How do I find old photos?

In the digital age, many of us have thousands of photos stored across various devices and platforms. While this makes capturing and sharing photos easier than ever, it can also make locating specific old photos a challenge. Luckily, with some effort and searches across the main places your photos could be stored, you’re likely to turn up those nostalgic blasts from the past you’re looking for.

Check your computer and backup drives

Your computer is an obvious place to start when trying to locate old digital photos. Look in the default photo storage locations for your operating system – for Windows PCs, this is likely your Pictures folder. Mac users can look in Photos or iPhoto. Use your computer’s search function to search for keywords, dates, names, or any other terms associated with the photos you’re seeking.

Don’t forget to check any external hard drives, USB sticks, CDs/DVDs, or other backup locations you may have used to store photos from your computer. Photos that have been deleted from your main devices may still be hiding out on these types of storage media.

What to do if you upgraded your computer

If you’ve upgraded to a new computer since the old photos were originally taken and have transferred some files over, search the Pictures folder on the new machine. If you used migration software or services when upgrading, photos may have been carried over.

However, if you have not transferred the files from the old computer, you will need access to it to search for the photos there. If the old computer no longer turns on, you can remove the hard drive and connect it to another machine with a SATA/IDE adaptor cable to access the contents.

Check cloud and online storage

Many of us now rely on cloud storage services to back up photos from smartphones and other devices. Go through any cloud storage you use, like iCloud, Google Photos, Dropbox, etc., to look for the images you want to find. Use the search features in these programs to quickly find relevant photos by keywords, date ranges, album names, and more.

Here are some tips for finding old photos in major cloud services:

Google Photos

• Use the search bar to search for people, places, dates, albums, etc.
• Filter your Photos library by date ranges.
• Look in the Archive folder for photos not in main library.
• Check your account trash folder – deleted photos sit here for 60 days.

iCloud Photos

• Use the Search tab in Photos app to search text, locations, albums, etc.
• Filter photos in For You by year or decade ranges.
• Browse Recently Deleted folder for photos removed in last 30 days.

Facebook

• Use the search bar to search for names, events, dates, locations, etc.
• Filter your photos by date posted.
• Check the Archive folder in your profile for hidden old posts.

Also check other social media accounts like Instagram, Twitter, Flickr, etc. for any old photos you may have shared there.

Check your mobile devices

Our phones and tablets hold countless photos, so they can be a treasure trove for finding blasts from the past. Here are some tips for locating older images on your mobile devices:

• Browse your Camera Roll or Photos app gallery view – this often has an easy timeline layout.
• Search using the device Photos app search function.
• Check in any cloud photo services synced to your device, like iCloud or Google Photos.
• Look in any folders, galleries or albums you created to organize photos.
• Don’t forget to check your messaging apps for images sent in conversations.

If you’ve updated to a new phone since the photos were taken, you may need to restore the images from a backup of the old phone – either on your computer or in the cloud. Contact your mobile provider for help restoring device backups as needed.

What to do if you deleted photos on your phone

If you recently deleted photos on your phone, they may still be able to be recovered using data recovery software designed for mobile devices, like Fonelab, EaseUS MobiSaver, DiskDigger and iMyFone D-Back. These can scan your phone’s storage and pull up a list of recently deleted photos that can potentially be retrieved.

Check photo printing services

Many classic prints from your old cameras may have been digitized through photo scanning services offered at most drugstores and grocery stores. Check your past photo printing order history with services like Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and others. Any digital photo files made during the scanning process may have been saved to your customer account or emailed to the address linked to your account.

Also check any photo books, calendars or prints you had made from digital photo services like Shutterfly, Snapfish, Flickr, Photobucket, etc. Some may allow you to download the original digital files used to create those mementos.

Search social media

We often use social media to post fond blasts-from-the-past, so do a deep scroll through your accounts to uncover forgotten photo gems. Facebook and Instagram in particular have become digital photo albums of sorts for many people.

On these platforms, search by year, month or your best guess of when the photo was taken. Dive into your posts around major events or holidays, when you were most likely to post old nostalgic images.

Check any tagged photos of yourself from friends, family and others – some of your most embarrassing old images may live on in their profiles!

How to find photos you’re tagged in on Facebook

1. Click on your profile picture, then “View Profile”
2. In left column, click “Photos of You”
3. This shows all photos you’re tagged in. Filter timeline by date.

How to find old photos on Instagram

• Tap profile icon, then “Photos of You”
• View photos you’re tagged in
• Tap filters icon at top to filter by year or timeframe
• Try searching names and hashtags in the search bar

Check with friends and family

Connect with friends and family who may have been alongside you in old photos and ask them to look for images on their own devices and profiles. Crowdsource the search by reaching out to groups relevant to the photo context, like old classmates, team members, relatives, etc.

Let them know key details like approximate timeframe, location, names of people, and any other identifiers that can aid their search. Set up a shared album or folder to easily collect any old gems they uncover.

How to share photos on iCloud

1. Open Photos app and select images to share
2. Tap the share icon (box with up arrow)
3. Scroll down and choose iCloud Shared Album
4. Enter name for shared album and add people
5. Click Create. Recipients can now view and add photos.

How to share photos on Google Photos

1. Open Google Photos app and select images to share
2. Click the share icon (three dots connected)
3. Tap “Create shared album”
4. Title album, add people and set sharing options
5. Click “Share” and recipients can view and add to album

Check your photo storage books, boxes and albums

Don’t overlook good old physical photo storage! Dig into any boxes, albums, scrapbooks, slides, negatives or other formats stashed around your home. If you have a lot of printed photos, organize them into categories or date ranges to simplify finding a specific photo.

Once you uncover them, you can use a photo scanner or smartphone app to create digital copies of favorites to access more easily in the future.

How to digitize prints with a smartphone

1. Download a photo scanning app like Google Photoscan, PhotoScan by Google Photos, or Scannable.
2. Place photo on flat surface and open app.
3. Follow on-screen prompts to capture pic – avoid glare.
4. Edit or crop if needed.
5. Save digital image to device or cloud.

Enlist a photo recovery pro

If your searches and DIY recovery tactics still don’t yield the old memories you’re after, consider enlisting professional photo recovery services. Experts have specialized tools and techniques to salvage images from damaged devices and storage media.

For example, labs can often recover photos from corrupted memory cards, phones dropped in water, or hard drives that no longer boot. Costs range depending on service and complexity, but can retrieve irreplaceable images.

Top photo recovery services

Company	Services	Starting Cost
KrollOntrack	Hard drive & mobile recovery	$300+
Ezeta	Mobile, SD card, USB recovery	$49
Fields	All storage devices & media	$70

Prevent photo loss going forward

The best defense against losing precious photos in the future is implementing solid backup practices going forward:

• Back up mobile photos to a computer or cloud service regularly.
• Use cloud syncing across devices like iCloud or Google Photos.
• Store photos redundantly in at least 2 or 3 locations.
• Save original uncompressed images in addition to JPEGs.
• Archive original media used like memory cards or negatives

Taking the time to actively preserve your digital and print photos today will make reminiscing so much easier tomorrow! What memories will you rediscover?

Conclusion

Recovering beloved old photos that seem lost takes some work, but is well worth the reminiscing reward. Be thorough and persistent in your search across the various physical and digital places photos accumulates these days. Tap your family and friends to aid the hunt. With some dedicated sleuthing and a bit of luck, you can resurrect your most precious photographic blasts from the past.