How to Retrieve Photos After Formatting Android

Summary

This article explains how to retrieve lost photos from a formatted Android phone memory card or SD card. Download Android data recovery software to effortlessly recover photos from a formatted Android phone or memory card now.

"Can You Recover Data After Formatting Android?"

Formatting refers to the process of erasing all data and settings on your Android device, returning it to its original, factory state. Consequently, once you format an Android phone, all content on the device will be lost. If you aim to recover data, such as photos, following the format, it can be challenging yet still feasible.

If you've previously backed up your Android phone, getting your photos, videos, or other stuff back is pretty simple. But most times, you probably don't have a backup available. When that's the case, you'll want to use an Android data recovery software to help you out. Usually, these tools might not bring everything back, but they'll sure try to recover your files. If you formatted the SD card on your Android and need to get your photos back, using data recovery software is also efficient and likely to succeed.

Specify your situation and proceed with the appropriate solution to recover your data.

Recovering Photos After Formatting Android Through a Backup If you have accidentally formatted your Android device and lost your precious photos, there is still hope to retrieve them if you have a backup. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to recover your photos after formatting your Android using a backup: 1. **Backup Source**: First, identify the source of your backup. It could be from cloud services like Google Photos, Dropbox, or OneDrive, or from a local backup on your computer. 2. **Google Photos**: If you were using Google Photos with the backup and sync feature enabled, follow these steps: - Sign in to your Google account on the web or on another Android device. - Open Google Photos and navigate to "Library" or "Photos." - Check "Trash" or "Bin" for any deleted photos. They should be there for up to 60 days before being permanently removed. - Select the photos you want to restore and tap "Restore" to move them back to your "Photos" album. 3. **Dropbox/OneDrive**: If you backed up your photos to Dropbox or OneDrive, open the respective app on your Android device after reformatting: - Log in to your account and go to the "Photos" or "Pictures" folder. - Locate the backup folder where your photos were stored before the format. - Download the photos you wish to recover to your device. 4. **Local Backup (Computer)**: If you have a local backup on your computer, connect your Android device to your PC using a USB cable: - Depending on your backup method, you might need to restore the entire backup or manually transfer the photo files to your device's "DCIM" folder. - If using Android File Transfer (for macOS or Windows), navigate to the backup folder and drag the photo files into the appropriate folders on your Android device. 5. **Third-Party Recovery Tools**: In case your backup doesn't cover the recently deleted photos, you can try using data recovery software specifically designed for Android devices. These tools often require connecting your Android to your computer and scanning for lost files. Examples include Dr.Fone, tools MobiSaver, and DiskDigger. Remember, prevention is key. Always keep your important data backed up to avoid future loss.

If you've previously backed up your Android photos, you can now restore everything, including the photos, from the backup on the reformatted device. The steps may vary slightly depending on the brand of your Android device, but the general process to recover formatted photos from an Android phone is as follows:

Step 1. Access the Settings app on your Android device.

Step 2. Tap "Cloud" and sign in with the account you used to create the backup.

Step 3. Tap "Cloud" > "Cloud Backup" to select a backup to restore your device from.

"Recover Formatted Photos from Android Phone using Data Recovery Application"

If you don't have a backup and need to perform format data recovery on your Android device, you can utilize the Android Data Recovery tool - MobiSaver for a try. This software aids in recovering deleted or lost photos, videos, contacts, messages, and more from various Android devices. While it may not guarantee the restoration of all formatted photos, as is the case with most data recovery apps, you can still give it a shot to see if it helps.

Remember, you'll need to root your device first whenever you attempt to recover lost data from an Android device, regardless of the photo recovery app you choose to use.

To recover photos after formatting an Android device:

Step 1. Connect your Android phone to the computer and launch the MobiSaver for Android tool. Then click the "Start" button to allow the software to recognize and connect with your device.

Connect Android phone to PC to recover lost photos

Step 2. After connecting your Android phone, the software will quickly scan the device to find all existing and lost data. You can easily locate the lost files you want by selecting the appropriate file type.

Scan Android phone to find lost photos

Step 3. Preview each recoverable file individually, then quickly select the ones you want. Here, you can turn on the "Only display deleted items" option to show deleted files only. Lastly, click the "Recover" button to restore the selected files in one go.

If you don't prefer using the desktop version, you can opt for the Android Data Recovery app instead.

"Recover Photos After Formatting Phone from SD Card"

If you're seeking to recover photos from a formatted SD card on your Android device, you can retrieve all your photos with the assistance of the free data recovery software - Data Recovery Wizard. This program is capable of restoring deleted, lost, and formatted data from a computer or external storage devices, including SD cards.

To recover formatted photos from an SD card or memory card:

Step 1. Choose the SD card to scan

    1. Download and install the tool, Data Recovery Wizard, on your Windows PC. 2. Connect your SanDisk/Lexar/Transcend SD card to the computer in the correct manner. 3. Launch the SD card recovery software and select "SD Card Recovery" from the left panel. All connected drives will be displayed. Choose your SD card and click "Scan".
Select the SD card and click Scan

Step 2. Check for scan results This translates to: "Step 2. Review the scan results"

    1. Wait for the scanning process to complete. 2. Specify one or several file types to display, such as Pictures or Videos. 3. Click "Preview" to verify if they are the desired files.
filter the lost photos

Step 3. Recover SD Card Data

    1. Preview the recovered files and click "Recover".
    2. Choose a different location to save the recovered files rather than the original SD card.
Recover lost photos

Bottom line.

Unlike recovering deleted files from an Android device, format photo recovery is relatively more challenging. If you have a backup available, that's the ideal scenario for retrieving all your photos. However, if not, utilizing an Android data recovery tool is certainly worth attempting.