How to permanently delete photos from your Android phone

A paradox is often discovered in Android phones Samsung Galaxy, Duos, Lenovo, LG, Nokia Lumia, Asus and others.

Some owners cannot recover deleted photos, while others cannot delete deleted photos - an interesting situation.

Everyone wants to completely and permanently delete photos and all personal data, for example, before selling an Android smartphone.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

We have found a more effective way to delete photos (and not just pictures) faster and without problems - here is the description.

The trick is that even if you do a hard reset of the phone, it will not be enough, since all files can be recovered. How to get rid of them forever without the possibility of recovery?

Why are photos not deleted from my phone?

If such a problem arises, then most likely the problem is not at all due to viruses that may be on the phone. The problem is that the device is automatically synchronized with some cloud storage, which immediately transfers deleted photos from the recycle bin back to the gallery. The user may not be aware that the phone has such external storage installed, but its presence can complicate life.

Saving files in cloud storage is most often done by programs such as:

There are also a huge number of clouds that automatically synchronize files. This function can be very useful when the user accidentally deletes the desired object. Storing it in the cloud will help you find it at the right moment. You can disable this function in the settings of the phone itself or in the program.

Disabling automatic synchronization can lead to the loss of many files, so you need to disable this feature carefully.

The correct way to disable synchronization can be seen in this video

Remo Duplicate Photos Remover

It makes no sense to describe the same functions as competitors for the fifth time. Therefore, he will concentrate on the main thing. Remo Duplicate Photos Remover sorts all photos into duplicates and similar images as it works, rather than throwing everything into a pile. So, if you only need to get rid of one of these categories, Remo Duplicate Photos Remover is the perfect solution.

Download: Remo Duplicate Photos Remover

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How to delete photos from gallery on Android

The gallery saves all the photos that the user has taken while using the phone. This is a built-in application; developers automatically install it so that a person can view all the photos taken.

There may be a need to delete a photo. This can be done in different ways, starting with standard deletion in the gallery, ending with deletion using specialized applications.

Removing from the gallery on Android takes place in the program itself. Most often it is located on the main screen, called “Gallery”. The icon represents either an individual photo or an album. By clicking on it, you can view all the photos taken.

To remove a photo from it, you must:

1. Open the program and the desired folder in it where the photo to be deleted is located;
2. Having found a photo, you need to pinch it and hold it until it becomes highlighted, that is, a blue field appears around it. A curtain opens for actions that can be performed with this photo;
3. In this curtain you need to find the basket icon and click on it;

4. The phone will ask you to confirm the action. Click on “OK”.

The photo was automatically deleted. If you need to delete a large number of objects at once, then you just need to press first one photo in the same way, and then the others that the user wants to delete. By clicking on the trash can, files are deleted from the device memory forever.

Downloads folder

In new versions of the Android OS, a built-in “Downloads” program is available. Through this software you can go to the downloads folder and see the entire magazine. If desired, unnecessary elements can be removed.

We perform the following steps:

• Open the “Downloads” program and specify the item to delete - click on the circle displayed next to the file name.
• In the lower control panel, click “Delete”.
• A window will appear where you should activate the “Delete such downloaded files” option. Click “OK” to clear items from your download history.

Some downloaded files may be saved in separate folders and therefore will not appear in Downloads. To solve the problem, it is recommended to use other methods for deleting files.

How to clear the gallery on Android in the file manager

You can clear the gallery not only using a standard application, but also using a file manager. This system stores all the files on the device, from downloaded applications to photos and videos. Using it, you can also successfully remove unnecessary photographic objects.

For this method, you need to download the most popular program, since they most often do not contain viruses and other harmful files for the phone. The most popular program in the path of file managers is ES Explorer.

To clean your gallery of unnecessary photos using this method, you need to:

• Launch the downloaded file manager and select the section in which you want to delete photos: either the device memory or memory cards. The choice depends on where the user has his photos;

• Next, you need to select the required folder where the photo objects are located. It is usually called DCIM;

• By clicking on it, select the Camera folder, and then click on those photos that are to be deleted;
• Having selected the necessary files, you need to click on the trash can, which is located in the top curtain.

The file manager will help you delete pictures on your phone without much difficulty. This method is not the easiest, as it will require additional manipulations and downloading of the program.

Gallery Doctor

Gallery Doctor is a complete photo cleaning solution and one of the best photo management apps overall. It will help you remove duplicates, screenshots, and low-quality (such as blurry) images. This is incredibly useful if your goal is not just to remove duplicates, but also to sort good photos from bad ones. Moreover, in order to delete something permanently, you need to confirm the deletion. Initially, the photos are placed in a temporary folder, from where they can be easily returned if the program suddenly made a mistake during cleaning.

Download: Gallery Doctor

How to delete files from your phone using special applications

A file manager is one of the applications that you need to download. Despite this, there are a huge number of programs that help you delete photos quickly and intelligently.

