Losing photos is easy. A wrong click here, a mislabeled SD card there, and then poof, it's all gone. Thankfully, in technology, there are some mistakes you can right. These include deleting data or misformatting storage devices.
So, let’s take a look at the best software you can use to recover lost photos from SD card or other storage devices.
What is photo recovery software?
A quick search will reveal many software solutions for recovering lost photos. These apps are generally no different when compared to other data recovery solutions. They both "scan" the storage device for recognizable file structures and, if found, provide the option to recover them.
For photo recovery applications, these "file structures" match image files, such as JPG, PNG, and RAW files. Still, some seemingly more general-purpose data recovery applications can perform the same task, and maybe even do it better.
So when you need to restore some photos, it's better to see the forest rather than the trees. A data recovery application may have a better "engine" for locating and recovering files than an application that specializes in working with photos. So, in this article, we are not just focusing onphotorecovery apps but on all the data recovery solutions that can recover lost photos.
10 Best Photo Recovery Software for Windows/Mac
Do you need a photo recovery solution to recover files from a storage device, or have we convinced you to buy one "just in case"? Then one of the following apps should do the trick. They serve the same purpose but differ in some ways, and both are excellent options for recovering photos.
1. Qike data recovery
QIQ Data Recovery is one of the most popular and trusted data recovery solutions, and for good reason. The app hides many advanced features behind a simple interface.
Qike Data Recovery: Supports recovery of 1000+ data formats Free download software to scan data, supports recovery of 1000+ file formats such as documents, photos, videos, emails, audios, etc. There is data loss recovery for various storage devices such as computers/laptops, recycle bins, U disks, hard drives, etc.
https://www.geekersoft.cn/geekersoft-data-recovery.html Despite its name,QIQ Data Recovery can recover more than just photos. Not only does it support the most popular data, image, audio and video formats, but you can also extend it with your own formats.
You can use it to recover photos from almost any type of storage device, from USB flash drives and SD cards to mechanical hard drives or solid-state drives. It also supports popular camera brands like Canon and Sony, mirrorless, action cameras, drone cameras, and 360-degree and VR shooters.
Like all the best recovery applications,Qike Data Recovery allows you to preview your files before recovering them. At least most of them, since it supports everything from plain TXT files to image formats like JPEG and TIFF, and even audio and video files like MP3, MP4 or MKV. Unlike many of its peers, though, it has no trouble handling large media with over 18TB of storage capacity.
It is worth noting thatQike Data Recovery also offers a premium version for ultra-hard recovery cases. It is useful when the recovery cannot recover the files completely. This premium version comes with additional features to repair damaged photos and videos and can even repair blurry or distorted images.
2. Recoverit Photo Recovery
Wondershare's Recoverit is another data recovery solution that specializes in media files and can recover lost photos, videos or audio files.
Recoverit Photo Recovery supports most types of storage, from mechanical hard drives to drone cameras, including the very popular SD cards.
We won't go into detail about all the formats it supports, as they are the most popular ones you'd expect. There are dozens of them, from photos in JPG, BMP or RAW formats, to cinematic masterpieces in MKV and MP4 formats, or the occasionally funny kitten FLV.
Like data recovery expert Pikachu, Wondershare's Recoverit Photo Recoverit can save them all.
3. 4DDiG data recovery
Tenorshare's 4DDiG Windows Data Recovery doesn't just extract media files from storage devices. It can save photos, videos and audio files from malfunctioning devices and eliminate damage caused by inadvertent deletion or formatting. But it can also save almost any other file type - it supports over a thousand file types.
Like most top data recovery applications, you can use 4DDiG Windows Data Recovery from bootable media. You should not skip creating such a bootable drive. It saves your valuable data after a system crash that renders the operating system unbootable.
4. Glarysoft File Recovery Free
Glarysoft's File Recovery Free is one of the most straightforward recovery solutions to bring your lost files back from the brink.
Glarysoft's File Recovery Free can "undelete" almost any type of file, even if they are compressed, fragmented or encrypted.
If this sounds too good to be true, that's because it is. Glarysoft's free file recovery has some limitations compared to many of its peers. It can only scan FAT, NTFS and EFS file systems and it is not the best solution for recovering photos from damaged media that appears as RAW. Plus, you sacrifice functionality for simplicity. The alternative may be a bit more complex, but is also more versatile.
5. IObit recovery deletion
Needless to say about IObit’s Undelete data recovery solution. Let's think of the important bits as an easy-to-understand list:
- Clean and accessible interface? Check.
- Can you recover a file you thought was lost forever? Check.
- Quick scan process? Also, check it out.
- Can most of the lost files be recovered? Excellent…
IObit's Undelete offers fewer files than many similar products. This is because it hides all the files it considers unrecoverable. However, this is not the best approach.
Other tools also allow partial recovery of files. Depending on the amount and location of the lost data, the TXT or JPG files may still be accessible. Even if a piece is lost, the remaining part can still be used.
With IObit Undelete, you can forget about those shades of gray. The files are either fully recoverable or gone.
If that's no problem because you're not going to spend the time trying to salvage what's left of a semi-lost file in the first place, IObit Undelete is worth looking into.
