Android data recovery: how to recover lost files

Everyone knows the pain of accidentally deleting a file they didn't intend. It's a heartbreaking moment when you realize what you've done. Losing files is bad, but it's part of life in the digital age. All is not lost, however, as there may be a way to recover lost files, even if you haven't previously set up an Android cloud backup. Depending on the nature of the file, how exactly you deleted it and your luck, several Android data recovery methods may work. Here are some of the best techniques for recovering lost files.

Stop using your phone and put it in airplane mode

Before you do anything else, the most important thing to know about Android data recovery is that you should stop using your phone as soon as possible. This will give you the best chance of recovering the file if it is lost.

When you delete a file, the data is not actually deleted from the device's flash memory. Android simply marks the location where the information is stored as "empty." This means that you can't find the file, and Android will treat it as missing. It also means that the slots that once contained that data are marked as ready to be overwritten should new files need space. Only when this happens is the data really lost and cannot be recovered.

That's why it's so important to stop using the phone to take new pictures or install new apps. We strongly recommend switching your phone to airplane mode. This way you will prevent emails, WhatsApp photos and updates from downloading.

If you're lucky, you won't delete your files at all. Like a PC, many Android apps have a recycle garbage can, which means that files are not deleted completely at once. For example, the Gallery apps with Samsung phones and Xiaomi devices have such a safety net (this may also explain why deleting photos doesn't free up space on your device).

To check the garbage can, you must return to the highest level on the Cinema Or Albums tab and tap the menu in the upper right corner. This will open a menu containing, among other things. Garbage can option. Select it and you will be taken to a folder with all deleted photos.

Other apps also have this option, especially popular file management apps. Regardless of which app you used to delete a file, check carefully to see if it has a recycle garbage can.

Google Photos also has a container that stores photos for 60 days, but it works a little differently, backing up photos to Google Drive. This means that even if you completely delete a photo with another app, you can still recover it with Google Photos. If you don't see your photo or video here, check the garbage can in the hamburger menu in the upper left corner.

If you still have no luck, try visiting photos.google.com. Check out Garbage hamburger menu folder.

Even if you delete photos from the trash in Google Photos, there's still a chance that those changes have not yet been reflected in Google Drive. So do a quick check here as well. Something you may not know about Google Drive is that you can ask it to back up any folder on your device. Simply open Photos->Settings->Backup and sync->Backup device folders.

If you've accidentally deleted a WhatsApp photo, there are several options to try to recover those photos. First, check the backup built into WhatsApp itself. Head to Settings > Chats > Chat backup. You should see information telling you when the last backup was made.

If you made your last backup before deleting the files you need, uninstall WhatsApp and reinstall it from the Play Store. This will give you the option to restore old chats and media. You'll also see an option to back up photos to Google Drive, so try looking here if that option is enabled.

But what if you accidentally overwrote the last backup? Even then, there is still hope. That's because WhatsApp will store several backup files on your device, telling it which photos to download from the servers.

Use the file browser of your choice and go to WhatsApp->Databases. Here you will see some files with names like msgstore-2022-01-05.crypt12.

Find the latest one and rename it to msgstore-1997.crypt12 (or whatever you prefer). Now WhatsApp will refer to the second most recent backup file when downloading photos.

You can also look at WhatsApp's media folder in the Google Photos library to see if your photos are there. WhatsApp keeps copies of the photos you send, as well as those you receive. So if you sent a photo to someone and then deleted it from your phone's camera folder, a copy may still be in your WhatsApp Media folder.

If none of these steps work, you need to try third-party solutions. Android data recovery apps have a slim chance of recovering lost data. They work by checking where the data was stored, even if it was marked as deleted by Android.

At this point, it's important to stop using your phone as much as possible to avoid damaging the data you're trying to recover. It also means you're on the dot 22, as installing a third-party data recovery app on your smartphone could overwrite the files you're trying to save.

To prevent this problem, you should always try using a desktop recovery application first. We recommend regenerate as a good place to start. Install this app and a wizard will guide you through a few steps to try to recover lost files. This Android data recovery method works slightly better for files stored on memory cards than for files stored internally.

Depending on how desperate and wealthy you are, another option may be to use a data recovery service. These services offer data recovery From any device using various methods.

For example, one company called On track promises "if the data can be stored on it, we can recover it" and boasts 90% effectiveness. These companies need to pick up your device in person, and will likely use a combination of the strategies listed here along with the file restoration processes mentioned above.

The good news is that they will only charge you if they think the file is recoverable. The only problem is that they are much more expensive than the other options on this list, so you'll have to think long and hard about whether you need the files. Data recovery services are also great for people who have difficulty extracting files from damaged phones.

It's a bit far, but if the lost files belonged to a game or app downloaded from the Play Store, you can recover them with a little help from the developer.

That's because developers will manage (or at least have access to) the servers that contain the cloud file backups. Not only that, but they may also know about some of the sneaky backups that their applications make by default. Either way, there's a slim chance that they'll be able to recover lost files from your account or provide tips to help you do it yourself.

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Unfortunately, there is never a guarantee of recovering lost Android files. However, with a little luck and determination, there is at least a reasonable chance.

But we want to end with a warning - losing files is a very frustrating and emotional experience. When we are frustrated and emotional, we can sometimes make rash decisions and do things we wouldn't normally do. So if you're thinking about spending hundreds of dollars on file restoration software that probably won't work, or you've wasted hours trying to recover a job that only took you half an hour to create, it may be time to get some perspective.

Any work you try to recreate will come faster (and probably better) the second time around. And you'll still have the memories to make up for the photos you may have lost. Just don't drive yourself crazy about it.

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