How to Recover Deleted Photos from Samsung Phone

In our increasingly digital world, our smartphones have become repositories of our precious memories, especially in the form of photos. However, there’s nothing more panic-inducing than losing these irreplaceable snapshots due to an unexpected error, accidental deletion, or malicious attack. If you’re a Samsung smartphone user who has experienced this distressing situation, don’t despair just yet! In this article, we present a quick and easy guide to help you retrieve your lost photos from any Samsung device. Keep reading to discover how you can resurrect your cherished memories and safeguard them for the future.

Quick Navigation

Common Scenarios for Losing Photos	😭 What I’ve Done	😎 Solutions
Accidental Deletion	To free up some storage space or organize their gallery, I accidentally deleted important photos.	Method 1
Software Updates	Upgrade phone system.	Method 2 or Method 4
System Crash	My phone crashed due to hardware conflicts, software corruption, or virus attacks.	Method 4
Physical Damage	Phone was damaged by water, heat, or a hard fall.	Method 2, Method 3 or Method 4
Internal Malfunctions	The memory card is broken.	Method 3

How to Recover Deleted Photos from Samsung Phone

Method 1: Check Recycle Bin in the Gallery App

Step 1. Open the Gallery App

Locate and open the Gallery app on your Samsung phone. This app is typically pre-installed on Samsung devices.

Step 2. Access the Recycle Bin

Tab “MORE > Settings > Recycle Bin’ to access Recycle Bin on Samsung.

Step 3. View Deleted Photos

Once you are in the Recycle Bin, you should see a list of recently deleted photos and videos. The items are usually organized by date.

Step 4. Select and Restore

Browse through the deleted items and select the photos you want to recover. You can usually tap and hold to select multiple items. After selecting, look for a “Restore” or “Recover” option, and tap on it.

Step 5. Check the Gallery

Go back to the main Gallery interface and check whether the recovered photos are now visible in their respective albums or folders.

👀 Permanent Deletion after 30 Days:
Keep in mind that items in the Recycle Bin are typically retained for 30 days. After this period, they are permanently deleted from the device. Therefore, it’s essential to recover the photos within this timeframe.

Method 2: Retrieve Deleted Photos with Samsung Cloud

👀 Note: Check if You Have a Backup. Before you begin, ensure that your Samsung smartphone has been set to backup photos to Samsung Cloud. This feature isn’t enabled by default, so you’ll need to have turned it on manually in the past.

Step 1. Access Samsung Cloud

On your Samsung smartphone, go to Settings > Accounts and Backup > Samsung Cloud. Make sure you’re logged in with the same Samsung account that was used when the backup was created.

Step 2. Locate Your Photos

Tap on ‘Gallery’ under the data tab. You will now see all the photos that have been backed up from your smartphone to Samsung Cloud.

Step 3. Select and Restore Photos

Choose the photos you wish to retrieve. After selecting, tap on ‘Restore’. The selected photos will now be restored to your device.

Step 4. Check Your Gallery

Open your phone’s gallery app and you should find your restored photos there.

Retrieving photos using Samsung Cloud requires an active internet connection as all data is stored online. Also, note that Samsung provides 15GB of free storage for each account. If you have used up this space, you may need to free up some space or upgrade your storage plan to retrieve more photos.

Method 3. Using the Google Photos App

Step 1. Access Google Photos

On your Samsung smartphone, open the Google Photos app. If you’re not logged in, sign in to the Google Account where you’ve backed up your photos.

Step 2. Check Backups

On the main screen of Google Photos, click on the ‘Photos’ icon at the bottom. This will show all photos that have been backed up to your account.

Step 3. Find Your Lost Photos

If your lost photos have been backed up, they should appear in this list. Scroll through the list or use the search bar at the top to find specific photos.

Step 4. Restore Deleted Photos

If you’ve accidentally deleted photos from your device but they were backed up in Google Photos, you can recover them from the ‘Trash‘.

Tap on ‘Library‘ at the bottom, then select ‘Trash‘. Any photo or video that you’ve deleted stays there for 60 days. Select the photos you want to restore and tap ‘Restore‘. They’ll be returned to their original location on your phone.

Step 5. Download Backed Up Photos

If your phone got damaged or lost and you need to recover the photos onto a new device, you can do so as long as they were backed up on Google Photos. Just log into your Google Account on your new device and download the desired photos.

