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Most deleted Samsung Galaxy items can be restored for free from the bin inside the app that deleted them, as long as you act within 30 days. Gallery photos and videos, My Files documents, and Voice Recorder recordings each have their own bin, so start by identifying the app.
Which bin holds your deleted item
Samsung’s supported apps keep their own deleted-items bin, and Samsung Canada Support’s cross-app article (last updated June 18, 2026) states that “The recycle bin function cannot be turned off.” The bin’s label varies by app and software version, so use the table below to match your item to the right route.
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| App that deleted the item | Bin label you will see | Typical items | Restore path |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallery | Trash or Recycle bin | Photos and videos | Menu > Trash/Recycle bin > select > Restore |
| My Files | Recycle bin | Documents and other files | Recycle bin > Edit > select > Restore |
| Voice Recorder | Recycle bin | Voice recordings | More > Recycle bin > select > Restore or Restore All |
Restore a photo or video from Gallery
- Open Gallery.
- Tap Menu (three horizontal lines). On some software versions the menu sits at a different screen edge.
- Tap Trash or Recycle bin.
- Touch and hold a thumbnail to select it, then tap any other items you want. Tap All to select everything in the bin.
- Tap Restore. When every item is selected, the button may read Restore all.
Restore a document or file from My Files
- Open My Files.
- Tap Recycle bin.
- Tap Edit, then select one or more files or tap All.
- Tap Restore.
Check deleted files by app from Settings
Samsung India’s support article (last updated November 15, 2023) and the current Samsung Canada guide both point to a central view at Settings > Device care > Storage management > Recycle bin > My Files, where deleted items can be listed by app. If you cannot find the bin from My Files, use this route. The exact menu names can differ between software releases, so search the Settings app for “Recycle bin” if the path has changed on your phone.
Restore a voice recording
- Open Voice Recorder.
- Tap More (three vertical dots), then tap Recycle bin.
- Select the recording.
- Tap Restore, or Restore All to recover every recording in the bin.
The 30-day window and what happens after
Samsung Canada Support says deleted items stay in the bin for 30 days and are then automatically and permanently deleted. This is the vendor’s stated retention policy in its 2026 support articles, not a measured result, and it applies to the Trash feature across the supported apps. Samsung’s Gallery-specific guide (last updated March 12, 2026) goes further and says that expired Gallery items cannot be recovered.
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If an item is no longer in the bin, Samsung’s support material does not describe a dependable way to get it back. Third-party recovery apps and paid recovery services are not endorsed in Samsung’s documentation, so be cautious with any tool that promises to recover items after the bin has been emptied or the window has passed.
Cloud-synced photos and Google Photos
If Gallery syncs with Google Photos, deleting a photo can affect more than your phone. Samsung Japan’s support page on Gallery cloud sync (reviewed in September 2026) describes the following behaviour for that configuration:
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- Deleting a synced photo or video in Gallery or Google Photos also removes it from connected devices and from the other service.
- The deleted copy stays in both services’ bins for 30 days.
- Emptying Gallery’s bin permanently deletes the original stored in Google.
- Deleting a local copy through My Files can leave a cloud copy available to download.
These behaviours depend on the sync setup and the market, so confirm which sync feature and Google account your phone uses before relying on them. If the item is still in Google Photos’ trash, restore it from there.
When the item does not appear
- Check the app first. A photo deleted in Gallery will not be in My Files’ bin, and the reverse is also true.
- Check the per-app view in Settings if you are unsure which app handled the deletion.
- Check the cloud service’s trash if Gallery sync is on, since a copy may still be there.
- Accept the limit if the 30-day window has passed or the bin was emptied. Samsung’s documentation does not establish a recovery route in those cases.
Why menu names differ on your phone
Samsung India Support states, in its article last updated November 15, 2023, that “Available screens and settings may vary by software version and phone model.” Treat the paths in this guide as the typical layout, and follow the labels you can see on your own screen. Bin, Trash and Recycle bin often describe the same place.
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