Losing precious photos can feel like a nightmare. Whether it’s a candid moment with friends, family photos, or vacation memories, these images often hold sentimental value. Fortunately, in today’s digital age, there are multiple ways to recover deleted photos, thanks to advanced data recovery technologies and specialized photo recovery apps.

If you’ve ever accidentally deleted pictures from your smartphone, computer, or external storage device, don’t worry—there’s hope. This article will guide you through the process of recovering deleted photos and introduce some of the best photo recovery apps available in 2025.

Why Do Photos Get Deleted?

Photos may get deleted for several reasons, such as:

• Accidental deletion: A slip of the finger or a wrong tap may cause you to delete important images.
• Device malfunction or crash: Sometimes a phone or storage device may malfunction, causing you to lose photos.
• Software or system update issues: During updates, some apps or devices may reset or clear data, resulting in photo loss.
• Memory card corruption: In the case of digital cameras or external storage devices, corrupted memory cards can lead to lost files.
• Virus or malware attacks: Malicious software can target your files and delete them or make them inaccessible.

Can Deleted Photos Be Recovered?

Yes, in most cases, deleted photos can be recovered, especially if the data has not been overwritten. When you delete a photo from your device, it’s not immediately erased from your storage. Instead, the system simply marks the space occupied by that photo as “available” for new data. As long as new files haven’t been written over the deleted data, there’s a good chance you can recover the photos.

Steps to Recover Deleted Photos

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to recover deleted photos:

1. Check the Trash or Recently Deleted Folder

Most modern devices and apps (such as Android phones, iPhones, Google Photos, and iCloud) have a “Recently Deleted” folder where photos remain for a period of time before being permanently deleted. This is the first place to check.

• iPhone: Go to the Photos app, tap “Albums” at the bottom, and scroll down to find the “Recently Deleted” album.
• Android: Open the Google Photos app, go to “Library” at the bottom, and tap “Trash” or “Recently Deleted.”
• Windows: If you’re using a PC, check the Recycle Bin for any deleted files.

If the photos are in the trash, you can easily restore them by selecting the images and tapping the “Restore” button.

2. Use a Backup Service

If you have set up cloud backups, your photos might be safely stored there, and you can restore them easily.

• iCloud for iPhone: Go to iCloud.com, log in with your Apple ID, and check the “Photos” section.
• Google Photos for Android: Visit the Google Photos website or app, where you may find your photos backed up.
• OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive: If you’ve been using these services to back up your photos, simply log into your account to recover the files.

3. Use Photo Recovery Software

If you can’t find the photos in any of the above methods, using photo recovery software is your best bet. These apps are designed to scan your device’s storage and recover deleted files, even if they’ve been removed from the trash or recycling bin.

Best Photo Recovery Apps of 2025

With a growing number of data recovery apps, it can be difficult to choose the right one. The following apps are among the best available in 2025 and have a reputation for reliability and ease of use.

1. DiskDigger Photo Recovery

Platform: Android, Windows
Price: Free (with paid Pro version)
Best For: Quick and easy recovery on Android devices and Windows PCs.

DiskDigger is one of the most popular photo recovery apps available. It can recover deleted images, videos, and other types of files from both internal storage and SD cards. The app’s “Basic Scan” option is free, which scans your device for thumbnails of deleted photos, while the Pro version allows a more thorough scan to retrieve original images.

• Pros:
  • Easy to use
  • Supports both internal and external storage
  • Works with a variety of file types
  • Free basic scan
• Cons:
  • Pro version required for deep scanning
  • Limited features on the free version

2. Dr. Fone – Data Recovery

Platform: Android, iOS, Windows, Mac
Price: Paid (Free trial with limited features)
Best For: Comprehensive data recovery across multiple platforms.

Dr. Fone is one of the most advanced data recovery apps available. It supports a wide range of devices and can recover not only photos but also contacts, text messages, and videos. This app is available for both Windows and Mac, and it works with both Android and iOS devices.

Dr. Fone’s success rate is impressive, and it offers a user-friendly interface. The program allows you to preview deleted files before recovering them, ensuring you get back exactly what you need.

• Pros:
  • Works with both Android and iOS devices
  • Supports a wide range of file types
  • Preview files before recovery
  • Recovers files from both internal and external storage
• Cons:
  • Expensive
  • Limited features in the free trial

3. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard

Platform: Windows, Mac
Price: Paid (Free trial with 2GB recovery limit)
Best For: PC and Mac users looking for easy recovery.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is known for its ease of use and powerful recovery features. This software can recover deleted files, including photos, documents, and videos, from PCs, hard drives, USB drives, and memory cards. The free version allows for the recovery of up to 2GB of data, which is often enough for smaller file recovery.

• Pros:
  • Easy to use
  • Supports a wide range of devices
  • Detailed recovery options
  • Free trial available
• Cons:
  • Limited free version
  • Full version can be pricey

4. PhotoRec

Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
Price: Free
Best For: Advanced users looking for a free, open-source solution.

PhotoRec is a powerful, open-source photo recovery tool. It’s designed to recover a wide variety of file types, including photos, from hard drives, memory cards, and USB sticks. While the interface is less user-friendly compared to paid apps, its effectiveness and free price tag make it a good option for tech-savvy users.

• Pros:
  • Completely free
  • Open-source
  • Recovers a wide range of file types
• Cons:
  • Not user-friendly for beginners
  • Command-line interface may be challenging for some

5. Tenorshare UltData

Platform: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
Price: Paid (Free trial with limited features)
Best For: Recovering photos from smartphones and other mobile devices.

Tenorshare UltData is a powerful tool for recovering lost or deleted data from iOS and Android devices. The app supports a wide variety of file types and is capable of recovering files directly from mobile devices, including photos, contacts, and messages. With its preview feature, you can choose which files to recover before committing to the process.

• Pros:
  • Works with both iOS and Android devices
  • Supports a range of file types
  • Preview files before recovery
  • Simple interface
• Cons:
  • Expensive for full features
  • Limited free version

How to Prevent Photo Loss in the Future

While photo recovery apps are helpful, it’s always better to prevent data loss before it happens. Here are some tips to ensure your precious photos are safe:

• Enable automatic backups on your phone or cloud service (Google Photos, iCloud, OneDrive, etc.).
• Use an external hard drive or cloud storage to back up photos regularly.
• Enable “sync” features between your phone and cloud services for automatic backups.
• Keep your devices and apps updated to prevent glitches that could result in lost data.

Conclusion

Accidentally deleting your favorite photos can be frustrating, but with the right recovery tool, there’s a high chance you can get them back. The photo recovery apps mentioned above—DiskDigger, Dr. Fone, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, PhotoRec, and Tenorshare UltData—offer effective ways to recover lost or deleted images. Whether you are using an Android, iOS, PC, or Mac, there’s an app that can suit your needs.

Always remember to back up your photos regularly to avoid the risk of permanent data loss. With the right app and preventive measures, you can ensure that your precious memories remain safe and secure.