the Files app cache or use ADB to force removal.
• 📈 Memory is not released after cleaning: files are deleted, but space is not increased.Solution: Reboot the device or check the memory through DiskUsage - perhaps the problem is different.
• 🔄 Files are self-recoverable: deleted data is returned to the recycle bin after rebooting. Solution: This is a bug MIUI 12.5. Update the firmware or roll back to a stable version.
• 📱 Recycle Bin is missing from settings: there is no Recycle Bin item in the Memory section. Solution: Set MIUI 13+ or use a third-party file manager.

If none of the methods worked, try resetting the Files app settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Files → Storage.
2. Click on “Reset” (or “Clear Data”).
3. Confirm the action - it will return the application to the factory settings.

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Note: Files will delete all saved settings, including favorite folders and recent files, but this does not affect the files themselves on the device.

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If after all the manipulations, the basket continues to take up space, check the device for viruses using Malwarebytes or Dr.Web. Some malware masquerades as system folders, including.trash.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions about Trash Bin