Almost every second owner of a smartphone or tablet is faced with the need to recover lost data. There can be many reasons for this: accidental deletion, reset of the operating system, incorrect operation of the anti-virus application, etc.
Actually, the reason for the loss of information is not so important, because we are interested in the subsequent process, that is, data recovery from an Android phone. It’s worth mentioning right away that the iOS platform in this case, alas, is hopeless. Here Apple strictly follows its policy. On the company's official website, the corresponding section clearly states that the restoration of deleted data from the phone is only possible if synchronization with iTunes or iCloud has been connected. In all other scenarios, it is completely and permanently deleted, and it is not possible to return it under any circumstances.
The Android platform is more flexible in this regard and data recovery from the phone is quite realistic here, and without the need to connect cloud storage. True, the latter just act as a panacea in this case, but not every user wants to contact them for various reasons.
So, let's try to figure out how to recover data from an Android phone and do it as painlessly as possible for both the user and his gadget. Consider the basic tools for the implementation of this enterprise and the procedure, taking into account the advice of experts in this field.
Difficulties
The only solution to the problem of loss of information is a program to recover data from the phone. The platform developer, alas, did not provide for any standard tools. Two scenarios are possible here - bad and good.
If you need to restore data from the internal memory of the phone, then this is just the first case. When all the information was on an external drive - this is the most favorable scenario. The fact is that such software scans and analyzes system files and sectors. And if they are practically not blocked on the memory card, then on the internal drive of the gadget they are protected by the platform.
Administrator rights (root)
In the worst case scenario, that is, resuscitation of information on an internal drive, you will need to root your smartphone (root) or set administrator rights, and this is fraught with some consequences, such as loss of warranty and the threat of personal information. Not every user will do this. In the case of data recovery from Samsung phones, everything is noticeably simpler.
No third-party utilities for obtaining administrator rights are needed here. Local firmware supports this feature. So before restoring data from Samsung phones, you need to go to the gadget settings, open the “Lock screen and protection” section, then “Other security settings” and in the “Device administrators” branch, move the slider to “Remote control”.
On gadgets from other manufacturers, as well as on other firmware, you will have to root the phone using third-party utilities. Among other software of such a plan, masters advise using the Root Master and 360Root applications. The interface of these programs is maximally simplified, and to obtain administrator rights it is enough to install the product and click on the “Start” button in the first case, or “Start” in the second. After which your gadget will reboot (if not, then force reboot) and you will have access to system files. After which it is already possible to run the programs described below to recover data from an Android phone.
Next, we consider some of the most effective programs for resuscitation of lost information on mobile gadgets.
DiskDigger Pro file recovery
This is one of the most popular utilities for recovering data from an Android phone after a device reset or accidental deletion. Masters and advanced users respond very warmly about this program, as well as its capabilities. It is also worth noting that in some simple cases (photos, text documents) to restore data from the phone, setting administrator rights is completely optional.
The program feels great on all versions of the Android platform, starting with 2.2. The application interface is simple and intuitive, and even a beginner will figure it out. The menu branches with sub-items are logically constructed, so there is no need to wander there. In addition, the official website of the developer has a lot of training materials in text format, in case any difficulties arise.
Program features
In the menu, you can choose one of two types of scanning - simple and complete. In the first case, the installation of administrator rights is not required, but the result may not be the most encouraging. Perhaps the only thing that the basic search and subsequent resuscitation adequately copes with is photos and text files, and to restore the rest (video, database, etc.), you will have to root the gadget.
After scanning, the utility presents the user with a list of all found files. Here you can already select any specific data for recovery from the phone. The resuscitation process itself takes a little time, but if there are a decent number of files, then you have to wait. High-performance processors, of course, significantly speed up the task.
Distinctive features of the utility
As for system requirements, Diskdigger is a rather resource-intensive application that is in no way suitable for multitasking. That is, playing games while restoring data from the phone or watching a video does not work for you. The utility is voracious to RAM and processor power. So you have to wait until the end of the procedure.
You can save the results both on local drives and in cloud storage, such as Dropbox or Google Drive. It is also possible to transfer the received data to e-mail. This option will be very useful if the drive from which the recovery is performed is corrupted and it is dangerous to write to it.
