Google Photos has changed the way most Google Account users store pictures. Well, as you may know, you get a free 15 GB storage for your Google Account, and one of the Google apps you can use it on is Google Photos. Once you upload images in Google Photos, you can sync them to your PC via web browser and Android/iOS devices.
But like other photo apps, accidental deletion can happen while using Google Photos as well. If you recently deleted a photo or two by mistake, you may feel frustrated and annoyed at yourself, especially if they are important for your work, school, or personal life.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. If you are dealing with the same problem right now, you’d be glad to know there are effective ways to recover Google photos on PC, Android, and iOS. We will discuss them below in detail. So, read on and get your precious photos back!
Part 1: Is it Possible to Recover Deleted Photos from Google Photos
Yes! There’s a high possibility you can recover your deleted Google photos. For starters, Google Photos has a Trash feature that stores all deleted photos for 60 days starting from the time of deletion. You can use it’s Restore feature to recover your deleted Google photos instantly. But as mentioned, you better act quickly since there’s an expiration date for deleted pictures.
However, if you emptied the Trash accidentally or on purpose, the Restore feature won’t work for you. Does this mean you won’t be able to recover permanently deleted photos from Google Photos? Nope! There are alternative ways such as using recovery software like Tenorshare 4DDiG or contacting Google Support.
Part 2: How to Recover Deleted Google Photos from Trash (PC, Android, iOS)
We have 2 ways to recover Google photos from Trash depending on the device you are using. The process is pretty much the same on all devices, especially for Android and iOS since you can install the Google Photos app can be installed directly on the device. For PC, you need to access the app via a web browser.
Method 1: Recover Google Photos from Trash on Android/iOS
Step 1
Launch the Google Photos app. Then, tap on the Library tab in the lower-left corner of the interface.
Step 2
There, hit the Select option on the upper-right side of the screen and start ticking the photos you wish to undelete. Then, hit the Restore button.
Method 2: Recover Google Photos from Trash on PC
Step 1
Open Google Chrome or any web browser on your PC. Then, go to the Google Photos webpage. There, log in to the Google Account that is used to store the deleted Google photos.
Step 2
Click on the Trash section under Library on the left sidebar. You will immediately see all the deleted Google photos.
Step 3
Press and hold the CTRL key if you want to select multiple photos. Then, right-click on one of them and choose Restore. You may click on the rounded arrow icon (Restore) alternatively.
After you successfully restore your precious Google photos, regardless of the device you are using, they should be back in their original folders in the Library.
Part 3: How to Recover Permanently Deleted Photos from Google Photos
In case the Google photos have been deleted permanently because they exceeded the 60-day period or you cleared the Trash, there are 2 ways you can go about it.
The first one is with Tenorshare 4DDiG. You can use this recovery tool if the deleted photos were in Google Photos’ app Trash on your phone. The second involves Google Support. If you have permanently deleted the photos via a web browser, it’s your best shot.
Method 1: Recover Permanently Deleted Photos from Google Photos with 4DDiG
While Tenorshare 4DDiG is typically used to recover data on PCs, it can also be used on external storage devices like SSDs, HDDs, and of course– smartphones. This app is a versatile recovery program that you can install on your computer. It has been proven to recover 2000+ file types (including photos) regardless of cause. Yes! Even if they’ve been permanently deleted, 4DDiG can still get them back with a guaranteed 99% success rate.
Recovery of Google Photos on smartphones is possible with 4DDiG because traces of the deleted images can still be found on the device’s storage (temp files). Whenever you access photos on Google Photos app, it leaves temp files, which the app can use for recovery.
So, 4DDiG basically lets you scan the target storage (your phone) and locate all deleted files. In your case, you can set the sorting to Photos for easier scan. Once you find the photos, you can recover them all in just one click. All you need to do is connect the phone to the computer where you installed the 4DDiG and you’re good to go!
In addition, recovery using this software guarantees no quality loss. All the photos will have the same quality as when you deleted them. File size and file details remain intact. Yes! It’s like you’ve never deleted them at all. So, if you wish to use 4DDiG to recover deleted Google photos, here are the steps you need to follow:
Step 1
Download and install the program on your Windows/Mac. Then, connect your phone via USB cable to your PC and launch the app right after.
Step 2
Select your phone among the storage devices on the main interface. Then, hit the Scan button and set the file type to photos to make the scan faster and easier.
Step 3
Lastly, tick the photos you want to undelete and click the Recover button. Choose a folder destination afterward.
Method 2: Recover Permanently Deleted Google Photos via Google Support
When your Trash photos are permanently deleted after 60 days or the trash has been emptied, there’s usually a 21-day grace period. During that period, you can appeal to recover the Google photos via Google Support. You just need to submit a request before 21 days run out.
Step 1
Launch your PC browser and go to Google Drive. There, enter the Google Account information you used on Google Photos. Then, proceed to the Google Drive Help section.
Step 2
There, choose “Missing or Deleted Files” to reveal more options. Then, hit Request Chat so you can have a conversation with an agent. You may also submit a request via email.
Step 3
Once you’re in, tell the Google Support representative why you want to recover the deleted Google photos and provide all the details they ask. The photos will be restored once the agent is able to verify that your intentions are genuine.
Conclusion
In truth, it’s not actually difficult to recover Google photos since there’s a Trash feature you can rely on. The only way it gets a bit tricky is when the photos have been permanently deleted from the Trash. But despite that, there are still ways to recover them depending on your situation. You could recover them via an app called 4DDiG or Google Support.