How can I have photos back in gallery again after I backed up on google photos?

[Android Central Question]

I recently downloaded google photos because I wanted to back all my photos on my gallery. Next thing I know, I have 0 "camera" photos on my device gallery (all of them are on google photos).
I wanted just the back up, not start using google photos by default. How can I get my photos back in my device gallery again?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Which phone do you have? Simply installing Google Photos would not change the location of your locally saved photos, so they should still be visible in your stock Gallery app -- unless you selected the Free Up Space option in the Google Photos app, which automatically deletes any photo/video from local storage that Google Photos already backed up to your cloud. Do you remember if you did that?

Please register on this forum, which will allow you to engage in discussion more easily, as well as post images. https://forums.androidcentral.com/ask-question/409154-join-android-central-community.html

 

[mishkamar]

I have a Galaxy S21. And I just installed Google Photos yesterday and I remember I just click on "synchronize with google account" and that was it. Today, I have just 3 photos on "camera folder" but the rest of the folders have all their photos (WhatsApp has like 5k for example). Google photos doesn't give me the option to "download to device" on any photo on the "camera" folder either... I'm really lost on what happened.

 

[B. Diddy]

The missing photos were all taken by the Camera app, correct? Use any file manager app and look directly in the /DCIM/Camera directory. Do you see the photo files there?

You probably don't see a Download to Device option in Google Photos because the photo files are still saved locally.

 

[mustang7757]

Hi, welcome to AC!

[Moved this to s21 forums for specific traffic]

 

[mustang7757]

I have a Galaxy S21. And I just installed Google Photos yesterday and I remember I just click on "synchronize with google account" and that was it. Today, I have just 3 photos on "camera folder" but the rest of the folders have all their photos (WhatsApp has like 5k for example). Google photos doesn't give me the option to "download to device" on any photo on the "camera" folder either... I'm really lost on what happened.

When you first open Google photos it should ask do you want back.up.your photos with Google photos ?

 

[mishkamar]

Nope, not there. On my gallery, all my photos are showing, except the ones taken with the camera, I only have 3 + 4 I took recently. On the Google Photos are all photos in no specific order and on "camera" folder are my screenshots and some but not all the photos I took with my camera. I don't know if they are stored differently but I can't even find them by date. Google photos app is still creating a security copy tho... I'm really lost here.

 

[mustang7757]

Nope, not there. On my gallery, all my photos are showing, except the ones taken with the camera, I only have 3 + 4 I took recently. On the Google Photos are all photos in no specific order and on "camera" folder are my screenshots and some but not all the photos I took with my camera. I don't know if they are stored differently but I can't even find them by date. Google photos app is still creating a security copy tho... I'm really lost here.

Go to setting in google photos and see if it's turned on for back up

 

[B. Diddy]

@mustang7757, do you know if Samsung's Gallery app can sync with Google Photos as well? If so, then the OP's Gallery app might be showing the photos from the Google Photos cloud, and it's possible the locally saved photos were in fact deleted as part of Google Photos' "Free Up Space" feature.

@mishkamar, can you use My Files or any other file explorer app (NOT the gallery app) to look directly in the directory called /DCIM/Camera and see if the photo files that you're looking for are there?

 

[mustang7757]

@mustang7757, do you know if Samsung's Gallery app can sync with Google Photos as well? If so, then the OP's Gallery app might be showing the photos from the Google Photos cloud, and it's possible the locally saved photos were in fact deleted as part of Google Photos' "Free Up Space" feature.

@mishkamar, can you use My Files or any other file explorer app (NOT the gallery app) to look directly in the directory called /DCIM/Camera and see if the photo files that you're looking for are there?

I have my gallery sync and back up to google photos, I did some cleaning In google photos and it erased them from my gallery.

 

[B. Diddy]

I have my gallery sync and back up to google photos, I did some cleaning In google photos and it erased them from my gallery.

Right, but does the Samsung gallery app also show what's in your Google Photos in the cloud?

 

[mustang7757]

Right, but does the Samsung gallery app also show what's in your Google Photos in the cloud?

Yes when u choose back up in google photos

 

[B. Diddy]

Ok, so it's still possible the OP used Google Photos Backup, then selected the Free Up Space option in Google Photos, which would delete any locally saved photos that Google Photos knew was already backed up. So this is how the photos might still be seen in both Google Photos as well as Samsung Gallery, even when the photo files are no longer saved locally.

 

[mishkamar]

When I first install Google Photos I did click on "back up and sync" but not free up space, that option is now available as it has sync a lot of photos from my phone. If I look into Samsung files and search for pictures taken from the camera, they are not there either. They are not in Samsung files, not on my gallery and not even on Google Photos. The weird thing is, I took like 20 pictures from an apartment I visited and I could only find like 3 on Google photos; they are not on gallery or Samsung files and Google photos only has those 3???
At the moment, Google photos is stick backing up 3000+ photos and I have to keep the app open, with the screen ON for it to happen...
I've always had Samsung and the phone switch is really easy... until now.

 

[mustang7757]

When I first install Google Photos I did click on "back up and sync" but not free up space, that option is now available as it has sync a lot of photos from my phone. If I look into Samsung files and search for pictures taken from the camera, they are not there either. They are not in Samsung files, not on my gallery and not even on Google Photos. The weird thing is, I took like 20 pictures from an apartment I visited and I could only find like 3 on Google photos; they are not on gallery or Samsung files and Google photos only has those 3???
At the moment, Google photos is stick backing up 3000+ photos and I have to keep the app open, with the screen ON for it to happen...
I've always had Samsung and the phone switch is really easy... until now.

Do you see a folder called DCIM in My Files app?

 

[B. Diddy]

You used the stock Camera app to take those shots, and not some other app (like a 3rd party camera app, or the camera function in a messaging app), right?

 

[mishkamar]

Do you see a folder called DCIM in My Files app?

I do, and only shows the pictures I took after everything disappeared, just like 10 pictures now, the same showing on my device gallery.

 

[mishkamar]

You used the stock Camera app to take those shots, and not some other app (like a 3rd party camera app, or the camera function in a messaging app), right?

That's correct, I took them from my device. I've tried to look into some photos I took and sent them over WhatsApp and they are on the chat but when I click "see on gallery" the name of the photos are not the same as they should be (date and time), they are named with a bunch of random numbers and letters so I guess I can't even search for them anywhere.

 

[B. Diddy]

You mentioned not being able to download the photos from Google Photos in the cloud to your device. Open your Google Photos app, tap on any of those photos that no longer seem to be saved locally, then tap the 3-dot menu button at the upper right. Do you see a Download option between Move To Archive and Order Photo?

 

[mustang7757]

I do, and only shows the pictures I took after everything disappeared, just like 10 pictures now, the same showing on my device gallery.

Check the gallery trash bin , just curious somehow maybe went there?