How to protect your photos from further deletions

Two simple layers prevent a wrong touch from permanently erasing a photo.

Why prevention pays off

Recovery is uncertain, and many photos come back incomplete.

With active protection, the deleted photo is saved and restored with a tap.

The ideal combination has two parts: a backup in the cloud and an extra trash can on the device itself.

It only takes a few minutes and it works for everything you delete from now on.

1Enable Google Photos backup

Tap on your profile picture, go to backup settings and enable it. Choose to send only via Wi-Fi.

2Install an extra trash can

Dumpster stores deleted photos and videos from any app for the period you specify.

3Set the deadline for the extra trash can

It usually takes one to four weeks to find a good balance between protection and free space.

4Enable the battery saving app

Thus, it continues to function in the background, even when closed.

Neither of them restores what was deleted before you activated them.

The extra trash bin is built into the phone itself, so it's not helpful in case of theft or malfunction. That's what backups are for.

Review what the cleaning apps will delete before confirming.

From time to time, open Google Photos and check if the backup is still active and without any pending issues.

Also save your most important photos on a computer or external hard drive.

1. Dumpster

Google Play

Create an extra trash can for deleted photos and videos.

It works without root access.

2. Google Photos

Google Play

Send each new photo to the cloud.

Protects against loss or theft of your cell phone.

Does the extra trash can take up space?

Yes, the same as for stored files. A shorter timeframe takes up less space.

Does backup consume a lot of data?

No, if you leave the sending only via Wi-Fi.

Does it protect photos that were deleted beforehand?

No. Only from the moment of activation.