How to Recover Deleted Photos from Secure Folder on Android

When you want to protect your personal photos on Android, what could be a better way than an encrypted ‘safe folder’ on the device. The safe folder feature on some Android lets you hide and lock valuable documents, personal photos, videos, messages, etc. It allows you to lock the files using a PIN, password, fingerprint, or pattern. Hence, even when the phone is stolen or lost, you can be assured that your private data won’t fall into the hands of thieves or strangers. However, data loss is inescapable. Even the safe folders on a storage device can get deleted for various reasons. You may face issues such as —

Secure folder is deleting files.

Secure folder is not opening.

Safe folder is missing.

You forgot safe folder password or other.

So how to recover deleted photos from secure storage in such cases.

This post shares various techniques to restore photos in safe folder on Android, be it Samsung, Huawei, Vivo, OnePlus, or others.

What is secure storage folder on Android?

A safe or secure folder primarily protects personal or sensitive data on your phone. You can safely hide your photos, videos, audio, messages, notes, chats, etc., to this folder. The folder is locked using a password or biometric authentication. It is a typical mobile security layer feature for users. For example, Samsung Galaxy protects Secure Folder with its proprietary Knox security technology, which also protects the phone from malicious apps or malware.

Where is secure folder on Android?

You won’t find secure folders upfront on an Android phone. They are usually navigated through Settings or File Manager app. Besides, each Android manufacturer names its safe folder differently, as OnePlus calls it ‘Lockbox’, whereas Oppo smartphones have ‘Private Safe’. Vivo phones name it ‘Safe Box’ while Samsung Galaxy phones have ‘Secure Folder’.

Meanwhile, several third-party apps also offer Android data security such as, ‘Files by Google’ that offers encrypted ‘Safe Folder’ feature to hide Android data.

Why secure folder photos are deleted or missing from Android?

You may notice your secure folder is deleted from the smartphone, or some files stored in it have gone missing. Below are some probable reasons that may have caused the loss of secure folder from your smartphone:

• When you Factory reset your Android device.
• When you Reset the safe folder.
• Accidentally deleted the Android device.
• Secure folder is hidden.
• Phone is broken or crashes.
• Phone is lost or stolen.

How to recover deleted photos from secure folder

1. Restore secure folder photos from backup

A backup brings big respite from data loss. You may have created a backup of your valuable photos, videos, or documents, etc. on phone’s internal storage or cloud. Check your Google Photos, Google Drives, or File Manager in Android. If your Android phone offers cloud backup, find and restore the lost image files there.

Here, we will share how to recover deleted photos from Secure Folder on Samsung mobile phones:

• Open Secure Folder on your Samsung phone.
• Click on the 3 dots in the top-right corner to open the menu.
• Navigate to Settings > Backup and restore.

• Tap Restore. Select the files that you want to recover and click Restore now.

2. Unhide the secure folder

Is the secure folder icon missing on your Android? No worries. It may still be there but hidden. Just unhide it from the settings of your smartphone.

Here’s how you can unhide the Secure Folder:

• Go to Samsung Settings > Lock screen and security > Secure Folder.

• Turn on Show Secure Folder.

Alternatively, you can also unhide the secure folder from the quick panel of Samsung Galaxy:

• Swipe down screen to open the quick panel.

• If the Secure Folder icon appears disabled, it is hidden. Double tap on it to unhide the folder.

3. Recover deleted photos from secure folder with software

If none of the above methods works, try recovery software. Although the secure folder is deleted or lost after reset, your valuable files may still be present on the Android phone. You can try an efficient Android data recovery software that can thoroughly scan the device to retrieve lost photos, videos, contacts, etc.

To recover deleted photos from a safe folder from a backup drive, get Stellar Photo Recovery software that can restore deleted photos, videos, and audio files in their original state from a hard drive, SSD, memory card, pen drive, etc.

However, the secure folder data recovery would depend on how much read and write activity you have done on the storage device.

Best way to assess the recovery capability of the software is to use the free trial that displays the recoverable files.

Free Download

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About The Author

Nishat Paiker

Nishat Paiker is an expert technical writer and editor with over 8 years of experience. She has deep knowledge about data recovery and loves to explore new technology and DIY tools. Nishat has keen interest in photography. You will often find her giving photography tips and hacks.