In this wikiHow, you will learn how to restore photos that you have previously deleted from your computer, smartphone, or tablet. However, you should keep in mind that it is quite likely that some of them cannot be recovered unless you try right after deleting them.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Recover Photos on Windows
Step 1. Check the Recycle Bin
You must double-click the Recycle Bin application icon to open it before proceeding to the process of downloading and using file recovery software. Then find the photos you deleted.
- In case you find them, you can restore them, for which you must select them, right-click on the photo you have selected and then, in the drop-down menu that opens, click on Restore.
Step 2. Download Recuva on a separate computer
You should not download anything to that computer until the photos are recovered. Therefore, for this step, you will need another computer. You must do the following to download Recuva:
- Go to https://www.ccleaner.com/recuva/ in your browser.
- Scroll to the bottom and click the option Free Download ("Free download").
- Do click in the link CCleaner.com found on the left side of the page.
- Click on Start Download ("Start download").
Step 3. Install Recuva on a USB stick
Insert a USB stick in the computer on which you have downloaded Recuva and then do the following:
- Double click on the Recuva runtime file.
- Click on And it is ("Yes") when asked.
- Check the box No thanks, I don't need CCleaner ("No thanks, I don't need CCleaner").
- Do click in the link Customize ("Personalize").
- Uncheck all the boxes on the page.
- Do click in the link More ("More") at the bottom of the page.
- Click on Browse ("To explore").
- Scroll down and select the name of your USB stick.
- Click on okay ("To accept").
- Click on Install ("Install").
Step 4. Eject the USB stick after finishing installing Recuva
Now, it is possible to run Recuva from the USB stick. In this way, you will be able to scan your computer without adding any files to it and thus possibly overwrite the space of the deleted photos.
Step 5. Insert the USB stick into your Windows computer
This memory should fit into one of the USB ports on your computer. When your computer recognizes the memory, a window will open.
- In case a window does not open, you must click on Beginning
Windowsstart , Then in File Browser
Windowsstartexplorer and then click on the USB stick, which is on the left side of the window.
Step 6. Open Recuva
To do this, double click on the program recuva64. This is in the USB memory window.
Step 7. Click Yes when prompted
This will open the Recuva window.
Step 8. Click Next
This button is in the lower right corner of the window.
Step 9. Check the "Pictures" box and then click Next
The "Pictures" box is near the top of the window.
Step 10. Click Next
In this way, Recuva will be able to scan your entire computer to find the deleted photos.
- In case you know which folder the deleted photos have been in, check the box In a specific location ("In a specific location"), then click Browse … ("Browse") to choose the folder.
Step 11. Click Start
This button is at the bottom of the window. Recuva will start scanning your computer to find the deleted photos.
It may take several minutes to finish this process
Step 12. Review the results
All files with a green circle next to them constitute a "healthy" photo. This means that it can be restored without losing data.
Step 13. Recover as many photos as possible
Check the box to the left of each photo you want to restore (or select everything by clicking the box in the upper left). Then do the following:
- Click on Recover … ("Get it back").
- Click on Desktop ("Desk").
- Click on Make new folder ("Create new folder").
- Click on okay ("To accept").
- Wait for the photos to finish recovering in that new folder.
Step 14. Try restoring a backup
In case you have backed up your file history, you could recover your photos from this backup. Plug in the File History drive, and then do the following:
- Opens Beginning.
- Type restore files.
- Click on Restore files with File History.
- Find the folder of the photos.
- Select the version of the folder where the photos were located.
- Click on Restore.
Method 2 of 5: Recover Photos on a Mac
Step 1. Check the Trash
You should first open the Trash and find your files there before trying to restore your deleted photos using Time Machine.
- In case you find the photos in the Trash, you can select them, right-click on those files, and then click Get it back to restore them to their original locations.
Step 2. Open Spotlight
Click on the magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner of the screen. This will open a search bar.
Step 3. Type time machine
This will search for the Time Machine application on your computer.
Step 4. Click Time Machine
The icon for this app looks like a teal box that has a white clock on it. This will open Time Machine.
