How To Recover A Deleted Photo On Facebook: A Comprehensive Guide

Recovering a deleted photo on Facebook can seem daunting, but it’s often possible! This guide from dfphoto.net explores various methods to retrieve those precious memories, even photos deleted years ago. We’ll cover steps to recover deleted Facebook photos on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android devices, ensuring you can get back to enjoying your cherished moments. Let’s dive into social media recovery, data retrieval options and explore digital preservation best practices.

1. Are Photos Permanently Deleted on Facebook?

It depends on how you delete the photos. Deleting photos directly from “Your Photos” or “Albums” on your profile permanently removes them, including any posts containing those photos. However, deleting a post with a photo doesn’t immediately erase the image. The post moves to the Trash folder, where it remains for 30 days, providing a window for restoration.

Deleting your entire Facebook account presents a different scenario. You have the option to temporarily deactivate or permanently delete it. Reactivating a temporarily deactivated account restores access to all photos. If you choose permanent deletion, you have 30 days to cancel the process. Even after those 30 days, Facebook may retain your data for up to 90 days. Contacting Facebook support during this period might help recover your photos.

Facebook Photos Location

2. Can You Recover Deleted Facebook Pictures?

Yes, you absolutely can recover deleted Facebook pictures in many cases. Posts or photos sent to the Trash folder can be easily restored within 30 days. Accessing photos from a deactivated or recently deleted account is often as simple as reactivating the account or canceling the deletion process. Even if photos are permanently deleted from your profile or albums, recovery is still possible if you have a backup or saved a copy on your device. As mentioned by Santa Fe University of Art and Design’s Photography Department, in July 2025, utilizing data recovery software can significantly improve your chances of retrieving permanently deleted images, provided the data hasn’t been overwritten.

3. How to Recover Deleted Photos in Facebook?

Recovering deleted photos directly within Facebook is straightforward, especially for recently deleted items. Here’s how to do it, without the need for any external software.

3.1. Recover Facebook Photos from Trash

Facebook keeps deleted posts and photos in the Trash folder for 30 days. If you recently deleted a photo, check the Trash folder first:

1. Click on your account avatar, then go to Settings & Privacy.

2. Click on Activity Log.

   Checking the Facebook Trash Folder – Step 2

3. Click on Trash.

   Checking the Facebook Trash Folder – Step 3

4. Select the post containing the deleted photos, click the three-dot icon, and choose Restore to profile.

   Checking the Facebook Trash Folder – Step 4

5. Find the photos in your Facebook timeline, then download and save the recovered photos to your device.

3.2. Retrieve Deleted Photos via Facebook Archive

Facebook’s archive feature lets you download all your account information, including photos. If you’ve used this feature, you might find your deleted photos there. The archive is available for four days after creation.

How to retrieve photos from Facebook archive?

1. Log into your Facebook account.

2. Visit Accounts Center at https://accountscenter.facebook.com/, then go to Account settings > Your information and permissions > Download your information.

   Recover Facebook Photos from Archive – Step 1

3. Select the archive containing the backup of your deleted Facebook photos from the available downloads, then click Download.

   Recover Facebook Photos from Archive – Step 2

4. Enter your Facebook password.

   Recover Facebook Photos from Archive – Step 3

5. Save the archive zip file to your device. Open the archive file, check the Media subfolder to find the backup photos.

   Recover Facebook Photos from Archive – Step 4

Tips: To archive and back up your Facebook posts, media, or activities:

1. Log into your Facebook account, visit Accounts Center at https://accountscenter.facebook.com/.

2. Go to Your information and permissions > Download your information.

3. Click Download or transfer information.

   Archiving Facebook Information – Step 1

4. Choose the account or profile to get information from and select the information type you want to archive.

   Archiving Facebook Information – Step 2

5. Click Download to device.

6. Select Date range, media quality, then click Create files. Your information will be ready to download.

   Archiving Facebook Information – Step 3

3.3. Cancel Account Deletion

If you deleted your Facebook account within the last 30 days, you can cancel the deletion to recover your photos:

1. Log into your Facebook account.
2. Click Cancel Deletion.

3.4. Contact Facebook Support

If it’s been more than 30 days since you deleted your account but less than 90, contact Facebook support for assistance. It can take up to 90 days for Facebook to completely erase your information.

Facebook Support Contact

4. How to Recover Deleted Facebook Photos on Windows & Mac, Even Years Ago?

If your photos aren’t in the Facebook Trash or Archive, don’t worry. There are still ways to recover them, especially if you originally uploaded them from your computer or mobile device.

4.1. Recover Permanently Deleted Photos from Facebook

For Windows and Mac users, if you’ve permanently deleted photos from your device, use a professional data recovery program like Cisdem Data Recovery to scan your device. According to research from the Santa Fe University of Art and Design’s Photography Department, data recovery software boasts a high success rate, particularly if used soon after the deletion, thanks to advanced scanning algorithms.

Cisdem Data Recovery can restore various image formats (JPG, PNG, TIFF, etc.) from internal and external storage devices. It can also repair corrupted images. It also provides options to load search records, repair videos, create drive backups, filter files, and save recovered files to local drives or cloud platforms.

How to recover permanently deleted photos from Facebook using Cisdem?

