Can Recover Photos Deleted From Phone

One of the most common scenarios for mobile phone users (Android and iOS) is deleting photos from a memory card. There are proven ways to restore photos to android after a similar incident. Unlike the phone’s memory, the sd card can be connected to a PC. This simplifies the task. You can use recovery software without restrictions.

We will look at the free and often mentioned program Recuva, step by step explaining how to restore a photo using its functions. By the way, the guide will be applicable to other file formats.

Can Recover Photos Deleted From Phone

When is a photo deleted from a memory card?

Most often this happens after:

  • Accidentally deleting files
  • Transferring photos from a memory card to an internal one and vice versa
  • Errors on the memory card after an incorrect unmount
  • File corruption
  • Formatting

What will be needed to recover deleted photos

In fact, in order to restore the photo from the phone, nothing extraordinary is required:

  • Computer / laptop. We will install programs on it
  • Card reader. A device is needed to connect a memory card
  • Memory card on which files were deleted
  • Reserve of patience and attentiveness to prevent mistakes

1. Remove the memory card from the phone

Remove the memory card from your phone (smartphone, tablet, digital camera, or from another device where it was used). This is to prevent accidentally writing files to the memory card.

2. Install the recovery program

Free recovery programs work no worse than many paid analogues (which you always have time to test). In addition, it is better to try the free method right away. What if it solves your problem?

So, for recovery, we chose Recuva. This is a photo recovery program, it works with images, and in theory they support any photo format without restrictions, be it jpg, png, raw, gif or something else. Available for Windows, unfortunately, there is no android version at the moment.

Install the program on the computer. It doesn’t matter which partition of the disk you will install, since the data was deleted on the memory card.

3. Select media formats

  1. When you start Recuva, you will see the Recuva Wizard heading. This is a step-by-step wizard, it is designed to help beginners: just answer a few simple questions and you will get the result.
  2. Click “Further”. Then it will be offered to choose formats for recovery. We are talking about photographs, so we choose exactly the formats in which the photographs were stored. You don’t have to limit the filter at all, it won’t even slow down the search. However, keep in mind that in the future you will need to filter the search results, which is not always convenient when it comes to hundreds of files found.
  3. Select item “Images” and click “Further”.

4. Connect the memory card to the PC

  1. Connect the card reader with a memory card to a computer or laptop. How to do this, I told here.
  2. AT “File location” indicate where the files were stored until deletion.

Tip. In order not to waste time scanning other directories, you can specify a separate folder. If you are not sure or want to increase the chances of recovery, select the root directory on the sd card.

Where are photos stored on a mobile device?

Typically, photos are stored in the DCIM folder. This is a universal storage location for mobile devices that support a memory card. This folder also stores camera images, downloaded images,s and other media files.

5. Enable the option “Deep scan”

Option “Deep Scan”. A branded feature of the Recuva program. Thanks to it, it is possible to detect files that are not normally searched. Although the method does not always work, the benefits can be tangible.

Activate the in-depth scan option through the Recuva main menu: Tools. Actions. Deep Analysis.

6. Run a scan of the memory card

  1. To start scanning an sd card, click “To begin”.
  2. Wait until the scanner checks the selected folder on the memory card. The process can take from several minutes to an hour.

7. Examine the photo, select the ones you need.

  1. Found photos are displayed in the form of thumbnails, which is especially convenient: you instantly see the results and know what you choose to save.
  2. If necessary, you can switch to Advanced mode and familiarize yourself with the recovered files on the sd card in more detail.
  3. The chances of recovery are always different. In Recuva, they are indicated by color marks. Red (minimum chances), yellow (medium) and green (maximum).
  4. In the Summary tab, file information: File name, Path, Date and time of change, as well as other data that can sometimes help. They are duplicated in columns. In the tab “View” the result is displayed as is: with or without damage.

Tip. If the files were not found, add the formats to search during setup by restarting the Recuva Setup Wizard. You can also do this through the advanced mode in the search bar. Try adding RAW.CR2.NEF or.ARW formats if you are looking for photos.

8. Save the recovered photos to disk

Check off the photos you want and click the button. “Reestablish”.

In a good way, deleted photos should always be saved to a disk different from where the files were deleted (especially when it comes to deleting files from the HDD). In our case, there is no difference. Most importantly, do not save the files back to the sd card, otherwise you will lose additional chances for recovery.

