In this day in age we all take a hundred photos with our phones. From silly selfies to pictures of contracts and important documents, we take hundreds of pictures every month with the camera on our phone. When those pictures disappear, even for just a second, it can be a crisis. Maybe they were deleted mistakenly or your phone restarted for an “update” and they disappeared. Don’t worry, there are a few easy processes to possibly get those lost pictures back. At casino, we cover practical, real-world tools and tips anyone can use (you don’t need a tech degree!). We will discuss several different approaches for getting deleted photos back for both Android and iPhone users
Check the Recently Deleted Folder
The first thing you need to do is find your phone’s built-in trash folder. Both Android and iPhones keep deleted photos in a temporary folder for typically up to 30 days. For iPhones, open the Photos app, scroll to Recently Deleted, and see if your pictures are still there. Just select the photos you want and tap Recover. For Android, it may vary slightly based on which gallery app you use, but usually there will be a Trash or Recently Deleted section under Albums. If it was recently deleted, most likely it will be sitting there waiting to be restored!
Use Google Photos or iCloud
If you set your phone up to backup your pictures, then you may be in luck! Many people don’t always know their pictures are being saved online with no action on their part. Google’s Photos app is often found on Android phones. Just open it, login, and check your photo library. Even if the photo was deleted from your device, it could still be in the cloud. For iPhones, log into iCloud.com and look in the Photos section. You may find your missing images stored in the cloud waiting for you to download it again.
Try a Recovery App
If the photo was not in your trash or backup, do not give up hope just yet. There are some dependable apps that can scan your phone’s memory and attempt to recover lost files. For Android there are many options. Some are DiskDigger, or Dumpster. These apps do a deeper search of your storage for deleted pictures and allow you to preview and recover them. If you are an iPhone user, there are software packages such as Dr.Fone and iMobie PhoneRescue, but these are a little trickier due to stricter iOS paradigms. They first require you to connect your phone to a computer, and follow a few welcome guides. Make sure you go with well-rated tools, and as always, steer clear of apps who want weird permissions.
Check messaging apps and file managers
The deleted photo may still exist in a chat app, for example WhatsApp or Telegram. Open your chat history and scroll back. You may actually find that photo, because most messaging apps have retained their own copies. Explore your file manager. If you downloaded the photo or received it wherever you got the original, it is possible that there is some other copy saved elsewhere on your phone’s storage. Go to your Downloads, DCIM, Media files etc, and have a good look.
Tips to Avoid Losing Photos Again
After you recover your photos, it’s smart to take a few steps to prevent this from happening again. First, turn on cloud backups. Google Photos, iCloud, or even OneDrive can automatically save your pictures online. That way, if your phone breaks or photos get deleted, you’ll have a backup ready. Second, clean your photo gallery carefully. When deleting, double-check what you’re selecting. It’s easy to tap the wrong photo by mistake. Lastly, download a trusted recovery app and keep it installed for quick action if it ever happens again.
