How to Access Recently Deleted Photos? A Step-by-Step Guide

In today’s digital age, photos are more than just images—they are cherished memories, professional assets, and sometimes even legal evidence. Losing photos due to accidental deletion, hardware failure, or software issues can be a heartbreaking experience. However, the good news is that deleted photos can be accessed and restored in many cases.

This guide will walk you through the most effective methods to recover your photos on Windows PCs, whether they were deleted recently or a while ago. We’ll also provide several tips for successful photo recovery. So, if you’re wondering how to access recently deleted photos, read on to discover step-by-step solutions that can help you get your photos back easily.

How to Access Recently Deleted Photos?

Method 1. Check the Recycle Bin

The Recycle Bin folder is the first place you should check if you’re wondering how to access deleted photos. When you delete a photo on your computer, it doesn’t immediately vanish forever. Instead, it’s typically moved to the Recycle Bin, which allows you to recover files with a few clicks.

Step 1. Double-click “Recycle Bin” on your desktop.

Step 2. Search for the deleted photos that you want to access.

Step 3. Right-click the photos and choose “Restore”. Then, they will be restored to their original locations.

Method 2. Access Recently Deleted Photos Using Software

If your photos are no longer in the folder or the Recycle Bin has been emptied, don’t panic. There’s still a way to recover them using specialized software. One of the most reliable tools for this purpose is AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery. This software is designed to help you access deleted photos even if they’ve been permanently removed from the Recycle Bin. It’s user-friendly and supports a wide range of file formats, making it an excellent choice for photo recovery.

The easy-to-use interface guides users through a smooth, sequential recuperation process.

Before restoring a file, users can preview its content, ensuring that you are restoring the correct one.

With its high performance, users are able to recover lost files within the shortest time.

Here’s how to use AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery to access recently deleted photos:

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery. Choose the exact partition or disk where your photos were stored to Scan.

Step 2. Then, the recovery tool start to scan your device and search for deleted or lost items.

It will execute the “Quickly Scan" first for finding your deleted data fast, and then execute the “Deep Scan" for searching other lost data.

Step 3. Once the scan is completed, all deleted or missing files will be displayed. Please select the file you would like to recover and then click "Recover".

Step 4. Select a folder path to save your recovered files. Then, wait patiently for this process to finish.

Method 3. Access Deleted Photos via File History

If you’ve enabled File History on your computer, you’re in luck. File History automatically backs up your files, including photos, making it easier to access recently deleted photos. This method is particularly useful if you’ve lost photos that were stored in specific folders.

Step 1: Go to the Control Panel, and select System and Security > File History in turn.

Step 2: Click Restore personal files.

Step 3: Choose the photos you want to recover, and then click the green refresh button to get them back.

Method 4. Find Recently Deleted Photos with Backup and Restore

If you’ve been using Windows Backup and Restore, you can use this feature to access deleted photos. This method is ideal for users who regularly back up their data. Here’s how to find recently deleted photos with this feature.

Step 1. Go to Control Panel and select System and Security > Backup and Restore (Windows 7).

Step 2. Click Restore my files.

Step 3. Click Browse for files and select photos you want to access, then click Next to continue.

Step 4. Specify the destination to save your recovered photos and click Restore.

Method 5. Access Recently Deleted Photos through Google Photos

Many users tend to store their photos on cloud services like Google Photos. If so, you can easily access recently deleted photos through these platforms. For instance, Google Photos keeps deleted photos in a “Trash” folder for 60 days, giving you ample time to recover them. Here’s how to access deleted photos through Google Photos:

Step 1: Go to the Google Photos website and log in with your account.

Step 2: Browse through your albums and locate the photos you want to download.

Step 3: Click the More options (three-dot menu) in the top right corner and select Download to restore them to your local device.

Tips for Successful Photo Recovery

Whether you’re using built-in tools like the Recycle Bin or specialized software like AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery, these tips will help you maximize your chances of successful photo recovery:

Act Quickly: Deleted photos can be overwritten by new data, making recovery more difficult or impossible. So, it is advised to act fast to increase the chances of recovery.
Avoid Saving New Data: Saving new files to the same drive or device where your photos were deleted can overwrite the deleted data. If possible, avoid using the device until you’ve completed the recovery process.
Choose a Different Location: When saving the recovered photos, choose a different saving path to avoid overwriting other data.
Wait Patiently: Be patient during the recovery process and do not interrupt it, as this could result in incomplete recovery.

Conclusion

Losing photos can be a frustrating experience, but it is not impossible to recover them. This guide shows you how to access recently deleted photos. By checking the Recycle Bin or using other tools like AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery, you can confidently restore your photos and avoid the stress of permanent loss. Ready to access and recover your photos? Download AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery now and follow our step-by-step guide to get started.

FAQs

Q1: Is File History enabled by default on Windows?

No, File History is not enabled by default. You need to manually turn it on in the Control Panel.

Q2: Can I recover photos from a formatted drive?

Yes, tools like AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery can help you easily recover photos from a formatted drive, provided the data hasn’t been overwritten. Additionally, it also supports recovering data from damaged hard disks, system failures, and other complex data loss scenarios.

Q3: How long do deleted photos stay in the Recycle Bin folder?

Deleted photos typically stay in the Recycle Bin folder for as long as you don’t manually empty it or until the storage limit of the Recycle Bin is reached.