Losing photos from your Android device’s SD card can be devastating. Those precious memories and important images may seem gone forever when you accidentally delete them or format the SD card. However, you may still be able to get them back with the right recovery software and techniques.
Why do photos get deleted from SD cards?
There are several common reasons photos and other files can be deleted from an Android device’s external SD card:
- Accidentally deleting photos yourself
- Your phone or camera deleting photos, such as when formatting the SD card
- Corruption of the SD card from removing it before properly unmounting
- Virus or malware attack that wipes files
- Physical damage to the SD card
Knowing what caused the deletion can help determine the likelihood of recovering the lost photos.
Can you recover permanently deleted photos from Android SD card?
Yes, it is often possible to recover deleted photos from an Android device’s SD card, even if you permanently deleted them or formatted the card.
When you delete files or format the card, the data itself is not usually erased right away. Instead, the card just marks the space those files were using as available to write new data. The original data still physically exists until it gets overwritten.
So unless new data has since been saved to the same space on the SD card, recovery software can scan the card and restore previously deleted files.
However, the longer you wait and the more new data is written, the lower your chances of recovery. So it’s important to act quickly and avoid using the SD card until you attempt recovery.
How to recover deleted photos from SD card on Android
Here are the general steps to follow to recover deleted photos from an SD card on an Android device:
- Stop using the SD card. As soon as you realize important photos are missing, stop taking new photos or transferring anything new to the SD card. This prevents overwriting deleted data.
- Try a file recovery app. Install a free file recovery app on your Android device and scan your SD card. Some options include DiskDigger Photo Recovery, DigDeep Image Recovery, or EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard.
- Connect the SD card to a computer. For best results, remove the card from your phone and connect it to a PC or Mac using a card reader. Use recovery software like Recuva or Stellar Phoenix for scanning.
- Select a recovery location. Choose a folder on your computer or external drive to save the recovered files, not the same SD card you’re scanning.
- Scan for deleted photos. Run a scan for only photo and image file types to restore deleted pictures from the SD card.
- Preview and restore. Preview found images to confirm they are the deleted photos you want to recover before restoring them.
The key is acting fast before the deleted data is overwritten and using read-only operations like scanning so you don’t make matters worse by accidentally writing over deleted files during recovery.
Best Android SD card photo recovery software
For recovering lost photos from an Android SD card, these paid and free recovery programs provide excellent results:
Recuva
- Free version available for Windows
- Deep scan capability finds even permanently deleted files
- Recovers photos, videos, music, documents, and more
- Preview window to check files before recovery
Stellar Phoenix Photo Recovery
- Windows and Mac versions
- Optimized for recovering photos, videos, and audio
- Creates disk images to work with without harming SD cards
- Has free trial version
DiskDigger
- Free Android app
- Simple interface for recovering lost photos
- Saves recovered images back to the device
- Limited file size for free version
Testing different software allows you to find the best program for your specific device and use case when trying to restore lost photos from an SD card.
Tips for recovering deleted Android photos from SD card
Follow these tips when trying to get back your photos after deletion or formatting an Android device’s SD card:
- Stop using the SD card immediately to prevent overwriting
- Try connecting the SD card to a PC and use data recovery software
- Scan only for photo/image file types for better results
- Save recovered files to another location, not the SD card
- Use both quick and deep scan options in recovery tools
- Take the card’s physical condition into account
Avoid further damage or file overwrites, work from a PC for best software options, focus the scan only on photo recovery, and keep the card’s physical status in mind for optimal chances getting back deleted pictures.
What if I overwrote the deleted photos on my SD card?
If you continued taking photos or transferring files to the SD card after accidentally deleting them, it becomes much less likely you’ll be able to get the deleted photos back.
This is because new data may have overwritten the space where the deleted files originally resided. Once overwritten fully or partially, recovery becomes difficult to impossible.
However, recovery software still may find fragments of the deleted photos if not every bit has been overwritten. But the amount of data recoverable diminishes significantly the more new data writes occur on the card after deletion.
So it’s crucial to stop using the SD card right away and avoid anything that writes new data if you want the best shot at recovering erased photos, especially from partial overwrites.
Steps to recover partially overwritten deleted photos
If you fear deleted photos were partially or fully overwritten with new data, you can still attempt recovery but proceed with caution:
- Immediately stop new writes to the card.
- Use recovery software with advanced overwritten data retrieval if available.
- Scan thoroughly and check thoroughly for fragmented images.
- Lower expectations on number of photos and their integrity.
