Google Photos is a fantastic service for backing up your precious photo and video memories, offering peace of mind and freeing up space on your devices. It’s easy to rely on Google Photos to keep your memories safe and accessible across all your devices. However, accidental deletions can happen, causing panic and the fear of losing irreplaceable moments. The good news is that recovering deleted photos from Google Photos is often possible, and this guide will walk you through various effective methods to restore your cherished images.
In this article, we’ll explore step-by-step instructions on How To Recover Photos Deleted From Google Photos, ensuring you have the knowledge to retrieve your memories quickly and efficiently. Whether you deleted photos recently or are trying to recover photos that have been gone for a while, we’ve got you covered.
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Can You Recover Permanently Deleted Photos from Google Photos?
Yes, in many cases, you absolutely can recover permanently deleted photos from Google Photos. Google Photos provides a grace period that makes photo recovery straightforward. Understanding how Google Photos handles deleted items is key to a successful recovery.
Typically, when you delete photos from Google Photos, they aren’t immediately gone forever. Instead, they are moved to a “Trash” or “Bin” folder. This acts as a safety net, giving you a chance to change your mind and restore accidentally deleted photos.
Understanding Google Photos and Photo Deletion
Before diving into recovery methods, let’s clarify some fundamental aspects of Google Photos:
1. What is Google Photos?
Google Photos is a cloud-based photo and video storage service. It allows you to back up your photos from various devices, organize them, and access them from anywhere. It offers free storage (with some limitations on quality for newer accounts) and seamless synchronization across devices.
2. Where are Google Photos Backed Up?
Your Google Photos are automatically backed up to your Google Account. The “Backup and Sync” feature ensures that photos taken on your phone or uploaded from your computer are safely stored in the cloud, linked to your Google account. You can access these backed-up photos from any device by logging into your Google account.
3. What Happens to Permanently Deleted Photos?
When you “delete” photos in Google Photos, they are initially moved to the Trash or Bin. This Trash folder is a temporary holding place for your deleted items. This is your first and best chance to recover deleted photos.
4. How Long Do Deleted Photos Stay in Google Photos Trash?
Photos and videos remain in the Trash for 60 days. After 60 days, Google Photos automatically and permanently deletes them from the Trash. This is an important timeframe to be aware of for successful recovery.
5. Can You Recover Photos After 60 Days?
Recovering photos deleted from the Trash after 60 days becomes more challenging, but it’s not always impossible. While Google Photos’ built-in recovery methods are limited after this period, there are still potential avenues for retrieval, which we will explore.
4 Easy Methods to Recover Deleted Photos from Google Photos (Within 60 Days)
For photos deleted within the last 60 days, the recovery process is generally simple and can be done directly through Google Photos on various devices. Here are four straightforward methods:
Method 1: Recover Google Photos on Android Phone
If you primarily use an Android phone and have deleted photos from Google Photos, follow these steps to restore them:
Step 1: Open the “Google Photos” App on your Android device.
Step 2: In the top left corner, tap the Menu icon (usually three horizontal lines) to open the side menu, and then select “Trash” or “Bin.”
select trash from the menu
Step 3: Browse through the photos in the Trash folder. Select the photos you want to recover by tapping and holding on each photo. You can select multiple photos at once.
Step 4: Once you’ve selected all the photos you wish to restore, tap the “Restore” button at the bottom of the screen. This button is often represented by a rounded arrow icon pointing upwards out of a trash can.
The restored photos will be moved back to their original location in your Google Photos library, appearing in the albums they were in before deletion.
Method 2: Recover Google Photos on iPhone or iPad
The process to recover deleted Google Photos on an iPhone or iPad is very similar to Android:
Step 1: Launch the Google Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.
Step 2: Tap the Menu icon located in the top left corner of the screen and select “Trash” from the menu options.
click on restore
Step 3: Find and select the photos you want to recover. Tap and hold on each photo to select it.
Step 4: Tap the “Restore” button at the bottom of the screen. This will restore the selected photos back to your Google Photos library.
Method 3: Retrieve Google Photos on a Computer (Web Browser)
You can also recover deleted Google Photos using a web browser on your computer:
Step 1: Go to the Google Photos website: photos.google.com in your web browser.
Step 2: Click on the “Menu” icon, typically located in the top left corner, represented by three horizontal lines.
click on the menu
Step 3: From the menu, select “Trash” (or “Bin”).
select trash from given options
Step 4: You will see all the photos and videos currently in your Trash. Hover over the photo(s) you want to recover. A checkmark icon will appear in the top left corner of each item. Click the checkmark on each photo you want to restore to select it.
select photos you want to restore
Step 5: After selecting the photos, click the “Restore” button, usually located in the top right corner. It is often depicted as a rounded arrow pointing upwards.
restore selected photos
The recovered photos will be returned to your main Google Photos library and will be accessible across all your synced devices.
Method 4: Check Your Computer’s Recycle Bin (If Photos Were Downloaded)
This method applies if you had previously downloaded photos from Google Photos to your computer and then deleted them from your computer’s local storage. In this case, the photos might be in your computer’s Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac).
Step 1: Locate the “Recycle Bin” icon on your Windows desktop and double-click it to open. On macOS, open the “Trash” from the Dock.
Step 2: Browse through the files and folders in the Recycle Bin/Trash to find your deleted photos. You can sort files by “Date Deleted” to help locate recently deleted photos. You can also use the search bar to search for specific file names or types (e.g., “.jpg”, “.png”).
