Deleted Photos Keep Coming Back To Android – What To Do?

No matter how much I try, my deleted photos keep coming back. They just refuse to leave me and my gallery. What should I do?

We are assuming that you have tried every trick in your hat to resolve this issue and now you have held your forehead in utter despair. Worry not! We have got some effective ways up our sleeves that help you remove photos permanently because let’s face it if an image keeps popping back in the gallery, apart from your storage space taking a hit,  it could be an indication that there’s something seriously wrong.

Reasons Of Deleted Photos Keep Coming Back to Android:

– Clear Cache

In most circumstances, this workaround should just fix the issue and you won’t have to complain about deleted photos coming back to your Android device. Here we shall be clearing the cache of the Photo app you are currently using. For example, I will be clearing up the storage cache of my Gallery app. It is important to note that the steps for the same may differ from one Android model to another. However, they should more or less be the same. Do let us know in the comments section how you clear cache in your Android device –

1. Open Settings

2. Scroll down and tap on Apps

3. Again scroll down and locate Gallery. You may want to tap on your Photo app

4. Under Usage tap on Storage

5. Tap on Clear Cache

– Use A Photo Cleaning App

If your deleted photos keep coming back to your gallery, maybe your Android device is acting up. Instead of heading the normal way, you can take the aid of a photo cleaning app. Photos Cleaner from Systweak is one such app. It scans every nook and cranny of your Android device for photos and then deletes them.

Why Trust Photos Cleaner When Trying To Delete Photos That Keep Coming Back?

Maybe the image you are trying to delete is deep-rooted at some other location. In such a scenario, merely deleting it from your gallery just won’t suffice. Photos Cleaner scans every corner of your device and lets you delete images completely, in a manner that they won’t come back.

How To Use Photos Cleaner?

1. Install Photos Cleaner from Google Play Store

2. Tap on Scan photos

3. Give the app, the permission to access files on your device

4. Tap on Allow

5. You will now be able to see scanned sorted category-wise. Select the one you want to see

6. Select the image that keeps on coming back and hit the trash bin icon

That’s it, this photo or photos (in case you have selected many) will never pave their way back into your device again.

Disable Syncing Accounts Before You Delete Photos

Why do my deleted photos keep coming back? Well! One of the reasons this could be happening is because you have synced your photos to one of your Google accounts or any other cloud-based account. Because of this, even if you have deleted such photos, they would reappear. So, we suggest that before you delete photos, disable sync for that while. To disable sync, here are the probable steps. Again, these steps may differ slightly from your Android device –

1. Go to Settings

2. Scroll down till you find the Accounts and backup or a related option. Tap on it

3. Tap on Accounts

4. Toggle off the Auto sync personal data switch or any other related option

5. Head back to your Gallery app or the photo app that you use

6. Select photos you want to delete and tap on the delete option (mostly signified by a trash bin icon)

Check Your Android Device For Malware

In this digital era, no device is safe. By that, we mean that every passing moment, cyber miscreants are creating malicious threats that have the capability of ruining your digital security let alone the functionality of your Android phone. So, in case, the photos you have deleted keep coming back again, despite taking extreme measures, it is quite likely that your Android device is infected with malware. In such a scenario, something that can save you is an anti-malware app.

Also Read: Here is a list of some of the best anti-malware apps for Android.

Format Your Android Device And The External SD Card

And by that, we even mean formatting an external SD card as well. But, we highly recommend that before you go ahead and perform the formatting operation, take a backup of your Android device since once formatted every spec of data will disappear from your device. In case you have an SD card, make sure you eject the SD card and then using an SD card reader plug it inside your laptop or PC. Then, let’s say you have inserted it on a Windows PC or laptop, right-click on the SD card, and select Format.

Next, we’ll now be erasing everything that’s there inside the Android phone. For that –

1. Head to Settings

2. Scroll down and tap on General Management

3. Tap on Reset

4. Tap on Factory data reset

5. Tap on Reset again

Wrapping Up

We earnestly hope that after you have tried the above workarounds, none of your deleted photos would dare come back again on your device. Also, we love it when users can troubleshoot their device issues. So, if you have been able to resolve this issue, do let us know which of the above solutions worked out for you. For more such content, keep reading Tweak Library.