Have you accidentally deleted photos from your Samsung device and now need to recover them? Don’t worry, it is often possible to find and restore deleted photos on Samsung phones and tablets.
Quick Overview of How to Find Deleted Photos on Samsung
Here is a quick overview of the main methods for finding deleted photos on Samsung devices:
- Use the Gallery recycle bin – Samsung Gallery has a built-in recycle bin where recently deleted photos are stored for a limited time.
- Use a file recovery app – Install a dedicated file recovery app on your Samsung device to scan for and restore deleted photos.
- Restore from cloud backup – If you had cloud backup enabled, you may be able to restore deleted photos from services like Google Photos.
- Extract data from phone – Use desktop software to create a backup file from your Samsung device that you can search through for deleted photo files.
Check the Gallery Recycle Bin on Your Samsung Device
The easiest way to find deleted photos on a Samsung device is to check the Gallery recycle bin. Here’s how it works:
- Open the Gallery app on your Samsung phone or tablet.
- Tap on the menu icon in the top left corner.
- Select “Recycle bin” from the menu.
This will open up the recycle bin, showing all the photos and videos that have been recently deleted. Browsing through the recycle bin lets you view thumbnail previews of deleted items.
To restore a deleted photo back to your main Gallery, simply tap on the thumbnail and select “Restore”. The photo will be moved back to its original location in your Gallery.
However, keep in mind that the Gallery recycle bin has limited storage. Older deleted photos will be permanently removed after a certain time period, usually around 15 days.
Enable the Gallery Recycle Bin
If you don’t see the Recycle Bin option in your Gallery menu, you may need to enable it first in the Gallery settings:
- Open Gallery and tap the menu icon.
- Select “Settings”.
- Enable the switch for “Recycle bin”.
This turns on the Recycle Bin feature and you’ll now be able to view deleted photos in Gallery.
Use a File Recovery App
If the image you need has been permanently deleted from the Gallery recycle bin, your best bet is to use a dedicated photo recovery app.
File recovery apps are designed to scan your device storage and find files that have been deleted. This includes photos, videos, documents and more. Some apps to consider for Samsung device are:
- DiskDigger Photo Recovery – Scans your device and SD card to recover deleted camera photos and images.
- GT Recovery – Samsung-specific data recovery app that claims to restore lost photos in minutes.
- PhoneRescue – Recovers up to 31 types of deleted files from Samsung devices.
The recovery process involves just a few steps:
- Download and install the recovery app on your Samsung phone or tablet.
- Grant the app permissions to access device storage.
- Scan for deleted photos. The app will dig through your storage for recoverable image files.
- Preview and restore the photos you want to get back.
File recovery apps greatly expand your ability to get back deleted photos. However, recovery success depends on whether the photo file has been overwritten with new data. The sooner you use the app after deletion, the better.
Free vs. Premium Photo Recovery Apps
Some apps like DiskDigger offer basic photo recovery features for free. But for maximum recovery capabilities, you’ll want the premium paid versions.
Premium recovery apps provide benefits like:
- Ability to recover more types of files beyond just photos.
- Scanning and recovery from external SD card storage.
- Faster and deeper scanning of device memory.
- Previewing photos at full resolution.
- Filtering results by date.
Paying for the premium upgrade is worthwhile if you really need to get back important deleted files.
Restore Deleted Photos from Cloud Backup
If you had automatic cloud backup enabled on your Samsung device, you may be able to restore deleted photos from the cloud.
Services like Google Photos provide free unlimited storage for photos and videos uploaded from Android devices. Other cloud storage platforms like Dropbox or OneDrive also allow automatic mobile backups.
To restore deleted photos from cloud backup:
- Go to the website of your cloud storage service on your computer.
- Log in and navigate to the Photos folder.
- Browse for the images you want and select them.
- Use the option to download or restore the photos.
The photos will be saved back to your local computer storage. Now you can transfer them back to your Samsung phone or tablet.
This method only works if you had already set up automatic backups from your device to the cloud. The cloud service saves copies of your photos online as you take them.
Check Multiple Cloud Services
Don’t stop at just one place when looking for cloud-backup copies of your deleted photos. Many people use several backup services at once for redundancy.
It’s not uncommon to have Google Photos, OneDrive, and Dropbox all backing up photos simultaneously. So check every linked cloud account if you can’t find deleted photos in the first spot.
Extract Deleted Photos from Local Storage
If cloud backup and file recovery apps don’t work, the last resort is to directly extract deleted media files from your Samsung device storage.
This advanced method requires using desktop software to create a complete backup file from your device. You can then pore through this backup manually for deleted photos.
Here are the basic steps involved:
- On your computer, download and install a data backup tool for Samsung devices, such as Dr.Fone, AnyBizSoft, or iSkysoft Toolbox.
- Connect your Samsung device to the computer via USB.
- Use the backup tool to create a full download of your device data and save it locally.
- Open the backup folder and navigate to the “Images” or “DCIM” folder for photos.
- Scan through the full-size image files for the deleted photos you need.
- Copy the recovered photo files to a safe location on your computer.
Creating a complete backup extract of a Samsung device takes some time but gives you direct access to the raw files. With patience you can browse for deleted photos in their original full-resolution quality.
Bypass Login to Get Photos
If you can’t unlock your Samsung device normally, look for a “backup extraction” feature in the desktop software you choose. This creates the backup file regardless of login status.
Backup extraction is the only option if you forgot your device PIN/password but desperately need the photos inside.
Avoid Photo Loss by Enabling Recycle Bin
The easiest solution for finding deleted Samsung photos is to make sure the Gallery recycle bin is enabled before you need to recover anything.
With the recycle bin on, your device will retain deleted photos for up to 15 days, avoiding permanent loss.
To enable the Gallery recycle bin:
- Open Gallery and tap the menu icon.
- Tap “Settings”.
- Turn on “Recycle bin”.
Toggling this setting on will start keeping your deleted photos easily recoverable in Gallery.
Use the Secure Folder for Photo Protection
Samsung’s Secure Folder feature lets you hide photos and keep them protected behind an extra layer of security.
Photos placed in Secure Folder can only be accessed if you can unlock the folder with your fingerprint, PIN or pattern.
Enable Secure Folder in your Settings app, then use the “Add files” option to move photos into it. The photos will vanish from your main Gallery but can still be viewed and managed within Secure Folder.
This prevents accidental deletion as well as protecting photos from snooping eyes if your device is lost or accessed by others.
Set Up Routine Backups to External Storage
To guard against data loss disasters, routinely back up your Samsung device photos and media files to an external hard drive or cloud storage.
You can manually copy photos to safe external storage. Or use a comprehensive online backup service like Google One to automatically save copies of your images.
With backups in place, you’ll always have duplicate copies of all photos retrievable even if your device itself is lost, damaged or wiped.
Conclusion
Finding deleted photos on Samsung phones and tablets is possible through several different methods. Always check the Gallery recycle bin first, before trying more advanced recovery techniques.
Enabling the recycle bin feature ahead of time allows easy self-restores if you accidentally delete images.
Third-party file recovery apps provide reliable deep scanning to rescue photos, even if long gone from the recycle bin. Premium app upgrades deliver the best restore capabilities.
Backups to both local external storage and cloud services can provide photo recovery options if all else fails. Routine backups give you the ultimate protection against permanent loss of your precious photos and memories.