Surely you have heard it said more than once that a smartphone is like having a small pocket computer. And in many ways it is true. But there is still a big difference, and that is that when we delete a file by mistake, on a PC you have what is known as the “Recycle Bin”, something that is completely non-existent on Android.
In this sense, it is advisable to install an app like Dumpster, which works like a recycle bin for Android (when we delete a file, it is not permanently deleted, but a copy is kept in the bin, which we can later recover).
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Dumpster Recycle Bin
Developer: Baloota
Price: Free
However, if you have already deleted a file and you do not have the Dumpster app, it will be useless to install it later. When that situation comes, it is necessary to opt for a deleted file recovery app .
How data recovery works on Android
When we delete a file the information is not completely removed from the phone. Android simply takes care of marking that space as “free” in memory and it remains available to be overwritten by new data. Only when a new file occupies that free space is when we can say that our original file disappears completely.
In this sense, having the phone rooted is a great advantage , since the recovery tools work much better when we have the device with modified permissions.
If we do not have root permissions we will not be able to do deep scans in the internal memory of Android, so the chances of recovery are drastically reduced. If this is our case, the best we can do is try a recovery app for Android and then opt for recovery programs for PC , which tend to be more efficient in this type of task.
The good news is that if the file was on the external SD memory the probability of recovering it is much higher, which can be a relief in certain situations.
The best apps to recover deleted files on Android
That said, let’s see what are some of the best file recovery apps for Android. Keep in mind that they all work more or less the same: with a free version with limited functionalities and a more powerful premium version.
My recommendation is that you try the free version and only if the result satisfies you that you switch to the paid version. As we say, if we have the mobile rooted, the results will be better, although it is not an essential requirement for the application to do its job.
- HumpbackWhale Deep Recovery
- Recover deleted files (videos and audios) from WiFi Tools
- Recover Deleted Pictures from GreatStuffApps
- Hexamob Recover Deletions (only for root users)
- Defiant Technologies DiskDigger
- EaseUS MobiSaver
Android data recovery programs for PC
Android apps aside, PC tools tend to be more adept when it comes to recovering deleted files. If we connect the mobile to the computer using a USB cable, the recovery program will treat the device as an external storage unit and will try to restore any file that is still in the memory.
1- Recuva
Personally this is my favorite application to recover deleted files on Android. It is completely free and performs deep scans, but it has a big drawback: it only works with files stored on the phone’s micro SD card .
Download Recuva from its official website
2- MobiSaver
This other tool has a major drawback, and that is that it only works with devices with root permissions . I personally had the opportunity to test it a while ago and the truth is that it offered very interesting results.
Download MobiSaver from the official EaseUS website
3- Tenorshare UltData
UltData is very similar to MobiSaver: it performs deep scans, but it is only effective at analyzing internal memory if we have root permissions. Otherwise we can use the free trial version to see how it works and in case of success opt for a license (which has a price of around 40 euros).
This utility allows you to recover deleted photos without root, it is compatible with more than 6,000 Android devices and it also allows you to restore other types of files, such as PDF documents, contacts, SMS and other types of data.
Download UltData from the official TenorShare website
Conclusions
If we have deleted a file that was stored in the internal memory of an Android device without root, the chances of recovery are quite low. Now, if we had the file on an external SD card, the best we can do is extract the SD and connect it to a PC to try to recover the data with a free tool like Recuva.
From here things get quite tricky, since without root permissions applications such as UltData or MobiSaver are not as effective, and it is all a matter of trying your luck to see if there is one that can save our skin. All this with the disadvantage that to deploy its full potential it is necessary to pay for the application, which implies a certain risk. The truth is that there is no simple solution.
And what do you say, do you know any recovery utility for Android that is worth it? If so, do not hesitate to leave your recommendation in the comments area.
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