I lost all photos on my moto G, Motorola Android version 5.1 phone

[Android Central Question]

I went to look at my camera roll photos and they areGone!!!
Help, how do I receive them? I am not very tech skilled.

 

[belodion]

Were they stored only on the phone, or backed up to cloud storage?

 

[G5moto]

Belodion, unfortunately they were not backed up to anything, as mentioned,not very tech savvy. Just going to be devastated if all photos are truly gone ...they are of my grandson and family events. Upsetting for sure.

 

[belodion]

Try looking for them with a file explorer- or file manager-type app. If you don't have one already, this one would do it:
https://www.androidcentral.com/best-android-file-managers

Tell us if you're using a microSD card in the phone.

 

[G5moto]

No card in the phone unless factory installed. How and where do I use the file app you provided?
And this morning I opened up the 'photo's app on phone and it is saying 'update required ' all photos are already in the NEW Google Photos...should I do this update and see what happens?

 

[belodion]

File Explorer apps are available from the Play Store. There are file explorers and file explorers, but the one mentioned in the linked article has the approval of one of our reviewers.

If the photos are in Google Photos, back them up. If an update is required first, accept it.

 

[G5moto]

I did the update and it only picked up the last three photos, and nothing shows in 'trash'. I will have the the file app.

 

[Rukbat]

Look in Google Photos. The default is to back them up there, if you haven't turned it off. (Use the phone, or it will ask for your login and password.)

 

[G5moto]

I am not fluent in how to do anything with this photo other than simplest of options. Where is the Google Photos?On my phone? When using the link mentioned in earlier email, how do I do it? I trying to be difficult but I need like step by step tutorial.

 

[G5moto]

Just following up to my last message. When I go into the Google Photos, in my photo, there are only the last 3 pictures I took. The first 100 or so are still no where to be found. Is there a app to retrieve them if the phone, they have to be stored somewhere, correct?