Accidentally deleting photos can be an alarming experience, especially if they hold sentimental value or are essential for work. Fortunately, most modern devices, including smartphones and computers, offer a “Recently Deleted” feature that provides a safety net for users who need to recover their deleted photos.
1. Recently Deleted Photos
Most people delete photos by accident at some point, whether it’s due to a slip of the hand, a malfunction, or simply not realizing they’ve selected the wrong images. To help avoid permanent loss, many devices have built-in features that temporarily store deleted photos in a designated folder called “Recently Deleted.” These photos typically remain in the folder for a set period (usually around 30 days) before they are permanently removed.
2. How to Recover Photos from the Recently Deleted Folder on iPhone
Step-by-Step Recovery Process:
Apple's iPhone is known for its intuitive and user-friendly interface, and its Photos app includes a “Recently Deleted” album. If you delete a photo, it remains in this album for 30 days before it’s permanently erased.
Follow these steps to recover your photos from the Recently Deleted folder on your iPhone:
Open the Photos App: Navigate to the Photos app on your iPhone.
Go to the Albums Tab: Scroll down until you see the “Recently Deleted” album under the "Utilities" section.
Open the Recently Deleted Album: Tap on the album to view all the photos you have recently deleted.
Select the Photos You Want to Recover: Tap “Select” in the upper-right corner and choose the photos you want to restore.
Recover the Selected Photos: Tap “Recover” at the bottom-right corner of your screen, then confirm by tapping “Recover Photo(s)” again. The photos will be restored to their original albums.
Tips for Maximizing Recovery Chances:
Act Quickly: Remember, the photos in the Recently Deleted album are only stored for 30 days. If you wait longer than this, the photos will be automatically and permanently deleted.
Check Storage Space: Sometimes photos can be difficult to recover if your iPhone’s storage is running low. Always ensure you have enough storage available to avoid issues.
3. How to Recover Photos from Recently Deleted on Android
Android users also benefit from a Recently Deleted feature, though it may vary slightly depending on the manufacturer or the type of gallery app in use.
Default Gallery App Recovery:
Many Android phones (such as Samsung and Huawei) come with their own built-in gallery apps that include a Recently Deleted folder. Here’s how to recover photos from this folder:
Open the Gallery App: Navigate to the gallery app on your Android phone.
Go to the Recently Deleted Section: Typically, this option is found under the settings menu or in a dedicated "Albums" section.
Select the Photos to Recover: Like on the iPhone, you can select the photos you want to restore.
Tap Recover: Press the “Recover” or “Restore” button to move the photos back to their original location.
Google Photos Method:
If you use Google Photos as your main photo gallery, it automatically saves deleted items in its “Trash” folder for 60 days.
Open Google Photos: Launch the Google Photos app on your Android device.
Navigate to Trash: Tap on the Library tab at the bottom, then tap “Trash.”
Select the Photos You Want to Recover: Choose the photos you wish to recover.
Restore the Photos: Tap “Restore” to bring the photos back to their original albums.
4. Recovering Photos from Recently Deleted on Windows
On a Windows computer, when you delete a photo, it usually goes to the Recycle Bin, where it stays until you empty the bin or restore the files. Here’s how to recover deleted photos from the Recycle Bin:
Using File Explorer and Recycle Bin:
Open the Recycle Bin: You can find the Recycle Bin on your desktop or by typing "Recycle Bin" in the Start menu search bar.
Locate Your Deleted Photos: Look through the Recycle Bin for the photos you deleted.
Right-Click and Restore: Once you find the photos, right-click on them and select “Restore.” The photos will be moved back to their original location.
Third-Party Recovery Software:
Panda Assistant is an advanced data recovery software tailored to help users retrieve lost, deleted, or corrupted files from various storage devices. Whether you're dealing with an accidentally deleted photo on your smartphone, a lost document on your computer, or data corruption on an external hard drive, Panda Assistant offers an effective way to recover what you've lost.
