If you've been trying to recover deleted photos from WhatsApp for a while and haven't been able to find them, you've come to the right article. Recovering a deleted photo or video from WhatsApp depends on several factors, many of which you may not be aware of, but which will allow you to recover the lost content, provided not too much time has passed.
But first of all, we need to know what operating system our device uses, because depending on whether it's an iPhone or an Android smartphone, the procedure is different , since even if it's the same application, the way they handle files is completely different.
Recover Deleted Photos from WhatsApp on Android
Search in the photo gallery
By default, WhatsApp is configured to automatically store each and every photo and video we receive through the application in the WhatsApp Images and WhatsApp Videos folders, which are different folders from where all the photos and videos we take with our device are stored.
If you haven't changed that option, the image is most likely in that folder , which you can access directly from your device's gallery app, or with a file manager, with Google Files being one of the best options.
Search Google Photos or other cloud storage services
If you use Google Photos, with a bit of luck, if we know the date we received that image, it's likely that if we don't have two-way synchronization enabled , that image will still be available in the Google cloud.
If you don't use Google Photos but do use OneDrive, Dropbox, or Amazon Photos , you can check these services to see if the deleted image is still available.
Use image recovery software
If there is no way to recover the images you deleted, it is probably time to use applications that allow you to recover deleted files through specific apps that scan the device looking for all previously deleted content that is recoverable.
Restore a backup
As I mentioned above, as long as it hasn't been too long since we lost track of the image, we probably have a chance of recovering it. Unfortunately, Android doesn't include a recycle bin where all the files we delete from our device end up, so that's not an option.
One option to recover the deleted image is to restore a WhatsApp backup . There are two problems with this process:
- We lose all conversations that we have kept since the last backup.
- If the last backup it is recent, it is likely that restoring the copy, we still cannot find the image we are looking for.
If we are sure that we don't mind losing the most recent conversations, we should first check the date on which the last WhatsApp backup was made in our Google Drive account, because if it is very recent, restoring it will not do us any good.
WhatsApp backups on Google Drive are invisible to the user ; that is, despite being stored in our Google account, we cannot access them at any time, so we cannot check the content stored in them.
Recover Deleted Photos from WhatsApp on iPhone
Search in gallery
Just like on Android, the first place we should check for the image is in the iOS gallery , called Photos within the WhatsApp album, where all the images we download manually or automatically from WhatsApp are stored.
WhatsApp for iOS, just like on Android, automatically stores all images received on the device , so if you haven't disabled that option to save space, it's most likely available in this application.
Search in Deleted Items
Unlike Android, iOS has a trash folder where all deleted files, photos, and videos are stored for up to 30 days . After that time, the images are completely deleted from your device.
In the case of photos and videos, the trash can is located within the Photos app, in the Deleted section.
Search iCloud, Google Photos, or storage services
If you have iCloud photo and video syncing enabled , if the image isn't in your camera roll, it won't be in your iCloud backup either. However, if you also use Google Photos or another cloud storage app like Dropbox or OneDrive, you'll likely find the image you deleted.
Search your computer
If you don't use iCloud but regularly back up images and videos to your computer to free up space on your iPhone , you should take a look at this backup, because the image you're looking for is likely there.
Restore WhatsApp backup
Just like on Android, WhatsApp backups stored in iCloud are invisible to users , so we can't access them and view all the stored images.
The only solution, as with Android, is to check the date of the last backup and restore it, even though this means losing the most recent conversations we have had through this messaging application.
To check the date of the last backup, we need to access the application's settings options , tap on Chats and on Backup.
Request a copy
Sometimes we make a mountain out of a molehill. The simplest solution to recover a photo or video we've deleted from WhatsApp is to ask the person or group where it was shared for it again.
On WhatsApp Web, you won't find it either
WhatsApp Web is simply a reflection of the mobile application in a browser, so all the content currently displayed in the application will also be displayed if you access it through WhatsApp Web. Therefore, if you were hoping to recover the deleted image through this service, you can forget about it.