If you have lost some of your photos, the first thing you may think of is looking for a data recovery tool. A common message that Android device users come across when trying to recover their photos is “Please Root Your Device Before the Recovery”. This message is usually a hindrance, considering that most people aren’t willing to root the device. To get rid of the hindrance, we will show you how to recover photos from android without root.
Part 1: What is Android Device Rooting?
The Android operating system is open source, meaning that anyone can modify and build on it. Rooting is generally the process of allowing people, using devices running on Android, to attain root access (in simple terms, privileged control) over the Android subsystems.
Rooting, which can be equated to jailbreaking on Apple products, allows the Android device users to dive deeper into the smartphone’s sub-system. It allows the user to get access to the entire Android operating system and customize almost anything on the device.
Rooting is generally performed with a goal of overcoming limitations that manufacturers and even carriers put on devices. After rooting a device, you should have the ability to:
- Replace the system settings and applications.
- Run some specialized applications – applications which need administrator-level permission.
- Perform various operations which may be inaccessible to the normal Android device users.
Part 2: Why Do Some Data Recovery Tools Require Unrooted Android Device Rooting?
A lot of data recovery tools available online will need to perform low-level interactions with the Android device for them to recover your photos. This could include interaction with Android device hardware (storage unit). If the device is not rooted, the data recovery tool may not have the ability to interact with the device’s storage unit.
Part 3: Why You May Not Want to Recover Android Data without Rooting?
As you have already noted, rooting an Android device has its own advantages. However, its disadvantages generally outweigh the benefits. For this reason, most people will prefer to not root their devices. Some of the disadvantages include:
Warranty Void
This is generally automatic. Once you tweak the Android operating system settings, you will void the device’s warranty. While some Android devices do allow un-rooting, the majority of the devices do not allow the unrooting. There is generally no test that you can perform to figure out whether it is possible to unroot your device.
If you void your warranty, the manufacturer may not be willing to repair it for free. This means that you could end up incurring high unnecessary costs.
Bricked Device
This is a common issue when you are rooting your device. You need to be extremely cautious. Even with extreme caution, you could still end up bricking your device – the device may end up failing to turn on. This could leave you with a useless device. If this were to happen, even recovering the lost photos will be impossible.
Increased Virus/Malware Risk
Modifying a rooted device, as mentioned earlier on, is extremely easy. This means that viruses and malware will also find it easy to attack the device. While you could be able to recover your data after the root, viruses could lead to further data losses in the future. This is something that you would want to avoid.
Data Loss
If you use the wrong rooting method, you could end up losing all your data. This means that you could end up losing the pictures you wanted to recover after the root and other important data.
Part 4: Recover Photos from Android Without Root Using a Computer Program
If you would like to avoid the risks associated with rooting an Android device when recovering Android data, you should try to find a way to recover your lost photos without root. This is actually possible and can be done using a computer program. Below, we have a couple of programs you can use:
1. FoneDog ToolKit
This tool promises quick data recovery on Android devices. It comes with a free trial version which makes it possible for you to figure out whether your photos are actually on the device. If you determine that your lost pictures are actually on your device, you can go ahead and upgrade to the paid version for you to recover photos from android without rooting.
The tool features a simple interface. This means that anyone can use it. Basically, you will just need to follow some simple onscreen instructions to get your photos back. This tool can be used on both Mac and Windows PC.
2. Dr.fone – Recover (Android)
This is another tool that you can use to recover photos from android without root. The tool works with more than 6000 Android tablets and phones, from brands like Huawei, Samsung, HTC, LG, Sony, Google, Motorola, etc.
The retrieval rate is pretty quick. This means that you will not have to wait for too long before getting your photos back. To get your pictures back, all you will have to do is connect the Android device to the computer using USB cable and then follow the instructions which appear on your screen.
3. EaseUS Data Recovery
This tool works in a similar manner to the tools mentioned above – you install the tool, launch it, connect your device to the computer using a USB cable, and then follow the steps on the screen to get your photos back. With the free trial version, you may be able to know whether the tool can work for you. This helps you avoid paying for a tool that may not have the ability to help you recover photos from android without rooting.
