Losing your important photos can be a frustrating experience, especially if you don’t have a backup. But don’t panic, there are several ways to get your deleted photos back on your Android device. This article will guide you through the steps to recover your lost photos and provide you with recommended tools for the job.
Video Tutorial:
What’s Needed
To recover your deleted photos, you will need to have the following:
- Your Android device
- A computer with internet access
- A USB cable to connect your phone to your computer
- Recovery software or app
What requires your focus?
Before you start retrieving your photos, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
- Stop using your phone immediately
- Don’t take any new photos or data on your Android device
- Make sure your phone battery is fully charged
- Avoid downloading any app or software to your phone as it could overwrite the deleted data
Method 1: Google Photos
One of the easiest ways to recover your lost photos is through Google Photos, a free cloud-based service from Google that automatically saves your photos and videos on the cloud. Here’s how you can use it to retrieve your deleted photos:
- Open Google Photos app on your Android phone
- Tap on the "Menu" icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner of the screen
- Select "Trash" from the dropdown menu
- Select the deleted photos that you want to retrieve and tap on the "Restore" icon
- Your photos will now be restored to your Google Photos library
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Free
- Accessible from any device with internet access
Cons:
- Deleted photos are only kept in the trash for 60 days
- You need to have previously enabled backup and sync on your Google Photos app to retrieve your deleted photos
Method 2: DiskDigger photo recovery app
DiskDigger is a free photo recovery app that helps you to recover lost or deleted photos from your Android device’s internal storage or SD card. Here’s how you can use it:
- Download and install DiskDigger app from Google Play Store
- Launch the app and tap on "Basic Scan"
- Select the storage media from where you want to recover your photos (internal storage or SD card)
- Tap on "OK" and wait for the app to scan your phone for deleted photos
- Select the deleted photos that you want to recover and tap on "Recover"
- The photos will now be restored to your phone’s gallery or a specified folder
Pros:
- Free app
- Allows previews of deleted photos
- Restores photos to a specified folder, thus reducing the risk of overwriting data
Cons:
- Scanning process can take a long time for large data recovery
- Not all photos may be recoverable
- May require rooting your Android device to access deleted photos
Method 3: Wondershare Recoverit
Wondershare Recoverit is a third-party photo recovery software that offers a free version to recover up to 100 MB of data. It also allows you to preview and select the deleted photos before restoring them. Here’s how you can use it:
- Download and install Wondershare Recoverit for Windows or Mac
- Connect your Android device to your computer using a USB cable
- Launch the software and select "External Devices Recovery"
- Select your phone from the list of available devices and click "Start"
- Select the type of files you want to recover (photos, videos, or audio)
- Scan your phone for deleted photos and select the ones you want to restore
- Click on the "Recover" button to restore your deleted photos
Pros:
- Powerful scanning algorithm that can recover all types of data
- Allows preview and selection of deleted photos before recovery
- Free version available to recover up to 100 MB of data
Cons:
- Requires a computer to recover data
- Full version comes at a cost
Why Can’t I Retrieve All My Deleted Photos
There are various reasons why you may not be able to retrieve all the photos you have deleted from your Android device. Here are some common reasons:
- The photos have been overwritten by new data on your device
- Your device storage is corrupted or damaged
- You have not backed up your photos through Google Photos or any other cloud service
- You have not enabled USB debugging on your Android
Implications and Recommendations
Losing your photos can be an emotionally draining experience. To avoid such situations, it’s recommended that you always keep a backup of your photos. You can do this by using a cloud-based storage service like Google Photos or Dropbox, or by transferring them to your computer.
If you have lost your photos, it’s important to act immediately. The longer you wait to retrieve them, the higher the chances that they will be overwritten by new data. Avoid downloading any new data or software on your phone until you have retrieved your deleted photos.
FAQs
Q: Can I recover deleted photos from a broken Android phone?
A: Yes, you can. However, you will need to take your phone to a professional data recovery service as the process requires special equipment to access the phone’s internal storage.
Q: Can I recover deleted photos from a formatted SD card?
A: Yes, you can. DiskDigger and Wondershare Recoverit support SD card recovery. However, the success rate of recovery depends on how much new data has been written on the card since it was formatted.
Q: Do I need to root my Android device to recover deleted photos?
A: No, you don’t need to. However, rooting your device can increase the chances of successfully retrieving your deleted photos.
Q: Can I recover deleted photos from a factory reset Android phone?
A: Unfortunately, no. Factory resetting your phone erases all the data stored on it, including your photos.
Q: How can I prevent losing my photos again in the future?
A: You can keep a backup of your photos on a cloud-based service or transfer them to your computer regularly. You can also enable USB debugging on your Android device to access and backup your photos easily.
In Conclusion
Losing your important photos can be a nightmare, but with the above methods, you can retrieve your deleted photos and breathe a sigh of relief. Remember, it’s important to act quickly and avoid using your phone until you have retrieved your lost data. Additionally, it’s always recommended to keep a backup of your photos to avoid such scenarios in the future.