How To Recover Deleted Photos On Your Phone and Computer

If you deleted photos and think they are gone forever, they usually are not. Most “deleted” photos still exist somewhere on your phone, cloud account, or backups for weeks, months, or even years.

Follow these steps in order and you maximize your chances of getting them back before they are overwritten.

Step 1: Check The Obvious Places First

This matters because most deleted photos are not immediately erased and are placed in temporary trash folders. Recovering from these locations is instant and requires no software.

iPhone: Photos app → Albums → Recently Deleted (kept for 30 days).
Android: Gallery → Trash or Bin (usually 30 days).
Windows: Recycle Bin until emptied.
Mac: Trash until emptied.

Step 2: Check Your Cloud Photo Services

This matters because cloud services often keep deleted photos longer than your device does. Many people recover photos here without touching their phone at all.

Google Photos: Menu → Trash (up to 60 days).
iCloud: iCloud.com → Photos → Recently Deleted (up to 40 days).
Dropbox: Deleted Files (about 30 days).
OneDrive: Recycle Bin (30 days personal, up to 93 days business).

Step 3: Check Automatic Phone Backups

This matters because photos deleted later may still exist inside older backups. Restoring or extracting a backup can bring photos back instantly.

iPhone: Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → Manage Storage → Backups.
Android: Settings → Google → Backup.
Restore a backup created before the photos were deleted to recover them.

Step 4: Check Email And Messaging Attachments

This matters because photos are often shared long before they are deleted locally. Copies frequently remain inside email and messaging apps.

Search Gmail or Outlook for has:attachment filename:jpg.
Check WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, and other chat apps.
Download shared photos directly from message history.

Step 5: Use Your Computer’s Built-In Recovery Tools

This matters because operating systems automatically create snapshots without you realizing it. These snapshots can contain photos deleted months ago.

Windows: Right-click folder → Restore previous versions.
Mac: Use Time Machine if it was enabled.
Browse older snapshots and restore missing photos.

Step 6: Use Free Recovery Software

This matters because deleted files are usually marked as “available” but not erased until overwritten. Recovery software scans for these ghost files.

Phones: Dr.Fone (iOS/Android), DiskDigger (Android).
Computers: Recuva (Windows), Disk Drill (Mac/Windows), PhotoRec (all platforms).
Scan the device and recover photos before using it further.

Step 7: Recover Photos From SD Cards Or USB Drives

This matters because removable storage has the highest recovery success rate. Acting quickly dramatically increases results.

Stop using the card immediately after deletion.
Use Recuva or PhotoRec for deep scans.
Recovery success can reach 85–95% if done fast.

Step 8: Check Manufacturer Cloud Backups

This matters because many phones automatically enable brand-specific cloud backups. These services are often forgotten but still store photos.

Samsung: Samsung Cloud (about 15 days).
Huawei: Huawei Cloud (about 30 days).
Xiaomi: Mi Cloud (about 30 days).
Log in and check deleted or archived photo sections.

Step 9: Check Old Devices You Replaced

This matters because photos often still exist on phones, tablets, or laptops you stopped using. Even broken devices can sometimes be recovered.

Power on old devices and check local photo storage.
Repair shops can extract drives even if the device will not boot.
Many “lost forever” photos are sitting in drawers.

Step 10: Use Google Takeout For Deep Recovery

This matters because Google keeps extensive historical data tied to your account. Takeout often reveals photos missing from your current library.

Go to takeout.google.com.
Select Google Photos → Download all data.
Review archived photos, metadata, and older uploads.

Step 11: Check Social Media Archives

This matters because photos uploaded years ago often remain accessible even if deleted locally. Social platforms store full-resolution copies.

Facebook: Settings → Your Facebook Information → Download Your Information.
Instagram: Settings → Security → Download Data.
X/Twitter: Settings → Your Account → Download Archive.

Critical: What Not To Do After Deleting Photos

This matters because using the device overwrites deleted data and permanently destroys recovery chances. Mistakes here make recovery impossible.

Do not take new photos.
Do not install new apps.
Do not wait months before trying recovery.
Do not factory reset your device.

Prevention Strategy Going Forward

This matters because recovery is never guaranteed, but prevention almost always works. A simple backup strategy eliminates future panic.

Enable Google Photos backup or iCloud Photos.
Keep a monthly external hard drive backup.
Follow the 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies, 2 formats, 1 offsite.

When To Use Professional Recovery Services

This matters because some data loss is beyond software repair. Professionals are expensive but sometimes necessary.

Use professionals if a drive physically fails or will not mount.
Expect costs between $300 and $2,000.
Only consider this for irreplaceable data.

Success Rates By Timeline

This matters because time directly affects recovery chances. Acting quickly gives the best odds.

Deleted today to 7 days: ~95% recoverable.
Deleted 7–30 days: ~80% recoverable.
Deleted 30–90 days: ~60% recoverable.
Deleted 90+ days: ~40% recoverable.
Deleted 1+ year: ~20% recoverable but still possible.