Recover Photos: Best Tools and Techniques 

Thanks to the possibility of recovering deleted photos, we don't have to suffer from having deleted images from our devices.

With the right tools and techniques you will be able to recover photos, whether on smartphones or computers.

Here you’ll find a step-by-step guide to recovering your photos, without the need for in-depth technical knowledge. We’ll cover everything from the built-in options on your devices to the best software tools to ensure your photos are successfully restored.

Discover how to solve this problem in a practical and efficient way, recovering your images in just a few minutes!

What to do when you lose photos

When you realize that your photos have been accidentally deleted, the most important thing is to stay calm and act carefully. There are several ways to recover photos, but taking the wrong steps can reduce your chances of success. To better understand, let’s look at some initial steps to follow immediately after realizing the deletion:

1. Check the Recycle Bin or Recently Deleted Folder: On both smartphones and computers, deleted photos are usually sent to a temporary folder before they are permanently removed. On mobile devices, look for the “Recently Deleted” folder in your gallery apps, and on a computer, check the Recycle Bin or Trash.
2. Avoid saving new files: When you delete a photo, the space it occupied in your storage may be overwritten by new data. If you continue to use your device to take more photos or download files, you may reduce the chances of recovery.
3. Do not format the device: If photos were deleted from a memory card or external hard drive, avoid formatting it as this can make recovery even more difficult.

Now that you've taken the initial precautions, let's cover how you can recover photos directly to your device, be it a smartphone or a computer.

Recover photos on cell phone

Recovering deleted photos from smartphones is quite simple in many cases, especially since modern operating systems offer native solutions for this type of problem. Here are the steps for the two main mobile operating systems: Android e iPhone (iOS).

Android

1. Check the “Recently Deleted” folder: On Android, deleted photos are sent to this folder for up to 30 days before they are permanently deleted.
   • Open the “Photos” or “Gallery” app.
   • Go to the “Albums” section and scroll until you find the “Recently Deleted” folder.
   • If the photo is there, select it and tap “Restore.”
2. Google Photos Recovery: If you use Google Photos for automatic backup, deleted photos can be restored easily.
   • Open Google Photos.
   • Tap “Library” and then tap “Trash”.
   • Select the photos you want to recover and tap “Restore”.
3. Recovery Applications: If the photos are not in the system's recycle bin, you can use apps like DiskDigger, which scans the device's storage for recoverable photos. It is a free app and also offers a paid version with advanced features to recover other types of files and perform more detailed searches.
   • Download and install the DiskDigger from the Google Play Store.
   • Give storage access permission.
   • Choose internal storage or memory card to scan.
   • After scanning, select the desired photos and save them to a safe location like Google Drive.

iPhone (iOS)

1. Check the “Recently Deleted” folder: iOS also maintains a “Recently Deleted” folder with photos deleted within the last 30 days.
   • Open the “Photos” app.
   • Go to “Albums” and select “Recently Deleted”.
   • Select the desired photos and tap “Recover”.
2. iCloud Recovery: If the photos have been synced to iCloud, you can easily restore them.
   • Go to icloud.com in a browser.
   • Sign in with your Apple account.
   • Go to the “Photos” section, tap “Albums” and then “Recently Deleted”.
   • Select the photos and tap “Restore”.
3. Third-party recovery tools: Dr.Fone is a paid tool that offers solutions for data recovery, system repair, file transfer, and mobile device management, and also offers a free trial version with limited functions.
   • Download the Dr.fone and install it on Android.
   • Connect the device to the computer (if necessary, depending on the version) and enable USB debugging.
   • Choose the option to data recovery in the application's main menu.
   • Dr.Fone will scan the storage and display the recoverable photos and data.
   • Select photos you want to restore and save them.

Recovering photos on PC

When photos are deleted from your computer, recovery can also be relatively simple, depending on how the deletion occurred. Let's look at the solutions for different operating systems. Windows e Mac.

