How to Get Deleted Photos From Google Drive

Accidentally deleting photos from Google Drive is a common panic moment, but recovery is often possible. This guide walks you through the built-in recovery tools and backup options that Google provides, so you can restore your images before they are permanently erased.

What You’ll Need

• A Google account with access to the Drive where the photos were stored
• Internet connection
• Approximately 5–10 minutes of time

Step-by-Step

1. Open Google Drive – Go to drive.google.com in your browser and sign in with the account that owned the photos.
2. Check the Trash – In the left sidebar, click Trash. This is where deleted files live for 30 days after you delete them. If you see your photos, select them (click the checkbox or right-click) and choose Restore. They will return to their original folder.
3. If not in Trash, check the “Starred” or “Recent” views – Sometimes files are moved rather than deleted. Click My Drive and use the search bar at the top. Type the photo’s name or file type (e.g., .jpg or .png). You can also filter by Type > Photos & images.
4. Use the Search Operators – In the Drive search bar, type is:trashed to see only deleted files. If you remember part of the filename, add it, like is:trashed vacation. This helps when you have many files in the trash.
5. Check Google Photos – If you used Google Photos on the same account, your images might be backed up there. Open photos.google.com and click the Trash icon in the left menu. Photos deleted from Google Photos stay there for 60 days. Select and tap Restore.
6. Look in the Google Takeout archive – If you previously exported your Drive data via Google Takeout, your photos might be in that downloaded ZIP file. Check your computer’s Downloads folder or wherever you saved the export.
7. Contact Google Support (last resort) – If the photos are older than 30 days and not in any trash, you can try contacting Google One or Google Workspace support. They sometimes can recover recently deleted data, but this is not guaranteed and may require a paid plan.

Common Mistakes

• Emptying the trash immediately – Once you empty the trash, files are usually gone for good. Avoid clicking “Empty trash” unless you are sure you don’t need anything.
• Looking only in Drive, not Google Photos – If you had backup enabled, the photo might be in Photos’ trash, not Drive’s.
• Deleting from a shared drive – Files in shared drives have a different trash system. Check the shared drive’s trash separately, and note that only managers can restore files.
• Forgetting about the 30-day window – Drive’s trash empties automatically after 30 days. After that, standard recovery is not possible.

Tips

• Use the mobile app – The Google Drive app has the same Trash option. Open the app, tap the menu (three lines), and select Trash.
• Search by file type – In Drive search, click the drop-down arrow and set Type to Photos & images. This lists all image files, even if you don’t remember the name.
• Enable Google Photos backup – To avoid future loss, turn on backup in Google Photos settings. That way, your photos exist in two places.
• Use the “Version history” – If you edited a photo and then deleted it, the original might still be in the version history. Right-click the file, select Version history, and see if an older version exists.
• Set up a regular export – Use Google Takeout to download your Drive and Photos data periodically. This gives you a personal backup outside Google’s servers.

Troubleshooting

If the photos are not in the Trash – They may have been deleted more than 30 days ago, or they were deleted from a device that didn’t sync. Check the device’s local storage (like your phone’s gallery) and see if the photo is still there. If it is, upload it back to Drive.

If you see a message “This item is in the trash” but cannot restore – The file might be in a shared drive where you don’t have permission. Ask the drive manager to restore it.

If the Trash is empty but you remember the photo – Try Google Takeout. Even if you never ran an export, Google sometimes retains deleted data for a short period. Run a Takeout export of Drive and check the resulting files. This is a long shot but has worked for some users.

If you are using a work or school account – Your administrator may have set a shorter retention period for trash. Contact your IT department for possible recovery.

If nothing works – There is no official way to recover permanently deleted files from Google Drive. Avoid third-party “recovery” tools that claim to do this; they are often scams and can compromise your account.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do deleted photos stay in Google Drive trash?
Files stay in the trash for 30 days before being permanently deleted. After that, they are generally unrecoverable.

Can I recover photos deleted from Google Photos?
Yes, if they are within the 60-day trash window. Open Google Photos, go to Trash, select the photos, and tap Restore.

Does deleting from Google Drive also delete from Google Photos?
No, unless you originally uploaded them through Google Photos and then deleted the source file from Drive. If they are separate, deleting one does not affect the other.

Can I recover photos after emptying the trash?
Usually not. Once the trash is emptied, the files are marked for permanent deletion. Google support might help in rare cases, but it is not guaranteed.

Are deleted photos recoverable from the mobile app?
Yes, the mobile app has the same Trash feature. Open the app, tap the menu, and select Trash to restore.

What if I deleted a photo from a shared drive?
Shared drive trash is separate. Managers can restore files within 30 days. If you are not a manager, contact the drive owner.

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