How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files on Android | Retrieve Photos/Videos 2025, by iMobie on YouTube. 2 min 57 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 57 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Open the Gallery or My Files app on your phone and look for a folder called Recently Deleted, Trash or Recycle Bin. Restore your files from there before the 30 day limit runs out.
If the files were photos or videos, open Google Photos and tap Library, then Trash. Select the items you want and tap Restore to put them back in your library.
For files stored in the cloud, open the Google Drive app and tap the menu icon. Choose Trash, pick the file and tap Restore.
Check that the restored file appears in its original folder or album. Open it once to confirm it is not corrupted.
If the trash is empty, stop using the phone for new photos and downloads. New data can overwrite the space where your deleted file still sits.
Connect the phone to a computer with a USB cable and enable file transfer mode. Run a desktop recovery tool that scans the phone storage for deleted photos and videos.
Preview the files the scan finds, select only the ones you need, and save them to your computer rather than back to the phone.
Tips and common mistakes
Empty the trash as late as possible, since most Android trash folders delete items automatically after 30 days.
Turn on Google Photos backup so future photos are safe even if the phone is lost or wiped.
Avoid installing recovery apps on the same phone storage you are trying to recover, as the install can overwrite the deleted data.
Recovery is never guaranteed once files are overwritten, so treat any tool result as a best effort.
Questions
Can I recover files that were permanently deleted without a backup?
Sometimes, if the storage space has not been reused yet. A deep scan tool run from a computer gives the best chance, but results are not guaranteed.
How long do deleted files stay in the Android trash?
Most phones and Google Photos keep them for about 30 days before deleting them for good. Restore them before that window closes.
Do I need to root my phone to recover files?
No. The trash, Google Photos and Google Drive methods work on any normal Android phone without root.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
