How Can I Restore Deleted Photos on My Phone? (Solved It for My Aunt Last Week!)
Last weekend, my aunt called me in panic mode.
“Beta, I accidentally deleted all my travel photos from my phone’s gallery. Can you please help me get them back?”
Like many people, she thought once a photo was deleted, it was gone forever. But thankfully, in most cases, that’s not true! Whether you’re using an Android or iPhone, there are multiple ways to recover deleted photos.
So in today’s blog post, I’ll walk you through exactly how I helped my aunt recover her deleted photos, step-by-step. These methods work for Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, iPhone, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, and more.
📌 First: Don’t Panic — Check the “Recently Deleted” Folder
Before diving into advanced solutions, start with this simple trick. Most phones have a built-in “Trash” or “Recently Deleted” folder where deleted images are stored temporarily.
✅ For Android Users (Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, etc.)
- Open the Gallery app
- Tap on Albums
- Scroll to Recently Deleted / Trash
- Select the photos you want to restore
- Tap Restore
Most Android phones keep deleted photos in the Trash for 30 days.
✅ For iPhone Users
- Open the Photos app
- Go to Albums
- Scroll to Recently Deleted
- Select and tap Recover
iPhones also keep photos in this folder for 30 days before they’re permanently erased.
This trick worked for my aunt — she had deleted the pictures just two days ago, and we quickly recovered them from the “Recently Deleted” folder. But if that folder is empty, don’t worry — keep reading.
🔍 Method 2: Recover From Cloud Backup (Google Photos / iCloud)
Most people use cloud backup without realizing it. Here’s how to check if your deleted photos were backed up:
✅ Google Photos (Android / iOS)
- Open Google Photos app
- Go to Library > Trash
- If you find your photos, tap Restore
Google Photos automatically backs up photos if sync is ON. Even if you delete from Gallery, the backup may still be there.
If you can’t find them in Trash, search for them manually using keywords or dates — Google Photos is smart at categorizing.
✅ iCloud (iPhone users)
- Go to iCloud.com on a browser
- Log in with your Apple ID
- Click Photos > Recently Deleted
- Select the images and click Recover
If iCloud backup is active, your deleted photos can be recovered from any device.
💻 Method 3: Use a File Recovery App (When Trash Is Empty)
If the photos were permanently deleted, third-party recovery apps may help. I tested some of these on an old Android phone — and they really work (though not guaranteed for 100% of photos).
⚙️ Top Recovery Apps You Can Try
| App Name | Platform | Notes |
| DiskDigger | Android | Works without root for basic recovery |
| Dr.Fone by Wondershare | Android/iOS | Paid tool, but very effective |
| Tenorshare UltData | iPhone/Android | Recovers from iPhone and iCloud |
| EaseUS MobiSaver | Android/iPhone | User-friendly, good results |
⚠️ Note: These apps work better if used soon after deletion. If you’ve overwritten too much new data, recovery becomes difficult.
How I Used DiskDigger (For My Aunt’s Android)
- Installed DiskDigger Photo Recovery from Google Play Store
- Gave access to internal storage
- Chose Basic Scan
- Found over 100 recently deleted image files
- Selected and saved them to her Google Drive
Worked like a charm!
☁️ Method 4: Check Google Drive, WhatsApp, or Other Backups
Sometimes photos are automatically saved in other apps like:
- Google Drive
- OneDrive
- Dropbox
- WhatsApp media backups
Go to each app, log in, and browse through “Photos,” “Media,” or “Camera Uploads.” You may find a copy of the missing images there.
🧠 Tips to Avoid Losing Photos Again
Now that we got my aunt’s photos back, I set up a few things on her phone to prevent this from happening again:
✔️ Enable Auto-Backup
- For Android:
Go to Google Photos > Settings > Backup & Sync > ON - For iPhone:
Go to Settings > Photos > iCloud Photos > ON
✔️ Use Cloud Storage
Install Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or Amazon Photos to regularly back up important images.
✔️ Organize & Clean Your Gallery Monthly
Create albums, move old photos to the cloud, and delete clutter to avoid accidental deletions.
✅ Final Thoughts
To answer the question my aunt asked me — yes, you can restore deleted photos on your phone, and there are multiple ways to do it depending on your device and backup settings.
Whether it’s a Samsung, iPhone, Xiaomi, or OnePlus — start by checking your “Recently Deleted” folder, then look into cloud backups or recovery apps if needed.
If you’ve just lost some valuable memories, don’t lose hope. I’ve helped multiple friends and family members recover everything, and chances are, you can too.
Have you lost photos recently or want help with a specific phone model? Comment below or drop your query — I’ll reply with the best fix I know!
