Can Deleted Pictures Taken on a Cell Phone Be Retrieved?

What Type of Pictures Can Be Recovered?

• All picture file formats can be recovered using recovery software. This includes pictures that were saved as JPG, GIF and BMP files. Normally if the picture was taken on your cell phone, your phone will automatically save the image as a JPG. JPG (or JPEG) files are the most common picture files, mainly due to system compatibility. Most computers and cell phones are made to view them.
  
  

Where are They Recovered From?

• Unfortunately, if the picture was saved to your handset and deleted by accident you will not be able to recover it. However, if you saved the photo to your SD card, you will be able to recover the deleted files. When you save a file to your SD memory card, the card automatically copies it to an invisible file. This invisible file is used as a carbon copy of your original file. This is the file the recovery program will look for to recover your deleted photos.
  
  

How are the Files Recovered?

• To recover the deleted photo from your SD card, download a file recovery program to your PC. This PC should contain an SD card slot or you will have to purchase an SD card reader. You cannot recover the files directly from the cell phone; the SD card has to be removed from the phone before recovering the files.
  
  

Where to Purchase Recovery Software?

• Currently, you can only purchase the recovery software online (two options available in Resources). There are several manufacturers who make this software; however, not all of them work the same. First download the free trial version of the recovery software to see whether it will recover the deleted photos from your SD card. Once you find one that works, you have to pay a fee of around $50 to download the full version to your PC.
  
  

How to Recover Deleted Pictures?

• Remove the SD card from your cell phone and insert it into the SD card reader on your desktop PC or laptop. Launch the software recovery program on your computer and follow the onscreen instructions to recover the deleted photos. Once the photos have been recovered, save them to a location that you will remember on your computer. Do not save them back to the SD card.