How to Recover Permanently Deleted Photos from Google Drive

Do you have missing photos on Google Drive? We’ll help you find it! Google Drive is a great platform for those who want to store important files. The search engine giant gives you 15GB worth of free storage space. That’s a lot for casual users out there.

But let’s get straight to the point -- how to recover permanently deleted photos from Google Drive? You might think it’s impossible. But, you can actually restore these deleted photos and get them back in tip-top shape.

In this guide, we will tell you how to recover your lost photos, especially if they are permanently deleted from the cloud storage platform. We’ll give you various methods you can implement immediately. Let’s get started.

Ways on How to Recovery Permanently Deleted Photos from Google DriveWays on How to Recover Photos You Think You Didn’t DeleteImportant Note: Which Files May Be Recovered?To Wrap It All Up

Ways on How to Recovery Permanently Deleted Photos from Google Drive

Solution 01: Using FoneDog Data Recovery

The best tool you can use to restore permanently deleted data, including photos, is FoneDog Data Recovery. It’s a wizard that allows you to restore your photos, videos, emails, documents, music, and other file types from a lot of storage platforms and devices.

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Here are the steps on how to use the tool:

Step 01 - Download, install and launch FoneDog Data Recovery on your Windows PC or Mac computer. On the main interface, select the platform or device where you want to restore data from.
Step 02 - Click “Scan.” Wait until the process of scanning is complete.

Step 03 - Preview the photos you want to recover. Select the ones you want to restore.

Step 04 - Click “Recover.”

Solution 02: Restoring from Google Drive Trash

Sometimes, the photos you want to recover might just be in the Trash of Google Drive. Thus, you have the ability to restore the photos yourself. In this method, you won’t need any technical help. Here are the steps on how to do so:

Step 01 - Use your computer and visit drive.google.com/drive/trash

Step 02 - Locate the photos you wish to recover. Right-click on these photos.

Step 03 - Press “Restore.”

Solution 03: Contact Google Support

If you have a problem with how to recover permanently deleted photos from Google Drive, you might want to get help from their support team. For instance, you can also visit the Community Forum in order to find an answer to your problem. Or, you can also submit a query to that of Google Drive’s support team. Here are the steps on how to do so:

Step 01 - Visit drive.google.com.

Step 02 - Press the Help button.

Step 03 - Press “Send Feedback.”

Step 04 - Input the details of your feedback, then click “Send.”

Ways on How to Recover Photos You Think You Didn’t Delete

In this section on how to recover permanently deleted photos from Google Drive, we will look at the possibility that the photos are not actually deleted. Thus, they still might be in Google Drive in a specific folder you don’t know. Thus, you might try different ways below in order to find the photos you’re missing:

Solution 01: Check Out Your Activity Panel

Here are the steps you should follow to find photos you might be missing:
Step 01 - Use your computer and open a browser.

Step 02 - Visit drive.google.com.

Step 03 - Visit the left side and then press “My Drive.”

Step 04 - Click “Info” at the upper right part of the interface. It looks like an “i” inside a circle

Step 05 - Scroll down the page and search for the photo you might be missing.

Solution 02: Use Advanced Search

Here are the steps you should follow in order to try Advanced Search:

Step 01 - Use your computer and open a browser.

Step 02 - Visit drive.google.com.

Step 03 - Use the search bar located at the top part.

Step 04 - Press the arrow that points downwards.

Step 05 - Use various advanced search options in order to locate your photo.

Solution 03: Special Cases

What if the following steps above didn’t help on how to recover permanently deleted photos from Google Drive? There are special cases you have to consider. For instance, if you have made the file yourself, there might be cases where the file(s) are orphaned. These orphaned files usually lost every parent folder it has. However, this type of file still exists and is difficult to locate.

Usually, the orphaned files are created in another person’s folder. When that person deletes the folder, the file you created won’t be deleted. Since you are the only person who can delete the files. Or, sometimes, the folder is shared with a person who has removed the file from that of the shared folder. The file won’t be deleted in itself. However, it will not be present in the folder already.

In order to find orphaned files, you have to go to the search bar and type in “is unorganized owner: me.” Once you find the photos or files that are orphaned, you can move them into a folder within your drive that still exists.

But what if the file was created by someone else? Then, they have the ability to rename, delete, and even restore the files. You must communicate with the person who has created or uploaded the photo and ask him or her to restore these files. Then, contact them again to make sure they share the files with you.

Important Note: Which Files May Be Recovered?

Usually, when consumer accounts are used in Google Drive, the support team can help you recover files. This is true, especially when you have uploaded the file yourself, have created the file, and you also accepted ownership of the said file from another person. However, if the Google account has been permanently deleted, it may be impossible to restore the files.

To Wrap It All Up

We’ve told you various ways on how to recover permanently deleted photos from Google Drive. In addition, solutions for photos that may or may not be deleted can be seen above. Finally, we’ve ended a note on an important tip regarding the recovery of lost files on Google Drive.

How about you? What’s your go-to method for restoring your photos on Google Drive? Do you have anything you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments section below.