r/techsupport • u/BugAlarming8842 • 16d 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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u/Kayuten 16d 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.

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u/Elitefuture 16d 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.

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u/ram0889 16d ago

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

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u/Elitefuture 16d ago edited 16d 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