Galaxy S25 Factory Reset - Missing Photos from 2025–2026 After Backup

Willie W 0 Reputation points
2026-06-03T01:56:10.6666667+00:00

Hello,

I am looking for advice regarding a large number of missing photos after performing a factory reset on my Samsung Galaxy S25.

A few days ago, I started experiencing occasional pop-up advertisements that would appear across different apps on my phone. This began shortly after a system update. I was not aware of installing any suspicious apps or clicking any malicious links, but after trying multiple troubleshooting steps, I decided to perform a factory reset as a last resort.

Before resetting the phone, I made sure my device was backed up and synced. I specifically remember seeing that my data had been backed up and synced successfully.

After restoring my phone, I recently opened the Gallery app and discovered that all of my photos from approximately January 2025 through June 1, 2026, are missing.

After investigating further, I found the following:

  • My OneDrive account was over its storage limit.

Google Photos was not backing up my photos because my Google storage was also full.

The newest photo currently available in OneDrive is from November 2024.

When I checked my Samsung Account backup categories, Gallery/Photos was not listed as part of the backup.

Based on this information, it appears that photo syncing may have stopped around November 2024 without me realizing it, while newer photos continued to exist only on the phone itself until the factory reset.

My questions are:

  1. Is there any Samsung-side recovery option, temporary backup, or archived data that may still exist for photos that were on the device before the reset?
  2. Is there any way to verify whether those photos were ever uploaded or partially uploaded to OneDrive?
  3. Has anyone experienced a similar situation and successfully recovered photos after a factory reset on a Galaxy S25?
Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | Other | Android
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  1. AI answer

    2026-06-03T01:56:33.33+00:00
    1. Samsung-side recovery options

    From the provided information, there is no Samsung-side recovery path described for photos that existed only on the device and were never synced or included in a backup before a factory reset. The context only covers:

    • Bi‑directional sync between Samsung Gallery and OneDrive (if enabled), where deletions/changes in one are reflected in the other.
    • How to disconnect Samsung Gallery from OneDrive.
    • How to choose which Samsung Gallery albums sync to OneDrive.

    It does not describe any hidden, temporary, or archival Samsung backup that can be restored after a factory reset if Gallery/Photos was not part of the backup and the photos were not synced to OneDrive.

    Given that:

    • Samsung Gallery is bi‑directional with OneDrive when connected, and
    • Files that sync are moved to the OneDrive Recycle Bin if deleted,

    any recovery described in the context would have to come from OneDrive (main storage or Recycle Bin), not from a separate Samsung-only archive.

    1. Verifying whether photos ever uploaded or partially uploaded to OneDrive

    The context provides only these supported checks:

    • Check normal OneDrive storage and camera roll:
      • Open the OneDrive mobile app → go to Files and browse to the expected folders (for example, Pictures or Camera Roll) to see what is present.
      • If some photos are missing but others are present, manually upload any remaining local photos (if still available) by going to Files and using the add/upload option, or by sharing from Gallery to OneDrive. This is only possible if the photos still exist on a device.
    • Check for upload/backup configuration issues that might explain the gap:
      • In OneDrive for Android: tap profile image → Settings → Camera upload and verify:
        • Camera upload is turned on.
        • The Camera upload account is correct.
        • Upload using includes mobile network if Wi‑Fi was not always available.
        • Upload only when charging is not blocking uploads.
        • Include videos is on if videos are missing.
      • If Samsung Gallery upload was used instead of OneDrive’s own camera upload, see the Samsung Gallery + OneDrive guidance: Samsung Gallery and OneDrive.
    • Check Samsung Gallery → OneDrive sync settings (if Gallery sync was used):
      • On the device: Settings > Accounts and backup > Samsung Cloud > Gallery > Albums to sync and confirm whether All albums or specific albums were selected. Only selected albums would have been synced to OneDrive.
    • Check OneDrive Recycle Bin (for deleted synced items):
      • The context notes that files removed from OneDrive are held in the OneDrive Recycle Bin for up to 30 days and can be restored. If the missing photos had ever synced and were then deleted within that window, they might appear there.

    The context does not describe any way to see “partial uploads” beyond what is visible in normal folders and the Recycle Bin, so verification is limited to:

    • What is present in OneDrive folders.
    • What is present in the OneDrive Recycle Bin (within the retention period).
    1. Similar situations and successful recovery after factory reset

    The provided material does not contain an example of a Galaxy S25 factory‑reset photo loss case where photos that only existed on the device (and were not backed up or synced) were later recovered.

    It does include:

    • A reminder that “Files moved out from OneDrive are not backed up or protected” and that files removed from OneDrive are only recoverable from the OneDrive Recycle Bin for up to 30 days.
    • Guidance for finding lost or missing files in OneDrive, including that if files are not in search or the Recycle Bin, they usually cannot be retrieved.

    Applied to this scenario, the supported recovery paths are limited to:

    • Restoring from OneDrive if the photos were actually uploaded (main folders or Recycle Bin within 30 days).
    • Restoring from any other backup solution that had Gallery/Photos included (not described in the context).

    If the photos from January 2025–June 2026 never reached OneDrive (because storage was full or sync was off) and were not part of any Samsung backup category, the context does not provide a method to recover them after a factory reset.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Kai-H 26,135 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-06-03T07:11:48.4266667+00:00

    Hi, Willie W

    From what you described, the missing photos were probably stored only on the phone after cloud uploads stopped, especially since both OneDrive and Google storage were full. A factory reset normally erases local photos/videos from the device, and factory data reset permanently erases photos, videos, music, and other files from the phone.

    Besides the solutions provided by the Q&A Assist, here are some suggestions you can try:

    First, check whether there was ever a Smart Switch backup on a PC, Mac, USB drive, or external storage. Smart Switch/external storage transfer can be used to back up and restore data, so this is worth checking even if Samsung Cloud did not list Gallery.

    Also sign in to Google Photos on the web with every Google account you may have used, not only the phone app. Check Library, Archive, and Trash. Google Photos Help notes that backed-up items may still be available after reset, while non-backed-up local photos are generally not recoverable.

    For OneDrive, check the web version, not just the app. Search by month/year and common camera names like 202501, IMG_2025, 2026, DCIM, and Samsung Gallery. Samsung’s OneDrive integration stores synced Gallery items in a “Samsung Gallery” folder, so that folder is worth checking directly.

    I would be careful with “Android recovery” apps claiming they can recover everything after a factory reset. It is recommended that you avoid installing new apps on the phone, as new data can reduce any remaining chance of recovery, and peer Samsung Community replies also indicate recovery after reset is very unlikely without a backup.

    Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

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