6. Recuva
Recuva isn't the most modern of the bunch, nor does it have the most powerful recovery engine. Many of its peers may find more results, have faster engines, or come with lots of useful extra features. Although no longer actively developed, Recuva remains one of the most popular data recovery solutions. how come?
It all comes down to its two most important features and the only things you need to know:
Although it has a mature interface, it presents a kindergarten-level wizard by default. Follow its steps and hey, soon, your lost files are back. hope.
It is free and not a limited trial of the paid version.
As such, it's suboptimal results and occasional crashes shouldn't deter you from trying it.
7. EaseUS photo recovery software
EaseUS offers a range of storage-related products known for their quality and performance. EaseUS' Partition Manager is probably the most popular, but the Data Recovery Wizard is equally useful.
If you notice a different name, don't worry: it's the same app. EaseUS gave the data recovery wizard an alias of "photo recovery software", but the software is the same.
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can successfully recover most files lost after deletion, formatting or damaged volumes. This includes any photos, videos or audio files in the lost data. It's fast, full-featured, and far from the most sophisticated data recovery solution out there.
8. Smart data recovery
Wise offers many storage-related solutions, with Wise Disk Cleaner and Wise Uninstaller being two of the most popular. Wise Data Recovery falls somewhere in between, promising to recover lost photos and more.
Like other top data recovery solutions, Wise Data Recovery supports over a thousand file formats and can extract them from a variety of devices. It even works with those ancient magnetic rectangular disks known as "floppy disks" and possiblyanyother storage device connected to your computer.
9、iMyFone AnyRecover
iMyFone AnyRecover
AnyRecover by iMyFone may not be the most popular data recovery solution, but it sure is powerful. It is one of the most versatile data recovery applications. It supports over a thousand file types and is compatible with almost every storage device your PC can detect.
Unlike some similar products with limited features, iMyFone AnyRecover can drill down into formatted or damaged devices, locate lost partitions, and even analyze RAW storage to find all lost files.
We should also praise its clean interface, which makes the recovery process effortless.
10. Easy digital photo recovery
Easy Digital Photo Recovery is another data recovery application that prioritizes simplicity over an expanded feature set. Nonetheless, it does exactly what you want it to do: get your lost photos back.
Munsoft's data recovery solution supports most image formats, from the popular JPEG and GIF to ERF and X3F. It also allows you to preview each file before recovery.
Users of older PCs will appreciate Easy Digital Photo Recovery's compatibility with even ancient Windows versions by today's standards, including Windows 2000 and Server 2003.
Still, while it's worth a look, you can find plenty of alternatives with more features for the same price, or even less.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to recover permanently deleted photos?
Contrary to their marketing claims, even the best data recovery apps cannot recoverpermanently deleted photos. This is what "permanent" means: they are beyond recovery.
However, most of us might consider deleted photos, seemingly empty storage devices, or garbled volumes as "permanently lost data." However, this is far from the truth, as evidenced by how the apps on our list can retrieve this “lost data”.
Are all recovery apps the same?
All data recovery solutions have the same goals. Still, everyone may handle it differently. For example, although they achieve similar results, there is a world of difference between the aesthetics and user-friendliness of Qike Data Recovery and Photorec.
Performance and results also vary between applications. Recovering the same files can take half the time compared to most competitors. But to bring them back as corrupted parts of their former selves.
That's why it's best to download a trial version of the version that interests you. Then, perform a "test run" to see if they can get your lost files back - and if you likehow they do it.
Do photo recovery and data recovery apps do the same thing?
Photo recovery apps are a subgroup of data recovery solutions. Therefore, their underlying technology is the same.
However, data recovery applications are more "general purpose" solutions, and their engines and interfaces reflect this. Some applications that specialize in photo recovery do not scanall types of files, thereby gaining a nice speed boost. They may "know" more media-related formats, even older or obscure formats. Their interface could also be more "media friendly", showing thumbnails or providing a large preview area.
Can photo recovery software retrieve lost photos?
We would like to give a positive answer, but unfortunately, this cannot be taken for granted. This depends on the severity of the data loss situation. For example, if you save photos on an SSD that suffered from a recent power failure, the answer is (probably) no.
Are you not experiencing a catastrophic hardware failure and can your PC recognize and access your storage device? Well the answer is "yes". usually.
What is the best program to recover deleted photos?
There is no one "best" app for recovering deleted photos because what is the "best" app for one person may not work for someone else.
- R-Studio has one of the most advanced data recovery engines, but many people are unclear about its interface.
- Recuva is very simple and performs well, except when it's not that simple. It's almost unusable since it keeps crashing on one of our computers.
However, many consider these solutions to be “the best in their field.”
Which is the best recovery software for other types of files?
As with photo recovery apps, no one app can be considered "the best" for exact reasons. So to avoid duplication, please check the answers to the questions above.
in conclusion
As we can see, if you need a solution to recover lost photos, there are many applications available.
Some are more suitable for advanced users who prefer to have absolute control over every aspect of the data recovery process. Thankfully, many are prioritizing simplicity, making them accessible to anyone from 9 to 99 years old.
You can choose tools specifically for processing photos to better assist you in your current data loss adventure. Alternatively, you can get a more general data recovery solution that may be helpful if you have lost other types of files.
In all cases, we're sure you'll find a product in our list that's right for you.