Recover Deleted Files from Android Internal Storage with TestDisk in Termux

What you’ll accomplish

If you’ve accidentally deleted photos, documents, or messages from your phone’s internal storage, the data isn’t necessarily gone forever. Android’s file system keeps the raw data blocks until they are overwritten. By using the open‑source TestDisk suite inside the Termux terminal, you can scan those blocks and retrieve many of the lost files – all without rooting your device.

Before you start

• Charge your phone to at least 80 %. The process can take several minutes, and a power drop could interrupt the scan.
• Free at least 200 MB of internal storage. Recovered files need a destination folder that isn’t on the same partition you are scanning.
• Enable Developer Options & USB debugging. Settings > About phone > tap Build number seven times, then Settings > System > Developer options > toggle USB debugging on.
• Install Termux from F-Droid or the Google Play Store. The F-Droid version receives regular security updates.
• Back up anything you can’t afford to lose. While the method is read‑only, it’s good practice to keep a recent backup of important files.

Step 1 – Install and update Termux

After termux-setup-storage finishes, a new folder /storage/emulated/0 becomes accessible inside Termux as /sdcard.

Step 2 – Install TestDisk (and the companion PhotoRec)

PhotoRec, which ships with TestDisk, is specialized for recovering media files (photos, videos, audio). We’ll use it later for a quick media‑only recovery.

Step 3 – Identify the internal storage block device

Android presents internal storage as a set of block devices under /dev/block. The exact name varies by manufacturer and Android version, but most modern devices expose a single logical partition called userdata.

If you cannot see any block device, make sure the android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission is granted (Termux asks for it automatically after termux-setup-storage).

Step 4 – Run TestDisk in read‑only mode

All copied files now reside in /sdcard/Recovered, which you can view with any file manager.

Step 5 – Using PhotoRec for bulk media recovery

If you lost many photos, videos, or audio files, navigating the TestDisk file list can be tedious. PhotoRec scans the raw block device and extracts files based on signatures, ignoring the file system entirely.

Because PhotoRec does not rely on the file system, it can recover files even when the partition table is corrupted.

Step 6 – Verify recovered data

After copying, open a few files with the appropriate apps (Gallery for images, VLC for videos, etc.) to confirm they are intact. If a file fails to open, it may have been partially overwritten; you can try recovering it again with a different destination folder to avoid further overwriting.

Safety warnings and best practices

• Do not write to the same partition you are scanning. Even copying a single recovered file can overwrite other deleted data.
• Keep the device idle during the scan. Close background apps that might write to internal storage (e.g., messaging apps, camera).
• If you have a custom ROM that encrypts /data, TestDisk may not be able to read the raw blocks. In that case, you’ll need to decrypt the device first (which usually requires root).
• Never run TestDisk as su on a non‑rooted device – Termux cannot gain root, and forcing it can lead to unexpected crashes.

Troubleshooting common issues

TestDisk reports “Permission denied”

Even though Termux runs without root, it can read block devices that are world‑readable. Some manufacturers restrict this access. Workaround:

1. Connect the phone to a PC with adb installed.
2. Run adb shell and then su – if the device is rooted, you can copy the block device to a temporary file on /sdcard:

   dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p28 of=/sdcard/userdata.img bs=4M

3. Pull the image to the PC and run TestDisk on the computer. This is a fallback for devices that block direct access.

No files appear in red (deleted) after the scan

Possible reasons:

• The file system has already overwritten the blocks. Try PhotoRec, which can still find signatures.
• You scanned the wrong partition (e.g., cache instead of userdata). Double‑check the device path from Step 3.

PhotoRec stops with “Cannot allocate memory”

Termux limits RAM usage. Increase the virtual memory limit by editing ~/.termux/termux.properties and adding extra-keys = ... – but the simplest fix is to limit the scan to a specific directory type via the File Opt menu, or run PhotoRec on a smaller partition (e.g., only /sdcard if you have external storage).

After you’ve recovered your files

• Move the recovered files to a safe location (cloud backup, PC, or external SD card).
• Consider enabling Google Photos backup or another cloud sync service to avoid future loss.
• If you frequently delete files, enable a “recycle bin” app (e.g., Dumpster) that keeps a temporary copy for 30 days.

Summary

Using TestDisk and PhotoRec inside Termux gives you a powerful, no‑root method to scan the raw internal storage of an Android phone and pull out deleted files. By following the read‑only workflow, keeping the device idle, and copying recovered data to a separate partition, you minimize the risk of overwriting the very data you’re trying to rescue. While the method works best on unencrypted devices, it remains a valuable tool for many Android users who need a quick, offline recovery solution.