Can deleted photos on an SD card be recovered?

Usually. Deleting a photo, or a quick format in the camera, only clears the card's index. The photo itself stays until new photos are written over it, which is why you should stop using the card.

Will they be the same quality?

Yes. Recovered files are the original files from the card, at full resolution. RAW files stay RAW. Nothing is re-compressed.

My computer says the card needs formatting. Should I?

No. Click Ignore on a Mac, or Cancel on Windows. The card's file system is damaged but the photos underneath usually are not, and AMWT Desktop can find them without it.

Is it safe to scan the card?

Yes. It only reads the card and never writes to it, and recovered photos are saved to your computer, never back to the card. macOS asks for your password, and Windows asks you to click Yes, so it can read the card directly.

Does it upload my photos?

No. Everything happens on your computer. It only goes online to take a payment, collect your receipt, check for updates, and, if you choose to sign in, for your account. Your files and their names stay on your computer.

How long does a scan take?

The quick scan takes seconds. The deep scan reads the whole card, so it depends on the card's size and your reader: roughly 12 minutes for a 64 GB card in a USB 3 reader. Photos appear while it runs, so you don't have to wait for the end.

Recover deleted and formatted photos from SD cards and USB drives.

Plug the card into your Mac or PC and AMWT Desktop searches it for deleted photos, videos and other files. It only reads the card, and you see each file it finds before you recover anything.

Download for Mac Download for Windows See how it works

Read-only · FAT16, FAT32 and exFAT · macOS 13 or later · Windows 10 and 11 (early access)

Just lost them? Stop using the card until you have scanned it. New photos can overwrite the ones you want back.

AMWT Desktop showing 2,306 photos and videos found on a camera card, with a full-size preview of a recovered photo.

Scanning and recovery happen on your computer. We never see your photos or their names.

How it works

How a recovery goes

1
Choose the card
Plug it into your Mac or PC and pick it from the list.
2
Scan and preview
Files appear while the scan runs. Open any photo full size.
3
Recover to your computer
Pick the files you want. They go to a folder on your computer, never back to the card.

How it works in detail

What it finds

Files it can recover

PhotosJPEG, HEIC, PNG, TIFF, WebP, PSD
Camera RAWCR3, CR2, NEF, ARW, RAF, ORF, DNG
VideoMP4, MOV, AVCHD, MKV, AVI
AudioMP3, AAC, WAV, AIFF, FLAC
DocumentsPDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Pages
ArchivesZIP, 7-Zip, CAB
Cards and drivesSD, microSD, CF, CFexpress, USB
Names and foldersKept after a delete on FAT32 and exFAT

Check your card or camera

A green coastal hillside under a grey sky, an example of a photo recovered at full resolution. — IMG_4416.CR3Canon RAW6000 × 400028.1 MBIntact

Restore with quality

Recovered photos keep their full quality

What you get back is the original file from the card. The app doesn't resize, convert or re-compress anything.

Your card and your files

How the app treats your card

Read-onlyThe app opens the card read-only. Nothing is written to it.
On your computerScanning, previews and recovery all run on your Mac or PC.
Previews firstYou see each file and whether it opens before you recover anything.

Screenshots

Click any screen to see it full size. Sample photos shown for illustration.

Mac and Windows

On Mac and Windows, in light or dark mode

AMWT Desktop on Windows, showing recovered photos. — On Windows 10 and 11

AMWT Desktop in dark mode, showing recovered photos. — In dark mode

Questions

Can deleted photos on an SD card be recovered?: Usually. Deleting a photo, or a quick format in the camera, only clears the card's index. The photo itself stays until new photos are written over it, which is why you should stop using the card.
Will they be the same quality?: Yes. Recovered files are the original files from the card, at full resolution. RAW files stay RAW. Nothing is re-compressed.
My computer says the card needs formatting. Should I?: No. Click Ignore on a Mac, or Cancel on Windows. The card's file system is damaged but the photos underneath usually are not, and AMWT Desktop can find them without it.
Is it safe to scan the card?: Yes. It only reads the card and never writes to it, and recovered photos are saved to your computer, never back to the card. macOS asks for your password, and Windows asks you to click Yes, so it can read the card directly.
Does it upload my photos?: No. Everything happens on your computer. It only goes online to take a payment, collect your receipt, check for updates, and, if you choose to sign in, for your account. Your files and their names stay on your computer.
How long does a scan take?: The quick scan takes seconds. The deep scan reads the whole card, so it depends on the card's size and your reader: roughly 12 minutes for a 64 GB card in a USB 3 reader. Photos appear while it runs, so you don't have to wait for the end.

All questions

Download AMWT Desktop

See everything it finds before you decide. macOS 13 or later on Apple silicon and Intel; Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit (early access).

Download for Mac Download for Windows