Step 3: Once you find the photos you want to recover, select them. You can select multiple files by holding down the Ctrl key (Windows) or Command key (Mac) while clicking on each file.
select the photos
Step 4: Right-click on the selected photos and choose “Restore.” This will restore the photos to their original location on your computer’s hard drive.
right-click to choose a restore
Important Note: This method only works if you deleted photos from your computer’s local storage, not directly from the Google Photos cloud service via a browser or the app.
How to Recover Permanently Deleted Google Photos (After 60 Days or from Trash)
If you have already emptied the Trash in Google Photos or are trying to recover photos deleted more than 60 days ago, the standard recovery methods within Google Photos will not work. However, there are still options you can explore:
Method 5: Contact Google Support for Recovery Assistance
In some situations, even after the 60-day period, Google might be able to assist in recovering permanently deleted photos, especially if the deletion was recent (within a short additional timeframe, sometimes up to 21 days in certain circumstances). It’s worth contacting Google Support to inquire.
Step 1: Go to the Google Drive Help page (Google Drive and Google Photos share backend infrastructure, so Drive help resources are relevant). Navigate to the section related to missing or deleted files. A direct link to Google Drive Help is: https://support.google.com/drive/ and search for “recover deleted files”.
Step 2: Look for options to contact support. Google typically offers options like “Request chat” or “Email support” for account-related issues. The availability of these options may vary based on your account type and region.
select missing or deleted files
Step 3: Choose your preferred contact method (chat or email) and explain your situation to the Google Support team. Clearly state that you are trying to recover permanently deleted photos from Google Photos and provide as much detail as possible, including the approximate date of deletion and any relevant details about your account.
choose from the given options
Google Support will review your request and assess if they can recover your photos from their backend systems. Keep in mind that recovery through Google Support is not guaranteed and depends on various factors.
Method 6: Use Data Recovery Software (For Photos Downloaded to PC)
If you had downloaded Google Photos to your computer’s hard drive and subsequently deleted them from your computer (and they are no longer in the Recycle Bin), you can use specialized data recovery software to attempt to retrieve them.
Wondershare Recoverit is a powerful and user-friendly data recovery software that can scan your hard drive for deleted files, including photos.
Here’s how to use Recoverit to attempt to recover permanently deleted photos:
Step 1: Download and Install Wondershare Recoverit. You can download the free trial version from the official Wondershare website.
Step 2: Launch Recoverit and select the drive or location where you believe your deleted photos were located. This is typically your computer’s hard drive (e.g., Local Disk C:). Then, click “Start” to begin the scanning process.
Note: Recoverit is designed for recovering data from computer hard drives, external drives, USB drives, SD cards, etc. It does not directly recover photos from the Google Photos cloud itself. This method is applicable if you had downloaded photos to your computer.
select a location to start the recovering process
Step 3: Recoverit will perform a scan of the selected drive to find deleted files. The scanning process may take some time depending on the size of the drive and the amount of data.
Alt Text: The scanning process in progress within Wondershare Recoverit, searching for recoverable Google Photos.
Step 4: Once the scan is complete, Recoverit will display a list of recoverable files, including photos. You can preview the photos before recovery. Select the photos you want to restore and click the “Recover” button.
Note: It’s crucial to save the recovered photos to a different drive or external storage device to avoid overwriting any potentially recoverable data on the original drive.
click on recover to restore deleted photos
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FAQs and Useful Tips for Google Photos Recovery
Losing photos can be distressing, and understanding the recovery process and best practices can save you from potential data loss in the future. Here are some frequently asked questions and tips related to Google Photos recovery:
1. How do I download all photos from Google Photos?
To download all your photos from Google Photos:
- Go to photos.google.com in your web browser.
- Select all the photos you want to download. You can select multiple photos by clicking and dragging or by using Shift+click to select a range.
- Click on the “More options” menu (usually three vertical dots).
- Click “Download.” Google Photos may create a ZIP file of your photos for download, especially if you are downloading a large number of photos.
2. Do photos stay on Google Photos if deleted from the phone?
Yes, if you delete photos from the Google Photos app on your phone (and they are backed up), they are moved to the Trash in Google Photos, not permanently deleted immediately. They will remain in the Trash for 60 days, accessible from any device logged into your Google account.
3. How do I retrieve my pictures from Google?
To retrieve pictures from Google Photos:
- Go to photos.google.com or open the Google Photos app.
- Open the menu and select “Trash” or “Bin.”
- Select the photos you want to retrieve.
- Click “Restore.” The photos will be restored to your main Photos library.
4. Is it safe to keep photos in Google Photos?
Yes, Google Photos is generally considered a safe platform for storing photos. Google employs robust security measures to protect user data. However, like any online service, it’s essential to use strong passwords and be mindful of your account security.
5. Key Tips for Recovering Google Photos:
- Act quickly: The sooner you attempt to recover deleted photos, especially from the Trash, the higher your chances of success.
- Check the Trash first: Always start by checking the Google Photos Trash/Bin, as this is the easiest and most direct recovery method for recently deleted photos.
- Explore all methods: If one method doesn’t work, try other methods, including contacting Google Support and using data recovery software (if applicable).
- Regular Backups: While Google Photos is a backup solution itself, consider having additional backups of your most important photos in different locations (e.g., external hard drive, another cloud service) for extra security.
- Be careful when deleting: Double-check before deleting photos, especially when performing bulk deletions, to avoid accidental loss.
The Bottom Line: Don’t Panic, Recovery is Often Possible
Accidentally deleting photos from Google Photos can be upsetting, but as this guide demonstrates, recovery is frequently possible, especially if you act within the 60-day Trash period. By understanding the different methods available – from the simple Trash restore to contacting Google Support and using data recovery software – you can significantly increase your chances of retrieving your precious memories. Remember to act promptly and explore all available options to recover your deleted Google Photos successfully.
