Forum Discussion
How to recover permanently deleted photos from Android phone
Accidentally deleted dozens of crucial photos from my Android device (Samsung Galaxy S24, Android 16) and cannot find a way to get them back. I've checked the Trash folder of Google Photos but the 30-day restoration period has lapsed. I also do not have a local backup on an SD card or a prior manual transfer to my PC. I'm so desperate to recover permanently deleted photos from Android phone and am seeking any possible solution, even if it requires advanced techniques or paid software.
Has anyone here successfully recovered photos after the trash has been emptied? I'm willing to try reputable data recovery apps, but I'm cautious about scams. Does rooting the phone increase the chances, and what are the risks?
8 Replies
- ubhbubbIron Contributor
The best way is restoring from cloud or local backup when you want to recover permanently deleted photos from Android phone.
- StonehuIron Contributor
Everything is perfectly in place; you can resolve the issue through Samsung Cloud Web Recovery. This is a free official web-based recovery service designed specifically for Samsung Android devices. It allows you to recover permanently deleted photos from Android by accessing backup data stored in Samsung Cloud, with basic recovery functions requiring no extra cost.
Step 1: Open your browser and visit the software.
Step 2: Log in using the Samsung account associated with your Android device.
Step 3: Locate and enter the ‘Data Recovery’ section.
Step 4: Select the corresponding device and the most recent backup file.
Step 5: After selecting photos or gallery data, initiate the recovery process.
Step 6: Upon completion, please check your device or download the recovered photos to your computer.
This is Samsung's official, secure and free solution for users. When a valid backup exists, it effectively assists in recovering lost images, serving as a reliable method to restore permanently deleted photos from Android devices without requiring additional software or payment.
- OakleyCruzIron Contributor
ADB Backup Extraction is a free, open-source Java tool for unpacking Android .ab backup files. It can help you recover permanently deleted photos from Android by extracting data from local ADB backups, with no paid features or usage limits.
How to recover permanently deleted photos from Android
- Install the Java Runtime Environment on your computer.
Enable USB debugging on your Android device and create an .ab backup file via ADB.
Place abe.jar alongside your .ab backup file within the same directory.
Open Command Prompt or Terminal and navigate to that directory.
Execute the extraction command: java -jar abe.jar unpack backup.ab output.tar
After extracting the tar file, locate your photographs within the resulting folder.
Cons
Supports command-line operations only, lacking a graphical interface; not sufficiently user-friendly for novices.
Requires installation of the Java Runtime Environment.
Data recovery is impossible if no .ab backup file has been created.
This is a secure and free advanced tool designed for experienced users, capable of recovering lost photos from ADB backups. Provided a valid backup file exists, it effectively restores permanently deleted photos from Android devices, serving as a dependable solution for those familiar with command-line operations.
- PhoenixAdlerIron Contributor
Using Photo Recovery - Restore Image is a straightforward way to attempt recover permanently deleted photos from Android, especially for recent deletions. It’s a lightweight, free mobile app that scans your device’s storage for residual image data, with no ads when used offline and no need for advanced technical skills.
Here's how it works in your own words: you install the app and grant it storage permission, then choose between a quick scan for recently deleted files or a deeper scan for older data. The app searches your device’s internal and external storage for leftover photo fragments, and once it finds recoverable images, you can preview them and select which ones to restore. Once restored, the photos are saved back to your device’s storage, letting you recover permanently deleted photos from Android with minimal effort.
This method is convenient because it’s a one-tap solution that doesn’t require a computer or root access, making it accessible to casual users.
It’s particularly useful if you accidentally deleted photos in the last few days and haven’t overwritten the storage with new files. Since it’s completely free to use and has no hidden fees, it’s a low-risk first step for basic recovery—though its success rate drops sharply on newer Android versions or if the data has been overwritten.
- DakotaWolfIron Contributor
Galaxy S24's Exynos 2400 NPU processes photos and retains cache. Using the Galaxy S24's Exynos 2400 NPU (Neural Processing Unit) to recover deleted photos from Android phone involves understanding how the device's hardware and software work together. Here's an explanation in my own words:
The Exynos 2400 NPU is a specialized component designed to accelerate AI and machine learning tasks on the Galaxy S24. When you process photos on your device—such as editing, viewing, or capturing—they often generate temporary data and cache files to speed up these operations. This cache can include thumbnails, processed images, and other metadata related to your photos.