- Try alternative data carving techniques if initial results disappoint.
- Consider seeking professional data recovery assistance if needed.
Salvaging partially overwritten images is hit or miss. But being selective and thorough during scans improves your odds of resuscitating at least some deleted photos.
Can you recover photos after formatting SD card?
Yes, you can recover deleted photos even after formatting an Android device’s SD card, as long as you act quickly and no new data has been written.
When formatting an SD card, the directory listing all stored files is wiped clean and marked as available space for new data. But the actual contents still physically exist on the card until overwritten.
So recovery software scanning a freshly formatted card can find lost photo files based on raw data patterns and restore them to a safe location. Just be sure to stop using the card right after formatting to prevent file overwrites.
The same applies to factory resetting Android devices with SD cards. As long as the card remains intact and isn’t reused after the reset, free data recovery tools make finding and retrieving deleted photos possible.
Recovering photos after a factory reset
If you lose photos due to performing a factory reset on your Android phone or tablet, the recovery procedure is much the same:
- Leave the SD card in place after factory reset and don’t transfer new files.
- Remove the SD card and connect it to a computer via card reader.
- Use a recovery program to scan the SD card and find deleted image files.
- Preview found photos to check they are the lost files.
- Restore the photos to a safe location off the SD card.
As with formatting, a factory reset wipes file listings but leaves the actual data present until overwritten. So swift automated scanning of the reset SD card can reveal photos marked for deletion by the reset and bring them back.
What if my SD card is corrupted?
SD card corruption from unexpected removal or other damage makes recovering deleted photos far more difficult. But all hope isn’t necessarily lost.
With corruption, the file structures and data itself can be compromised. But free recovery tools may still find old photo files based on residual data patterns and segments.
However, expect more limited results. The deeper the corruption, the less likely recovering all deleted photos becomes. It depends on the extent of the physical damage.
In some cases, you may be able to salvage the card using chkdsk, reformatting or other repair techniques. This allows normal scanning tools to then read the card and find deleted files without the interference of corruption.
But if too damaged internally, the only option may be paying for professional SD card data recovery to extract whatever photos are still intact.
What if the SD card is physically damaged?
Major physical damage to an SD card from impacts, bends, water exposure or other hazards can make recovery of deleted photos impossible or extremely expensive.
Once the internal memory chips, controller hardware or circuitry are broken, standard photo recovery software can’t read data on that portion of the card anymore.
In that situation, deleted photos could only come back after significant repairs or high-level microsoldering of memory components to fix physical connectivity – an option only done by professional SD card repair experts, not standard recovery services.
So while data recovery from mildly corrupted cards is often successful, catastrophic physical damage likely requires SD card replacement and acceptance that deleted photos are permanently lost.
Top mistakes when trying to recover deleted photos from SD card
Avoid these common mistakes when trying to restore deleted photos from an Android SD card:
- Continuing to use the SD card after deletion
- Saving recovered files back to the same SD card
- Losing patience and giving up too soon on scans
- Not thoroughly previewing found images before recovery
- Letting phone camera or apps write data to the card
- Ignoring the card’s physical and logical status
Following proper data recovery procedures carefully is crucial. Rushing through the steps, overlooking issues, and allowing new data writes will undermine your chances of succeeding.
How can I avoid deleting photos from SD card?
Using some caution when managing your Android’s SD card can help avoid accidental photo deletions:
- Be careful when using Delete or Format options on the card or device
- Disable auto-delete features on your camera app
- Unmount the SD card properly before removal
- Copy photos to a PC as a backup occasionally
- Avoid low quality, unreliable SD cards prone to corruption
- Don’t remove an SD card during read/write operations
Backup copies on a computer and safely ejecting external storage goes a long way toward preventing data loss. Carefully handling your device can also reduce the chances of physical SD card damage leading to photo deletion as well.
Conclusion
While accidentally deleting photos from an Android device’s removable SD card can be devastating, free data recovery software makes restoring lost images possible in many cases.
The key is quickly stopping use of the SD card after deletion to avoid overwrites, scanning the card read-only from a PC, focusing recovery on only images, saving files off the SD card, and selecting recovery software with deep scanning capabilities.
Patience through lengthy scans and previewing results improves your chances. But physical damage can make complete recovery unlikely without expensive professional solutions. Still, being cautious in handling your device and SD card helps minimize the risk of permanent photo loss.
So don’t give up hope if you’ve lost photos to accidental deletion or formatting. With the right approach, there’s a good chance you can get back those memories you feared were gone forever from your Android’s external storage.