P.S. What to do if Recuva does not help find deleted photos

Suppose you clearly followed the instructions and correctly configured the Recuva Wizard. And the results did not suit you. In this case:

  1. Pay attention to the corresponding section on recovery: we have collected everything related to photo recovery on mobile devices and PCs.
  2. Try also other recovery software in Windows, for example, free programs like PhotoRec and DiskDigger.
  3. Also study questions from other users and our answers (see below).

Frequently asked Questions

The Huawei y5 phone turned off and turned off. The data on the memory card has disappeared. Can’t they be returned?

  1. If you did not delete the photos manually, most likely there is an error on the memory card. Most often, these are bad sectors. Windows will suggest formatting, but don’t agree.
  2. Try our tutorial on fixing errors on a damaged memory card.
  3. If the error correction does not help, specify in Recuva the folder in which the disappeared photos were located and try to restore them in the standard way described in this article.

Transferred photos from the camera to the computer. The inscription appeared “Format”. I accidentally clicked “OK”. Everything was deleted from the memory card.

You had to check for errors on the memory card through a PC, but you hurried by formatting it. There is a chance Recuva will help in this case. True, only if you did quick formatting and did not write files after that.

Samsung Galaxy S10 stopped recognizing photos on the sd card. It shows free space in all files, each file is dated 1980, and the Android Gallery does not open them.

Exif data could be damaged, or is it just reading errors on the memory card. We recommend:

  1. Back up files by copying them to a PC or to Google Photos
  2. Format the memory card in Full Format mode, correcting read errors. You can do this with the SDFormatter program.

On HTC, I transferred photos from the phone’s memory to the card, but they left. Restored back, but they became blurry. How to fix it?

Most likely, not full photos were restored, but thumbnails stored in the thumbnails folder. Try scanning the folder on the sd card again, but with the Deep scan option enabled.

Through a USB cable, the photos were transferred to a memory card in the same phone, by “to cut” and “insert”. They never appeared on the sd card.

To return files, we recommend DiskDigger for Android. If it does not help, see our guide on recovering files from the phone’s internal memory. There are many nuances, it’s important not to make a mistake.

Photos ands were downloaded to Mi Cloud, but after resetting them, they weren’t there. Where did they go and is it possible to recover files from the phone?

  1. Go to the Mi Cloud website and check if there is any deleted data in the Trash folder.
  2. After resetting the settings, it is difficult to restore the photo. You need to take a snapshot of the memory and scan it with Recuva.
  3. Alternatively, try apps like DiskDigger for Android. You need root privileges to work.

How to recover photos and documents deleted from Samsung Gallery? Transferred data to Google Drive. They didn’t fully load there.

  1. Check the contents of the Samsung Cloud for backups.
  2. Files stored on the sd card can be retrieved using PhotoRec for Windows.
  3. Check the “Recent” tab in Google Drive for photos that are “lost” in the copy process.

Which application restores photos ands? I shot on the camera, accidentally clicked “reset”! There are no files in the Android Gallery!

Photos ands are an integral part of the life of a modern person. We try to capture all the moments of our lives, both important and not so. From time to time, some pictures have to be deleted, and, unfortunately, important photos are accidentally deleted along with the desired ones. Such inattention is very frustrating and causes a storm of emotions. But is there a way out? How to recover deleted photos from the phone? Do you need special programs for this? How to do this with a computer and without it? How to prevent this?

Are they deleted forever?

Before you figure out how to recover deleted photos from your phone, you need to understand what happens after deletion. It is worth noting that no files disappear completely from the device. They are simply transferred in the form of images to a separate system folder, which is regularly overwritten and updated. It includes not only photos, but also calls, messages and information about games and the operation of programs.

Obviously, the data about the image will not be stored for so long, therefore it is necessary to start recovery as soon as possible, because the more the device is used, the more difficult it is to remove such precious information.

Can I restore photos on my own?

In order to recover deleted photos from the phone (“Android”), you must have some skills. If you have to do this for the first time, be prepared that it will take a long time and may not succeed. Therefore, if you have friends or acquaintances who are able to install special software packages and use them, it is better to contact them. Be prepared for the fact that some utilities for recovering deleted files will be paid.

“Google”: “Photo” and “Disk”

On devices with software “Android” there is a synchronization function with several programs “Google”that automatically save photos not only on the device, but also on the server. One such application is “Google Photos”. If before that you configured your smartphone to such backup cloud storage, then within two months you can restore pictures from the basket.

WITH “Google Drive” the same story: we go into the basket and restore. The developers say that the time limit is like “Google Photos”, no, but it’s still not worth the risk. This is the easiest way to explain how to recover deleted photos from your phone.

