Losing photos stored on your Samsung mobile device can be upsetting. Perhaps you accidentally deleted some photos that held precious memories or important information. Or maybe some photos mysteriously disappeared from your device’s gallery.
Whatever the reason for your missing photos, you may be able to recover them. There are a few different methods you can try to restore deleted photos on a Samsung phone or tablet.
Check the trash folder on your Samsung device
When you delete photos on a Samsung device, they aren’t immediately removed from your phone or tablet. Instead, they are moved to the trash folder, also called the ‘recycle bin’ on some Samsung devices.
To check for your deleted photos in the trash:
- Open the Gallery app on your Samsung device.
- Look for the trash folder, it may be represented by an icon that looks like a trash can or waste basket.
- Open the trash folder and browse for your deleted photos.
- If you find the photos you’re looking for, tap and hold to select them.
- Tap ‘Restore’ to move the photos back to your camera roll or designated albums.
This trash folder saves deleted files for up to 15 days. So if you act quickly, you may be able to recover deleted photos easily through the trash. However, if it has been over 15 days, the photos will no longer be in the trash.
Use a file recovery app
If your deleted photos are no longer in the trash folder, your next option is to try a file recovery app.
File recovery apps work by scanning your Samsung device for residual data left behind by deleted photos. Even when you delete files from your device, traces of their data remain until it is overwritten by new data.
The file recovery app can rescontruct this residual data to recover your deleted photos.
Some free file recovery apps you can try for Samsung devices include:
- DiskDigger
- DigDeep Image Recovery
- Photo & File Recovery
Paid recovery apps with advanced functionality include:
- Stellar Photo Recovery
- EaseUS Recovery Wizard
To use a file recovery app to restore deleted photos:
- Download and install a recovery app onto your Samsung device.
- Grant the app the required permissions and access to your phone or tablet’s storage.
- Scan your device’s storage using the app.
- Preview and select the photos you want to recover.
- Follow the app instructions to restore the deleted photos to your device’s gallery.
Retrieve photos from Samsung cloud backup
If you had the Samsung Cloud backup enabled, you may be able to recover deleted photos from the cloud.
Samsung Cloud automatically backs up your photos at regular intervals when turned on. So even if photos are deleted from your device’s storage, the backup copies may still be available in the cloud.
To restore photos from Samsung Cloud:
- Open the Settings app on your device.
- Tap Accounts and Backup > Samsung Cloud.
- Tap Restore Data. This will start downloading your cloud-stored files.
- Once the restoration is complete, open Gallery to view the photos.
However, keep in mind that the cloud backup has storage limits. So very old deleted photos may have been removed from the backup at some point.
Try a data recovery service
If all the above options fail to recover your deleted photos, you may need to use a data recovery service.
Data recovery experts have sophisticated tools and techniques that can rescue even permanently deleted files from Samsung devices. This includes digging deep into a phone or tablet’s internal memory to find any trace of lost or erased photos.
How the data recovery process works:
- You ship your Samsung device to a data recovery company.
- Experts disassemble it carefully in a dust-free cleanroom to remove the storage components.
- They use specialized software and hardware equipment to extract all retrievable data from the storage chip.
- The recovered photos are copied to a new storage device that is shipped back to you.
Reputable data recovery firms for mobile devices include:
- DriveSavers
- Gillware
- Secure Data Recovery
- WeRecoverData
However, pro-level data recovery can cost several hundred dollars. It’s mainly recommended for business-critical file loss or if the deleted photos are irreplaceable.
Avoid permanent deletion in the future
To avoid permanently losing photos again in the future, here are some tips for Samsung mobile users:
- Enable Samsung Cloud backup so your photos are always saved in the cloud as a backup.
- Don’t rely on your device’s gallery alone, also backup photos to an external hard drive or cloud storage service like Google Photos periodically.
- Use the secure folder or private mode features on Samsung devices to hide and protect your most important photos.
- Enable the trash folder so deleted items aren’t immediately erased and you have time to restore them.
- Be extremely careful when selecting photos to mass delete, don’t just casually tap Select All unless you intend to delete everything.
- Know how to recover photos using the methods outlined above in case accidental deletion ever occurs.
Conclusion
Losing photos, especially meaningful or important ones, can be stressful. Thankfully on modern Samsung devices there are ways to recover deleted photos in many cases.
First, check your device’s trash folder to rescue photos deleted in the past 15 days. For older deletions, use a file recovery app or restore from Samsung Cloud backup. And if all else fails, turn to professional data recovery experts for assistance.
Going forward, make sure to backup your photos and enable useful options like the cloud and trash folder. With an understanding of the various options covered here, you can have peace of mind knowing your photos can be recovered if ever accidentally deleted.