How to Recover Deleted Videos on Samsung Galaxy (Free Methods First)

Deleted a video on your Samsung Galaxy phone? Open Gallery > Menu > Recycle bin first. If the clip is still there, select it and tap Restore. If it is missing, check My Files > Recycle bin, Google Photos > Collections > Trash, and any copy you previously saved to OneDrive, a computer, or another account. These checks are free and should come before installing recovery software.

Before you start: Avoid recording new videos, downloading large files, installing recovery apps, factory-resetting, or formatting the affected storage. If you still have a playable copy, save it somewhere independent. If your recording was stored on a removable microSD card, stop using that card until you know what happened.

Part 1. Find Out Where Your Samsung Video Was Deleted

There is no single Trash folder for every video on a Galaxy phone. The right next step depends on which app deleted the file and whether it was saved to internal storage, cloud storage, or a separate memory card. Use this table to choose the least disruptive path.

Start with the place where the video was deleted, even if you also use Google Photos. Syncing a library is not the same as preserving an independent backup. Samsung's Gallery, Google's Photos app, and third-party file managers can behave differently after a deletion.

Part 2. Recover Deleted Samsung Videos from Gallery Recycle Bin

If the video disappeared from the built-in Samsung Gallery, this is usually the fastest way to restore it. Samsung's official instructions say eligible deleted Gallery items remain in Recycle bin for 30 days on supported models; menu names may differ by One UI version, carrier, or region.

Step 1. Open Gallery, tap Menu (usually three horizontal lines), and select Recycle bin or Trash. Browse the deleted pictures and videos without selecting Empty or Delete all.

Step 2. Find the missing video. Select it and tap Restore (or select Edit first if your screen requires it). Open the original album and play the entire video to confirm that both picture and sound are intact.

If it is not in Gallery: The clip may have been removed with My Files, Google Photos, or another app. Check those locations next rather than resetting your phone. See Samsung's official Recycle bin instructions for supported software behavior.

Part 3. Check Samsung My Files Recycle Bin

My Files can retain videos deleted from its own file browser. On supported Galaxy devices running One UI 6 or later, the Recycle bin view can also surface eligible deleted items from Gallery and certain other Samsung apps. Older versions may organize deleted files differently.

Step 1. Open My Files, find Recycle bin on the main screen or in its menu, and open it. This is a separate check from looking under the ordinary Videos category.

Step 2. Select the missing video and tap Restore if available. Return to the original folder and check whether the restored video plays.

If Recycle bin is empty or unavailable, check the actual app that deleted the file and your saved copies. Samsung's One UI 6 My Files instructions show the current Recycle bin controls and explain model-specific differences.

Part 4. Restore Samsung Videos from Google Photos Trash

If you used Google Photos to back up, browse, or delete the video, check that app independently from Samsung Gallery. Google's current Android guidance says eligible deleted photos and videos remain in Google Photos Trash for 30 days, unless you permanently delete them sooner.

Step 1. Open Google Photos and make sure you are signed in to the Google Account that held the recording.

Step 2. Tap Collections > Trash (called Bin in some locales). Touch and hold the video, then choose Restore. Check the Google Photos library and your phone's Gallery for the result.

Step 3. If Trash is empty, check another account you actually used, search the Photos library, and look in Archive or shared items. Do not empty Trash while troubleshooting. A video permanently removed from Google Photos cannot be recovered through that service's Trash.

Keep in mind: Deleting a backed-up item through Google Photos can remove it from other devices where backup is enabled. Look for a genuinely independent copy rather than assuming sync created a second backup. Follow Google's current Android restoration steps and deletion policy for the latest guidance.

Part 5. Look for a Previously Saved Cloud or Computer Copy

When all Recycle bins are empty, the best lead may be a video you previously uploaded, transferred, or sent to someone. Search those accounts before attempting to scan a phone's internal storage.

Step 1. Open OneDrive or whichever cloud service you actually used. Search for the recording date, file name, and folders where you saved camera videos. Check that service's Recycle bin if you deleted an uploaded copy.

Step 2. Search any laptop, external drive, shared album, or messaging conversation where you previously copied the video. If an intact file is available, save it to a safe location and check its length, resolution, and audio before treating it as the recovered original.

Important OneDrive change: Samsung Gallery stopped syncing directly with OneDrive on September 30, 2026. Videos uploaded through the old integration remain accessible in OneDrive, but they no longer automatically appear in Samsung Gallery through that connection. New videos can still upload if you independently enabled Camera backup in the OneDrive app and granted the necessary permissions. Check your actual backup settings; do not assume an upload happened. See Microsoft's official transition guidance.

Part 6. Recover Deleted Videos from a Removable Samsung microSD Card

Some Galaxy phones support a removable microSD card used as portable storage. If the missing video was saved on that card, and a Windows or Mac computer can recognize the card through a reader, Wondershare Recoverit Memory Card Recovery may help you look for recoverable video files. This is not a method for recovering deleted data directly from modern encrypted Galaxy internal storage. Many newer Samsung Galaxy models have no microSD card slot.

Step 1. Stop using the card and safely turn off a Galaxy model that supports it. Remove the card and connect it to your computer with a suitable reader. If the computer prompts you to format or initialize the card, cancel. Do not run a disk-repair operation that writes to the card before securing important files.

Step 2. If the card is detected as a separate storage device, launch Recoverit and select that card through its SD Card Recovery or removable-device workflow. Do not accidentally choose your computer's internal drive. Use the official Recoverit Guide for the latest interface details.

Step 3. Scan the card. Use the video file type or expected file name to narrow the results, and preview supported files before choosing what to save. Seeing a file name or thumbnail does not guarantee that the entire video is intact.

Step 4. Save the selected videos to the computer or another healthy drive, never back to the affected microSD card. Open the recovered file and check the full recording and sound.

Limits and costs: Downloading Recoverit does not mean every video can be recovered for free. Check the current edition's scanning, preview, and saving limits before paying or assuming the video can be restored. If a card is encrypted as adopted/internal storage, physically damaged, overheating, or repeatedly disconnecting, stop and assess safer options; ordinary recovery software may not be suitable. See the memory card recovery feature page for supported storage scenarios.

Part 7. What If the Samsung Video Was Permanently Deleted?

If a clip is no longer in Samsung Gallery, My Files, Google Photos, or any previously saved copy, recovery depends on where its original data was stored. Videos permanently deleted from modern encrypted Galaxy internal storage are often not recoverable with ordinary consumer software. A program that scans a connected computer drive does not automatically gain raw access to deleted internal phone files through a USB cable.

A removable microSD card used as portable storage is different: when a computer can detect it, scanning may reveal files that have not been overwritten. But if the card was configured as encrypted/adopted internal storage, a card reader may not be able to read the data independently.

Avoid risky attempts: Do not factory-reset, unlock the bootloader, root the phone just to try random recovery apps, or keep recording over the missing video's storage. If the video is essential evidence or irreplaceable, consult a reputable data-recovery professional before attempting further changes, while understanding that recovery may still be impossible.

For methods shared across other Android brands, see the general Android deleted video recovery guide. That separate tutorial does not replace the Samsung-specific Gallery, One UI, and OneDrive instructions above.

Conclusion

Start with Samsung Gallery and My Files Recycle bin, then check Google Photos Trash and any independent copy you actually saved. If the video was on a separate, computer-readable microSD card, a careful recovery scan may offer another option. Whatever method works, the task is complete only when you have opened the restored video and checked the recording, sound, and duration.