Do you often find yourself searching the Recycle Bin when managing your files in File Explorer? Wouldn't it be great if you could easily access the Recycle Bin in File Explorer? If the answer is yes, you've come to the right place!
This guide will show you all the steps required to display the Recycle Bin in File Explorer, regardless of whether you are using Windows 10 or Windows 11. Furthermore, there are multiple methods to do it, depending on your preferences.
1. Add Recycle Bin to File Explorer by pinning it to Quick access
This is probably the easiest method to display the Recycle Bin in File Explorer and is also the favorite method. Here's how to do it in both Windows 10 and Windows 11:
1.1. How to pin Recycle Bin to File Explorer in Windows 10
First, launch File Explorer – the quick way is to press Win + E on the keyboard. Then, drag the Recycle Bin icon from the desktop to the Quick access section in the left pane of File Explorer.

What you will get once done is a neat Recycle Bin entry in the Quick access list from File Explorer.

1.2. How to pin Recycle Bin to File Explorer in Windows 11
In Windows 11, the process is even easier. To display the Recycle Bin in File Explorer, right-click or press and hold the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop, then select Pin to Quick access in the context menu.

Additionally, you can also drag the Recycle Bin icon to the Quick access list in File Explorer, just like in Windows 10.

In both cases, you will see the Recycle Bin listed in the Quick access panel on the left side of File Explorer.

2. Add Recycle Bin to File Explorer by displaying all folders
Another method to have the Recycle Bin in File Explorer is to set this file manager to display all necessary folders in Windows. Unfortunately, this means that, in addition to the Recycle Bin, you will also see other items like Libraries or Control Panel, which you may not want. However, some people may prefer this method, so do it this way:
2.1. How to add Recycle Bin to File Explorer in Windows 10 by turning on “Show all folders”
To have Windows 10 File Explorer show all folders, open it, select tab View at the top and click the button Options from the ribbon interface. Then in the window Folder Optionsgo to tab Viewcheck the settings Show all folders and press OK.

You will then immediately see the Recycle Bin has been added to the bottom of the folder list in File Explorer's navigation panel.

That's it! Now let's see how to do the same in Windows 11:
2.2. How to add Recycle Bin to File Explorer in Windows 11 by turning on “Show all folders”
If you are using Windows 11, open File Explorer, click the button … in the top toolbar and select Options in the menu that appears.

The Folder Options window will open. In there, select the tab Viewenable the option Show all folders in the list Advanced settings and click OK.

The Folder Options window then closes and the Recycle Bin is immediately displayed in File Explorer's list of folders on the left. Like this:

3. Add the Recycle Bin as a drive in File Explorer using the Windows Registry
This method involves editing the Windows Registry, so you should proceed with caution and only make the changes the article shows you. Any other changes you may make could negatively affect your user experience or even cause Windows to stop working. Please follow the next steps exactly as described, regardless of whether you are using Windows 10 or Windows 11:
Open Registry Editor. A quick way is to press Win + R on the keyboard to launch the Run dialog box, enter regedit and press Enter.

In the Registry Editor window, navigate to this registry key folder:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace

Now, you need to create a new key in your Windows Registry. Right-click or press and hold on an empty space in the folder NameSpacethen enter New > Key in the context menu that appears.

A new key will be added immediately to the Windows Registry. Instead of the default name, enter this exact text:
{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

Then, close Registry Editor and check the entry This PC in File Explorer. The Recycle Bin is now listed there, along with all the other drives you might have on your computer. Here's what it looks like in Windows 10:

And here is the Recycle Bin in Windows 11 File Explorer:

That's it!
As you can see, adding the Recycle Bin to File Explorer is something you can do easily. Furthermore, there are various methods to do that. If you know other ways to make the Recycle Bin show up in File Explorer, don't hesitate to share in the comments section below!