Best photo & file recovery apps for Android
Photo and file recovery apps scan storage and memory cards for deleted photos, videos and documents, and restore them before new data overwrites them.
15 apps ranked · How we rank
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A free, ad-supported safety net for eligible Android photos and videos, provided you install it before anything gets deleted.
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A free, ad-supported Android recovery app for deleted photos, videos, audio and documents, with a vault for files you want to protect.
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A free, ad-supported recovery tool for deleted photos, videos and documents that suits anyone who needs a quick scan after an accidental loss.
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A free, ad-supported Android utility that bundles file recovery, cleanup, QR tools and a local vault for phones with cluttered storage.
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A free, ad-supported tool that combines deleted-file recovery with compression and archive handling for Android users with lost media or tight storage.
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A free recovery scanner worth trying quickly after accidental deletion, with modest gallery and storage cleanup tools alongside.
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A free, local-only recovery scanner for deleted photos, videos and documents that is honest about how often recovery succeeds.
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A free, local scan for recently deleted Android files, best treated as a first attempt rather than a guaranteed rescue.
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A free, ad-supported tool for attempting to recover deleted phone media locally, best for non-technical users with measured expectations.
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A free, local-first recovery tool for people who delete files by accident and have no backup to fall back on.
More of the best photo & file recovery apps
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11
Junk File Rescue
Susan Litwiller Executive NeuroCoaching LLC
3.3
100K+
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12
PhotoRestore - File Recover
Last Minute Flights Corp.
3.7
100K+
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13
Photo Recover - Easy Restore
Lazy Project
3.8
100K+
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14
Photo Recover-File Recovery
NetConnect
3.1
10M+
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15
PDF Reader & File Recovery
GLOBAL MEDICAL LTD
3.8
100K+
About photo & file recovery apps
They help after an accidental delete, an emptied album, a crash, a failed transfer or a memory card that stopped being readable. The scan reads raw data on the device to find files the file system no longer lists, so running it soon after the loss gives the best chance. Some focus on images and video, others recover documents and audio too, and a few work only on rooted devices. Free versions often stop at showing what was found, with saving behind a paid unlock, so scan depth and save limits are what separate them most.
What to look for
- Check how deep the scan goes and whether it can read a removable memory card as well as internal storage, since a card is where many lost photos sit.
- See whether the app previews files before you commit to recovering them, because a preview tells you if the data is still intact.
- Confirm where recovered files are saved, as writing them back to the same storage can overwrite the very data you are trying to rescue.
- Weigh how the app is paid for, since a free tier that only lists results is of little use when you need the file itself.
- Consider whether the app asks for broad storage permissions and what it does with that access, given that recovery tools read a lot of personal data.
How we rank
Apps are ranked by their Google Play rating (weighted by how many people rated them), their number of installs, how recently they were updated and how closely they fit the category. Only apps we've reviewed are included.