Windows

1. Check the Recycle Bin: Most files deleted in Windows go straight to the Recycle Bin.
   • Double-tap the “Recycle Bin” icon on your desktop.
   • Locate the deleted photos and right-tap on them.
   • Choose the “Restore” option to send the file back to its original folder.
2. OneDrive Backup: If you use OneDrive to sync photos, you can restore pictures that have been deleted from your Photos folder.
   • Go to the OneDrive website and sign in.
   • Go to the “Trash” section.
   • Select the files and tap “Restore”.
3. Using recovery software: The Recuva is a free software for recovering accidentally deleted files from computers, flash drives and memory cards. It also offers a paid version, RecuvaPro, which includes technical support and advanced features such as damaged disk recovery.
   • Download and install Recuva on your computer.
   • Connect Android to PC via USB cable (in file transfer mode).
   • Open Recuva and select the file type “Images”.
   • Choose the research location (Android device or memory card).
   • Start the scan to search for deleted photos.
   • Select and recover the photos, saving them on the computer.

Mac

1. Check the Recycle Bin: Just like on Windows, files deleted on Mac are sent to the Recycle Bin.
   • Open the Trash from the Dock.
   • Find the desired photo, right-tap it and select “Restore”.
2. time Machine: If you have Time Machine enabled for automatic backups, you can restore deleted photos easily.
   • Connect your Time Machine backup disk.
   • Open the folder where the photos were stored and tap the Time Machine icon.
   • Select the backup date and restore the files.
3. Data Recovery Tools: The CleverFiles Disk Drill is a data recovery tool that allows you to restore deleted files on different devices and systems. It offers a free version with limited features and a paid version that unlocks advanced functionalities for data recovery.
   • Download and install Disk Drill on your computer.
   • Connect Android to PC via USB cable (file transfer mode).
   • Open Disk Drill and select the Android device to scan.
   • Choose the file type (images) and start scanning.
   • Visualize recoverable files and select the desired photos.
   • Recover the photos and save them to your computer.

Tools to recover photos

There are several tools that can help you recover deleted photos, from free solutions to paid software with more advanced features. Below are some of the best options available:

EaseUS Data Recovery (Windows and Mac): The EaseUS DataRecovery is a software that allows you to recover lost or deleted files from storage devices. It offers a free version with limitations, allowing you to recover up to 2 GB of data, and paid versions with more advanced features for unlimited file recovery and technical support.

How to use:

1. Download and install EaseUS on your computer.
2. Connect Android to PC via USB cable.
3. Open EaseUS and select the Android device to scan.
4. Start the scan to find deleted photos.
5. Select recoverable photos and tap “Recover”.
6. Save the photos in your computer.

Prevention of future losses

Recovering photos can be an effective process, but the best solution is always to prevent data loss. Here are some best practices to ensure you never have to worry about deleted photos again:

1. Automatic cloud backup: Use services like Google Photos, iCloud or OneDrive to keep automatic backups of all your photos.
2. High quality memory cards: If you use a digital camera, make sure you use good quality memory cards and perform frequent backups.
3. Backup software: Use computer backup software like Time Machine (Mac) or Backup and Restore (Windows) to ensure all your photos are safely backed up.

Conclusion

Recovering deleted photos may seem like a daunting task at first glance, but with the right tools and techniques, you can restore your images without any major issues. By following the detailed instructions in this article, you will increase your chances of success, whether you use built-in solutions on your device or specialized software.

Now that you know how to recover your photos, be sure to apply the prevention tips to avoid future losses. Keep taking care of your digital memories!

FAQ

• Is it possible to recover permanently deleted photos?

Yes, using specialized software like Recuva, Dr.Fone or EaseUS Data Recovery.

• Can I recover deleted photos from iCloud?

Yes, deleted photos can be restored from the “Recently Deleted” folder in iCloud for up to 30 days.

• What to do when photos don't appear in the Windows Recycle Bin?

Use recovery software like Recuva to perform a deep disk scan