How to Recover Permanently Deleted Photos from Google Photos

If you’ve deleted photos from storage devices such as a PC, or any other storage device, or google drive, refer to the 4DDiG Data Recovery to regain the deleted contents.

5 mins read

Updated on 2024-10-15 18:38:07 to Photo Recovery

Google Photos is a leading cloud storage for Photos and Videos available for various platforms. It’s the best option for users conscious of losing photos and videos on local storage. If you accidentally delete photos from the device’s local storage but already have them on Google Photos, you can easily recover permanently deleted photos from google photos back hassle-free.

However, what if you even delete them from Google Photos and want to recover them? Is there any way to recover Google Photos? The answer is yes. Certainly, there are ways to recover permanently deleted photos from Google Photos.

Let’s find out how to recover permanently deleted photos from Google Photos.

how to recover permanently deleted photos from Google Photos

Part 1: Can I Restore Permanently Deleted Photos from Google Photos on PC?

It’s the first question users ask when accidentally deleting photos from Google Photos on their PC. And, it’s not that simple to answer as it depends on various factors. However, all storage devices always have the option to recover deleted photos and videos, Google Photos does the same.

You can recover the photos from the trash folder if you’ve emptied it. The deleted photos stay there for 60 days unless you empty them. And in case you’ve deleted the photos from the trash folder too, you’ll need to use some advanced ways to get them back.

Part 2: How to Recover Permanently Deleted Photos from Google Photos?

We’ve compiled the top 3 ways on how to recover permanently deleted photos from Google Photos. Check the methods below to recover your permanently deleted photos.

Way 1: Access Trash to Recover Deleted Google Photos

When you delete photos from Google Photos, it directly moves to the Trash folder by default. The deleted content stays there for 60 days and gets permanently deleted afterward. You can always recover them by navigating to the Trash folder in Google Photos.

Similar to the Google Photos trash folder, such an option also comes in smartphones, making it handy to restore deleted content instantly without getting into any complicated method.

If you’ve deleted the photos from the device's local storage, go to the photos, find the trash/recycle bin and recover them. However, for the photos deleted from Google Photos, you can follow the steps below to restore them.

Here are the steps to recover the deleted Google photos from the Trash folder:

  • On your PC browser, go to Google Photos.

    go to Google Photos
  • Once Google Photos is launched, click the Trash option from the left sidebar.

    click the Trash option from the left sidebar
  • All the deleted contents will appear in the trash folder; click on them to select them.

    click on them to select them
  • Once you’re done selecting desired photos & videos, click the Restore button on the top right corner of the screen.

    click the Restore button
  • That’s it, and all the restored photos will be moved to your Google Photos.

Way 2: Use Data Recovery Tool to Recover Permanently Deleted Photos

Recovering Google photos is convenient as long as you’ve not deleted them permanently from the trash folder. However, what if you’ve deleted the photos from local storage, such as your mobile phone, PC, or other storage device? The solution to the problem is the data recovery tool.

4DDiG Data Recovery is a smart tool that simplifies the complex photo recovery process. Built on smart algorithms, it can recover all types of data, including Photos & videos. It supports all storage devices and platforms, from smartphones to SD cards, USB drives to PCs and Macs.

The best part is if you have factory accidentally reset your phone or lost important on your PC, using the 4DDiG Data Recovery tool, you can run a simple recovery process to restore the deleted contents such as contacts, messages, photos, and videos. All you need to do is select the storage directory and hit the recovery button to start the process.

Here’s how to recover permanently deleted Google Photos using 4DDiG Data Recovery on a PC:

  • Download the 4DDiG Data Recovery tool on your computer, and install and launch it. Launching the program will present you with the interface shown in the screenshot below. You can select the type of device you want to recover the data from. In our case, we’ll use a desktop option to recover the Photos on the PC.

