Find lost photos & videos

When you turn on backup, your photos are stored in photos.google.com.

Important: If you're inactive in Google Photos for 2 years or more, your content may be deleted. Learn about the Google Photos inactivity policy.

Before you get started

Check your account

Some photos can seem to disappear because you’re on a different account.

Check your backup status

Your missing photos or videos may not be backed up to Google Photos. Your backup settings are important to how and when Google Photos backs up your items.

Review backup settings

Open Google Photos .
At the top, tap your account profile photo or initial Photos settings .
Tap Back up.
Check your settings:
- Back up: Make sure "Back up" is turned on.
- Backup account: Make sure you back up your photos and videos to the right Google Account.
- Back up device folders: If you want to find photos and videos on your Android phone from other apps or devices in your Google Photos Account, make sure you turn on your available device folders.
- When to back up: Make sure you know when Google Photos backs up your photos and videos. You can choose to back up items over mobile data.

Tip: If you use an iPhone or iPad, do not quit the Google Photos app while it’s backing up items.

Check your backup

Learn more about backup.

Find your missing photos & videos

Restore recently deleted photos & videos

If your photo is still in trash, you may be able to get it back. Learn how to restore a deleted photo.
If your photo is in trash for over 60 days, the photo may be permanently deleted.
If you use another photo app or gallery, and delete photos there, you might delete your photo before Google Photos can back up your photo.

Check your trash

Search for lost photos & videos

Important:

Make sure backup is on. You can only search for backed-up photos. Learn how to turn on backup.
If you suddenly lose photos, they may have a different date.
Photos taken before 4 AM are sorted into the previous day.
If you download or scan a photo from a device with different date and time settings, the timestamp may be wrong. Learn how to change timestamps on photos.

Search for a photo or video

Search for the right dates or keywords to find a lost photo or video. Sometimes, when you scan or download a photo from a device with the wrong date and time settings, the timestamp is different. Learn how to change timestamps on photos.

To find a recently added photo or video:

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app .
Sign in to your Google Account.
At the bottom, tap Search .
Type Recently Added.
Browse your recently added items.

If your item isn't in Recently Added, you can search for a person, place, or object in the photo:

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app .
At the bottom, tap Search .
Type what you want to find, like “dogs,” “New York City,” or if you tag your photos, someone’s name.

If you can’t find a photo with search, try to:

Search with a different keyword.
Search again in 3—5 days. It can take a while for photos to be searchable.

Find photos after you free up space in Google Photos

If your photo is still in trash, you may be able to get it back. Learn how to restore a deleted photo.
If your photo is in trash for over 60 days, the photo may be permanently deleted.
If you use another photo app or gallery, and delete photos there, you might delete your photo before Google Photos can back up your photo.

Find photos from apps like Facebook or Instagram

It may be in your device folders.

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app .
At the bottom, tap Collections On this device.
Check your device folders.

If you want all photos from your device folders to appear in your Photos view, set your hide settings to "Show content from other apps." Learn more about hiding photos from other apps.

Find items from other apps

Important: These steps are available if you use Google Photos on an Android phone or tablet.

If you’re missing photos or videos from other apps or devices, check your device folders.

On your Android device, open the Google Photos app .
At the bottom, tap Collections On this device.
If available, open your device folders to find your missing item.

When you turn “Backup” on, your chosen device folders are automatically backed up too, not only your camera. You can choose to automatically backup all folders, or turn “Backup” on or off for individual device folders.

On your Android device, open the Google Photos app .
At the top, tap your account Profile photo or Initial Photos settings Backup.
Under “Settings,” tap Back up device folders.
Choose the folders you want to back up.
- Next to the folders you don’t want to back up, turn off the setting.
- Next to the folders you want to back up, turn on the setting.
Optional: Turn Back up all device folders on or off.
- If “Back up all device folders” is on, photos in new device folders automatically back up.

Tips:

If you don’t want photos from your device folders to appear in your Photos view, you can hide it. Learn how to hide content from your Photos view.
If you delete an item from your device without backing up your device folders, the item won't appear in Google Photos.

Find an archived photo or screenshot

If you can’t find a photo you don’t regularly see in your gallery view, it may be in your archive. Learn about your archive.

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app .
Make sure you’re signed in to the right account.
At the bottom, tap Collections Archive.
- If you access "Archive" often, you might also find it at the top.

Find your archive

Check your photo stacks for missing photos

If you can't find a photo, it could be in a photo stack. To find all photos in a photo stack from a grid:

On your Android device, open the Google Photos app .
Tap a Photo stack .
Tap Stacks grid .

Tip: In the grid, to take actions on a group of photos, you can select multiple items. Learn more about how to stack similar photos.

Avoid losing photos or videos

To prevent missing photos or videos in the future, make sure:

You keep your backup turned on, or understand how changing your backup settings impacts Google Photos. Learn more about backup.
You don't permanently delete items, or misplace them in your archive. Learn more about trash and archive.
You check your Google Photos device folders if your hide settings are set to "Hide all" or "Hide clutter." Learn more about hiding photos from other apps.
You check your recently added items to quickly find photos and videos in the order they were backed up. Learn how to find recently added items.