Recovering deleted photos from your phone’s memory is often possible with the right tools and techniques. Even if you have cleared your phone’s trash or recycle bin, your photos may still be sitting in your phone’s memory storage until they get fully overwritten by new data. With the help of data recovery software or services, you can scan your phone’s memory to find recoverable photo data and get those memories back.
What happens when you delete photos from your phone?
When you delete photos from your phone, either by deleting them directly or by clearing the trash/recycle bin, the files are not immediately erased from your phone’s memory. Instead, the space they were occupying is simply marked as available to be overwritten by new data. Until that overwrite happens, deletion is not permanent and recovery is possible.
Specifically, when the space is marked as available, the phone does not do anything to actively erase the photo data that was in that space. The original data remains intact in the memory chips until new data physically overwrites it. This is what allows for the potential to recover deleted photos, even if you emptied the trash/recycle bin.
How long are deleted photos recoverable from phone memory?
There is no precise timeframe for how long deleted photos remain recoverable from phone memory before being overwritten. It depends on various factors:
- How much free space your phone has – The more free space, the longer until overwrite happens.
- How actively you use your phone – Frequent usage and adding new files increases chance of overwriting.
- What types of files you add after deletion – Large files like videos overwrite more than small files like text messages.
Generally, if you act quickly to recover deleted photos, before recording any new videos or adding significant apps/media to your phone, the chance of successful recovery is very good. However, overwritten data is much more difficult or impossible to recover, so it’s best not to delay.
Can you recover photos after factory reset?
Recovering photos after a factory reset is often possible, but more challenging. A factory reset erases all user data from the phone storage through formatting, which marks all previous file locations as available for overwrite. However, until the actual overwrite happens, forensic data recovery methods can potentially find fragments of old formatted photo data.
The success rate for photo recovery after factory reset depends on the phone model, reset method, and how much new data has been added after the reset. But if you refrain from storing significant new data to the phone, specialized data recovery services can sometimes recover lost photos by scouring the phone’s memory at a low level for recoverable photo fragments leftover from before the reset.
How to recover deleted photos from phone memory?
Here are some possible ways to recover deleted photos from phone internal memory:
Use phone manufacturer’s backup
Some phone manufacturers like Samsung and Google provide cloud backup solutions that continuously or periodically sync your photos. If you had this enabled, you may be able to restore deleted photos from the manufacturer cloud backup.
Retrieve from app backups
Apps like Google Photos or iCloud may have automatically backed up your deleted photos. You can check these app backups and restore photos if available.
Recover from phone storage
Use data recovery software that scans your phone’s storage and finds recoverable photo files based on patterns. Free options like Recuva or paid options like Disk Drill can accomplish this. Connect your phone to a computer and scan using the recovery software.
Use professional recovery services
For difficult cases like factory reset recoveries, professional data recovery companies can sometimes retrieve photos by directly accessing chips from your phone. This requires disassembling the phone and costs several hundred dollars, but works when DIY options don’t.
Best practices for successful photo recovery
Follow these tips when attempting to recover deleted photos from your phone:
- Act quickly before overwritten – Restore from backups first before trying scanning tools.
- Avoid adding new data before recovery – This lowers chance of overwrite.
- Backup phone data regularly – Enable automatic backup to avoid this situation.
- Consider professional help for tough cases – Factory reset, water damage, encrypted data, etc.
- Be selective when recovering – Scan tools may find irrelevant system files.
Can erased photos be recovered from the cloud?
If you had your photos automatically backing up to a cloud service like Google Photos, iCloud, Amazon Photos, etc., you may be able to recover deleted photos from the cloud even if they are erased from your phone’s local storage.
Cloud storage services usually keep multiple versions of your backed up photos and allow you to restore to an earlier version if needed. However, cloud backup is not foolproof:
- Photos only backup if auto-sync was enabled.
- Limited storage quotas may cause old photos to be deleted.
- Restoring from cloud may overwrite phone copy if sync is still on.
So while the cloud offers an additional recovery option, you still need to act quickly before cloud copies of your photos get permanently deleted. Do not solely rely on the cloud unless you pay for expanded storage.
What apps can recover deleted photos?
Some apps that can potentially help you recover deleted photos include:
Recuva
Recuva is free photo recovery software for Windows PCs, which can connect to an Android phone and scan its storage for recoverable photo files. It has a simple interface and effective scanning algorithms.
Disk Drill
Disk Drill is a premium data recovery app for Mac and Windows that costs about $90. It offers advanced capabilities like deleted partition recovery and deep scanning modes for more effective photo recovery from phones.
iMyFone D-Back
D-Back is an iOS data recovery app that specializes in restoring lost iPhone photos and data. It can recover photos even without backup, as long as they weren’t overwritten.
Stellar Data Recovery
Stellar offers iOS and Android data recovery software with phone connection cables included. Its Photo Recovery module finds deleted photos via deep scanning. Multiple scan modes are available.
Can you recover photos after a reset?
