Losing photos by accidentally deleting them can be frustrating. However, there are several ways you may be able to retrieve deleted photos depending on the situation.
Quick Summary
- If deleted from phone, stop using it and try recovery software
- If deleted from cloud storage, contact service provider
- If deleted from computer, stop using it and try recovery software
- If deleted from social media, contact platform provider
- If deleted from camera, recovery may not be possible without special software
Recovering Deleted Photos from a Phone
If you deleted photos from your phone, the first step is to stop using the phone right away. The more you use the phone and generate new data, the lower your chances of recovering deleted files. This is because the deleted data can get overwritten with new data.
Next, you’ll want to try recovery software designed for phones. Some options include:
- iMyFone D-Back – Works for iPhone and Android
- FoneDog Toolkit – Android only
- Dr. Fone – Works for iPhone and Android
These tools scan your phone for deleted photo files and allow you to restore them. The sooner you run the recovery, the better chance of success.
What if I don’t have recovery software?
If you don’t have access to phone recovery software, all hope is not lost. You may be able to restore from a recent backup either in the cloud or on your computer. For example:
- iPhone users can restore to a recent iCloud backup.
- Samsung users may have cloud backups through Samsung Cloud.
- Google Photos may have cloud backups of Android phone photos.
- Connect the phone to a computer and restore from a recent iTunes or file explorer backup.
Restoring a backup will get you close to where you were before the deletion. The only downside is it will also undo any changes made after that backup.
Recovering Deleted Photos from Cloud Storage
If you deleted photos from a cloud storage service such as Google Photos, iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive etc., start by checking your account’s trash or recovery settings.
Many services save deleted files for a certain period of time before permanent deletion. For example, Google Photos trash holds items for 60 days.
If you find the photos in your cloud trash, simply restore them to get them back into your regular storage. This trash method works on most major cloud platforms.
What if the photos aren’t in cloud trash?
If your deleted photos don’t turn up in the cloud trash or recovery, your next step is to contact the cloud provider directly:
- Google account recovery form: https://support.google.com/accounts/contact/deleted_account
- Apple support contact: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204055
- Dropbox help center: https://help.dropbox.com/accounts-billing/restoring-deleted-files
- Microsoft support chat: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/contactus/
The cloud providers have more access to recover data than an end user. While they can’t guarantee recovery, it’s worth contacting them in case they can rescue deleted photos from their backups.
Recovering Deleted Photos from a Computer
If you permanently deleted photos from your computer, the process is very similar to phones. Immediately stop using the computer to avoid overwriting the data.
Then download recovery software to scan the computer and find restorable image files. Some top options include:
- Recuva – Free for personal use
- Stellar Data Recovery – Affordable paid option
- EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard – Wide range of capabilities
Computer recovery has decent success rates if acted quickly before the deleted files get overwritten. But recovery gets much harder after continued use of the computer.
Can system restore help?
Another potential option is using System Restore on Windows to roll back the computer to an earlier state before the files were deleted. System Restore takes snapshots of the system periodically and can undo changes made after a restore point.
The downside is that System Restore only works if restore points were actively being created before the deletion. And it will undo all system changes made after that time.
Recovering Deleted Photos from Cameras
If you deleted photos from a digital camera, phone camera, GoPro or other photography device, recovery options vary by camera model.
For simple point-and-shoot cameras, deleted data is likely gone for good unless you have specialized data recovery software designed for that camera’s storage format.
Higher-end DSLR and mirrorless cameras may have some built-in photo recovery options depending on the brand. For example:
- Canon DSLRs allow undeleting the last image taken with an option in playback mode.
- Sony cameras have in-camera photo recovery through the Imaging Edge software.
- Some Nikon models allow recovering deleted photos through Retouch menu options.
For any camera without built-in recovery, your options are limited. Again, only specialized recovery software designed for that camera’s memory cards has a chance of restoring deleted photos.
Recovering Deleted Photos on Social Media
If you deleted photos from a social media platform like Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat, start by checking if the platform has a built-in recovery option.
For example, Facebook saves photos for up to 90 days after deletion. You can restore accidentally deleted images through the Activity Log tool.
Instagram doesn’t have an official undeleting option. But some third party tools claim partial success in rescuing deleted images.
With Snapchat, recovering deleted photos is unlikely since they are designed to only exist temporarily before being erased.
What if the platform has no recovery option?
If the social platform doesn’t have account tools to restore deleted photos, your only option is contacting customer support. Explain what happened and request help recovering the lost images.
Keep in mind the platform ultimately controls the data on their servers. If they don’t have backups to restore from, your photos may be permanently gone. But it’s still worth asking just in case.
Preventing Photo Loss in the Future
Going through photo recovery is never fun. Here are some ways to avoid being in that situation again down the road:
- Enable cloud backups – Backing up to the cloud provides an extra layer of protection against deletion and hardware failure.
- Use file versioning – Services like Dropbox and Google Drive allow restoring previous versions of files.
- Create redundancy – Have multiple copies of your photos in different locations.
- Turn on Recycle Bin – Systems like computer Recycle Bins provide a safety net before permanent deletion.
- Learn platform protections – Understand social media and camera undeleting capabilities in case of mistakes.
Taking preventative measures will limit the damage if photos are accidentally deleted again. Apps can still fail and users can still make mistakes, but proper backups will keep your memories safe.
Final Thoughts on Photo Recovery
Undeleting photos is possible in many cases if you act quickly and use the right software tools. Every situation is different though based on where the photos were deleted from.
In general, follow these guidelines for the best chance of recovery success:
| Source of Deletion | Key Recovery Steps |
|---|---|
| Phone | Stop using phone, run recovery app, restore backup |
| Cloud Storage | Check trash/versioning, contact provider |
| Computer | Stop using computer, run recovery app, restore backup |
| Camera | Try built-in recovery, use speciality software |
| Social Media | Check for undeleting options, contact support |
Documenting the steps you’ve taken can help with troubleshooting if your initial recovery effort fails. Note what software you used, what backups were restored, and which platforms you contacted.
Most importantly, stay calm throughout the process. Photo recovery has decent success if you react quickly and use the right methods. Follow the guidelines and don’t give up hope until every option has been exhausted.
With a bit of luck and persistence, you may get back those precious photos you thought were gone forever.