How to Recover Deleted Photos from Your Mobile Phone: A Complete Guide
Accidentally deleting photos from your mobile phone can be frustrating, especially if they hold sentimental or important value. However, in most cases, you can recover deleted photos if you act quickly and use the right methods. This guide will walk you through various ways to retrieve lost pictures on both Android and iPhone devices.
Understanding How Photo Deletion Works
When you delete a photo from your phone, it isn’t immediately erased. Instead, it is moved to a temporary storage space, such as the Recycle Bin (Android) or Recently Deleted folder (iPhone), where it remains for a specific period before being permanently removed. If the photo is no longer in these folders, recovery depends on factors like whether the phone has overwritten the deleted data.
Methods to Recover Deleted Photos from Mobile Phones
1. Check the Recently Deleted Folder
For Android Users
Most Android phones have a built-in recycle bin or trash folder in the gallery app.
- Open the Gallery or Google Photos app.
- Look for a “Trash” or “Recently Deleted” folder.
- Select the deleted photos and tap “Restore.”
Most Android devices keep deleted photos for up to 30 days before permanent deletion.
For iPhone Users
Apple provides a built-in Recently Deleted folder where photos remain for 30 days.
- Open the Photos app.
- Go to Albums > Recently Deleted.
- Select the photos and tap “Recover.”
2. Check Cloud Backup Services
Many smartphones automatically back up photos to cloud services. If your device syncs with the cloud, you may be able to recover your photos from there.
For Android Users
Most Android users rely on Google Photos for backups.
- Open Google Photos.
- Tap the Library tab > Trash.
- Select the photos you want to restore and tap “Restore.”
If the photos are not in the Trash, check Google Drive or other backup services like OneDrive or Dropbox.
For iPhone Users
iPhones use iCloud Photos for automatic backups.
- Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos.
- Check if iCloud Photos is enabled.
- Visit iCloud.com, sign in, and navigate to Photos.
- Look for the deleted photos and restore them.
If you use Google Photos or OneDrive on your iPhone, check those services as well.
3. Restore from a Local Backup
If you regularly back up your phone to a computer or external storage, you can restore photos from a previous backup.
For Android Users (Using a PC or Mac)
- Connect your Android phone to a PC using a USB cable.
- Open your device storage and check the DCIM or Pictures folder.
- If you’ve backed up manually, restore the files from your computer.
Some brands, like Samsung, provide built-in backup options like Samsung Cloud or Smart Switch, which can be used to restore deleted photos.
For iPhone Users (Using iTunes or Finder)
- Connect your iPhone to a computer.
- Open iTunes (Windows/macOS Mojave and earlier) or Finder (macOS Catalina and later).
- Click “Restore Backup” and select the latest backup that contains your deleted photos.
Note: Restoring from a backup may erase current data on your phone, so use this method carefully.
4. Use Data Recovery Apps
If the above methods fail, third-party recovery apps can help. These apps scan your device storage for lost files and attempt to recover them.
Best Photo Recovery Apps for Android & iPhone
- DiskDigger (Android) – Recovers lost photos from internal storage or SD card.
- Dr.Fone – Data Recovery (Android & iPhone) – Scans and restores lost files.
- EaseUS MobiSaver (Android & iPhone) – Helps retrieve deleted pictures.
- PhoneRescue (iPhone) – Specialized in recovering iOS data, including photos.
Steps to Use a Recovery App:
- Download and install the recovery app on your computer.
- Connect your phone to the computer using a USB cable.
- Allow the software to scan for deleted photos.
- Select the photos you want to recover and save them to your device or computer.
Note: Some advanced recovery methods require root access (Android) or jailbreaking (iPhone), which may void warranties.
5. Retrieve Photos from an SD Card (Android Only)
If your Android phone stores photos on an SD card, you can use recovery software like Recuva or EaseUS Data Recovery on your computer.
Steps to Recover Photos from an SD Card:
- Remove the SD card from your phone and insert it into a computer using a card reader.
- Open the recovery software and select the SD card for scanning.
- Preview and restore the deleted photos.
6. Contact a Professional Data Recovery Service
If the photos are extremely valuable and cannot be recovered using DIY methods, professional data recovery services can help. Services like DriveSavers and Stellar Data Recovery use advanced techniques to recover lost data.
Preventing Photo Loss in the Future
To avoid losing important photos again, follow these precautions:
1. Enable Cloud Backup
- Android: Enable Google Photos backup by going to Google Photos > Settings > Backup & Sync.
- iPhone: Enable iCloud Photos in Settings > iCloud > Photos.
2. Regularly Back Up Your Phone
- Use a computer to create backups via iTunes/Finder (iPhone) or Smart Switch (Samsung).
- Store copies of important photos on an external drive or another cloud service.
3. Use a File Recovery App in Advance
Apps like Dumpster (Android) act as a recycle bin for your deleted files, giving you a second chance to recover them.
4. Be Careful When Deleting Files
Double-check before deleting photos, and avoid clearing the Recently Deleted folder unless necessary.
Final Thoughts
Recovering deleted photos from your mobile phone is possible with the right tools and techniques. Whether you retrieve them from the Recently Deleted folder, cloud backups, local backups, or recovery apps, acting quickly increases your chances of success. To prevent future photo loss, enable automatic backups and handle file deletions carefully.
By following these steps, you can ensure that your precious memories are never lost permanently.