    FREE DOWNLOAD

    Secure Download

    FREE DOWNLOAD

    Secure Download

    nas recovery
  • You can select the desired drive from which you want to recover, and it’ll further present the filter options on the left side to narrow down the search for the data type you want to recover. If you only want to recover the photos, checkmark the photo filter and click the Recover button to start scanning.

    tree view
  • Once the scanning is completed, it’ll show all the deleted files that are recoverable. Before restoring them to the local storage, you can preview the recoverable files by double-clicking on them. Select the files you want to recover to the local storage, and hit the Recover button on the bottom left side of the screen. It’ll start moving the selected files to the desired location.

    save recovered files from local drive

Way 3: Contact Google Support

If you’ve deleted the Google photos from the trash folder, or they exceeded 60 days in the trash folder, you’ll lose custody of the photos, and their recovery becomes tricky. Recovering photos on a local storage device is easier than from a cloud service.

We’re not saying it’s impossible to recover Google photos after deleting them permanently from the trash folder. It is possible and works most of the time, but for that, you’ll need to submit a request to Google Photos and explain a valid reason for deleting the photos.

Google usually holds custody of the deleted photos for the next 21 days after the deletion date. You can only restore the permanently deleted Google photos if it has not been more than 21 days. Here’s how to contact Google support to delete Google Photos:

  • Go to Google Drive, and click the question mark option to seek help.
  • You’ll be presented with the FAQs; scroll through them all the way to the bottom, and find Missing or Deleted File.
  • Next, you’ll be presented with two options for requesting Google Support. Choose one option, and follow the on-screen instructions to submit a request.
  • While submitting the request to Google Support, explain a valid reason for deleting Google Photos, or else it’ll be declined.

    find Missing or Deleted File

If you can't think of any valid reasons to mention in the email to Google Support, you can take help from the AI programs that help write and compose anything at the convenience of a few instructions.

ChatGpt is one on the top and produces effective results with accuracy. The first few credits are free, and you can easily use them to write a request to Google Support. You can give the instructions to the AI, and based on them, it’ll write a smart and composed email for recovering the deleted Google Photos through Google Support.

Part 3: FAQ

Q 1: How to Back up Your Photos to a PC?

To backup your photos to a PC, you need to have a USB data cable. Connect the storage device to the computer and follow the steps below:

  • If you want to backup your Photos from your phone to the PC, make sure the USB debugging is turned on the phone.
  • Once the phone is connected to the computer, navigate to the Windows file explorer, and open your phone’s drive.
  • Find the photos folder which you want to back. It’s usually the DCIM where they’re stored. Select the folder to copy it as a whole, or open it to select the photos individually, and press Control + C to copy it.
  • Open the storage location on the PC, and press Control + V to paste it.

Q 2: Can I Restore My Deleted Photos without Backup?

You can restore/recover the deleted photos without the backup. However, the recovery process might vary depending on the storage you want to recover from. You can use the following ways to recover/restore the deleted photos:

  • Check the recently deleted folder in Google Photos, such as recycle bin or trash bin.
  • Use smart data recovery tools like 4DDiG Data Recovery to restore the photos from the local storage devices.
  • If none of the above methods works, you can seek a professional data recovery specialist to help you recover your important photos. They specialize in data recovery for various devices in all types of formats but are a bit expensive - feasible if you’ve important photos you can’t afford to lose.

Q 3: Are Google Photos Actually Permanently Deleted?

When you delete the Google photos for the first time, they’ll move to the Trash bin and remain there for 60 days until you permanently delete them. After 60 days, they’ll automatically be deleted, and the chances of recovery shrink. So, if you empty the trash bin of your Google photos, the photos will be permanently deleted.

Q4: How to Recover Permanently Deleted Photos from Google Drive?

If you’ve lost the Photos from your Google Photos due to the 60 days exceeded or accidentally permanently deleted them, you can recover them through Google Support. Go to Google Drive, and find the Help option. Select the Missing and Deleted File, and submit a request for the recently deleted photos. You need to provide a valid reason to deserve the retrieval of photos.

Concluding Thoughts

Photos can have valuable memories attached to them, and losing them can be very painful. However, a recovery method can relieve you in such a situation. In this guide, we shared the top ways for users seeking help how to recover permanently deleted photos from google photos. If you’ve deleted photos from storage devices such as a PC, or any other storage device, refer to the 4DDiG Data Recovery to regain the deleted content.

William Bollson (senior editor)

William Bollson, the editor-in-chief of 4DDiG, devotes to providing the best solutions for Windows and Mac related issues, including data recovery, repair, error fixes.

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