Smartphones are our go-to devices for capturing life’s moments—photos and videos that hold cherished memories. But accidental deletions can happen, leaving you worried that those memories are gone forever. The good news? You can recover deleted photos and videos on your Android device with the right steps. This guide walks you through four effective methods to retrieve your lost media, ensuring you never lose those precious moments again.
For more Android tips, check out our ultimate guide to managing your device.
Method 1: Restore from the Recently Deleted Folder
When you delete photos or videos from your Android Gallery app, they’re often moved to a “Recently Deleted” folder, where they remain for up to 30 days. This gives you a window to recover them easily.
Steps to Recover from Recently Deleted:
- Open the Gallery app on your device. If your Gallery app isn’t working properly, learn how to fix common Android app issues.
- Tap on “Albums” and scroll down to find “Recently Deleted.”
- Press and hold a video or photo to select it, then tap to select additional items.
- Tap “Restore” to bring the files back to your Gallery.
This method works best if you act quickly. To prevent future losses, explore how to back up your Android data.
Method 2: Use an Android Data Recovery App for Permanently Deleted Files
If you’ve emptied the Recently Deleted folder or the 30-day period has passed, your photos and videos are permanently deleted from the device. However, a data recovery app like EaseUS MobiSaver for Android can help retrieve them without a computer. This app recovers not just photos and videos but also contacts, call logs, SMS, and WhatsApp messages.
Steps to Recover with EaseUS MobiSaver:
To recover permanently deleted videos/photos from Android phones:
Step 1. Launch the app on your phone and start scanning lost photos and videos by tapping the “START SCAN” button.
Step 2. Deleted photos and videos now appear on the screen.
Step 3. Tap on settings. You can set preferences to let the software scan and display certain file sizes, file formats, etc.
Step 4. After the scan, select displayed files and tap on Recover. Tap on the eye icon. All the recovered photos and videos are kept there.
For optimal performance during recovery, consider clearing your device’s RAM to speed up the process.
Method 3. Get Back Deleted Videos on Android via Google Photos
If you uploaded videos and photos from your Android device to the Google Photos app, then you can get them back directly from the Google Photos app, without a computer to help.
To recover deleted videos from an Android phone without a computer:
Step 1. On your Android device, open your Google Photos app.
Step 2. Tap “Menu” at the top left of your screen.
Step 3. Then, tap “Trash.”
Step 4. Choose the photos and videos you’d like to recover.
Step 5. Tap on “Restore.”
To ensure your media is always backed up, learn how to manage Google Photos settings.
Method 4: Restore from Google Drive Backup
If you’ve backed up your photos and videos to Google Drive, you can easily restore them to your Android device without a computer. Google Drive is a reliable cloud storage option for safeguarding your media.
Steps to Recover from Google Drive:
- Open the Google Drive app or log in via a browser using the same account you used for backups. For secure browsing, consider using a VPN on your Android.
- Locate the photos and videos you previously backed up.
- Select the files you want to restore and download them to your device.
To manage your downloads efficiently, use one of the best file manager apps for Android.
Conclusion
Losing photos and videos can feel devastating, but with these methods—checking the Recently Deleted folder, using a recovery app like EaseUS MobiSaver, or restoring from Google Photos or Drive—you can often get them back. To avoid future mishaps, back up your media regularly and secure your device. For more ways to safeguard your Android, explore our guide on recovering deleted apps and games.