Find lost photos and videos

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

Important: If you're inactive in Google Photos for two 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

  1. Open Google Photos Photos.
  2. At the top, tap your account profile photo or initial and then Photos settings Settings.
  3. Tap Back up.
  4. Check your settings:
    • Back up: Make sure that 'Back up' is turned on.
    • Backup account: Make sure that 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 that you turn on your available device folders.
    • When to back up: Make sure that 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.

Find your missing photos and videos

Restore recently deleted photos and videos

  • If your photo is still in the bin, you may be able to get it back. Learn how to restore a deleted photo.
  • If your photo is in the bin 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.

Search for lost photos and videos

Important:

  • Make sure that 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 4.00 a.m. 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 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: 

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app Photos.
  2. Sign in to your Google Account. 
  3. At the bottom, tap Search .
  4. Type Recently added
  5. 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:
  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app Photos.
  2. At the bottom, tap Search .
  3. 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've freed up space in Google Photos

  • If your photo is still in the bin, you may be able to get it back. Learn how to restore a deleted photo.
  • If your photo is in the bin 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.
  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app Photos.
  2. At the bottom, tap Collections and then On this device.
  3. Check your device folders.
Back up your device folders to find photos from other apps in your Photos view. Learn how to back up your device folders.

Find items from other apps

Note: 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.

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

If you want your device folder items to appear in your Photos tab, you can back them up automatically.

  1. On your Android device, open the Google Photos app Photos.
  2. At the top, tap your account profile photo or initial.
  3. Tap Photos settings and then Backup and then Back up device folders.
Note: 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 that you don't regularly see in your gallery view, it may be in your archive. Learn about your archive.
  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app Photos.
  2. Make sure that you're signed in to the correct account.
  3. At the bottom, tap Collections and then Archive.
    • If you access 'Archive' often, you might also find it at the top.

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:

  1. On your Android device, open the Google Photos app Photos.
  2. Tap a photo stack .
  3. Tap Stacks grid .
Tip: In the grid, to take action 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 that:

  1. You keep your backup turned on or understand how changing your backup settings impacts Google Photos. Learn more about backup.
  2. You don't permanently delete items or misplace them in your archive. Learn more about bin and archive.
  3. You check your Google Photos device folders if you back up photos or videos on your Android phone from other apps. Learn more about backing up from other apps.
  4. You check your recently added items to quickly find photos and videos in the order that they were backed up. Learn how to find recently added items.

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