Recover Deleted Photos and Videos in Google Photos

You can often recover deleted photos and videos from Google Photos by restoring them from Trash, as long as they are still there and you have access to the right Google Account. Before you start, check which account is signed in; items in Trash are generally kept for 60 days if backed up and 30 days if not backed up, after which they may be permanently deleted.

What You’ll Need

• A phone, tablet, or computer with Google Photos access and an internet connection.
• The Google Account that contained the missing photos or videos. If you use more than one account, check each one.
• Optional: the device where the files were originally stored, especially if they were not backed up.

Step-by-Step

1. Confirm the Google Account. Open the Google Photos app or go to photos.google.com. Tap or click your profile picture and check the email address. Switch accounts if the missing items were stored under another account. A photo removed from one account will not appear in the Trash of another.
2. Look for the items before restoring. Search Google Photos by date, location, person, or other available details. Check the main Photos view, Archive, and any relevant albums. Also check whether you are viewing the expected date range; a photo may be dated differently if its device clock or file details were incorrect.
3. Open Trash. In the mobile app, tap Collections, then Trash (labels or placement may vary by app version). On the website, open the navigation menu and choose Trash. If prompted, sign in to the correct account.
4. Select the photos or videos. On a phone or tablet, touch and hold an item to select it, then tap any other items you want. On the website, move the pointer over an item and select it using the check mark. Review your selection carefully so you do not restore unrelated files.
5. Restore the selected items. Tap or click Restore and confirm if asked. Restored items return to your Google Photos library and may reappear in albums. They usually return to their original dates in the library, rather than being added as new photos taken today.
6. Verify the recovery. Return to the Photos view and search for the items again. Check the date and any relevant album. If the files are not visible, refresh the page or close and reopen the app, then confirm you are still viewing the correct account.
7. Check other places if Trash is empty. If the photos were not backed up, check the original device’s gallery app, its recently deleted folder, and any memory card or computer where copies may exist. If another backup service was enabled, check its trash or recycle bin as well. Google Photos Trash cannot restore items permanently deleted from it.

Common Mistakes

• Checking the wrong account: This is a common reason Trash appears empty. Verify the email address, not just the profile image.
• Confusing Archive with Trash: Archived items are hidden from the main Photos view but are not deleted. Look in Archive before assuming recovery is needed.
• Waiting past the retention period: Google Photos generally keeps backed-up items in Trash for 60 days and items that were not backed up for 30 days. Once the applicable period ends, the item may be permanently deleted.
• Expecting a device deletion to behave the same way as a cloud deletion: Deleting in Google Photos can affect the Google Photos library, while deleting through a phone’s separate gallery app may have different results. Check the app that performed the deletion.
• Assuming a backup exists: A file visible on a device is not necessarily backed up. Backup settings, account, and device folders affect what is uploaded.

Tips

• Restore items as soon as you notice they are missing. Do not empty Trash while trying to recover files.
• For multiple items, select them together and restore in one action, then verify a few individual files.
• Check the Google Photos backup status and the account shown in the app when you are trying to locate photos from a particular device.
• For important photos, keep a separate copy on a computer or external storage. A synced library is convenient, but it should not be treated as the only copy.
• If you use a shared device, avoid restoring private photos where other people may have access to the account or screen.

Troubleshooting

Trash is empty: Confirm the account first, then check whether the item is in Archive or the main library under a different date. If it was deleted more than 30 or 60 days ago, depending on backup status, it may have expired from Trash. Look for another copy on the original device, in a device gallery’s recently deleted folder, or in a separate backup.

The item is in Trash, but Restore is unavailable or fails: Check your internet connection, refresh the app or website, and try again. Make sure you are signed in and that the item is still present in Trash. On a phone, updating or restarting the app may resolve a temporary display issue.

The item restores but does not appear where expected: Search by its original capture date and check the correct account. Restored files may not appear at the top of the library because they retain their original dates. Also inspect albums, since restoring an item does not necessarily put it back into every album it previously belonged to.

You deleted the file from the phone, not Google Photos: Open the phone’s gallery or file manager and look for its recently deleted or trash folder. Names and retention periods differ by device and app. If the file was never backed up and has been removed permanently from the device, Google Photos cannot recreate it.

You cannot find a video: Search the library and Trash, and check that the file was actually uploaded. Large videos or folders excluded from backup may never have been in Google Photos. Look for the original file on the device or other storage.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do deleted photos stay in Google Photos Trash?
Google’s usual retention is 60 days for backed-up items and 30 days for items that were not backed up. Check the item’s Trash status promptly, because expired or permanently deleted items may not be recoverable.

Can I recover photos after emptying Trash?
Usually not through Google Photos. Check the original device, its recently deleted folder, memory cards, computers, and any separate backup for another copy.

Will restoring a photo put it back in an album?
It returns to your library, but it may not return to every album it was in. Check the album and add the restored item again if needed.

Can I restore deleted photos on a computer?
Yes. Sign in at photos.google.com, open Trash, select the items, and choose Restore.

Why can’t I see a photo in Trash?
You may be using the wrong Google Account, the item may have been archived rather than deleted, or its Trash retention period may have ended. It may also never have been backed up to Google Photos.

Does restoring recover the original quality?
Restoring brings back the item stored in your Google Photos account. It cannot improve or recreate quality that was reduced before upload, or recover a full-resolution original that was never backed up.

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