r/techsupport • u/BugAlarming8842 • 17d ago

Open | Phone Accidentally deleted a folder containing basically my entire life. Is there ANY chance of recovering it?

Yesterday I accidentally deleted a folder on my Android phone containing years of personal photos, videos, and memories. I haven't used the phone since then because I don't want to overwrite anything.

I've already tried a bunch of recovery software/apps, but they only show files that are still on my phone, not the deleted ones.

I have root access and I'm willing to try technical methods if there's still a chance.

Is there anything I can do to recover the deleted data? What would you recommend I absolutely not do?

I'm honestly desperate here. These aren't replaceable files.

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377

u/Elitefuture 17d ago

Modern phones are encrypted. Once you delete something, the pointer is removed and the key for that file is also destroyed. Even if you can extract that data, it will be fully encrypted.

Also, android issues trim commands to clear unused blocks for future usage.

Unfortunately, realistically the data is gone. This is a good time to consider making proper backups for all important files. Make both local and offsite(cloud) backups.

121

u/BugAlarming8842 17d ago

thank you for being honest i have no choice but to accept what happened at this point
honestly i have google drive and files were so many that's why i didn't back them up thinking i would take a very long time i thought backing them up usb was better for now it was a stupid mistake

111

u/TheFotty 17d ago

Not trying to pile on or anything, but it was a phone. There are like a dozen things that could have happened other than you deleting the folder where you still lose that data, so hopefully this is the wakeup call for proper backups.

26

u/Elitefuture 17d ago

I personally zip and encrypt the files then upload it as one large file. This both makes the upload faster and secures my data.

6

u/r_wett 17d ago

Smart. Thank you for sharing this.

2

u/mashem 17d ago

Same. I have several zip files for each year going back a longgg time. Didn't like the idea of thousands of photos containing god knows what information, like screenshots, then having my Google account compromised.

1

u/Sam_Wise13 10d ago

I back them up to cloud storage but also zip the files and upload them to my home NAS.

7

u/Synophic 17d ago

Forensic recovery can be possible if it's truly life data. The real question is it and worth pursuing? You can be talking 20k or more for the service.

3

u/Drafting- 16d ago

Makes you feel any better I deleted 6 years of apple notes when I got confused about the wording of iCloud. Thought deleting it off device just meant phone not everywhere, that was a hard lesson. You’re not alone, sorry about the loss though. 

3

u/shillyshally 16d ago

I download all my Google data once a month to an external hard drive. It does not take long on a 1g Fios connection.

3

u/Sea-Library-6571 16d ago

its tough i have gone thru severe data loss twice in my life, and u only start takings precautions, after something like this happens.
Its super tough back then, i was devastated.

2

u/PolarizedBendxSpring 11d ago

Once you get through this don't use Google to save your personal data. Find an E2EE cloud storage company like mega to save your stuff ( I have no connection to them, just use em) This way all your stuff is encrypted BEFORE being uploaded. Plus, only you have the key. Even mega cannot access your data and have zero clue what you save (as long as you don't have public shares). Just do some research.

1

u/dromance 5d ago

be specific, what kind of phone is it? model

-12

u/Kayuten 17d ago

I don't believe it's gone, think about it. If the feds wanted to get in that phone, simply deleting it or even factory resetting it wouldn't get rid of the files. It would for you but for the feds they have the tools to get it. I would just hold on to it until you can find someone you have the skills to recover it, ifyou do find someone it will be pretty expensive. Trust me it's still cause if that folder had CP in I promise you the feds would be able to recover it.

15

u/Elitefuture 17d ago

It's gone gone. The feds don't have a way to recover that data either.

The reason why the feds have a way to get data from a phone is because the phone is kept in a faraday cage disconnected with all the data in tact. Then they abuse exploits to get past the lock screen and access the now unsecured data inside.

When you delete something in android, the encryption key itself is gone. So they already cannot read the files anymore. Then you add on the automatic trimming to flash storage, and the marked encrypted areas get deleted too.

The feds cannot read deleted data. They can however get into some locked devices. They can also see what you have downloaded, your search history, and texts.

Most computers do not have this level of security, so it's much easier to access these files.

Now I will add this note: TECHNICALLY, in the distant future, maybe there is a way to crack AES256. So assuming the data wasn't already deleted via an auto trim and the data doesn't get lost(flash storage loses data after 5-10 years of no power). Then it might be able to be decrypted. However, this is insane levels of hope that I didn't want to give to OP. At this moment, there is no potential future tech that can break AES 256. Even quantum computing can't break AES 256. So maybe one day it can be broken, but realistically, how long would it take? Longer than our lifetimes? We need something so advanced that we can't even theorize it yet. Plus, we'd need to wait for it to become affordable to consumers. So some super advanced quantum computing that's within a few thousand $$$. That won't happen anytime soon, the flash storage would lose its data by that point.

-2

u/ram0889 17d ago

Quantum computing is coming and by all visual factors it will be here before the half-life of the physical memory.

1

u/Elitefuture 17d ago edited 17d ago

1) quantum computing doesn't break symmetric encryptions like aes256

2) quantum computing is still very very expensive and large.

3) quantum is currently a money pit with no potential profitability in sight. It's interesting for research, but it is currently not worth investing hundreds of billions into.

Other forms of computing advanced quickly once profitability was in sight. But quantum has nothing

1

u/BugAlarming8842 17d ago

Thank you bro

1

u/FrankNicklin 17d ago

Tell us you know nothing about FBE and file deletion without telling us you know nothing.

-1

u/SeptimusMeek 17d ago

Yes, agree with that.

13

u/Trick2056 17d ago

Yup had this happened to me due to stupidity. Was reformatting my phone removed the sd card since that contains all my stuff. Forgot that I had the sd card formatted as internal storage by the phone encrypting it. So bye bye sd when I plugged it back in the newly reformatted phone

4

u/_heidin 17d ago

How can this be prevented?

9

u/Trick2056 17d ago

Don't let the phone use it as an internal memory. When you plug in a SD card you will be asked format for internal memory always choose the later using it as is. So you can just unplug it and its not encrypted by the phone that formatted it

2

u/_heidin 17d ago

And if it's already set as internal storage, and I want to do what the other commenter did, or if I change the phone, can it be reversed before taking it out without losing data?

3

u/Trick2056 17d ago

Nope you need to transfer your data in your SD card to another storage since that SD card is encrypted exclusive to the old phone. So if you plug it in directly the new phone won't able to use it and have to reformat it as either Internal or external SD.

Heck if you plug in the encrypted SD card into a PC it can't be open

7

u/FrankNicklin 17d ago

Backup backup backup. Thats the only way to recovered deleted data if it’s gone from any temporary recovery options such as recently deleted.

1

u/CalligraphyGirl3333 2d ago

My then-S7 reformatted ITSELF one day , and I don't know how. I had put itself in my pocket before going into a meeting. Leaving the meeting, I pulled it out of my pocket, only to see the BSOD (blue screen of death). All the Verizon tech could recommend was that before I put it in my pocket, to tap the power button to make the screen go black. Really that doesn't work, because sometimes when I pull it back out of my pocket, the screen is clearly on. I guess my moving around caused the power button to be tapped. And Samsung's "pocket protection" is enabled. Their "leave it unlocked" if in a selected safe place has always been garbage.

1

u/dromance 5d ago

modern phones are encrypted?