Guide to Recovering Deleted Photos from an SD Card [2026 Updated]

SD cards have become one of the most widely used storage devices, mainly known for their portability and high storage capacity. However, they are still prone to data loss, and you may unexpectedly lose stored files or folders. Losing important files, such as your precious photos, from an SD card can be distressing and may put you in trouble. Fortunately, with the right approach, these deleted photos can be easily restored from SD cards.

In this comprehensive guide to recover deleted photos from an SD card, we’ll discuss various methods that you can try in 2026 to bring your deleted photos back.  From simple checks to advanced photo recovery software, this guide covers everything you need to know. Let’s explore it in depth!

Understanding Common Reasons for Photo Loss from SD Cards

Before diving into any effective photo recovery method, it’s essential to understand why photos often disappear from your SD card. Here are some common reasons:

• Accidental Deletion: You might have accidentally deleted photos from your SD card while browsing other files and folders. Pressing the delete button or selecting “Format” on the SD card deletes the stored files.
• SD Card Corruption: If your SD card gets corrupted due to sudden removal, improper formatting, or malware, it makes the stored files, including your photos, inaccessible without necessarily erasing them.
• File System Errors: File systems like FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS can become unstable, causing photos to disappear or become unreadable.
• Physical Damage: In severe cases, SD cards get physically damaged and prevent your device from accessing or recognising stored photos.

Precautions Before Attempting SD Card Recovery

While recovering deleted photos from your SD card is quite easy, it’s important to proceed with caution. Taking the right steps early can prevent data from being overwritten and significantly improve the chances of successfully restoring your deleted images. For this:

• Immediately Avoid Saving New Files: Continuous usage of your SD card to save new photos or files can overwrite deleted data and make photo recovery complex.
• Avoid Formatting: When you find photos deleted from your SD card, it’s better to avoid any sort of formatting. If you format the SD card, recovery may become complex and time-consuming.
• Use a Card Reader: Connect the SD card to a computer using a reliable card reader. Directly recovering from a camera or smartphone can be less reliable.
• Check for Physical Damage: Ensure your SD card isn’t physically damaged (e.g., broken connector). In such cases, recovery may require professional services.

These precautions will help you increase the chances of successful photo recovery.

Quick Methods to Recover Deleted Photos from an SD Card [Best for 2026]

Irrespective of the reasons for photo loss from your SD card, there are several photo recovery methods available that you can try to restore your deleted photos. Each method has its advantages and limitations. Carefully check and compare these methods, then select the one that works best:

Method 01: Check the Recycle Bin/Trash Folder

If your photo is deleted from an SD card while it’s connected to a Windows PC or Mac, it may be moved to the Recycle Bin or Trash folder, respectively. Before using the advanced photo recovery method, it’s important to check these folders:

• On Windows PC: Launch the Recycle Bin, search for deleted photos that you want to recover and click Restore to save them back to your PC.
• On Mac: Open your Trash folder, locate and right-click on the required images, and choose Put Back to move them back to the SD card.

If the photos are not in the Recycle Bin or Trash, proceed with backups of third-party photo recovery software.

Method 02: Recover Deleted Photos from Backups

If you are good at maintaining regular backups of your photos, recovery can be performed easily. Here are different backup options:

• Cloud Storage: You can use cloud backup solutions such as Google Photos, iCloud, or OneDrive to automatically back up your images.
• Computer Backups: If you’ve transferred photos to a PC or external hard drive, try restoring them from these options.

Recovering from backups is simple and straightforward, so always consider this option before using any professional photo recovery software.

Method 03: Try Third-Party Photo Recovery Software

What if your deleted photo is not present in the Recycle Bin/Trash folder and you don’t have any adequate backup? In such cases, you can use third-party photo recovery software such as Stellar Photo Recovery to restore your deleted photos. It is a powerful, user-friendly photo recovery software that allows you to restore photos lost or deleted from SD cards and other storage devices such as USB drives, hard drives, external drives, and more.

• The Stellar Photo Recovery software supports the recovery of deleted photos of various types, such as JPEG, PNG, TIFF, etc.
• Not only photos, but this all-in-one recovery software also allows you to restore deleted video and audio files of different file formats.
• It offers both Quick and Deep scan modes for restoring recently deleted files and even those deleted due to formatting, corruption, or severe damage.
• It lets you preview the recoverable files before saving them, so you only restore what you truly need.

Here’s how to recover photos deleted from an SD card using this amazing photo recovery software:

Step 1: Download and install the Stellar Photo Recovery software on your Windows PC or Mac. Also, connect the SD card to your device using a reliable card reader.

Step 2: From the home screen, select Photos or All Data (to recover everything – photos, audio and video files) and click Next to continue.

Step 3: From the next window, choose your SD card from where you want to restore deleted photos and click Scan to initiate the scanning process.

Step 4: Once the scan is complete, preview the recoverable files and select the photos you want to restore. Click Recover to save selected photos back to your device.

Note: Try saving the restored photos at a different storage location on your computer or an external drive. Saving the photos back to the same SD card may overwrite other deleted files and make recovery complex.

Additional Tip: Prevent Future Photo Loss on SD Cards

Prevention is better than recovery. Here are some preventive tips that you can consider to avoid such photo loss issues from your SD card:

• Maintain Regular Backups: Frequently back up your photos to cloud storage or external drives to prevent permanent loss of important files.
• Safely Eject SD Cards: It’s important to always eject the SD card safely from your cameras or computers. This helps to avoid sudden file corruption and potential data loss.
• Avoid Overfilling Cards: Maintain some free space on your SD card to reduce the chance of corruption or slow performance.
• Update Device Firmware: Keep your camera or device firmware updated to ensure compatibility with SD cards and minimise unexpected errors.

Wrapping Up

SD card recovery is easier if you act promptly and follow proper precautions. Start with basic methods such as checking the Recycle Bin/Trash folder and previously created backups. If the manual methods won’t work, third-party photo recovery software such as Stellar Photo Recovery can help you restore valuable memories.

Additionally, consider preventive measures such as maintaining regular backups, storing data carefully, and handling cards properly to reduce the risk of future data loss. Remember: the sooner you act, the higher the chances of successful recovery.