Method 4. Using Data Recovery Software

Numerous data recovery software for SD Card Recovery are available, both free and paid. Some of the most popular ones include OneRecovery, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, Disk Drill, and Recuva. They all have user-friendly interfaces and support all types of SD cards. Here we take OneRecovery as an example to show the steps of photo recovery.

OneRecovery is a powerful yet user-friendly software that can help recover deleted photos from any Samsung phone. Here’s how to use it for photo recovery:

Step 1. Install OneRecovery

First, download and install OneRecovery for Windows or Mac on your computer.

Step 2. Connect Your Phone

Connect your Samsung phone to the computer using a USB cable. Enable USB debugging on your phone so the software can detect it. 

Step 3. Launch OneRecovery

Once your device is connected, launch the OneRecovery data recovery software on your computer.

Step 4. Scan Your Device

In OneRecovery’s main window, you will see a list of available devices for data recovery. Locate and select your Samsung phone from the list to scan.

Step 5. Preview and Select Photos

After the scan, you will be presented with a list of files that can be recovered. You can preview these files to ensure they are the ones you want to retrieve. Look for the photos you wish to recover and tick the boxes next to them.

Step 6. Recover Photos

Once you’ve selected all the photos you want to recover, click on the “Recover” button at the bottom of the screen. A window will appear asking where you want to save the recovered files. Choose a location on your computer and click ‘OK.’

Step 7. Wait for Recovery

OneRecovery will now recover the selected photos and save them in the chosen location on your computer. The recovery process may take some time depending on the size of the data being recovered.

Step 8. Check Recovered Photos

Once recovery is complete, navigate to the chosen location on your computer and verify if all your lost photos were successfully recovered.

Bonus Tips: How to Lower the Risk of Photo Loss

While recovering deleted photos can be a lifesaver, it’s always best to avoid losing them in the first place.

Tip 1: Regular Backups

The most effective way to prevent photo loss is by regularly backing up your photos. Samsung offers a built-in feature called Samsung Cloud that you can use for this purpose. Alternatively, you can use other cloud services like Google Photos, Dropbox, or OneDrive. Just make sure to schedule regular backups so that even if you lose any data from your device, you can still retrieve it from your backup.

📖 Read Also: How to Backup Your Data?

Tip 2: Using a MicroSD Card

Most Samsung phones support MicroSD cards. You can store your photos and videos directly on the MicroSD card instead of the phone’s internal storage. This way, even if something happens to your phone, you still have your photos safe on the SD card.

📖 Read Also: How to Check SD Card Health

Tip 3: Install a Reliable Antivirus App

Sometimes, viruses or malware can cause data loss. Installing a robust antivirus app on your Samsung phone can help protect your photos from such threats.

Tip 4: Avoiding Physical Damage

Physical damage to your phone can result in data loss. Always use a good quality phone case and screen protector to protect your device from damage.

Tip 5: Handle Your Phone Carefully

Avoid handling your phone with wet hands or using it in places where it could easily fall and get damaged, like near swimming pools or open windows.

FAQ

🔸 Can you recover permanently deleted photos?

Recovering permanently deleted photos on Samsung is challenging if the photo wasn’t backed up or if you moved it to the trash over 30 days ago. Once permanently deleted from the device’s gallery app, restoration becomes much less likely. However, you could try to use third-party data recovery software to recover the photos, such as OneRecovery, Disk Drill, Dr.Fone, etc.

🔸 Can I recover photos from a lost Samsung phone?

If you have regularly backed up the photos on Samsung Cloud or Google Photos, it’s highly possible to recover photos from a lost or stolen phone. Read this guide to find out the step-by-step solutions.

🔸 How to wipe my phone for good?

1. Navigate to “Settings” > “System.”
2. Select “Reset Options.”
3. Choose “Erase all data (factory reset).”
4. Tap “Reset phone.”
5. Confirm by tapping “Erase everything.”

These steps will restore your phone to its original factory settings, erasing all data. It is essential to note that this process is irreversible, so ensure you have backed up important data before proceeding.

Wrap Up

Retrieving deleted photos from your phone can be promising especially if you back up your data regularly. Still, you could always try to use data recovery software to recover photos without backup. Simply follow our guide to get back the important memories!