Distribution Terms
The product is distributed under a paid license, but the developer has provided something like a trial version, where the user can use the scan function, only without subsequent recovery. That is, you can evaluate all the data to be resuscitated, and if the list suits you, then buy a key.
GT Recovery for Android
Another effective program to recover data from your phone after a system reset or accidental deletion of files. Specialists and advanced users also strongly recommend using this product, because it can help even in the most difficult cases.
Utility by and large is a comprehensive solution, where for each category of tasks there is a tool. GT File Recovery is intended for recovering music tracks, video and text documents, GT Photo Recovery for photos, GT SMS Recovery for SMS messages, GT Contact Recovery for contacts, and for social messengers like Vatsap or Viber. GT Messenger Recovery.
Program features
That is, the developer offers not one universal, but a whole list of specialized solutions for resuscitation of various data. The program does an excellent job of recovering information on third-party media, but administrator’s rights will be required for normal operation with the internal drive. Otherwise, the likelihood of resuscitation is very small.
The interface of all programs in the complex is identical and only the top branch of the menu differs, where the sections specific to this category are changed: “Music”, SMS, “Photo”, etc. The main functionality is simple and intuitive. We start the program, scan the drives and from the list presented select what exactly needs to be restored. The result can be downloaded both to the source and to third-party media, as well as sent by mail.
It is also worth noting that the application does not load the system and is not as demanding on the amount of RAM as other software of this kind. Of course, you won’t work on weak gadgets in the background during scanning or recovery, but advanced devices will not even notice the utility.
Distribution Terms
The product is distributed under a paid license, but the developer has provided a trial version with limited functionality. That is, here you can see exactly what data is subject to recovery, and if the list suits you, then we get the key. Only a limited number (different for each direction) of files can be reanimated for free.
Recuva
Experts in this field and advanced users consider this product the best in its segment and out of competition, as evidenced by the mass of flattering responses about the program on thematic forums. This is a desktop application, which is primarily aimed at working with external drives. But if your smartphone is connected as USB Mass Storage, then there should be no problems with restoring internal memory either.
Modern smartphones, as a rule, and alas, are connected only via the MTP protocol as a media player. And here you will again have to root the gadget, if you need to work out the internal drive.
Utility Features
First of all, you need to install the program on a personal computer, run it and connect the mobile device to the PC. In the upper part you can see a drop-down list where all available drives are displayed. Among them, choose an SD card or internal memory of a mobile gadget. Then you can start the scan.
Upon completion, the utility will present a list of all found files. The latter will be marked with one of three colors. A green marker means a 100% probability of data recovery, yellow - 50 to 50, but red means completely lost information that cannot be reanimated.
It is also worth noting that there are two scanning modes - simple and advanced. In the first case, the program will run through the drives superficially and reveal all the “green” files. Deep scanning takes noticeably more time, but also more efficiently. It affects both the system area and, so to speak, the most evil places on external media.
For more specifics, you can choose the types of files for scanning, that is, indicate what exactly you want to restore: video, photos, databases, music, some text documents and more. This moment will come in handy if the drives were actively used and there was plenty of residual information there.
Application Features
The program interface is simple, clear and does not cause unnecessary questions. By default, a master assistant is included, which, when starting the utility, guides you step-by-step through the main functionality and simultaneously launches the necessary scanning procedures, and after that the recovery. It can be turned off and work in normal mode. The application interface has received competent Russian-language localization, which also contributes to the rapid study of the product.
As for the resource intensity, the Rekuva practically does not take up space on the hard drive and at least “eats” RAM. Even on older computers, the program can work quietly in the background, and the user will not even notice this while doing his own thing. True, the speed of scanning and recovery in the latter case will take much more time, but this is not critical for many.
Distribution Terms
The utility is distributed both under a paid and free license. In the latter case, we have a purely individual product for household needs, not disdain advertising blocks. If the need for file recovery is low, then it is quite enough. For more advanced users and those who need batch processing with an additional set of tools, it is better to look towards a professional paid version.