How to Recover Deleted Photos from an SD Card - 5 Ways!

Can I Recover Deleted Photos from an SD Card?

When you delete a photo from an SD card, the file isn’t immediately erased. Instead, the space it occupies is marked as “available,” meaning the data still exists until new files overwrite it. That’s why recovery is possible if you act quickly.

Whether the images were removed accidentally, formatted by mistake, or lost due to corruption, specialized tools can often recover permanently deleted photos from an SD card even when they no longer appear on your device.

How to Recover Deleted Photos from an SD Card?

Recovering deleted images can be done through multiple methods depending on your device, backup settings, and whether the card is still readable. Below are the most reliable solutions.

1. Recover Deleted Photos Using Data Recovery Software

When photos are permanently deleted or removed from a device with no backup, dedicated recovery software is the most effective method. These tools scan the SD card at a deep level and rebuild lost image data, allowing you to preview and restore files.

4DDiG Free Windows Data Recovery is designed to retrieve data from SD cards, cameras, external drives, USB devices, and more. It works well even when the SD card is corrupted, formatted, or unreadable.

It focuses on scanning the storage sectors where deleted photos still exist, giving you a real chance to restore your images before they’re overwritten. Its preview function also ensures you only recover the photos you want, which saves time and avoids unnecessary file clutter.

Here is how to recover photos deleted from an SD card using 4DDiG Data Recovery:

• Open the 4DDiG Windows Data Recovery tool after installing it on your PC. As you can recover up to 500MB of data for free, you can share the software on social media first to unlock an additional 1.5GB.

  

• Connect your SD card to your computer. Then, select "SD Card" from the left side and click "Scan" against your SD Card.

  

• 4DDiG will automatically scan the SD card and show you the results of available recoverable files. Click on any file to check its preview and click “Recover” to restore it.

  

• Choose a location on your computer or cloud storage and click “Save Now” to restore your picture.

  

2. Restore from Recently Deleted Directly on Android

If you deleted photos while using an Android phone, you might be able to find them in the device’s built-in Recently Deleted folder.

This method does not work on iPhone because iOS saves “Recently Deleted” photos only for images stored internally, not for photos stored on an SD card (iPhones do not use SD cards).

From File Manager

• Open "File Manager" and tap the "Options/3-dots" button, then select "Recently Deleted/Recycle Bin".

• Tap and hold on an image to select it and tap “Restore” to recover it.

  

From Gallery

• Open “Gallery” or photos application on your Android and tap "Options/3-dots" button, then tap "Recycle Bin/Recently Deleted".

  

• Tap on an image to open it and then tap on the “Restore” button at the bottom to put the image back.

These steps were tested on a Samsung phone, and the exact button positioning or names may differ based on brand and OS versions.

3. Check the Recycle Bin/Trash

If you deleted photos while the SD card was connected to a computer, the files may still be in the Recycle Bin/Trash. And the steps below are different for both Windows and Mac.

Check the Recycle Bin on Windows

This method works only if the SD card was connected to the computer, and the photos were deleted via File Explorer.

• Open the Recycle Bin from the Desktop and look for your deleted photos.

• Right-click the images and choose “Restore”.

  

Check the Trash on Mac

Older macOS versions created a hidden folder called ".TRASHES" on external drives. So, the steps may differ for older mscOS versions. The steps below for how to recover deleted photos from an SD card for free are for macOS 26.

• Open "Bin/Trash" on your Mac from the Dock and then look for the images while keeping your SD card connected to your Mac.

• Once you find an image that you want to restore, right-click on it and click “Put Back”. Alternatively, you can drag and drop it on “Desktop”.

  

4. Restore from Built-in Backup

If you regularly back up your device, you may be able to restore deleted SD card photos easily. Both Windows and Mac have different methods to restore images from the backup.

Before starting, note that if you do not have backups, then this method will not work for you in any case.

Restore from File History on Windows

• Press "Win + S" on your keyboard and search for "File History," then open the top result.

• Click on the "Restore Personal Files" option from the left menu to see all the different files available in the backup.

  

• Use the "Forward" and "Backward" buttons to go through different versions of the backup. Select the folder you want to restore and click the "Restore" button, and the files will go back to the location they were originally saved.

  

Restore from Time Machine on Mac

• Connect your external drive with Time Machine backup to your Mac. If you store the backup on the internal drive, then move on with the next steps.

• Click "System Preferences" from the top left and select "Time Machine," then click "Enter Time Machine" to open the "Time Machine” application.

  

• In the Time Machine backup, open the folder that contains the images. Click to select the image and click “Restore” to put it back to the original location.

5. Restore from Cloud Backup

If your SD-card photos were automatically backed up to the cloud, restoring them is straightforward. This may apply to services like iCloud, OneDrive, or Dropbox, and you can easily restore images available in your cloud services. Below is how to do.

• Visit iCloud.com and log in with your account.

• Click “Photos” to locate the photos available. If the photos are not available in the main library, check the "Recently Deleted" library.

• In the "Recently Deleted" list, select images and click "Recover" from the top right to recover. Open the image you want to recover in the main library and right-click on it, then click "Download" to save it to your offline storage and recover photos accidentally deleted from your SD card.

Why Photos Get Deleted from the SD Card?

Photo deletion can occur for many reasons. Here are the most common:

• Accidental deletion while reviewing photos
• Formatting the SD card unintentionally
• SD card corruption or file system errors
• Virus or malware attacks
• Improperly removing the card from a device
• Camera or phone system glitches
• Writing new data before the previous data is fully saved
• Physical damage to the SD card
• Faulty or incompatible card readers

Tips to Improve the Recovery Success Rate

Acting quickly greatly increases your chances of successful recovery. Keep these tips in mind:

• Stop using the SD card immediately to avoid overwriting deleted data.
• Do not format or repair the card until you attempt recovery.
• Use a reliable card reader to ensure accurate scanning.
• Recover photos to a different drive, not the same SD card.
• Avoid taking new photos on the card until the recovery is complete.
• Back up regularly using cloud storage or external disks.
• Choose professional recovery software early to prevent further data loss.

Conclusion

Recovering deleted photos from an SD card is possible in many situations, especially if you act quickly and avoid overwriting the card. With this article, you have multiple options when you want to learn how to recover deleted photos from the SD Card.

When these methods fall short or your SD card becomes corrupted, using a professional tool like Tenorshare 4DDiG Free increases your chances of complete recovery. With a deep scanning engine and easy preview features, it provides a reliable way to bring back lost photos and protect your important memories.