Step 5. Go to the location of your photos
On the left side of the window, click on the folder where the photos have been.
Step 6. Go to a backup you made while the photos were still on your computer
Click the upward-facing arrow on the right side of the Time Machine window. This will cycle through your backups until the photos you have deleted appear in the main window.
In case you go through the creation date of the photos and these still do not appear, you will not be able to restore them using Time Machine
Step 7. Select the files you want to restore
To do this, click and drag your mouse through a group of files or hold down the Command key and then click individual files to select them separately.
Step 8. Click Restore
This button is gray near the bottom of the Time Machine window. With this, you will restore the photos you have selected to their original location.
You may need to repeat the procedure in Time Machine for different folder locations
Method 3 of 5: Recover Photos from Your iPhone with iTunes
Step 1. Check the "Recently Deleted" folder on your iPhone
In case your phone uses iOS 10 onwards, the photos that are "deleted" are moved to the "Recently Deleted" folder. There they remain for 30 days. If you want to check this folder, do the following:
- Open the app Photos from your iPhone.
- Touch Albums in the lower right corner.
- Scroll down and tap Recently deleted.
- Look for the photos.
- To retrieve the photos, touch To select, touch the photos you want to recover and then touch the option Get it back located in the lower right corner of the screen.
Step 2. Connect your iPhone to your computer
Insert the USB port end of your iPhone charger cable into one of your computer's USB ports. Then, insert the other end of the cable into the charging port of your iPhone.
Step 3. Open iTunes
The icon for this app resembles a multi-colored music note on a white background.
Step 4. Click on the "Device" icon
This icon is an iPhone-shaped button in the upper-left side of the iTunes window. In this way, you will open the page of your iPhone.
Step 5. Make a backup of your iPhone
Click on Make a copy now in the "Backups" section and then, if prompted, click Transfer purchases. In this way, a copy of the files and settings of your iPhone will be made according to how they are at that moment.
- To perform backups, it may take a few minutes to half an hour.
- After you have restored a different backup where your photos are located, you can save them and return to the latest version of your iPhone.
Step 6. Click Restore Backup…
This option is on the right side of the "Backups" section. This will open a pop-up window.
You may need to disable the "Find my iPhone" option before continuing
Step 7. Choose a backup
Click the drop-down box in the pop-up window, and then select a date from the drop-down menu that opens.
Be careful to choose a date when the photos have been on your iPhone
Step 8. Click Restore
This option is at the bottom of the window and will start restoring the backup.
You may be asked to enter a password before continuing
Step 9. Wait for the restore to finish
This can take several minutes. After the restoration is finished, you can open your iPhone and view your photos there.
In case you want to restore the latest version of your iPhone, you should upload the deleted photos to Google Drive or iCloud before doing so, otherwise the photos will be deleted from your iPhone after the copy is restored. of security
Method 4 of 5: Recover Android Photos on Windows
Step 1. Download the Recuva runtime file
This is a free software recovery program by which you can recover deleted files from your Android on your computer. To download this program, you must do the following:
- Go to https://www.ccleaner.com/recuva/ in your browser.
- Scroll to the bottom and click the option Free Download ("Free download").
- Do click in the link CCleaner.com found on the left side of the page.
- Click on Start Download ("Start download").
Step 2. Install Recuva
To do this, you must do the following:
- Double click on the execution file rcsetup153.
- Click on And it is ("Yes") when asked.
- Check the box No thanks, I don't need CCleaner ("No thanks, I don't need CCleaner").
- Click on Install ("Install").
- Check the box Reboot now ("Restart now").
- Click on Finish ("Finalize").
- Wait for your computer to finish restarting.
Step 3. Connect your Android to your computer
Connect the rectangular end of the USB port of your Android's charger cable to one of your computer's USB ports, and then connect the other end to your Android's charging port. A notification should appear on your Android.
In case you don't see any notification on both your Android and your computer after a few seconds, try a different USB port
Step 4. Set your Android to MTP mode
Tap the "Connected as a media device" notification (or something similar) and then tap the option MTP.
