FAQs
Learn what happens to photos & videos you've deleted
If you delete a photo or video that's backed up in Google Photos, it will stay in your trash for 60 days. If you delete a photo or video from your Android 11 and up device without it being backed up, it will stay in your trash for 30 days.
Does deleting photos from one device delete them from all? ›
Delete photos or videos
When you delete photos and videos, they go to your Recently Deleted album for 30 days. After 30 days, they'll be permanently deleted. If you use iCloud Photos, and delete photos and videos from one device, the photos and videos will be deleted on your other devices.
Will deleting photos from my phone delete them from Google Photos? ›
If you remove copies of photos and videos on your Android device, they're now deleted but, you still can: See your photos and videos, including the ones you just removed, in the Google Photos app and photos.google.com. Edit, share, delete, and manage anything in your Google Photos library.
Can photos be retrieved when deleted from a phone? ›
Important: You can only restore photos and videos if they're still in your trash. Trash. Touch and hold the photo or video you want to restore. If the photo or video isn't in your trash, it may be permanently deleted.
Are deleted photos on phone gone forever? ›
Photos and videos that were permanently deleted can't be restored. Learn how to turn on backup. If you no longer want to see a photo or video in your Google Photos Gallery view but don't want to delete it, you can move items to the archive.
Where do your pictures go when we delete them permanently? ›
Deleted photos are still on your device. If you delete your files (photos) on a computer by right-clicking on the “Delete” option or simply click the “Delete” key, it should go in the computer's Recycle Bin, trash, or something else depending on your operating system.
Does anyone see your deleted photos? ›
Cybercriminals and hackers can gain access to personal information stored in your computer even after you think you've deleted the files. This includes everything from financial documents to scanned images. If you think those files are gone because they've been deleted, think again.
Can my phone delete photos itself? ›
When you turn on Smart Storage, photos backed up in Google Photos are deleted automatically: If photos are saved for 60 days. If your device's storage is less than 25%
Does deleted photos take up storage? ›
Do recently deleted photos take up storage? Yes, they do. When you delete photos, they move to the Recently Deleted album and stay there for 30 days or until you manually remove them.
Where can I store my photos to free up space? ›
Online photo storage and backup. Dropbox lets you back up photos and videos to the cloud from iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac devices, as well as your camera.
If you backed up your photo or video before you delete it, it will stay in your trash for 60 days. Some photos save space when deleted. If you delete a photo that saves storage space in your Google Account, you may get an estimate of the recovered storage.
How do I free up space in Google Photos? ›
Clean up storage
- On your Android device, open the Google Photos app .
- Sign in to your Google Account.
- At the top, tap your Profile picture or Initial.
- Tap Photos settings Backup. Manage storage.
- Under "Review and delete," select any category.
- Tap Select.
- Select the items you want to delete.
- Tap Move to trash .
Where does the permanently deleted photos go in Mobile? ›
Recover permanently deleted photos
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app .
- At the bottom, tap Library Trash .
- Touch and hold the photo or video you want to restore.
- At the bottom, tap Restore. The photo or video will be back: In your phone's gallery app. In your Google Photos library.
Can police read text messages that have been deleted? ›
If you think those deleted texts are gone forever, think again. Law enforcement can often retrieve text messages, even ones you've deleted.
Can someone access my deleted photos on my phone? ›
Certainly! If dangerous hackers access your Android device, they can easily retrieve deleted photos. Hackers exploit opportunities, such as forgotten logins, to back up accounts to access lost data. Deleted images remain in storage until overwritten, making recovery possible with powerful data recovery tools.
Are deleted photos traceable? ›
The short answer is: no, they are not gone forever. However, the process of retrieving them is much more difficult, and it may not be possible to retrieve all of the data. When you delete a photo from your phone, the photo is actually just moved to a different location on the memory card.
Do deleted photos stay on the Internet? ›
Is it true that EVERYTHING stays on the internet? Sure, even if you delete images in some social medias, they'll still show up on images, and people take screenshots, reupload, record, etc.
What happens when you permanently deleted photos? ›
Once permanently deleted, photos and videos are gone. They can't be recovered. Because Permanent is Permanent.