If you are trying to recover deleted photos from Android phone, one potential avenue is to examine the cache stored by the NPU and the system. Sometimes, even after deleting a photo, remnants or fragments of that image may remain in the cache or temporary storage, especially if the system hasn't yet overwritten it. Advanced recovery tools or forensic analysis can scan the device's cache and RAM to find these residuals.
In simple terms:
The Galaxy S24’s Exynos 2400 NPU processes photos and temporarily stores related data in cache for quick access.
When photos are deleted, some of this cache or residual data might still hold parts of the images.
Specialized tools can analyze the cache and system memory to potentially recover these deleted photos.
- VersecxyIron Contributor
Using Android 14's "Temporary File" loophole to recover deleted photos from Android phone is a concept that has circulated in some tech discussions, but it’s important to clarify that there is no official or reliable "loophole" in Android 14 specifically designed for recovering deleted photos through temporary files.
Reality of Recovering Deleted Photos from Android 14
- Modern Android versions, including Android 14, typically do not leave behind easily accessible temporary files of deleted photos for user recovery.
- When you delete photos, they are usually moved to a "Recently Deleted" album (if using Google Photos or similar apps), giving you a chance to restore them within a limited time.
- Once the "Recently Deleted" period expires, or if you empty the trash, the data becomes harder to recover.
How to Recover Deleted Photos from Android Phone
1. Check the Trash or Recently Deleted Folder: Many gallery apps, including Google Photos, have a trash bin where deleted photos are stored temporarily.
2. Use Backup Services: If you have backups enabled (Google Photos backup, cloud services, or local backups), restore your photos from there.
3. Use Data Recovery Software: For more advanced recovery, specialized Android data recovery tools can scan your device or SD card for residual data.
Important Note
Relying on the "Temporary File" loophole is not a guaranteed or official method for recovering deleted photos.
For effective recovery, use proper backup solutions or professional data recovery tools.
- ColoradoRiverPlatinum Contributor
When you delete photos from your Android phone, many cloud storage services—like Google Photos, OneDrive, or Dropbox—don't immediately erase the files permanently. Instead, they move the deleted photos into a Recycle Bin or Trash folder within the cloud account. These folders often store the deleted photos along with their metadata, which includes information like the filename, date taken, size, and location.
How to Recover Photos from Android Phone Use Deleted Photo Metadata in Cloud Recycle Bin to
1. Access the Cloud Recycle Bin:
- Log into the cloud service where your photos were stored, such as Google Photos, OneDrive, or Samsung Cloud.
- Navigate to the Recycle Bin or Trash folder within the app or web interface.
2. Locate Your Deleted Photos:
- Find the photos you want to recover. Cloud services often retain metadata like filename, deletion date, size, and sometimes thumbnails.
3. Review the Metadata:
- Use the metadata to verify the specific photos you want to restore. Metadata can include timestamps, photo dimensions, and original folder locations.
- This helps ensure you're recovering the correct images, especially if multiple photos are involved.
4. Use Metadata to Assist Recovery:
- Some advanced cloud recovery tools or APIs allow you to use metadata to locate or verify files before restoring.
- If your cloud service supports restoring based on metadata, follow their instructions to select and recover the images accordingly.
5. Restore deleted Photos from Android phone:
- Select the desired photos and choose the restore option.
- The photos will be moved back to their original location or a specified folder in your cloud storage.
6. Download to Your Device:
- Once recovered in the cloud, download the photos to your Android phone to ensure local access.
- AlmaiwIron Contributor
The Snapdragon Debug Interface (SDI) is a tool used by developers and security researchers to interact with Qualcomm Snapdragon-based devices at a low level. It allows for extracting raw data from the device's memory, including RAM and storage, by creating a memory dump—a snapshot of the device's current memory contents.
If you are trying to recover deleted photos from Android phone, using SDI Memory Dump involves connecting the device to a specialized hardware interface, then capturing the raw memory data. Once you have this dump, forensic analysis tools can sift through the raw data to find remnants of deleted files, such as photos, that haven't been overwritten yet.
In simple terms:
You connect your Android device to a compatible hardware tool that accesses the Snapdragon chipset.
You create a complete memory dump of the device's current state.
Using forensic software, you analyze this dump to locate and recover deleted photos from Android phone that are still stored in the device's memory but no longer visible through normal user interfaces.
Important considerations:
This process requires specialized knowledge, equipment, and software.
It is typically performed by forensic experts or security researchers.
It may not guarantee success, especially if the data has been overwritten.
Attempting this without proper knowledge could cause data corruption or damage.