If the photos were on the memory card, connect the card to your computer and use Recuva to search for them.
Why use a computer?
The SD card can be removed from the phone and read directly by the computer. This way, Android doesn't write anything new to it during the scan, and PC programs can analyze the entire card, sector by sector.
This is the recommended course of action when the card has been formatted, has an error, or when photos have disappeared after switching the card to another device.
A computer running Windows, a card reader or USB adapter, and free hard drive space on the computer to save the recovered photos.
Step-by-step with Recuva
Turn off your phone, remove the card, and insert it into the reader. If Windows asks if you want to format the disk, cancel. Formatting now reduces the chances of recovery.
Download Recuva from the official CCleaner website and install it on your computer's hard drive, never on the memory card itself. The free version is sufficient for recovering photos.
In the wizard, select Images as the file type and choose the drive letter for your card. Enable the deep scan option, which takes longer but finds more files.
The files appear with a color: green indicates a good chance of recovery, orange indicates partial recovery, and red indicates that the file has been overwritten. Select the photos and save them to a folder on your computer, never to the memory card.
If the card doesn't appear on the computer
Try another reader or another USB port. If the card is not recognized by any computer, there may be physical damage, and in that case only a specialized data recovery service can help.
Those who use Mac or Linux can try PhotoRec, a free and open-source program with a simpler yet efficient interface for photos.
How to recover photos from the trash →1. Recuva
This is a free program for Windows, from the same company as CCleaner. It has a simple wizard that asks for the file type and location, ideal for those who have never recovered photos.
Deep scanning finds images on formatted or incorrectly formatted cards, as long as the space has not been overwritten.
Go to the official website2. PhotoRec
This is a free and open-source program that works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It focuses on recovering photos and other files from memory cards and disks.
The interface is more technical, in text mode, but the program is very useful when the card has a damaged file system.
Go to the official websiteFrequently Asked Questions
Does Recuva work on mobile phones?
No. Recuva is a Windows program. To use it, the card needs to be connected to the computer via a card reader.
Can I recover photos from a formatted memory card?
Often yes, especially if it was a quick format and nothing new was saved afterward. A deep scan increases the chances.
Why shouldn't I save the photos directly to the card?
Because saving to the card can take up space that could be used for other photos that haven't been recovered yet.
Is Recuva free?
Yes, there is a free version that recovers photos. The paid version offers extra support and features.