How to recover deleted files in Android
It's a horrible feeling when you realise you've deleted something that was actually very important, but in today's tech-savvy, cloud-connected world those 1s and 0s aren't necessarily gone forever - you can sometimes bring digital files back from the grave if you know how to use a range of Android data recovery tools.
1. Recover deleted images from Google Photos
If you're an Android user chances are you're using Google Photos for your pictures, which includes an undelete tool right inside the app: from the app menu choose Bin, then tap and hold on the picture you want to bring back from digital death, then tap the restore arrow (in the top right).
2. Recover deleted files from Google Drive
Accidentally erased an image from inside Google Drive? You can bring it back in the same way as you can inside Google Photos - open the app menu, choose Bin from the list, then tap the restore icon (which looks like a clock with a circular arrow around it).
3. Use DiskDigger to find your files
If the deleted file was the only copy you had, you can turn to a third-party Android data recovery tool for help, and one of the best that doesn't require you to root your phone is DiskDigger. It focuses on photos but if your device is rooted it can pick up traces of erased videos too.
4. Use Recuva to find your files
If you're still having no luck getting your deleted files back, then turning to a desktop application is the next option, and as far as free data recovery programs go they don't come much better than Recuva. Plug your phone into your computer or just take out the memory card and plug this in instead.
5. Recover saved games
For getting back saved games that you've accidentally deleted, your best port of call is actually the developer of the game - whether it's a software studio or a one-man operation there should be some kind of support option for enquiring about your options in terms of recovering saves.
6. Recover deleted emails
In theory, getting back deleted emails on your Android device shouldn't be much of a problem: virtually all Android email clients will keep messages in the cloud and include some kind of 'recycle bin' option that enables you to restore deleted messages for a certain period of time.
7. Recover deleted music on an Android device
If you've erased files directly from the local storage on your Android device then the data recovery tools Recuva and DiskDigger are your best bets, otherwise check inside the app you use to manage your tunes. Of course with streaming services all your tracks are stored in the cloud anyway.
8. Recover downloaded files
The 'Downloads' folder is one of the few places in Android where you get direct access to the file system - if you've erased something from here, and Android data recovery apps like DiskDigger and Recuva can't find it, then you're probably out of luck in terms of getting it back.
9. Recover deleted contacts
Assuming Google is managing all of your Android contacts - and it probably is - getting deleted ones back isn't difficult. You need to go to Google Contacts on the web, click 'More' and then choose 'Restore contacts'. This lets you roll back to a certain time point.
10. Turn on your backups
Prevention is better than cure, according to most people, so putting backups in place is the best way of ensuring you can always get deleted files from your Android device back again. Not much use if your files are already gone, admittedly, but it's worth mentioning it for the future.
Apps such as Dumpster act as a recycle bin for your phone, for instance, but it needs to be installed before you do any erasing. In addition, Android itself can back up much of your data if you go to Backup & reset in Settings, and some third-party app data is included as well.