User-Friendly Interface: Panda Assistant prioritizes user experience with a simple and intuitive interface. Even those with limited technical knowledge can navigate the software with ease, making the recovery process straightforward and accessible.
Comprehensive File Recovery: The software supports a wide range of file formats, including images, videos, documents, and more. Whether you’re recovering files from a hard drive, USB drive, memory card, or even an SSD, Panda Assistant can help you retrieve the data you need.
Advanced Scanning Modes: Panda Assistant employs advanced scanning algorithms to locate lost files efficiently. The software offers two scanning modes—quick scan and deep scan—allowing users to choose the appropriate method based on their needs. The quick scan is faster and ideal for recently deleted files, while the deep scan dives deeper into the storage device, uncovering files that may be harder to retrieve.
Preview Functionality: Before recovering files, users can preview them to ensure they are restoring the correct documents or images. This feature helps to eliminate confusion and saves time by allowing users to recover only the files they truly need.
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Panda Assistant is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems, ensuring that users can recover data regardless of their device. This versatility makes it an ideal choice for various users.
5. Recovering Photos from Recently Deleted on macOS
macOS offers a Recently Deleted folder in the Photos app, similar to iPhones. However, Mac users also benefit from the ability to use Time Machine, Apple's built-in backup system, to recover deleted files.
Utilizing the Photos App’s Recently Deleted Album:
Open the Photos App: Launch Photos on your Mac.
Click on the Recently Deleted Album: On the left sidebar, scroll down to find the Recently Deleted album.
Select Photos to Recover: Like on iOS devices, select the photos you wish to restore.
Restore Photos: Click “Recover” to bring the photos back to their original location in your library.
Time Machine for Extra Backup:
If you use Time Machine, you can restore deleted photos from a previous backup:
Open Time Machine: Enter Time Machine by clicking the Time Machine icon in the menu bar.
Navigate to the Date You Want to Restore From: Use the timeline on the right to find the date before the photos were deleted.
Find and Restore the Photos: Once you find the deleted photos, click “Restore” to recover them to your Mac.
6. How Long Do Photos Stay in Recently Deleted Folders?
The length of time that photos remain in the Recently Deleted folder varies by device and platform:
iOS (iPhone/iPad): Photos stay for 30 days before they are permanently deleted.
macOS: Photos remain in the Recently Deleted album for 30 days.
Android (default gallery app): This can vary depending on the manufacturer, but most devices keep photos for around 30 days.
Google Photos: Deleted items remain in the Trash for 60 days before they are permanently deleted.
Windows: Items stay in the Recycle Bin until manually emptied or until the storage limit for the bin is exceeded.
macOS Time Machine: Backups remain as long as space allows, giving you an extended window to recover files.
7. What to Do if You Can’t Find Photos in Recently Deleted
If your photos have already been permanently deleted from the Recently Deleted folder, don’t panic! There are other ways you can attempt to recover them.
Exploring Alternative Recovery Methods:
Cloud Storage: Check if your device is connected to a cloud service like iCloud, Google Drive, or OneDrive. These services often offer backups that might include your deleted photos.
Backup Files: If you’ve backed up your device (via iTunes, Time Machine, or other methods), you may be able to restore your photos from a backup.
Using Cloud Services for Backup:
Always make sure your devices are regularly backed up to the cloud. Most cloud services offer the ability to automatically sync and backup photos, making recovery easy in case of accidental deletion. Google Photos and iCloud are two prominent examples of such services.
8. Best Practices for Preventing Future Photo Loss
To prevent accidental deletion of important photos and avoid the stress of trying to recover them, consider adopting the following best practices:
Enable Auto Backup: Ensure that your photos are automatically backed up to a cloud service, such as iCloud, Google Photos, or Dropbox.
Use External Storage Devices: Regularly back up your photos to an external hard drive or SSD to create a secondary copy of your files.
Organize Photos Regularly: Keep your photo library organized, and review files periodically to avoid accidental mass deletion.
Use Data Recovery Software: Install reliable data recovery software that you can use as a fallback
