Getting old deleted photos back is often possible, but depends on several factors. When a photo is deleted from a device like a phone or computer, the actual image file is not immediately erased. Instead, the operating system marks the space where the file is stored as available for new data. This means deleted photos can remain recoverable until they are overwritten by new files.
Can you recover permanently deleted photos?
Yes, it is often possible to recover photos even if they have been “permanently” deleted. When you empty the trash or recycle bin on a device, the files are not immediately erased from the storage media. The space they occupied is just marked as available for new data. As long as the original files have not been overwritten, data recovery software can scan the storage device and restore deleted photos.
How long are deleted photos recoverable?
Deleted photos remain recoverable until the space they occupied is written over with new data. This depends on several factors:
- How full the storage device is – The emptier the device, the longer until deleted files are overwritten.
- What new data is saved – Large files like videos and photos are more likely to overwrite deleted data.
- Device usage – The more actively a device is used after files are deleted, the higher chance of overwriting.
On relatively empty storage devices that are not actively saving new files, deleted photos could potentially be recoverable for weeks or months. But if the device is full and actively capturing photos or video, deleted files could be unrecoverable in as little as a few hours.
What is the best way to recover deleted photos?
The best way to recover deleted photos depends on the device they were stored on and how long ago they were deleted. Here are some options:
Recently deleted from phones and cameras
If photos were deleted recently from a phone, camera, or memory card, try recovering from the device directly before taking more photos or transferring files. For phones, camera apps like Google Photos may have cloud backups of deleted images. For SD cards, remove the card and use data recovery software on another device.
Deleted from computers
For retrieving photos deleted from a computer, don’t install any new programs or save files to the drive. Use data recovery software to scan for recoverable image files. Free options like Recuva or TestDisk work for undeleting photos on Windows or Mac.
Deleted from cloud storage
If photos were deleted from cloud services like Google Photos or iCloud, check the trash or recently deleted folders. Cloud services often keep files accessible for a period of time before permanently erasing them. You can restore from these folders.
Deleted long ago
Recovering photos deleted long ago becomes challenging as old files get overwritten over time. You’ll need data recovery experts with specialized tools to extract them from the storage media. This process is expensive and not guaranteed to work if files were overwritten.
Can you recover deleted photos without software?
It is possible in some cases to restore deleted photos without data recovery software, but options are limited. Here are some ways to potentially get back deleted pictures without specialized tools:
- Restore from cloud backups like iCloud or Google Photos.
- Some camera memory cards have a “restore” option if photos were recently deleted.
- On iPhone, recover recently deleted photos from a backup in iTunes.
- On Windows, restore from a System Restore point or shadow copies if available.
However, to effectively scan storage media and reliably recover all types of deleted photo files, data recovery software is recommended.
What kind of software recovers deleted photos?
Here are the main types of software used to recover deleted photos from devices and storage media:
Data recovery software
Programs like Recuva, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, Stellar Photo Recovery, and Disk Drill can undelete image files on Windows and Mac computers. They scan drives and memory cards to find recoverable photos based on file signatures.
Forensic data recovery tools
More advanced forensic recovery tools like Ontrack EasyRecovery and R-Studio use lower-level disk scanning to retrieve deleted files. They can recover more types of files from severely corrupted media when common tools fail.
Android and iPhone data recovery
Specialized mobile apps like Fonelab, EaseUS MobiSaver, and iMyFone D-Back can extract deleted photos from iPhone and Android devices. They recover data directly from the phone or from iTunes and iCloud backups.
Photo management apps
Some photo storage services like Google Photos and iCloud keep deleted pictures in a trash folder before final removal. Their apps allow restoring recently deleted photos and videos.
Can deleted photos be recovered after factory reset?
Recovering photos after a factory reset is often possible, but still carries challenges. When resetting a phone or tablet, the original files are not immediately wiped from the storage. Data recovery tools can find them as long as they have not been overwritten.
However, a factory reset will make file recovery more difficult. It clears the directory listings that associate file names and locations. Without this metadata, recovery tools may find lost photo data but not know the original folders or filenames. Manual sorting is required to reconstruct the deleted photo library.
Tips for recovering post-reset photos
- Avoid saving anything new to the device to prevent overwriting deleted files.
- Use a forensic recovery tool for the best chance of finding all recoverable data.
- Scan the raw storage at the sector level rather than relying on file listings.
- Manually sort through recovered files to reconstruct photo folders.
While challenging, users have reasonably good success rates recovering photos after factory resets if the above guidelines are followed before data is overwritten.
Can you recover permanently deleted photos from Snapchat?
It is very difficult to recover deleted Snapchat photos, but not impossible in some cases. The challenges include:
- Snapchat does not provide a way to restore expired or deleted snaps.
- Photos are automatically deleted from the app after being viewed.
- By default, snaps are not saved to the phone’s storage.
However, there are a few potential ways to try getting back deleted Snapchat photos:
- Enable saving of snaps in Memories to preserve them after viewing.
- Quickly take a screenshot before a snap expires.
- Use data recovery software to find residual files on the phone storage.
- Jailbreak the iPhone and extract Snapchat data from a backup.
But there is no guarantee of recovering lost snaps due to Snapchat’s ephemeral nature and immediate deletion. Users should utilize the app’s Memories feature or screenshot to save important photos.
Can professionals find and restore all deleted photos?
In most cases, professional data recovery services can successfully restore deleted photos – unless the files have been completely overwritten. Pros have several advantages:
- Specialized tools and skills for extracting difficult-to-recover file types.
- Access to advanced forensic recovery methods in severe cases.
- Clean room facilities to safely handle storage media.
- Experience recovering all file types from any storage device.
However, there are limits if original deleted files no longer exist on the media. No service can recover photos that have been overwritten with new data. But overall, professionals achieve very high success rates recovering deleted photos unless overwritten.
How can I be sure deleted photos are completely erased?
To ensure photos are unrecoverable after deletion, they must be overwritten to destroy the original image data. Here are methods to securely erase photos:
- Use “shredder” software to overwrite files multiple times.
- Format the storage device to overwrite the entire disk.
- Encrypt devices or volumes before deleting sensitive photos.
- Physically destroy storage media like SD cards and drives.
Simply deleting files and emptying the recycle bin is not sufficient – those photos could still be recovered. The only way to fully erase photos is to replace their data at the disk level through formatting, overwriting, or physical destruction.
Conclusion
Recovering permanently deleted photos is often possible with the right tools and techniques. Key points include:
- Deleted photos remain until the storage space is overwritten with new data.
- Chance of recovery depends on how long ago deletion occurred.
- Specialized data recovery software offers the best results.
- Cloud backups provide an alternate way to restore deleted images.
- Completely preventing recovery requires overwriting or physical destruction.
While recovering deleted photos can become more difficult over time, in most cases it is feasible to restore them unless the original image data no longer exists. With the assistance of data recovery experts and the right software, users have a high likelihood of getting back erased photos from storage media that has not been overwritten.