Photos are invaluable but what if your memorable pictures, memories, and moments get deleted? Losing important photos due to accidental deletion, device malfunction, or formatting can be a distressful experience. Luckily, there are several photo recovery tools and methods available online that you can try to restore those missing photos. In this guide, we will explore many photo recovery hacks to help you learn what to do when your photos go missing on Windows/Mac device. So let’s get started.
Why Photos Appear Missing on Your Device?
Photos can go missing on any device for various reasons, ranging from accidental deletion to software or hardware-related errors. Understanding these causes can help you to prevent photo loss scenarios and choose the appropriate photo recovery method to restore them easily. Some common reasons why photos get deleted on any device are:
- Accidental Deletion: One of the most common reasons for missing photos is accidental deletion. You might have accidentally deleted photos while trying to free up space or remove unwanted files.
- Software Updates: Updates to the operating system or specific apps can sometimes cause data corruption or deletion, resulting in missing photos.
- Virus or Malware Attacks: Malicious software can corrupt or delete files, including photos, resulting in abrupt data loss.
- Formatting: Accidentally or intentionally formatting any storage device, including your hard drive, SD card, or USB drive, can lead to the deletion of all stored photos.
- App Glitches: Bugs or glitches in the photo management app or gallery can also lead to the deletion of files including photos from your device.
Quick Methods to Recover Missing Photos
Here are some popular photo recovery methods that you can try to restore lost or missing photos on your device:
Method 01: Check the Recycle Bin/Trash
Every deleted photo on your Windows or Mac device goes to the Recycle Bin or Trash folder, respectively. Before you use any photo recovery software or apply manual methods to restore missing photos, it is important to check the Recycle Bin/Trash folder. All you have to do is:
Windows Recycle Bin:
- Firstly, double-click on the Recycle Bin icon on your Windows device.
- Browse through the deleted photos and check the specific picture(s) you need to restore.
- Right-click on the photo you need to recover and select “Restore” to save selected photos at their original location.
Mac Trash:
- Click the Trash icon located in the Dock.
- Browse or search for the deleted photos that you need to recover.
- Right-click on the photo(s) and select the “Put Back” option. This will save the selected photos to their original location.
Method 02: Use File History or Time Machine Backup
If your deleted photo is not present in the Recycle Bin or Trash folder, then it might have been permanently deleted from your device. In such cases, you can use any previously created backups to recover missing photos. You can use in-built File History or Time Machine backups to restore missing photos. For this:
Windows File History:
- Go to Control Panel and select “File History”.
- Now, click Restore personal files from the left navigation pane and navigate through the backup folder to find the saved versions of your photos.
- Choose the desired version you want to recover and click the green “Restore” button to save selected photos at the desired location.
Mac Time Machine:
- Start the process by connecting the external drive that contains your Time Machine backups to your Mac.
- Click on the Time Machine icon from the menu bar and select “Enter Time Machine”.
- Browse through the backups to find the missing photos. Select them and click Restore to save selected photos back on your Mac.
Method 03: Use Cloud Backups to Find Missing Photos
Another backup alternative that you can try to find missing photos on any device is via cloud backups. Here’s how you can use Google Photos, iCloud Photos, etc. to recover your missing pictures:
Google Photos:
- Visit the Google Photos website in any web browser or open the app on your device.
- Use the search option to find the missing photos.
- Select the pictures you want to recover and click the Download
iCloud Photos:
- Visit icloud.com and log in with your Apple ID.
- Click the “Photos” option to view your iCloud photo library.
- Select the photos you want to restore and click the download icon.
Method 04: Use Third-Party Photo Recovery Software
Instances may occur when the above-mentioned photo recovery methods might not work or help you to restore missing photos. In such cases, you can use a professional photo recovery software to get missing photos back. There are several third-party tools available online but we recommend using the Stellar Photo Recovery tool. This all-in-one photo recovery software can recover your pictures deleted due to any reason, including accidental deletion, formatting, virus or malware attacks, etc.
Here’s how to restore missing photos on any device using the Stellar Photo Recovery software:
Step 1: Firstly, download and install the Stellar Photo Recovery tool on your Windows/Mac device. Launch the software and from the homepage, select the storage location where your deleted photo was earlier stored and click Scan.
Step 2: Wait till the scanning process is completed. After that, preview the recoverable photos and choose the ones you need to restore.
Step 3: Click the Recover button to save selected photos at the desired location.
Tips to Prevent Accidental Deletion of Photos
Now that you are familiar with the methods to recover missing photos on your device, it is important to avoid such instances of accidental deletion of photos. Consider the below tips to prevent data loss:
- Regular Backups: Use cloud storage (Google Photos, iCloud, Dropbox) and physical backups (external hard drives, USB drives) to ensure your photos are backed up in multiple locations.
- Avoid Accidental Deletion: Be cautious while deleting files and always double-check before emptying the Recycle Bin or Trash.
- Keep Software Updated: Make sure all the software programs and your device OS are up-to-date to benefit from the latest features and security enhancements.
Wrapping Up
Issues like missing important photos on your device can be distressing and get you in trouble, but with the right photo recovery software and manual approaches, you can often recover your precious memories. From checking the Recycle Bin/Trash to using third-party photo recovery software, there are multiple methods to recover deleted photos. Additionally, implementing preventive measures such as regular backups and careful handling of your devices can help protect your photos from future loss.