Home › Guides › Recover Deleted Photos

How to Recover Deleted Photos on iPhone and Android

4 min read  ·  iPhone · Android · Google Photos

When you delete a photo, it isn't gone immediately — it moves to a temporary trash folder where it stays for up to 30 days before being permanently erased. Here's how to get your photos back before the clock runs out.

Recover Deleted Photos on iPhone

1

Open the Photos app

Tap the Photos app on your home screen — the white icon with a colourful flower. This is where all your photos and albums live.

2

Tap Albums at the bottom

Tap Albums in the bottom navigation bar. Scroll all the way down to the section labelled Utilities.

3

Tap Recently Deleted

Tap the Recently Deleted album. You may be asked to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode before you can view it.

4

Select the photos you want to recover

Tap Select in the top right corner, then tap each photo or video you want to restore. A blue checkmark appears on selected items.

5

Tap Recover

Tap Recover in the bottom right corner, then confirm by tapping Recover Photo (or Recover X Photos). The photos return to your main library immediately.

Time limit: Photos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days. After that, they are permanently erased and cannot be recovered from the app. Act quickly.

Recover Deleted Photos on Android

1

Open the Google Photos app

Open Google Photos on your Android phone. If you don't have it installed, search for it in the Play Store and install it — it's free from Google.

2

Tap Library at the bottom

Tap the Library tab at the bottom of the screen. This shows all your albums and folders.

3

Tap Bin (Trash)

Tap the Bin folder (called Trash in some regions). You'll see all photos deleted in the last 30 to 60 days, depending on your device.

4

Long-press a photo to select it

Press and hold on the first photo you want to recover. Once selected, tap any other photos you also want to restore.

5

Tap Restore

Tap Restore at the bottom of the screen. The photos are moved back to your library and will appear in your camera roll and any albums they were in before.

Check Your Samsung Gallery Recycle Bin (Samsung Phones)

1

Open the Samsung Gallery app

Open the Gallery app — the default photo app on Samsung phones. This is separate from Google Photos.

2

Tap the three-line menu and select Recycle bin

Tap the three horizontal lines (hamburger menu) in the bottom right of the screen, then tap Recycle bin. Deleted photos from Galaxy remain here for 15 days.

3

Select photos and tap Restore

Tap Edit, select the photos you want, then tap Restore. They'll return to your gallery immediately.

Recover from iCloud Backup (iPhone — last resort)

1

Check iCloud.com first

On a computer, go to iCloud.com, sign in with your Apple ID, and open Photos. Check the Recently Deleted album there as well — it may contain photos that no longer appear on your phone.

2

Restore an iCloud backup (erases current data)

If the photo was deleted more than 30 days ago, the only option is restoring your iPhone from an older iCloud backup. Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings. During setup, choose Restore from iCloud Backup and pick a backup from before the photos were deleted. Warning: this erases everything added after that backup date.

Prevent future losses: Turn on iCloud Photos (Settings → Photos → iCloud Photos on iPhone, or Google Photos backup on Android) so all photos are automatically backed up to the cloud. If your phone is lost or broken, your photos will still be safe.

Still stuck? Talk to Koda.

Describe exactly where you're getting stopped and Koda will walk you through it step by step.

Get instant help from Koda →