How to Retrieve Deleted Photos on Any Device [2023 Update]
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you have unknowingly deleted some of your most cherished photos and are at your wit's end, not knowing what to do? This happens with many of us as we lose entire collections of digital images for several reasons. First, you may accidentally press the delete all button or format your SD card, instantly obliterating years of carefully gathered and stored memories. However, this is not the end of the road, and your precious collection is forever gone. In this article, we tell you about not one but multiple ways how to retrieve deleted photos that can get you out of a very desperate situation.
How to Recover Deleted Photos on Windows 10/11
Ways 1. Restore from the Recycle Bin
This is where you should check first if you want to recover deleted photos on a Windows 11/10 computer. Recycle Bin is used as a particular folder by the operating system to store pictures that have been recently deleted. Here is how to find deleted photos from the Recycle Bin.
- Limitations:
- You should be able to find the files here only for a specific length of time or until it gets emptied manually.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Double-click on the icon of Recycle Bin to open it
- Now look for the images that you wish to recover and select them
- Then right-click on the selected images and tap on Restore. Alternatively, you can use the drag and drop method to shift files from the Recycle Bin to the folder you want to store them in.
- Wait a few moments for the process to complete, and all images get restored to their original location.
Ways 2. Using the Backup and Restore Feature
The Windows operating system also has a backup and recovery feature to assist in the recovery of deleted photos in Windows 11/10.
- Limitations:
- You must back up your computer from time to time to keep all your essential data protected and for this feature to work.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Link your computer with the storage media that has the Backup in it.
- Go to the Windows Start button and right-click on it. Next, go to Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore
- Then you have to either select Restore my files or Restore all users' files
- Look for the images that you have lost with the help of options like Browse for files or Browse for folders.
- Select the files and start the recovery process by tapping on 'Restore'
Ways 3. Using iBeesoft Photo Recovery Software
An iBeesoft Data Recovery is a comprehensive tool for Windows 11/10/8 that is used to recover permanently deleted photos/images, videos, audio, documents, and more. In case you cannot find your lost images in the Recycle Bin or cannot locate them on a backup, it is best to use this photo recovery software to restore deleted photos in Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7. It also supports a variety of data loss scenarios, system errors, factory resets, formatting, virus attack, and more. Besides this, you can also use this tool to Repair corrupted files during the search process.
- Limitations:
- Deep scanning can take a long while
- Trial version can only preview photos
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Install the software on your device, after which the app will automatically launch. You can do it manually if it does not found by going to the desktop shortcut and double-clicking on it.
- Once the photo recovery software opens, you can see different locations, which are your computer's other partitions and drives. Click on the site of the photos you have lost and want to recover, then hit 'Scan' on the side of the screen.
- It will start searching for the lost files. You will be able to see the different file folders found in the chosen location on the left side of your screen.
- Click on the folder in which the photos were found and preview them before clicking on 'Recover' to restore your desired images.
How to Retrieve Deleted Photos on Mac
Ways 1. Restore from the Trash
The Mac Trash Bin is one of the first locations you must check if you want to recover deleted photos or files in Mac. This is because once the images get deleted, the macOS first moves them to the Trash Bin, which serves as a temporary location but is made available to the user for quick recovery. Here is how to find deleted photos from the Mac Trash.
- Limitations:
- The items remain here for only a predetermined amount of time until it gets full or is emptied manually
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Click on the icon and open the Trash Bin.
- Look for the photo that you wish to recover
- Now right-click on the item and click on Put Back, after which the picture will be recovered and restored to its original location
Ways 2. Find from Recently Deleted in Photos
Once pictures are deleted from the gallery, they are placed in the "Recently Deleted" album for 30 days before being permanently deleted. Therefore, you can restore deleted photos on Mac before the end of the period.
- Limitations:
- Valid for 30 days
- Remove from gallery
Step-by-Step Guide:
- In the Photos app on your Mac, click Recently Deleted in the sidebar.
- Select the deleted photos.
- Click "Recover."
Ways 3. Get from a Time Machine Backup
The Mac operating system has a built-in backup and recovery tool known as Time Machine. This can be used to retrieve lost photos from your computer if you have been using it to create backup copies of your data. Follow the below steps to use Time Machine for deleted photos recovery.
- Limitations:
- The time machine requires an Apple-specific HFS+ filesystem to store backups
- The Backup is not bootable
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Connect your Mac with the backup disc
- In the folder where the lost images were located, open a Finder window
- Now click the clock icon on Mac’s menu bar and select Enter Time Machine. This will open Time Machine for you.
- Find the items that you want to recover and select them.
- Recover selected items by clicking on Restore
Ways 4. Using iBeesoft Mac Photo Recovery Software
If you want to learn how to retrieve permanently deleted photos on Mac in the best possible and most accessible way, use the iBeesoft Data Recovery for Mac. It is a professional Mac tool that can help you quickly find deleted pictures on Mac. Save time and hassle by using this program and recover deleted files from USB drives, SD cards, external hard drives, etc., in just a few easy steps.
- Limitations:
- Files are recovered to the secondary storage device
- The trial version can only restore 200M pictures for free
Step-by-Step Guide:
- First, download the iBeesoft Mac photo recovery software on your macOS and double-click the .dmg installation package. Then drag it to the APP folder on your Mac.
