How to Resolve the "Google Photos Lost Photos" Issue (with Prevention Strategies)

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Did you know what has been regarded as the safest cloud storage platform? None other than Google Photos! Here, users can free up device space by uploading their images, ensuring that accessing your photos is hassle-free. However, there are various reasons behind the issue of Google Photos losing photos.

With the launch of Google Photos and its unlimited high-quality cloud storage, Google has provided an excellent photo backup solution for your Google Drive. However, it's not uncommon to encounter issues where "Google Photos lost all my photos" due to technical glitches. Fear not, as in this article, we will discuss the reasons behind this problem and offer significant prevention tips. Let's dive in!

What Causes Google Drive to Lose Photos on Computer

Though it might sound challenging, photo deletion from Google Photos is a common issue that users frequently encounter while using this Google service. The possible causes of losing photos in Google Photos are as follows:

• Poor network connection: Your unstable network connection often causes this issue, hindering content loading and occasionally causing pictures to disappear abruptly.
• Sync failure: You might have intended to backup your photos to Google Photos, but if the sync process fails and you're unable to access them, this problem can arise.
• Human errors: Accidentally deleting photos from Google Photos without realizing it can lead to this issue.
• Technical glitches: Issues or bugs within Google Photos itself can result in photos getting lost from the platform.

8 Solutions for Google Photos Not Backing Up Issue

Whenever you encounter issues with syncing or backing up Google photos, you can easily find assistance with just a few clicks.

5 Solutions: Restore Missing Photos and Videos from Google Photos

When utilizing Google Photos, encountering issues like "Google Photos lost videos" or "Google Photos lost all my photos" is quite common. Dealing with such a situation can indeed be highly frustrating! However, there's no need to worry, as we will present you with the top 5 solutions to recover videos and photos from Google Photos.

Solution 1: Ensure you're logged into the correct Google account

You might have more than one Google account, and it's possible that you discovered your pictures are missing. In this case, you need to verify if you're logged into the correct account, as the current login may not be the one where you save all your photos.

Solution 2: Check every archive and locked folder

Have you triggered the "Free up space" feature on your Google Photos? If that's the case, your device might have removed the videos and photos. However, there's a chance you can retrieve them through the Google Photos app. Follow these steps to recover missing items: 1. **Open Google Photos**: Launch the Google Photos app on your device. 2. **Check the Trash**: Look for the "Trash" or "Bin" folder within the app. Deleted items are usually stored here for a limited time before being permanently removed. 3. **Search for the Lost Items**: Use the search bar at the top of the app to look for specific keywords related to the lost photos or videos. 4. **Restore from Backup**: If you have backup enabled, ensure that your photos and videos are synced with your Google account. Go to the "Library" tab and check if the missing content is present in the "Backups & Devices" section. 5. **Recently Deleted Album (iOS Only)**: If you're using an iPhone, there's a "Recently Deleted" album in the Photos app where deleted items are kept for 30 days before deletion. You can restore them from there. 6. **Sign Out and Sign In**: If the items still don't appear, try signing out of your Google account and signing back in. This could refresh the app's data. 7. **Contact Google Support**: If all else fails, you can contact Google Support for assistance in recovering your lost content. Remember that the availability of deleted items depends on your backup settings and the duration they remain in the trash before being permanently erased.

Step 1. Open photos.google.com on your computer.

Step 2. Tap on the menu, and then select Archive.

Step 3. Choose a picture. To select multiple photos, tap each one and then tap Select.

Step 4. Click on "Unarchive" after tapping on the three-dot icon.

Solution 3: Recover from Google Photos Trash

Did you accidentally delete some photos? If that's the case, they might still be in the trash folder. Fortunately, there's a chance you can recover them. Here are the steps to retrieve photos from the Google Photos Trash: 1. **Open Google Photos**: Launch the Google Photos app on your smartphone or access it through the web browser on your computer. 2. **Access Trash**: At the bottom of the app (on mobile) or in the left sidebar (on desktop), find and tap on "Trash" or "Bin" to view the deleted photos. 3. **Find the Deleted Photo**: Scroll through the contents of the Trash to locate the photo you wish to restore. You can also use the search bar to find specific photos by keywords or dates. 4. **Restore the Photo**: Once you've found the photo, tap on it to open it. Then, tap the three vertical dots (or "More" icon) in the top-right corner, and select "Restore" from the menu that appears. The photo will be moved back to your main gallery. 5. **Confirm Restoration**: After tapping "Restore," check your main gallery to ensure the photo has been successfully recovered. Remember that deleted photos stay in the Trash for 60 days before being permanently removed. So, it's essential to act promptly if you want to retrieve them.