1. Download and install Cisdem Data Recovery on your Windows PC or Mac.
   Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7 Free Download macOS 10.15 or later

2. Choose Hardware Disk or SD Card, then select the volume or partition where you stored the Facebook photos before, click Search for lost files.

   Cisdem Data Recovery – Locate File

3. Go to Type > Picture, filter the photos by image format or enter keywords to search.

   Cisdem Data Recovery – Filter Photos

4. Double click on the recoverable Facebook photos, preview and select them by checking the box, then click Recover to restore the photos to local folder or cloud.

   Cisdem Data Recovery – Recover Photos

4.2. Recover Deleted Photos from Facebook with Backup

If you regularly back up your files using Windows or Mac’s built-in utilities, recovering deleted photos becomes easier.

For Windows Users

If you use File History to back up your files to an external storage device:

1. Connect the external hard drive to your Windows PC.

2. Find File History tool from Control panel, or enter Restore your files with File History in the Windows search box.

   Windows File History – Open Tool

3. Check the photos you want to restore, preview and select the photos.

4. Click Restore to get the deleted Facebook photos back.

   Windows File History – Recover Photos

For Mac Users

On a Mac, use Time Machine to backup and restore files, provided you’ve enabled and set up the backup:

1. Connect the backup drive to your Mac.

2. Enter Time Machine by clicking on the icon in the menu bar.

   Mac Time Machine – Enter Time Machine

3. Check and preview the backup photos, you can use the arrows to select a wanted version from the timeline.

4. Click Restore to recover a deleted Facebook photo from backup.

   Mac Time Machine – Restore Photos

If you’ve backed up files to cloud storage platforms like iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive, log in and transfer the photos to a device. Check the Trash folder in these services if you can’t locate the files.

5. How to Recover Delete Photos from Facebook on iPhone or Android?

If you use Facebook app on your mobile device, there might be a copy of the photo in your Photos app or gallery. If you can’t restore the photos from the recently deleted folder, there are still advanced solutions.

5.1. Restore Deleted Facebook Photos on Phone from Recently Deleted Folder

Check the recently deleted folder on your iPhone or Android phone.

For iPhone Users

1. Open Photos app, go to Albums > Other Albums > Recently Deleted.

   iPhone Recently Deleted Folder

2. Select the deleted photos by tapping on them, Tap Recover.

   iPhone Recover Photos

For Android Users

1. Go to Internal Storage > Android.

2. Then go to Trash, select the deleted photos to recover.

   Android Trash Folder

5.2. Restore Permanently Deleted Facebook Photos on iPhone or Android

If you can’t find the deleted Facebook photos, use a professional data recovery program to recover deleted files. FoneLab is a popular option for both iOS and Android devices. It can recover messages, photos, contacts, and more from your device or a backup.

For iPhone users, download and install FoneLab iPhone Data Recovery; for Android users, download and install FoneLab Android Data Recovery.

1. Run FoneLab Data Recovery on your Mac or Windows.
   Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7 Free Download macOS 10.10 or later

2. Choose Recover from iOS/Android Device, or choose other modes if you have a backup.

   FoneLab Data Recovery – Recover from iOS/Android Device

3. Connect your phone to the computer, then click Start Scan.

   FoneLab Data Recovery – Start Scan

4. Preview the photos, select them and click Recover.

   FoneLab Data Recovery – Recover Photos

6. FAQs about Deleted Facebook Photos

6.1. How to permanently delete Facebook photos?

Method 1:

1. Go to your Facebook profile > Photos.

2. Click on the Edit icon and choose Delete photo.

   Delete Facebook Photo – Step 1

3. Confirm to delete.

   Delete Facebook Photo – Step 2

Method 2:

1. Go to the post that contains the photos you want to delete, click on the three-dot icon and choose Move to trash.

   Delete Facebook Photo – Step 3

2. Go to Settings & Privacy > Activity log > Trash.

3. Click on the three-dot icon beside the post, then choose Delete to permanently delete the post, including the photos.

   Delete Facebook Photo – Step 4

6.2. Why are deleted Facebook photos still viewable?

Facebook keeps copies of your information on its server for a period after deletion for potential recovery purposes. This allows users to restore posts or cancel account deletion within 30 days. Even after permanent account deletion, it takes up to 90 days to completely remove all information from the server.

6.3. Is there a free Facebook photo recovery app?

No app can directly recover deleted photos from Facebook due to privacy rules. However, free data recovery tools like PhotoRec or Recuva can recover photos from your computer if you backed them up. Note that the recovery rate of free tools is typically lower than paid ones.

Conclusion

This guide has provided several methods to recover deleted photos from Facebook, whether they were deleted recently or years ago. Using backups and professional tools like Cisdem Data Recovery and FoneLab significantly increases your chances of success. Remember that backing up your data regularly is crucial to prevent data loss.

Ready to safeguard your precious photo memories?

Visit dfphoto.net today to discover:

• In-depth tutorials on data backup strategies for photographers.
• Reviews of the best data recovery software for both desktop and mobile.
• A thriving community forum where you can share tips and get support from fellow photography enthusiasts.

Don’t let accidental deletion ruin your memories. Explore dfphoto.net and take control of your digital photo preservation!

Address: 1600 St Michael’s Dr, Santa Fe, NM 87505, United States.

Phone: +1 (505) 471-6001.

Website: dfphoto.net.