When a photo is deleted from an Android device, it doesn’t simply vanish into thin air. The deleted data still exists on the device’s storage, it is just marked as free space and made available to be overwritten by new data. So where exactly do deleted photos go, and is it possible to recover them?
In short, deleted photos on Android remain in the device’s storage until that space is needed for new data. However, with the right tools and techniques, it is often possible to recover deleted photos, at least for a limited time.
Deleting Photos on Android
When you delete a photo on an Android device, either from the gallery or from within the camera app, the link to access that photo is removed from the file system index. Essentially, the operating system marks the space used by that photo as being available for new data storage.
However, the actual photo data still resides in the same physical location on the device’s storage until it gets overwritten. This is because deleting a file does not actually erase the data straight away, it simply makes it inaccessible through the normal interface.
The storage space used by the deleted photo only gets overwritten when new data requires that space. When this happens, the original deleted photo is unrecoverable.
Types of Storage
Android devices use two main types of storage:
- Internal storage – Built-in storage within the device itself.
- External storage – Removable storage like SD cards.
When you delete photos, the same general process applies regardless of whether they were stored on internal or external storage. The space is marked as available and the actual data persists until overwritten.
However, the exact location on the storage where deleted photos reside can vary slightly between internal and external storage.
Where Deleted Photos Are Stored
When you delete photos on an Android device, the actual photo data remains in the same physical location until the space is reused. But where exactly is this location?
Internal Storage
For photos stored on the internal storage, deleted items remain in the original /DCIM folder location. This folder is used by the camera to store photos and videos in separate subfolders by date.
So a deleted photo will still be in a subfolder like /DCIM/Camera/IMG_20171122_133612.jpg. This remains the case until that space is overwritten.
External SD Card
On an external SD card, deleting photos causes them to be moved to the root folder /LOST.DIR. Within this folder, the deleted photos are stored in subfolders formatted by date and time.
For example, a deleted photo may be located at: /LOST.DIR/LOST_DIR153996/IMG_20171010_154812.jpg
So while internal storage keeps deleted items in the original location, external SD cards move deleted photos to the /LOST.DIR folder.
Recovering Deleted Photos
As long as the storage space occupied by a deleted photo hasn’t been overwritten, it is often possible to recover the photo. However, the available methods depend on whether the file was stored on internal or external storage.
Internal Storage Recovery
For photos deleted from internal storage, recovery options include:
- Android data recovery apps – Apps like DiskDigger Photo Recovery can scan internal storage and rebuild the folder structure to recover deleted photos.
- USB debugging and ADB – Connect the Android device to a computer and use ADB commands to pull photo data from the internal storage.
- Root access – Apps like Root Explorer can be used on rooted devices to directly access internal storage folders and recover deleted photos.
The effectiveness of these internal storage recovery methods depends on how much new data has been written since deletion that could have overwritten the deleted photos.
External SD Card Recovery
For external SD card photo recovery, options include:
- Plugging the SD card into a computer and using data recovery software to restore deleted photos from the card.
- Apps like DiskDigger which can be used directly on the Android device to scan and recover photos from external storage.
- File explorer apps for rooted devices that can access SD card folders like /LOST.DIR to view deleted photos.
Again, overwriting is the main risk factor that can make deleted photos unrecoverable from external storage. But in general, SD cards provide the best chance for recovery.
Preventing Overwriting
The key to recover deleted photos, whether from internal or external storage, is preventing the storage space from being overwritten by new data. Some tips to avoid overwriting include:
- Stopping use of the Android device immediately after deleting photos to minimize new data being written.
- Recovery apps should be used as soon as possible before overwriting occurs.
- Once deleted photos are recovered, they should be transferred to another storage medium.
Avoiding the use of device and refraining from shooting or downloading new photos gives the best chance of recovering deleted files before they are overwritten.
Can Deleted Photos be Recovered After Factory Reset?
Performing a factory reset or master reset on an Android device wipes all data from the internal storage and restores the phone to original factory conditions. This intensive process makes it very difficult to recover deleted photos.
When resetting an Android device, the process aims to permanently delete photos and other personal data by:
- Deleting high-level directory structures and indexes
- Overwriting storage space with random dummy data
- Partitioning and reformatting the storage
This overwrite process applied during factory reset makes it unlikely for any third-party apps to recover deleted photos. However, with advanced forensic data recovery techniques, some traces of deleted files may still remain. But overall, expect deleted photos to be unrecoverable after a factory reset.
The best way to preserve photos is to backup all data to external storage or cloud storage before initiating a factory reset on the Android device.
So In Summary…
When a photo is deleted on an Android device:
- The link to the data is removed but the actual data remains on storage until overwritten.
- Internal storage photos stay in original folders like /DCIM until overwritten.
- External SD card photos are moved to a /LOST.DIR folder after deletion.
- It’s often possible to recover deleted photos using data recovery apps or methods.
- Preventing overwrite and acting fast gives the best chance before recovery becomes impossible.
- After a factory reset, recovery is very difficult since data is intentionally overwritten.
So in essence, deleted photos remain in a recoverable state in the device’s storage until new data takes their place. Being aware of where deleted data resides and avoiding overwriting provides the best chance to restore accidentally deleted photos on Android devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you recover permanently deleted photos on Android?
It’s possible to recover photos deleted from Android devices as long as the storage space has not been overwritten by new data. Once overwritten, permanent photo deletion occurs.
How can I view deleted photos on my Android phone?
Use data recovery software or apps like DiskDigger to scan the device storage and rebuild the folder structure to view thumbnails of deleted photos. Rooted devices can also directly access folders like /DCIM to view deleted files.
Can erased pictures be retrieved from an Android phone’s memory?
Yes, as long as the deleted photos still physically reside on the device storage and have not been overwritten, data recovery software can retrieve and restore them from the phone’s memory.
What happens when you factory reset an Android phone?
Factory reset erases all user data by overwriting storage with random data, deleting system files, and reformatting. This makes photo recovery after factory reset very difficult but not always impossible.
Can you recover deleted photos/videos from Android internal storage?
It is possible to recover deleted photos and videos from Android internal storage using data recovery software, provided the storage space has not been overwritten since deletion occurred.
Conclusion
While deleting photos or performing a factory reset may seem to completely remove files from an Android device, often the data persists behind the scenes. Being aware of where this deleted data resides, and acting swiftly to recover photos before they are overwritten, provides the best chance to rescue photos that may have been accidentally erased. Just be sure to move the recovered photos to new storage. With vigilance and the right tools, the life span of deleted Android photos can be extended.