Diskdigger

How to recover deleted photos from the phone, DiskDigger knows. It helps to find the deleted file. “In hot pursuit”. This program is installed separately from “Market” and great for beginners. But how to use it?

The program scans the device for files such as PNG and JPG. You can set your own search criteria, for example, date of creation, size or location. By the way, as soon as you deleted the photo, remember exactly where it was stored. On the memory card or in the device itself. It depends on whether it is possible to recover deleted photos from the phone by implementing the following option.

Hexamob Pro for memory card

This program is capable of processing any memory card up to 64 gigabytes in size. Another of its drawbacks is working exclusively with phones that have superuser rights or are rooted.

As for the work itself, it costs to download the program and unzip it through a computer. Thereafter “Hexamob” must be transferred to a memory card and run like any other application. After a full installation, select one of the proposed items:

  • Safe removal.
  • Selective recovery.
  • Global recovery.

Depending on what you choose, you need to act in accordance with the prompts of the program.

Android Data Recovery

Perhaps this is the most common option with which you can recover photos deleted from your phone. This program works in tandem with a computer and is considered one of the most reliable. Android Data Recovery, like the applications described above, conducts a full scan of your device.

To get started, download the program to your computer. Before connecting a smartphone to a PC, in the settings you need to do several operations:

  • Go to item “About phone“.
  • Click on “Build number” until the smartphone tells you that you are in developer mode.
  • Back in “Settings”select “Developer Options”.
  • Check the box next to USB debugging.

Now you can connect the smartphone to a computer on which the downloaded program is already running. Click “Start” to scan and retrieve deleted files. You just have to find the desired photo or from the list provided and press the button “Reestablish”. If you can’t succeed, your phone may not have superuser privileges. Only after ruting your smartphone, you can restore such valuable frames for you.

Cardrecovery

The name of the program itself indicates in which area it works. Its indisputable advantage is not only the ability to restore photographs and materials, but also to fully preserve their quality. Unfortunately, not all utilities can boast of this.

This program works on the same principle as the previous one. Although it is in English, its simple appearance and illustrations will help to understand everything without difficulty. In it you can specify the approximate value of the file you are looking for and its type (whether it was a photo or).

Conclusion

Of course, when there is information on how to recover accidentally deleted photos from the phone, it becomes easier to work. But it’s best not only to be more attentive, but also to create several backups. Make it your rule to download all the information from your phone to a computer or cloud storage. So restoring the necessary will be much easier.

To recover photos deleted from your phone, use one of the specialized applications available in the “Play Store”. Some of them work only with root access on the phone, others do not require activation of superuser rights. DiskDigger photo recovery software supports mixed mode of operation. When launched without root, a simple search for deleted photos is performed, and with additional rights, a full scan of the file system is performed.

Among the advantages of the DiskDigger program, it can also be noted that it is free. Go to the application page in the “Play Store” and click the “Install” button.

When the download and installation are completed, click “Open” to launch the utility.

Search for deleted photos

Choose your search type. Simple or complete. In the absence of root, only the first option is available. It is not recommended to get root access after deleting files. Such actions significantly reduce the chance of a successful recovery. This is due to the fact that during the activation of the superuser information will be recorded on the internal memory of the phone. It can overwrite files that were deleted but were physically left in memory.

In the next step, the application will request access to the device’s internal memory. For correct operation, provide it by clicking the “Allow” link. No additional access required.

A fairly lengthy analysis process will begin. The utility will check both the internal memory and the SD card, if present in the smartphone. The duration of the search depends on the amount of memory and the speed of the phone. The number of image files found will be displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Recover Deleted Photos

If the photos you want to save are already found, stop the search. You can do this by clicking the “Pause” button in the upper right corner of the application. Mark the necessary photos and click “Recovery”. For single files, you can use the “Restore this file” item in the photo context menu.

Select the application through which you want to export the recovered files. This is required so that data is not stored in the smartphone’s memory. The ability to resume information directly depends on the number of write operations performed after deletion. The fewer there are, the higher the chance of returning data.

To save a photo to Dropbox, open the folder where you want to save it. Click the Add button in the lower left corner. After that, you can open your account and view the saved photo on any device, not just on the phone. When writing to the “Public” directory, access to the data can be obtained via the link, without authorization.

After saving the photos, the program will offer to upgrade to the paid version. It supports working with files of any type (not only images) and has the ability to download via FTP.