How to Recover Deleted Photos on Android
Deleted a photo on Android? Restore it from the Google Photos or Samsung Gallery trash within 30 days. Here's how, and what to do once the trash is empty.
A deleted Android photo is usually not gone yet — it sits in a trash folder for 30 days before it is erased for good. Open Google Photos, go to Collections, then Trash, select the photo, and Restore. Samsung’s Gallery has its own Recycle bin that works the same way.
Restore from the trash (first 30 days)
In Google Photos, tap Collections — it used to be called Library — open Trash or Bin, select the photos, and tap Restore; they return to your gallery and any albums they were in. On a Samsung Galaxy, open Gallery, the menu, then Recycle bin, and restore from there. As of September 2026, Google Photos keeps deleted items for 30 days for everyone, so this is the window to act.
| Where | Path | Kept for |
|---|---|---|
| Google Photos | Collections > Trash > Restore | 30 days |
| Samsung Gallery | Gallery > menu > Recycle bin | 30 days |
| Google One / backup | Restore from a backup | While the backup exists |
After 30 days, or when the trash is empty
Once the 30 days pass and the trash empties, Google says permanently deleted photos cannot be restored — only a separate backup can save you. So check whether the photos are in a Google account backup or a copy on a computer. This is exactly why a standing backup matters: with your Android phone backed up, a deleted photo still exists in the cloud even after the trash clears.
Photos on an SD card, and prevention
Photos stored on an SD card are not in Google Photos’ trash, so a deleted SD-card image needs a computer and photo-recovery software run on the card instead. Going forward, turn on Google Photos backup so nothing lives in only one place, and free up room the safe way — see freeing up storage on Android — rather than mass-deleting. If you are wiping the phone, confirm the backup first, as covered in factory resetting Android safely.
Check the trash first — most “deleted” photos are a tap away for 30 days. After that only a backup helps, which is the real lesson: turn backup on now so the next deletion is never final.
Common questions
Can I recover photos deleted more than 30 days ago?
Once a photo leaves the 30-day trash and is permanently deleted, Google says it cannot be restored. Your only route then is a separate copy — a Google One or device backup, or a copy saved to a computer.
How do I recover deleted photos without a backup?
Check the device-level trash first — Samsung Gallery’s Recycle bin, or your phone maker’s gallery trash. With no trash entry and no backup, recovery is unlikely without paid data-recovery software on a computer.
How do I recover photos deleted from an SD card?
SD-card photos do not go to Google Photos’ trash. Put the card in a computer and run photo-recovery software on it, since deleted files there bypass the cloud trash entirely.
How long does the Samsung Gallery trash keep photos?
Thirty days, the same as Google Photos. After that the Recycle bin empties and the photos are permanently gone.