- Once the program is launched, keep just the Pictures selected and then tap on 'Start.'
- All hard disk or external storage devices are displayed in the following window. Look for the original photos' hard drive and select "Scan." This will start scanning the deleted data for you and recover the deleted photos on Mac.
- Wait a few moments for the tool to finish the scanning process, after which the software will find photos for you. Then click on Type > Graphics > the category name on the left side of the window to unfold it. The found photos can be previewed on the right-hand side. Select the desired images and save them on your device by hitting 'Recover.'
How to Recover Deleted Photos from iPhone/iPad
Ways 1. Check Recently Deleted Folders
Check your iPhone internal storage if you wish to try deleted photos recovery. This is where all recently deleted photos are stored, albeit for a limited time, usually 30 days. You can give it a try with the help of the below steps.
- Limitations:
- Only recently deleted files will be available
Step-by-Step Guide:
- On your iPhone, open the Photos app
- Now, move down to the bottom of the display, where you will find the Recently Deleted folder. Tap on it
- Look for the photos you want to recover and select them. Click Recover to get them back.
Ways 2. Recover from iCloud
Another method you can use is an iCloud backup to recover deleted photos on iPhone/iPad; all you have to do is follow the below steps.
- Limitations:
- This mode will wipe all data on your iOS device and restore it to when you backed it up
- Will not work after 30 days of deletion
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Go to Settings > [type in your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups on your iPhone
- Look for a valid backup to be used for the recovery
- Now go to Settings > General > Reset and select Erase All Content and Settings
- Go to Apps and Data > Restore from iCloud Backup.
- Click on Choose backup and pick the iCloud backup you wish to use for the recovery.
- Complete the process by following the onscreen prompts
Ways 3. Using iBeesoft iPhone Data Recovery Software
iBeesoft iPhone Data Recovery software is a recommended tool if you wish to recover deleted photos from an iPhone without backup. Although the iOS photo recovery app is helpful, it can be used only for recently deleted images on the iPad. iBeesoft, however, offers complete assistance in recovering photos with ease. With this program, you can get back all the deleted images on the iOS devices in simple steps.
- Limitations:
- The free version doesn't restore data
- Data Recovery for iPhone is separate
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Launch the iBeesoft iPhone Data Recovery program by clicking the icon on the desktop
- Click on Recover from iOS Device, and if the device is not visible, then enable the "Trust this computer" message pop-up on the iPad device. Then select 'Scan' to proceed.
- Upon scan completion, you will see the recoverable deleted photos on the next screen. Select photos from the left side and then mark the required pictures. Now click Recover to get the deleted images on your iPad/iPhone.
How to Recover Deleted Photos on Android from the Cloud Backup
Ways 1. Recover from Google Pictures
With these steps, you can recover deleted photos from Android directly by the Google Photo app.
- Limitations:
- This will work only in case your image was sent to Trash less than 60 days ago
- It will not work if you have emptied the Trash or permanently deleted the image before backing it up
Step-by-Step Guide:
- On your Android device, open the Google app
- Click on Menu > Trash.
- Tap on the photo you want to recover and hold it for a few moments
- Click on the Restore option to return the deleted picture.
Ways 2. Restore from Microsoft One Drive
You can try to restore your lost pictures through OneDrive Recycle Bin with the following steps.
- Limitations:
- You must have created a backup of your photos on One Drive
- On your Android device, launch OneDriveand then selects Me in the bottom navigation pane.
- Select Recycle Bin > choose the photos you want to recover > Click Restore.
Ways 3. Recover from Dropbox
Follow these steps to recover deleted photos if you are a Dropbox user.
- Limitations:
- Sync pictures to Dropbox
- On your Android device, open the web browser and type https://www.dropbox.com to open Dropbox
- Request a desktop site by using the options on the top right and sign into your Dropbox account
- On the left sidebar, click on Files > Deleted Files
- Tap on the file you want to recover and select Restore to return it to its original Dropbox location
Conclusion
In this article, we have taken you through the various ways that tell you how to retrieve permanently deleted photos of different devices. You need to follow a few easy steps, and you can restore all your precious and cherished memories that may have been deleted accidentally or for any other reason. However, the most preferred, simple, and hassle-free method would be to use the iBeesoft Data Recovery Software, which can come in handy whether you are using Windows, Mac, iPhone, or iPad. It can help you get your pictures back no matter how long ago you lost them.
FAQ
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Permanently deleted pictures can be recovered from your computer from a recent backup, the Recycle Bin folder, or data recovery software.
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You can recover permanently deleted images in Windows 10 from the previous version, File History, Windows backup, or command prompt.
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Go to the Google Photos app on your Android device, click on Library > Trash, touch and hold the image you want to restore, and click on Restore.
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You can recover deleted photos on Samsung using Samsung Cloud. If it fails, you can also use choose an Android recovery tool like Dr.Fone, MobiSaver For Android, iMobie PhoneRescue to help you
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Log in to your iCloud account from iCloud.com. Click on Photos > Library > Recently Deleted Album and select the photos you want to restore.
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You can use an online tool to recover permanently deleted photos from Google Photos after 60 days.
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- Download and install iBeesoft Free Data Recovery
- Click "go to setting" to deselect other file types
- Select a folder to scan
- Preview found pictures and save to drive