How can I recover photos and videos from an old Android phone?
Asked by
MellowCedar42
I found my old Alcatel A50 from 2019 and want to copy its photos and videos to my computer or new phone. The files appear in the phone's built-in gallery and in the Google Photos app connected to an old Gmail account, but they don't appear in Google Drive. I still have access to the account, but the phone won't back up or sync the files, and I'm having trouble sending them by email. Connecting the phone to my laptop produces no visible device, and the computer also can't read the phone's SD card. What's the safest way to get these important files off the phone?
Answers
Check Google Photos directly at photos.google.com while signed into the old account. Photos are stored there separately from Google Drive, so they may not appear in Drive. If the images are visible online, you can download them from the website without using the old phone.
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Since the computer can’t read the SD card, don’t format it or accept any repair prompt yet—that could make recovery harder. Try a different card reader or computer first. If the phone can still open the files, copy them from the card to the phone’s internal storage and then transfer them over USB. If the card is damaged, make a backup image or use a reputable data-recovery service before experimenting.
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When you connect the phone by USB, unlock it and swipe down to open the notifications. Tap the USB notification and change it from “Charging” to “File transfer” or “MTP.” Then look under This PC on the computer and open the phone’s DCIM, Pictures, and Movies folders. If nothing appears, try another data-capable USB cable, a different USB port, and restarting both devices.
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