How to Recover Deleted Photos on Android (2025 Guide)

Losing important photos on your Android phone can feel heartbreaking — whether it’s a selfie, a family picture, or a precious memory. But don’t worry! In today’s world, deleted photos can often be recovered easily with the right methods. So, if you accidentally deleted images from your phone, gallery, SD card, or cloud storage — you still have a strong chance to get them back.

In this complete guide, we will explain How to Recover Deleted Photos on Android, using built-in features, cloud backup recovery, trash folder options, professional recovery apps, and computer software. This article is written in a simple, friendly tone to help beginners, and it includes step-by-step instructions you can follow without technical knowledge.

Let’s dive in!

Why Photos Get Deleted on Android?

Before recovering photos, it helps to understand why they get deleted. Many users lose data accidentally due to:

• Pressing Delete by mistake
• Factory reset
• Storage full — auto-clean up
• Virus attacks
• Phone hanging or software glitches
• Removing SD card suddenly
• Formatting internal storage

The good news is: Deleting a photo doesn’t mean it disappears permanently.
It is stored in a recoverable form until new data overwrites it. So the sooner you start recovery, the better!

How to Recover Deleted Photos from Android Gallery Trash? (First Method)

Most modern Android phones include a Trash or Recently Deleted folder inside the Gallery app. When you delete an image, it stays there for 30–60 days before being permanently removed.

Follow these steps:

1. Open the Gallery App
2. Tap the Menu (⋮) or More option
3. Find Trash / Recycle Bin / Recently Deleted
4. Select the photos you want
5. Tap Restore

Supported Brands

Brand	Trash Duration
Samsung	30 days
Xiaomi (Mi, Redmi, Poco)	30 days
Realme / OPPO	30–60 days
Vivo / iQOO	30 days
Moto / Pixel	60 days

If your photos are still inside the Trash folder, this is the quickest and safest recovery method.

Read More : How to Lock Apps on Android (2025 Guide) — Best App Lock Methods

How to Recover Deleted Photos from Google Photos

Almost every Android phone syncs images to Google Photos automatically. If cloud sync was ON, your photos might still exist online — even if deleted from the gallery.

Method 1: From Google Photos Trash

1. Open Google Photos
2. Tap Library → Trash / Bin
3. Select the photos
4. Tap Restore

Photos inside Trash stay 60 days before auto-deletion.

Method 2: From Google Photos Backup

If photos were deleted from Trash too, try checking backup folders:

• Albums
• Device Folders
• Shared Library
• Archived Photos

Tip: Enable Backup & Sync to prevent future loss.

Recover Deleted Photos Using File Manager (Hidden Media)

Sometimes photos disappear but aren’t actually deleted — they become hidden due to folder changes or corrupt storage.

Try this:

1. Open File Manager
2. Tap Settings
3. Enable Show Hidden Files
4. Check:

/DCIM/.thumbnails
/Android/data/com.android.gallery3d

You may find low-resolution thumbnails that can still help you recover memories.

How to Recover Photos from SD Card (Without Root)

If you store photos on an SD card, recovery becomes even easier because deleted files remain recoverable until overwritten.

Steps

1. Remove SD Card from phone
2. Insert into a card reader
3. Use any data recovery software on PC like:
   • Recuva (Free)
   • EaseUS Data Recovery
   • DiskDigger Pro
   • Wondershare Recoverit
4. Scan and restore photos to computer first
5. Transfer them back to the phone

Make sure you do not take new photos on the SD card before recovery — overwriting reduces the success rate.

Best Android Apps to Recover Deleted Photos in 2025

If you don’t have a computer, these apps help scan internal storage and recover media.

App Name	Free Version?	Root Required?	Rating
DiskDigger	Yes	No	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dr. Fone Data Recovery	Limited	Optional	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dumpster	Yes (Trash-style)	No	⭐⭐⭐⭐
EaseUS MobiSaver	Limited	No	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tenorshare UltData	Trial	No	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

How to Use DiskDigger App:

1. Install DiskDigger from Google Play Store
2. Open and choose Basic Photo Scan
3. Allow permissions
4. Wait for complete scanning
5. Select recovered photos → Save to gallery

Note: Free apps can’t always recover high-resolution images.

How to Recover Photos After Factory Reset?

Factory reset removes all data from internal storage. But don’t lose hope — you can still recover using:

✔ Google Photos Backup
✔ SD Card Recovery
✔ Professional Data Recovery Tools
✔ Local Phone Service Centers

Best PC Tools for Factory Reset Recovery:

• Dr. Fone Android Toolkit
• Tenorshare UltData
• FonePaw
• iMobie PhoneRescue

These software scan deep storage partitions — results depend on phone model and time since deletion.

Recover Deleted Photos from WhatsApp on Android

Sometimes images are downloaded but later deleted from gallery.

Try this:

Method 1: From WhatsApp Media Folder

1. Open File Manager
2. Go to:

Internal Storage → WhatsApp → Media → WhatsApp Images

3. Check Sent folder also

You may find hidden images still stored here.

Method 2: WhatsApp Backup Restore

1. Uninstall WhatsApp
2. Reinstall and Verify Number
3. When asked → Tap Restore from Backup

This restores media backed up on Google Drive.

Professional Service Recovery (Last Option)

If nothing works, contact a Data Recovery Specialist.
They use advanced tools and chip-level extraction even after:

✔ Broken screen
✔ Water damage
✔ System crash
✔ Corrupted storage

But services are expensive and success is not guaranteed.

Best Practices: Prevent Photo Loss in Future

Follow these safety tips:

• Always enable Google Photos Backup
• Copy photos to Laptop / Hard Drive regularly
• Avoid clearing storage without checking Trash
• Never remove SD card while recording or clicking pictures
• Use antivirus apps to avoid malware damage
• Do not install unsafe file-cleaner apps

Comparison Table: Which recovery method is best?

Method	Difficulty	Success Rate	Best For
Gallery Trash Restore	Very Easy	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Recently deleted images
Google Photos Backup	Easy	⭐⭐⭐⭐	Cloud-synced images
Recovery Apps (Android)	Medium	⭐⭐⭐	Partially deleted files
PC Software Recovery	Hard	⭐⭐⭐⭐	SD card and deep storage
Professional Service	Hard	⭐⭐	Physically damaged phones

FAQs – Recover Deleted Photos on Android

Q1. Can I recover photos deleted 1 year ago?
If they were backed up on Google Photos or SD card — YES. If overwritten — chances are low.

Q2. Does recovery work without root?
Yes. Many apps support no-root recovery, but deeper recovery needs root access or a PC.

Q3. How long do deleted photos stay in Trash?
Usually 30–60 days, depending on phone brand.

Q4. Are recovery apps safe to use?
Trusted apps are safe, but avoid unknown APKs as they may steal data.

Q5. Can factory reset photos be restored?
Yes, but only with cloud backup or PC professional software.

Q6. Why some recovered images look low-quality?
Apps often recover thumbnails or partially overwritten files.

Conclusion

Accidentally deleting photos doesn’t always mean they are gone forever!
Using Gallery Trash, Google Photos Backup, recovery apps, or PC software — you can easily restore important images on Android.

Key Takeaways:

• Act fast for best recovery success
• Always check Trash folder first
• Cloud backup is the easiest and safest protection
• Use SD card recovery or tools for deep scanning
• Enable automatic backup to avoid future loss

With the techniques explained in this guide, you can bring back your memories within minutes — even without technical knowledge.