How to Permanently Delete Photos from Android Before Selling

For safety, it is recommended using a dedicated data erasing app to help you permanently delete photos/images from Android before selling.

Steps: https://www.techgizz.com/permanently-delete-photos-from-android

When you plan to sell your Android phone and permanently delete photos, restoring the factory settings alone isn't thorough enough. They may leave traces of your data. You may think that a factory reset (Settings > System > Reset) is enough, but this doesn't completely erase all your data, especially if the data is stored in a specific area or you didn't erase the SD card properly. Delete all accounts and data before a factory reset; if you have an SD card, format it separately. Use dedicated apps or tools with secure erase capabilities—they overwrite your data multiple times, making recovery extremely difficult.

When you delete photos normally, they often just get marked as "deleted" but can still be recovered with simple recovery tools. Use a data wiping app that overwrites your storage multiple times. Forgetting to wipe or remove the SD card. Photos stored there are still accessible. Remove and securely wipe or physically destroy the SD card if you’re really paranoid.

How to permanently delete photos from Android? If your photos are synced with Google Photos or other cloud services, deleting them locally won’t delete cloud copies. Log into your cloud account (Google, Dropbox, etc.) and delete photos there too.

Perform a factory reset​​ to delete photos​​ from Android phone.

1. This wipes all data from your phone and restores it to factory settings.
2. Go to ​​Settings​​ > ​​System​​ > ​​Reset options​​ > ​​Erase all data (factory reset)​​.
3. Tap ​​Reset phone​​ (or similar).
4. If prompted, enter your PIN, pattern, or password.
5. Confirm the reset.

After this step, your phone will be like new — all apps, accounts, and files will be erased.

Optional: Use Data Wiping Apps (For Extra Security)​​

If you want an added layer of security in order to delete photos​​ permanently from Android, you can use apps designed to securely wipe data.

These apps overwrite deleted files with random data, making recovery nearly impossible.

Note: These are optional but can provide peace of mind, especially for sensitive data.

Final Tips Before Selling

Remove your Google account​​ and any other accounts (like Samsung, Mi, etc.) from the device.

​​Disable Factory Reset Protection (FRP)​​ by removing your Google account before resetting (otherwise, the new owner may be locked out).

​​Factory reset again after encryption​​ (if you encrypted after backing up), just to be thorough.

When you delete photos directly from your Android (like through the gallery app or file manager), it usually just moves them to the “Deleted” or “Trash” folder temporarily. From there, if you permanently delete photos from Android, they’re gone — but not necessarily unrecoverable if you change your mind. The main risk comes if you use a third-party app or delete in bulk and accidentally select the wrong ones. It’s easy to get mixed up, especially if you’re deleting lots of photos at once.

Also, if your phone automatically syncs or back-ups your photos to cloud services (like Google Photos or OneDrive), deleting locally won’t delete them from the cloud unless you do that explicitly.

From my own experience:

• I once thought I was permanently deleting some old pics, but I used a “Delete All” button by mistake. Luckily, I had Google Photos synced, so I just restored them from the trash in Google Photos. That saved my butt!
• On another occasion, I accidentally deleted a bunch of photos from my phone’s storage, but I quickly used a recovery app, and I was able to get most back. The key was acting fast before new data overwrote the deleted files.

My tip?

• If you’re doing a big clean-up, double-check what you’re permanently delete photos from Android before confirming. Better safe than sorry.
• Make sure you have backups if those photos are super important — Google Photos, OneDrive, or even a PC backup.

Permanently deleting photos from your Android device before selling it is essential to protect your personal data. Simply deleting photos or even formatting your device may not be enough, as data can often be recovered with the right tools. Here's a step-by-step guide to ​​permanently delete photos​​ from Android:

Method 1: Use a File Manager to Delete Photos from Hidden Folders​​

Some apps store photos in hidden or system folders (like WhatsApp, Instagram, etc.). Use a file manager app (like ​​Files by Google​​ or ​​Solid Explorer​​) to navigate to:

• DCIM/
• Pictures/
• WhatsApp/Media/
• Instagram/

Manually delete any leftover photos from these folders.

Method 2: Encrypt Your Device (Highly Recommended)​​

Encrypting your device scrambles your data, making it unreadable even if someone tries to recover it after a factory reset.

Go to ​​Settings​​ > ​​Security​​ (or ​​Biometrics and Security​​) > ​​Encrypt Phone​​ or ​​Encrypt Device​​.

Follow the on-screen instructions.

This process may take some time, depending on your device and storage size.

By following these steps, you can ​​permanently delete photos​​ from Android phone and the photos cannot be recovered by anyone after you sell your Android device.

To permanently delete photos from Android device, including ensuring they are not recoverable, follow these steps:
1. Delete Photos from Gallery/Photos App:
* Open the Gallery or Google Photos app.
* Select the photos you want to delete.
* Tap the Delete option.
* Confirm deletion. Usually, the photos will move to a Trash or Recently Deleted folder.

2. Empty the Trash/Recently Deleted Folder:
* Navigate to the Trash or Recently Deleted album within the app.
* Permanently delete photos from Android there to free storage and prevent recovery.
* In Google Photos:
* Tap Library > Trash.
* Tap Empty Trash.

3. Clear App Cache and Data (Optional):
* Go to Settings > Apps.
* Select the Photos or Gallery app.
* Tap Storage > Clear Cache and Clear Data.
* This can help remove residual data but won't recover deleted photos.

4. Use a File Shredder App (For Enhanced Security):
* Download a reputable file shredder or secure delete app from the Play Store.
* These apps overwrite the deleted data, making recovery very difficult.

5. Remove Cloud Backups:
* If your photos are synced with Google Photos, Google Drive, or other cloud services:
* Delete the photos from these services.
* Also, empty trash or recycle bins in cloud accounts.

6. Wipe Free Storage (Optional):
* Use a secure deletion app to wipe free space on your device.
* This overwrites previously deleted files, making recovery impossible.

7. Factory Reset (Last Resort):
* If you want to ensure all data is wiped, perform a factory reset:
* Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset).

Note: This deletes everything on the device, so back up important data first.