Different data recovery methods are available for different data loss situations. Selecting an ideal method for your situation could help speed up the recovery process.
The Steps You Need to Follow to Recover Photos from Android without Root Via Computer Programs
While the above computer programs may not feature the same data recovery steps, they have the same core steps. We have outlined the core steps below:
Step 1: Install your chosen tool on your computer and launch it.
Step 2: Using a USB cable, connect your Android device to the computer.
Step 3: Enable the USB debugging. To do this on an Android device running Android 4.2 and later, follow the steps below:
- Launch the Settings Application > About Phone.
- Locate and click the Build Number 7 times. Stop tapping the moment you see a notification at the bottom saying that “You are now under developer mode”.
- Go back to the device Settings.
- Tap on the Developer Options and then check the USB debugging box.
Enabling the USB debugging should give the computer complete access to your Android device.
Step 4: Most tools will ask you to select the data you would like to recover before the scanning process begins. Select Photos on this step and then click the Scan button.
Step 5: After the scan, the lost pictures will be displayed. Preview them, select the ones you would like to recover, and then click the recover button.
Note: Computer programs will only help you recover the lost photos if they are yet to be overwritten. If the pictures are overwritten, recovering them will be 100% impossible.
Part 5: Recover Photos from Android Without Root or Using Computer
The computer programs mentioned above will only allow you to recover your photos after paying. If you do not upgrade to the paid version, you will only have the ability to view the lost pictures. Getting them back will not be possible.
It is possible to avoid paying for computer tools. All you will need to do is use a free android application called FindMyPhoto. Most free applications will feature invasive pop-up advertisements. This, however, is not the case with FindMyPhoto. When using the application to recover photos from android without rooting, you won’t have to deal with any ads. The tool focuses on giving its users the best possible experience.
The tool works fast. You should be able to get back all your lost pictures in just a couple of minutes. If the tool is not scanning a bigger storage device, it will finish locating and recovering the photos within seconds.
FindMyPhoto features an intergrated deep scan. This makes it possible for you to recover the pictures you had deleted a long time ago.
Most Android data recovery tools will only recover lower quality photos. Unlike the other tools, FindMyPhoto locates and restores your pictures in their original quality.
FindMyPhoto Features
- It makes it both quick and easy to recover photos from Android without root.
- The deep scan feature makes it possible for you to recover the photos you lost a long time ago.
- The tool works with all Android devices, as long as they are running Android 4.1 and later.
- The tool restores your photos in their original quality.
- The tool is 100% free.
- You will not have to deal with advertisements when using FindMyPhoto.
- The tool does not feature any privacy risks.
- FindMyPhoto does not have any feature limitations.
- The tool helps you restore your lost photos irrespective of how you lost them. It has been used to restore photos lost via accidental deletion, water damage, physical damage, and even failed roots.
- To use FindMyPhoto, you won’t need to root your device.
How to Recover Photos from Android Without Rooting Using FindMyPhoto
Step 1: Download and install FindMyPhoto on your Android device.
Step 2: Launch the application and select Scan.
Step 3: After the scan, preview the located photos. Select photos you would like to recover.
Step 4: Click the recovery button and wait for a couple of seconds.
Why FindMyPhoto is Much Better Than Computer Programs
- To use the application, you won’t need a computer or even a USB cable.
- The tool is 100% free. At best computer programs will only have a free trial version.
- Unlike most computer programs, FindMyPhoto is capable of helping you recover the photos you had lost a long time ago.
- You will only need to follow 4 simple steps to complete the data recovery process.
Summary
Losing photos is not something that anyone would celebrate. Most people would want an easy way to get their pictures back. Data recovery tools which require you to root your device are very common. Considering the risks involved when rooting a device, most people prefer to recover photos from android without root.
While computer programs can help you recover photos from android without root, they are generally too expensive. If you would like to use a tool that does not require you to part with any of your money, you should consider using FindMyPhoto.