Step 1. On your computer, visit photos.google.com, click on Menu, and then select Trash.

Step 2. Place your cursor on the image you wish to retrieve and click "Select."

Step 3. Select "Restore" from the top-right corner. The photo will promptly be retrieved from your Google Photos library and added back to any albums it was previously in.

It might have been permanently deleted. However, if the photos have been in the Trash for over 60 days, they might be irretrievably lost.

Solution 4: Disable suspicious browser extensions/plugins

Step 1. Click on the Chrome menu button represented by the three-dot icon.

Step 2. Next, click on the "More Tools" option.

Step 3. Click on "Extensions" in the submenu displayed on the left.

Step 4. Slide the toggle switch to the "On" position to disable it. Alternatively, you might click the "Remove" option at the bottom of the extension to uninstall it.

Step 5. If you have multiple add-ons to disable, you'll need to reset Chrome to do so.

To do this, click on the Chrome menu button; then, click "Settings" and select "Advanced" at the bottom of the menu. Scroll down the menu and choose "Reset settings" to revert to defaults. After that, visit the website to see if the missing photos from Google Photos have returned.

Solution 5: Contact Google Support for Photo Recovery

If none of the aforementioned steps resolve the issue, your last resort would be to contact the Google support team.

Step 1. Visit the support.google.com/drive/ website.

Step 2. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select "Contact Us."

Step 3. Here, you will have three options to select from, namely "Request chat," "Request call-back," or "Email support."

Bonus Tip: How to Prevent Google Photos from Losing Photos

Google Photos is one of the convenient options for users to manage and access their photos. Consequently, many individuals opt to transfer or move their significant photos to Google Photos.

You may also be interested in How to Backup SD Card to Google Photos [Everything You Need to Know]

But what if you urgently need some crucial pictures for study or work, and Google Photo lost photos? While Google Photos losing photos or failing to sync may seem like routine issues, they can cause significant trouble in your life.

However, Google Photos' sync and backup feature is the most convenient storage service that automatically saves your videos and pictures to your Google account. As a result, they can be easily accessed from any device once you log into your account. The major downsides of using Google Photos are the elimination of unlimited storage and the need for improved editing capabilities.

However, to prevent the loss of photos, it's advisable to employ a top-notch backup solution like Todo Backup, a complementary tool that ensures 100% protection for thousands of Google Photos files. This computer backup software enables you to back up all types of files and save the backups to your Google Drive account. Should you choose Todo Cloud to safeguard your backup files, you'll benefit from 250GB of free cloud storage.

The software also enables you to save backups to the Cloud and local drives. The cloud backup service offered by these tools is flexible, secure, and cost-efficient. Each user is granted a complimentary cloud storage space of 250GB. Other notable features of Todo Backup include:

• Simplified backup management
• Bootable backup and recovery
• Backup scheduling
• Password-protected backups
• Multi-path backup storage

Here, we will provide you with the complete steps to back up your photos. Simply follow the instructions to accomplish this task.

Step 1. To start the backup process, click the Select backup contents button.

Step 2. Four data backup categories are displayed: File, Disk, OS, and Mail.

Step 3. Lists of both local and network files are displayed on the left side of the screen. Expand the directory to select the files you want to back up.

Step 4. Follow the on-screen instructions and select the location where you want to save the backup.

Ensure that the backup is encrypted by clicking on Options within Backup Options. You can also configure the backup schedule by setting it to commence at a specific time under Backup Scheme through the Options button. There are numerous other customizable settings available for you to explore.

Step 5. You can save the backup file on your computer, in the tool's cloud service, or on a Network-Attached Storage (NAS) device.

Step 6. Todo Backup allows customers to store backup copies of their files on a third-party cloud drive or on the company's own cloud storage.

If you wish to back up your data on a third-party cloud drive, choose Local Drive and scroll down to add Cloud Device. Next, enter your account details.

Click on "Tools Cloud". If you want to store backup files in tools' own cloud storage service, sign up and log in with your Tools account.

Step 7. Click on Backup Now to initiate the backup process. Once the backup is complete, it will be displayed as a card on the left side of the screen. Right-clicking on the card will provide you with more options to manage and explore the backup job in greater detail.

Conclusion

Recovering your Google photos and videos is indeed a seamless process as long as you initiate the recovery within 60 days. Beyond this timeframe, retrieving deleted Google Photos becomes quite challenging. Nevertheless, the solutions outlined above can help address the issue of Google Photos losing all your pictures. Among them, using a tool like Todo Backup stands out as the optimal solution for restoring all your files on your computer.