It is possible that, in the case of some Androids, it is necessary to open the notification screen first, for which you must move your finger down from the top of the screen
Step 5. Open Recuva
To do this, double click on the application icon.
Step 6. Click Yes when prompted
This will open the Recuva window.
Step 7. Click Next
This option is in the lower right corner of the window.
Step 8. Check the "Pictures" box and then click Next
This box is near the top of the window.
Step 9. Select your Android as a storage location
Check the box In a specific location ("In a specific location"), then click Browse … ("Browse"), scroll down until you find the name of your Android, click on it and then on okay ("To accept").
In case you cannot see the name of your Android, it will not be possible to scan it directly. You will have to remove the SD card from your Android, connect it to an SD card to USB adapter and then connect the adapter to one of the USB ports of your computer in order to recover the deleted files. Once you have done that, you can choose the SD card as the location to perform the scan
Step 10. Click Start
This option is at the bottom of the window. Recuva will start scanning your computer to find the deleted photos.
Step 11. Wait for the scan to finish
This could take anywhere from a few minutes to around an hour, although it will depend on the size of your Android storage and the number of photos you have to recover.
Step 12. Click on the Filename box
After the scan is finished, you will see this option in the upper left corner of the Recuva window, with which all the recovered photos will be selected.
Step 13. Recover the photos to your computer
To do this, you must do the following:
- Click on Recover … ("Get it back…").
- Click on Desktop ("Desk").
- Click on Make new folder ("Create new folder").
- Click on okay ("To accept").
- Wait for the photos to finish recovering in that new folder.
- Before starting the recovery, you may need to click And it is ("Yes") or okay ("Accept") when asked.
Method 5 of 5: Recover Android Photos on a Mac
Step 1. Remove the SD card from your Android
Most Android phones or tablets contain a removable SD card where many of the Android photos and other files are stored.
- Keep in mind that the location of the card will vary, so you should check your phone's manual or look for documentation online to confirm where it is located.
- It is not possible to restore files that have been erased from the Android's internal hard drive without root it.
Step 2. Insert the SD card into your computer
To do this, you must have an SD card to USB adapter.
These adapters can be purchased online or at most tech stores for less than $ 10
Step 3. Download Data Recovery for Mac and install it
Go to http://www.recovering-deleted-files.net/recovery-software/mac-data-recovery/, scroll down and click Download ("Download"), double-click the download DMG file, and then follow the on-screen instructions.
- You may need to verify the download if prompted.
- Please note that Data Recovery for Mac is not free. However, it is possible to use the free version of this software to establish whether it is possible to recover your files.
Step 4. Open Data Recovery for Mac
Click on Spotlight
, type there data recovery and then click on the option Mac Data Recovery, which is at the top of the search results.
Step 5. Click Start New Scan
This option is at the top of the Data Recovery for Mac window.
Step 6. Select the SD card of your Android
Click on the card name in the upper left corner of the window.
Step 7. Click Erase Recovery
This option is in the center of the page.
Step 8. Check the "Deep Scan" option
This is near the lower-right side of the window. In this way, you will enable deep scan, through which there is a higher probability of recovering deleted files than with the "Quick scan" option.
- Note that deep scans may take several hours.
- If you are in a hurry or if you just deleted the file, you can just do the quick scan.
Step 9. Click Start Scan
This option is in the lower right corner of the window.
Step 10. Wait for the scan to finish
Since this could take from a few minutes to several hours, you should be careful that you have connected the computer to a power source.
Step 11. Find the deleted photos
You should be able to search through the recovered files as you normally would in Finder. You can recover deleted files if they are in the same location where they were before deleting them.
If you cannot find the deleted photos, it is most likely that they cannot be recovered
Step 12. Select the files you want to recover
Click and drag your mouse over all the photos you want to save, or hold down the Command key as you click individual photos.
Step 13. Click Recover
This option is in the lower right corner of the window.
Step 14. Follow the registration instructions on the screen
If the photos are important enough to buy the software, it will be possible to do so from this page. Once you have purchased the software, you can recover the deleted files.