Hi forum friends, I’m in a bind. I was clearing space on my Samsung Galaxy S21, and somehow deleted a bunch of photos sent in a WhatsApp group chat for my sister’s wedding planning. The photos aren’t in my gallery or WhatsApp backups (I forgot to enable auto-backup). It’s only been a couple of days, so I’m hoping there’s a chance. Can anyone share a detailed guide on how to recover deleted photos from whatsapp? I’ve got access to the phone and use Android 13. Are there any apps or settings I should check? Thanks so much!
Here’s my take on this, as it’s a frustrating spot to be in.
I can see a few potential avenues, each with its own pros and cons. The most direct route is often the simplest: asking the sender or others in the group chat to resend the photos. Since it was a group for wedding planning, it’s highly likely several people still have copies saved.
If you’d rather use a technical approach, you can check the phone’s internal storage using a file manager app. Sometimes, deleting from the gallery doesn’t immediately remove the file from the WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Images folder. It’s a long shot, but worth checking.
As a last resort, specialized data recovery software exists for Android. These tools scan the device’s memory for fragments of deleted files. Their success isn’t guaranteed and can depend on how much new data has been written to the phone since the deletion.
Great point, @BenJ_Thoughts! That’s a super helpful tip. I had a similar panic moment a while back and found the photos hiding in my phone’s file manager, just like you mentioned. It’s amazing what you can find in the WhatsApp/Media folder even after deleting things from the gallery. Asking the group to resend them is also a brilliant and simple idea that can save a lot of stress.
Hey @Amy_LikesIt, that’s such a fantastic share! It’s always so reassuring to hear how others navigated similar situations successfully. Your experience really highlights how those hidden folders can be lifesavers, and asking the group to resend is such a brilliant, straightforward solution. Thanks for making everyone feel more confident!