The difference between specialized applications and a file manager is that the application will help the user select those objects that are best deleted. That is, the program automatically filters objects, selecting successful and unsuccessful images, determining the size and frequency of shooting.

The most popular is Gallery Doctor. Its advantage, unlike other downloaded programs, is that:

• It finds duplicate photos and recommends deleting them;
• Detects blurry frames;
• Scans photo cards in the background;
• Analyzes the state of the gallery.

You can download it from this link

Using his example, we will analyze standard deletion. First, go to the application and allow it to use information from the camera. Then it will automatically begin the analysis.

Note! The speed of the process depends on how many information files are stored on your device.

The most important advantage of the application is that it analyzes the received data in the background, that is, the user can go about their business and not pay attention to its work.

At the end of scanning and analyzing the information, the application will show recommending photos that should be deleted. It will also split the photo into several categories. For example, blurry photos will be in one folder, and repeated ones will be in another.

Gallery Doctor will ask you to rate the photos it has screened out. When presenting an object, you will be offered a choice - like or dislike. A like means saving a photo, and a dislike means deleting it. This way you can quickly delete unnecessary files.

A more detailed overview of the application can be seen in this video

Google Files Go

Google Files Go is powered by Google Photos. What's more, Files Go has access to your entire device, not just your photo gallery. This means that it not only checks for duplicate photos, but also identifies folders that may also be cluttered with images you don't need. For example, WhatsApp media folder and screenshots folder. You can clear disk space either manually or use the automatic cleaning function, which will do everything for you.

Download: Google Files Go

Deleting photos using a computer

A computer is also a great assistant in deleting photos from your phone. Unfortunately, this method is quite labor-intensive, but it is needed in cases where the user does not have access to the gallery for various reasons. For example, he forgot the password for it, thereby completely losing access, but there is no memory - he needs to delete the objects.

Then the PC comes to the rescue. The algorithm of actions is almost the same as with the file manager:

1. We connect the phone to the computer using a USB cable and launch the internal memory of the device;
2. We are looking for the folder where we need to delete the photo. If you need to clean up a regular gallery, then this folder is called DCIM. Let's go into it;

3. Then you need to select the desired section. In the case of standard cleaning, the section is called “Camera”;

4. A complete layout of all photos available on the device opens. Everything is quite simple - click and select those that are no longer needed;
5. After selecting, right-click and find the “Delete” tab.

Distant objects will no longer appear in galleries. A computer is a good option for deleting files from your phone.

Cleaning memory from deleted files

For mobile devices, there are several ways to get rid of the above elements, but in all cases you will have to resort to the help of third-party programs. However, the action itself is irreversible, and if important materials were previously deleted, you should consider methods for restoring them, described in the following article:

Method 1: Smartphone Apps

There are not many effective options for getting rid of already erased files on mobile devices. Examples of several of them are presented below.

Andro Shredder

Quite a simple program for working with files. The interface is easy to use and does not require special knowledge to perform the necessary operations. To get rid of deleted files, you need the following:

Install the program and run it. The first window will have four buttons to choose from. Click on “Clean” to perform the desired procedure.

Select the partition to clean, after which you will need to decide on the removal algorithm. “Quick removal” is automatically detected as the easiest and safest method. But for greater efficiency, it doesn’t hurt to consider all the available methods (their brief descriptions are presented in the image below).

• After defining the algorithm, scroll down the program window and click on the picture under point 3 to start the procedure.
• The program will perform further actions independently. It is advisable not to do anything with the phone until the work is completed. As soon as all actions are completed, a corresponding notification will be received.

iShredder

Perhaps one of the most effective programs for getting rid of already deleted files. It works like this:

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Install and open the application. When launched for the first time, the user will be shown the basic functions and operating rules. On the main screen you will need to click the “Next” button.

A list of available functions will then open. In the free version of the program, only one “Free space” button will be available, which is necessary.

Then you will need to choose a cleaning method. The program recommends using "DoD 5220.22-M(E)", but you can choose another if you wish. After that, click “Continue”.

Method 2: PC programs

These tools are primarily designed to clear memory on a computer, but some of them can also be effective for mobile devices. A detailed description is given in a separate article:

CCleaner should be considered separately. This program is widely known to all users and has a version for mobile devices. However, in the latter case, there is no way to clear space from already deleted files, so you will have to turn to the PC version. Performing the required cleaning is similar to the description in the previous methods and is described in detail in the instructions above. But the program will be effective for a mobile device only when working with removable media, for example, an SD card, which can be removed and connected to the computer via an adapter.

The methods discussed in the article will help you get rid of all previously deleted materials. At the same time, you should remember that the procedure is irreversible and make sure that there are no important materials among those removed.

Thank the author and share the article on social networks.

