Imagine that you are a talented photographer who has just returned from an epic trip. You’ve taken thousands of amazing photos that you want to share with your Instagram followers. A few hours of painstaking work – and the ideal selection of photos is ready for publication. But at the moment when you are about to press the cherished “Share” button, the unthinkable happens – your smartphone freezes, and all the photos disappear without a trace! Panic grips you. Are all these priceless shots that you so painstakingly selected and edited irretrievably lost? Do you really have to put up with the fact that working hours were wasted? Stop! Do not rush to despair. Even if you accidentally deleted photos on Instagram or lost them due to a malfunction of the phone, there is still a chance to return the lost photos.
In this article, we will reveal the secrets of restoring photos on Instagram. You will learn how to restore deleted photos on Instagram, we will also tell you about special programs for data recovery and teach you how to create reliable backup copies. So, if you accidentally deleted photos on Instagram or lost them after account hacking, don’t lose hope. Follow our advice and you will be able to return the precious moments saved in the pictures. Let’s start our investigation on recovering deleted photos right now!
Can deleted photos be recovered on Instagram
Can deleted photos be recovered on Instagram? Absolutely, with several strategies available for bringing back those lost memories. Here are the key approaches for photo restoration:
- Retrieval from Instagram’s “Drafts” area: Check the “Drafts” section if you previously saved the photo before attempting to post it. It might still be there, waiting to be uploaded or saved;
- Searching in your mobile device’s memory: When the auto-save feature is enabled, Instagram photos are stored in your device’s gallery. On Android devices, look in the “Instagram” folder within the Gallery app. For iOS users, these are in the “Instagram” album of the Photos app;
- Leveraging Instagram’s “Archive” Feature: Photos you’ve archived can be recovered from the Archive section, available until you decide to clear this area;
- Recovering from cloud storage backups: If you’ve had photo sync enabled, your Instagram shots might be preserved in cloud services like Google Photos, iCloud, or OneDrive;
- Searching for cached images online: You might find your Instagram photos in internet archives like the Wayback Machine, though finding specific images can be challenging;
- Using special data recovery software: There are software options designed to scan your device for any deleted files, including photos, offering a chance for recovery.
To minimize photo loss, consistently back up your data on external drives or in cloud storage. This habit ensures a quicker recovery process in case of accidental deletions.
How to recover deleted photos after an Instagram account hack
There are several ways to get back photos deleted after hacking. Of course, a lot depends on how quickly you discovered the problem and took steps to restore access to your account. But even if some time has passed, there is still hope to save the lost footage.
So, if you’ve been the victim of a hack and found photos missing from your Instagram profile, don’t panic. Now we will tell you what steps you need to take to get back deleted pictures and protect your account from repeated intrusion. Follow our tips and you will be able to recover your priceless photos, even if they were the victim of hackers. If your Instagram account was hacked and photos were deleted by the perpetrator, their recovery is possible in the following ways:
- Contact Instagram support. Describe the situation and follow the instructions received. If the hack is confirmed, specialists may help restore the deleted content;
- Check for the presence of deleted photos in your smartphone’s memory. They may be in the Instagram folder in the device’s gallery if the automatic save publications feature was previously enabled;
- Look for photo backups in the cloud storage you use – Google Photos, iCloud, Dropbox, etc. With Instagram synchronization activated, photos should have been saved there;
- Use specialized data recovery utilities. With their help, you can try to find and recover deleted files by scanning your device’s storage. The success of recovery depends on whether data overwrite occurred over the deleted photos;
- Ask your followers to share screenshots of your Instagram photos they made. This way, you can partially recover lost content.
The main tip – definitely take measures to protect your account: use a complex password, two-factor authentication, do not click on suspicious links. Also, regularly save backups of important photos for you. This will significantly simplify their recovery in case of unexpected situations.
How to return deleted photos on Instagram
So, how to recover photos on Instagram after deletion? There are several ways, which we will discuss further.
With the help of programs
To recover deleted photos, you can use special software that scans the device’s storage for lost files. It is important to remember that the less time has passed since the photo deletion, the higher the chance of successful recovery. Therefore, it is recommended to use such utilities as soon as possible.
Another option is to try recovering photos from a backup using data synchronization programs between the smartphone and the computer. Such applications as iTunes, iCloud, or Samsung Smart Switch can automatically create backups of files from your device. If automatic backup was enabled on the smartphone at the moment of photo deletion, there is a chance to find and recover the lost pictures.
Without the help of programs
You can try to find a photo in the memory of your smartphone. To do this, on Android devices, you need to check the Instagram folder in the “Gallery” application, and on iPhone – look in the “Recently deleted” album of the “Photos” application. It is important to remember that deleted pictures are stored in the phone’s memory for a limited time – up to 30 days. It is also worth checking the “Archive” and “Drafts” sections in the Instagram application itself. In the archive you can find previously hidden photos from the publication profile, and in the drafts – unpublished photos that are still available for posting. In addition, do not forget about cloud storage, such as Google Photos, OneDrive or Dropbox. If synchronization with the cloud service was enabled on your device, photos deleted from Instagram can be saved there. As a last resort, you can ask your followers to send screenshots of your photos that you have ever shared on Instagram. So you can at least partially restore the lost visual content.
To minimize the risk of irretrievably losing photos, it is recommended to:
- Enable auto-save of published photos in Instagram settings;
- Regularly back up shots to external drives or cloud services;
- Save particularly valuable photos not only on Instagram but also in the device’s memory;
- Do not keep all photos in one place, distribute them between different storages.
Following these recommendations, you will be able to quickly recover photos if they are accidentally deleted or if you lose access to your Instagram account.
Conclusion
So, we have reviewed the main ways to recover deleted photos on Instagram. As you can see, not all is lost, even if you accidentally deleted a snapshot or lost access to your account. The main thing is to act quickly and know where to look for backups.
The most reliable method is to regularly back up photos on external drives or in cloud storage. This will help easily recover pictures in case of their loss. Also, do not forget to enable auto-save of publications in Instagram settings so that photos are automatically saved in the smartphone’s memory.
Don’t forget to keep your Instagram account secure, too. Use strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and do not click on suspicious links. These simple measures will help protect your profile from hacking and loss of valuable content.
Now you are armed with the knowledge of Instagram photo recovery. Don’t panic if you’ve lost your pictures – just follow our tips. And may your photos always be safe and sound, delighting you and your subscribers!
Take care of your memories and enjoy the wonderful moments captured in the photographs. After all, photographs are small pieces of our life that we carefully store and look at with pleasure years later. May your Instagram photo collection always remain complete and intact!