How to Recover Deleted Photos on Android and iPhone
Put Rodrigo Pereira
You just wanted to free up space. You selected 300 photos at once, tapped delete, and seconds later remembered: the graduation photo with your father was among them. The gallery now shows the photo from yesterday's lunch in its place.
It's still there. Google Photos, iPhones, and Samsung Gallery send deleted photos to a recycle bin, where they wait 30 days before disappearing. This guide shows you how to access each of these recycle bins, where a copy might still be left, and which apps can rummage through Android memory when there's nothing left in the recycle bin.
Google Photos: 30 days to get your photo back
With over 10 billion downloads on Google Play, a 4.6 rating based on more than 54 million reviews, and a 4.9 rating on the Brazilian App Store, Google Photos runs on Android and iPhone and comes pre-installed on many Android devices.
The timeframe is what matters most here. Many websites still mention 60 days, but Google's official help section now says: the deleted photo waits. 30 days It goes to the trash and then disappears forever. This applies to photos that were backed up as well as those that weren't, on Android 11 or later and on iPhones.
- Full lap: The restored photo reappears in the library, in the albums where it was located, and, on Android, also in the phone's gallery app.
- File: The archived photo disappears from the main screen without being deleted. It remains in the albums and in the search results.
- Locked Folder: Another hiding place that isn't a trash can. Check before marking the photo as lost.
- Trash can full: If the app prompts you to "Permanently delete" when you delete something, the trash is full. Recover what matters before emptying it.
How to recover a deleted photo in Google Photos
- Install Google Photos using the button at the top of this page, if you haven't already, and open the app.
- Check your profile picture in the upper corner to make sure you're logged into the correct Google account. Many "missing" photos are actually on another account.
- At the bottom of the screen, tap on Albums and then in Bin.
- Hold your finger on the lost photo until it is selected. Tap the others to take several at once.
- Tap on Restore.
- On an iPhone, to also return the photo to the phone's Photos app, open the photo in Google Photos, swipe up, and tap on the icon. Download.
Wasn't it in the trash? Use the app's search function: tap on To look for, then in Recently added, Or type what appears in the photo, such as "beach" or the name of a tagged person. A photo with the wrong date may be hidden on a different day of the timeline.
On the iPhone, the photo is in Utilities.
The iPhone saves each deleted photo in an album called Deleted, The file, locked with Face ID or Touch ID, is stored for 30 days. After that period, Apple permanently deletes the file.
- Open the Photos app and swipe up on the screen.
- In the section Utilities, tap on Deleted.
- Tap on View Album and unlock with Face ID or Touch ID.
- Tap on the photo and then Recover. For multiple options, tap on Select, Select the photos, tap the More button, and then... Recover.
- Confirm. The photo goes back to the library.
Do you use iCloud Photos? The same recovery process works in your computer's browser: sign in to iCloud with your Apple Account, open Photos, and look for the Recently Deleted album in the sidebar.
Samsung Gallery: Trash Can in the menu
On Galaxy devices, Samsung's Gallery app has its own separate Trash folder, distinct from Google Photos, and stores deleted items for 30 days.
- Open the app Gallery and tap on Menu.
- Tap on Bin and then in Edit.
- Select the photos and confirm in Restore.
The Recycle Bin only saves what was deleted while it was turned on. To ensure it's deleted next time, log in. Gallery > Menu > Settings and activate the Recycle Bin.
Where a copy of the photo might have survived.
Deleting in Google Photos doesn't erase everything. Google Help lists the areas that remain intact: Gmail, Drive, YouTube and Blogger. Did you email the photo to someone? It's still attached in the Sent Items folder. Did you save it to Drive? It's there.
- Conversations: The photo you sent to the family is still on the recipient's phone. Ask them to resend it.
- Memory card: According to Google, deleted photos may remain on a removable memory card. Open your device's gallery and look in the card's folder.
- Another account: If you've used two Google accounts on the same phone, open the trash folder for each one.
DiskDigger: the last card to play on Android
DiskDigger scans your phone's memory for traces of deleted photos. It's only available for Android and there's no iPhone version. It has a 3.1 rating on Google Play and over 100 million downloads.
- Basic search, without root access: It searches the cache memory and the thumbnails that the system has saved. Since some of what it finds are thumbnails, the photo may return smaller than the original. For someone who has lost the only image of a moment, smaller is much better than nothing.
- Full search: It scans the entire memory, but only works on rooted devices.
- Save outside of your phone: DiskDigger's own documentation recommends sending the recovered data to another app, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or email.
Until the search is complete, avoid taking photos, recording videos, and downloading files. Each new file can occupy the space where the deleted photo still is.
Dumpster: a second trash can for Android
Dumpster has a 4.1 rating on Google Play and over 50 million downloads. It's an extra trash can for Android: after installation, it saves the photos, videos, and files you delete, and restores everything with a single tap. It features automatic cleaning, screen lock, and a paid plan with cloud storage. It's preventative: install it today so you don't have to rely on luck tomorrow.
Shielding for the next photos
- Backup enabled: In your profile picture, open Google Photos settings, go to Backup And activate it. Each Google account comes with 15 GB of free storage, shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos.
- Check if the photo uploaded: open the photo, tap on More and in About. In detail, the label Stored in backup Confirm the copy to the cloud.
- Add other folders to your Android device: in the backup settings, the option Backup device folders Choose which folders are uploaded to the cloud in addition to the camera, such as the folder with photos received via message.
- Open the app from time to time: According to Google's policy, an account that has been inactive for two years or more may have its Google Photos content deleted.
Which app to choose?
| Application | Best for | Note on Google Play | Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Photos | Retrieve photos from the trash for 30 days, on Android and iPhone. | 4,6 | 10 billion+ |
| Deleted iPhone Albums | Recover photos taken on your iPhone in up to 30 days. | – | – |
| Samsung Gallery Trash Can | Galaxy with Recycle Bin enabled, in up to 30 days. | – | – |
| DiskDigger | Android: Find traces after the trash has been emptied. | 3,1 | 100 mi+ |
| Dumpster | Android: an extra trash can for what you delete from now on. | 4,1 | 50 mi+ |
The clock is ticking: there are 30 days left. Start with Google Photos, which retrieves the photo on Android and iPhone and also saves future photos to the cloud. Install it using the button at the top of this page, open the Trash, and bring back the photo you thought you'd lost.