It is possible to recover deleted photos even after factory resetting your phone, but success depends on specific factors:
- Phone model – Some models make recovery easier than others.
- Reset method – Advanced resets make recovery harder.
- Overwrite amount – More new data means lower recovery odds.
A factory reset erases personal data by formatting the memory, rather than by overwriting it. So until the formatted space gets reused by new data, specialized recovery tools can scan the raw phone memory and search for fragments of recoverable photo data. But extensive overwriting causes permanent data loss.
What loses photos when phone is damaged?
Here are some types of phone damage that can cause permanent loss or destruction of photos stored on the phone:
- Water damage – Short circuits and corrosion destroy phone memory.
- Cracked screens – Can damage display only, not photos.
- Drops/impacts – May break internal memory components.
- Power surges – Electrical spikes corrupt memory circuits.
- Fire/heat – Extreme heat melts memory chips.
In severe damage cases like water-logging, fire, or smashed screens, the phone itself and any local photos are likely unrecoverable. Milder physical or liquid damage may allow professional recovery services to rescue some photos by transferring memory chips to a working device.
Can professionals recover photos after phone damage?
Specialized data recovery pros may be able to salvage some photos even from a damaged phone, using methods like:
- Chip removal – Carefully remove intact memory chip from damaged phone.
- Chip transfer – Install memory chip into a working phone or reader.
- Component repair – Fix just enough components to power on phone.
- Imaging – Make full backup image of memory for scanning.
These methods are technically challenging and expensive, costing hundreds of dollars, with no guarantee of success. But for valuable irreplaceable photos, it can be worth the effort compared to sure data loss.
What are the best professional photo recovery services?
Some leading professional photo recovery services include:
Kroll Ontrack
Kroll Ontrack is a data recovery leader with decades of experience, high-end tools, and custom solutions for challenging phone cases. But services can cost over $1000.
DriveSavers
DriveSavers recovers data for consumers and businesses, including photos from phones. They can handle drives with physical damage. Expect a minimum $500 recovery cost.
Secure Data Recovery
Secure Data Recovery is a reputable company that recovered data for thousands of clients worldwide. They offer remote diagnosis and secure facilities. Average cost is $300-$1500.
Ace Data Recovery
Ace Data Recovery has been in the business for over a decade and specializes in forensic-level data recovery like lost photo retrieval. Average cost ranges from $300-$2000 based on case complexity.
Is it better to pay pros for photo recovery vs. DIY?
Paying professional recovery services offers a better chance of recovering photos in difficult cases like factory reset recoveries or physical phone damage. But it comes at a steep price – often $300-$1000 or more, with no guarantee. DIY recovery using free scanning tools or continuing cloud restoration efforts is much cheaper and usually sufficient for typical deletion or minor damage cases.
Here are some scenarios where pro recovery makes sense despite the high cost:
- Extreme damage like burnt, waterlogged, or smashed phones
- After advanced wipe methods like encryption or degaussing
- Irreplaceable photos with high sentimental or historical value
- DIY attempts unsuccessful after exhaustive efforts
For less challenging cases, try DIY recovery yourself first before resorting to paid professional help which eats into your budget.
Can you recover photos after factory reset Samsung?
Recovering photos from a Samsung phone after a factory reset is possible in some cases, but success depends on specific factors:
- Reset method – Standard vs. advanced erase options.
- Android version – Newer versions make recovery harder.
- SD card – Was storage internal or removable SD card?
- Overwrite amount – More new data means lower recovery odds.
If you reset your Samsung with standard Factory Reset or Format options, without enabling advanced privacy erasing, then undeleted photo fragments can often be found before too much overwrite. But advanced options like Secure Erase thoroughly overwrite memory, destroying recoverable data.
Samsung recovery difficulty by model
| Phone Model | Recovery Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Galaxy S5 | Medium |
| Galaxy S8 | High |
| Galaxy S10 | Very High |
| Galaxy S20 | Extremely High |
In general, Samsung models from the last 2-3 years running Android 8.0+ are very difficult to recover photos from after factory reset due to security improvements. Older models have slightly better chances.
What erases phone data so it’s unrecoverable?
Here are methods that can completely erase phone data like photos to make it unrecoverable:
- Encryption – Encrypted phones must be decrypted before recovery is possible.
- Manual overwrite – Writing 0s/1s to memory repeatedly destroys existing data.
- Degaussing – Strong magnetic fields randomize magnetized data bits.
- Physical destruction – Smashing/shredding memory chips ruins recoverability.
Standard delete or format operations do not count as total data erasure. They only mark data as available for overwrite. Full data destruction requires taking explicit additional steps like encryption, manual overwriting, or physical damage beyond repair.
Conclusion
While recovering deleted photos from phone memory is very possible in many cases, phone manufacturers are making it increasingly difficult with extra security provisions in newer devices. To avoid relying on recovery, regularly backup your photos to both the cloud and external storage. Also be cautious with factory resets and avoid adding lots of new data before attempting recovery. With preparation and prompt action, you can hopefully rescue those priceless lost phone photos.