Of course, this is unlikely among users of Andro-based smartphones > We will tell you about several methods for deleting photos. They are suitable for virtually any device based on the Android OS, regardless of the manufacturer, including Samsung, Lenovo, Sony, Xiaomi, etc.

How to delete synced photos from Android

Synchronized photos are those objects that are automatically restored after any deletion. Many cloud storage services automatically restore and synchronize photo cards immediately after installation. To fix this, you need to disable automatic synchronization in the settings.

Deleting synced items is fairly easy. Let's look at this process using Google Drive as an example:

• First you need to go to the disk website or specialized application;
• Next, you need to enter it, that is, log in. After authorization, you need to select the “My Disk” folder. All those files that have been synchronized are stored on it;
• After seeing the photos, you need to press and hold the exact object that the user wants to delete. You can also select multiple photos;
• After making your selection, click on “Trash” and say goodbye to unnecessary synchronized photos forever.

#3 Is it possible to completely delete photos from a smartphone?

A programmer friend gave me the answer to this question.

— Is it possible to completely delete photos from a smartphone without the possibility of recovery?

Deleted files are not actually erased, but are only removed from the file system log. The file system log is, roughly speaking, like a map showing what is where. Accordingly, with the help of programs you can restore a file: they scan the disk and try to understand what is written on it.

— Formatting the memory and returning to factory settings is not a barrier - are the photos still restored after that?

For you, they will erase the frames, and you will not see them, but in reality only the link is deleted, and the physical files remain.

I restored my files several times. Also, just for fun, I scanned someone else’s purchased and discarded smart phone - that was a long time ago, I wouldn’t do that now. But yes, I found other people’s photos. Well, my photos were also restored, albeit from a flash drive. Not all, some had bugs, but most were fine. From the camera's flash drive too: somehow I formatted it by accident, but nothing happened - it was restored.

- But is complete removal still possible?

Yes. To do this, you need to completely format and completely rewrite the memory several times. Special programs are used to rewrite memory - the main thing is to find normal ones.

If we talk about selling a smartphone, it turns out that after carrying out the above-described manipulations, photos are unlikely to spontaneously appear on the device. Moreover, you will not just disable synchronization, but delete accounts. But if the new owner turns out to be curious and for fun decides to find out more about you, if the memory is not overwritten, nothing prevents him from picking up your photos.

If you know other reasons why deleted photos are restored, ways to stop the unauthorized “resurrection” of photos, as well as specific software with which you can overwrite your smartphone’s memory, share in the comments!

Radical removal methods

Radical deletion can be considered the action when the photo is not saved in the gallery at all. This is only possible in cases where:

• Backup and saving of the file in the cloud is not installed;
• No problem with the memory card;
• There is no recycle bin, where the photo can be stored for about 30 days.

If we analyze each situation, then for radical removal you need:

1. Check to disable automatic synchronization in your phone settings;
2. Check that the memory card is working correctly. It often happens that the memory card is simply broken. Then she can't save photos she just took, but she stores photos she took a long time ago. The only way out is to completely replace the card;
3. It is worth emptying the basket more often so that there are no unnecessary photos left in it.

Vyacheslav

For several years he worked in mobile phone stores of two large operators. I understand tariffs well and see all the pitfalls. I love gadgets, especially Android ones.

Ask a Question

Question to the expert

Are photos deleted from the gallery permanently deleted?

It all depends on the phone system. As a rule, no, since the phone has a special section called “Recently Deleted Objects”. It stores all files that have been deleted. They do not take up space and are erased automatically after 30 days of storage.

How to recover a photo?

The first step is to make sure that there is a recycle bin on your device where recently deleted files are stored. If there is no such folder, then you will not be able to restore the photo card. If there is, then you need to click on the desired object and click on the “restore” button.

Are there programs for deleting photo cards on a PC?

Yes. There is a good and official CCleaner application that you need to download from your PC and then delete objects on your phone.

Can a photo delete itself?

No. If the photos are deleted on their own, then most likely there is a virus on the device that deletes objects. To fix this, you need to contact a specialist.

Clearing your phone of useless photos is not as difficult as it might seem to a beginner. By choosing a convenient method, you can free up your memory and increase the performance of your device several times.

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Backup

To permanently delete old photos from your smartphone, you need to first make sure that they are saved and in a safe place. It’s not for nothing that you’ve been collecting them for so long and saving them on your phone or tablet. Backing up a photo archive is ideal. To do this, you can use popular cloud systems and services.

We can recommend you Google Photos, Dropbox or OneDrive. Although, there are many other applications that will suit you just as well for this purpose. But, we have identified, as they say, the most reliable ones.

Additionally, all dedicated apps have a default backup feature. Via wi-fi, copies are synchronized with your account and will appear on your computer, for example.

If you have a really huge archive of photos, then the Google Photos service is ideal for you, since the space for storing files is not limited, as, for example, in Dropbox - 2 gigabytes for the free version.