How do I recover audio files on my Samsung?

It’s common for Samsung device users to accidentally lose or delete audio files stored on their phones. According to a 2012 Pew Research study, around 33% of smartphone owners have experienced losing data due to theft or accidental deletion. Thankfully, there are various ways to attempt to recover lost audio files on Samsung devices.

Audio files may have gone missing for a number of reasons – perhaps they were accidentally deleted, the phone was reset, there was a software glitch, or files were lost when switching to a new device. Whatever the cause, the good news is that with the right tools and techniques, it is often possible to restore deleted audio files on Samsung phones and tablets.

This guide will explore step-by-step methods to help recover missing audio files on Samsung devices. We’ll look at techniques like manual searches, file recovery apps, restoring from backup, connecting to a computer, and even performing a factory reset. With persistence and by following these tips, you have a good chance of getting back lost audio files.

Determine How the Files Were Lost

The first step in recovering lost audio files on your Samsung device is to determine how and when the files disappeared. This can help narrow down the potential solutions.

Ask yourself some questions to jog your memory on what might have caused the audio files to go missing:

Did you recently delete any audio files by accident?

Did you perform a factory reset or update your device’s software recently?
Have you connected your device to a computer to transfer files lately?
Did you insert or remove an external SD card from your device?

Checking your recent activity history and device settings can also provide clues. Review any software updates, backups, or syncs that occurred right before you noticed the missing audio files. Also inspect any external SD cards you use with your Samsung to see if they were damaged or reformatted, wiping the audio files (StellarInfo).

Pinpointing when and how your audio files disappeared will help you determine the most effective way to attempt recovery.

Try a Manual Search

One of the easiest ways to try recovering lost audio files on your Samsung device is to manually browse through your phone’s storage and SD card. Open the My Files app and navigate to locations where audio files may have been saved, like the Music folder, Voice Memos folder, Downloads folder, etc. You can tap the 3-dot menu in the upper right corner of these folders and sort files by date modified, which may help surface recently deleted files.

Be sure to thoroughly look through all main folders as well as nested subfolders for any audio formats like MP3, M4A, WAV, etc. Sometimes files can get saved to unexpected locations. If you have an SD card inserted, carefully browse through that external storage as well.

Manually searching through your device storage and SD card takes more time but does not require any extra apps or tools. Just patiently look through all folders and subfolders sorted by date modified to uncover any recently deleted audio files. However, permanently deleted files cannot be recovered with this basic manual method.

Use a File Recovery App

There are several audio file recovery apps available for Android that can scan your device’s storage and find deleted audio files. Top recommended apps include:

Deleted Audio Recovery – This app allows you to search for and restore deleted audio files like MP3s, MP4s, WAVs, and more. It scans your internal and external storage to find lost audio.

Audio Recovery – Another recovery app that locates deleted audio files like music, ringtones, voicemails, and other audio. It can restore audio from internal memory as well as SD cards.

These apps work by scanning the raw data on your device’s storage, looking for file signatures that match common audio file formats. Even if you can’t see the audio files anymore, the data still exists until it gets overwritten.

Some apps offer free scanning and previews, but require an in-app purchase to recover files. Others are completely free but have limited capabilities. Paid versions (~$5-10) offer better scanning and higher recovery rates for audio files.

The advantage of using a specialized audio recovery app is it focuses solely on finding audio formats. This makes it more effective than scanning your entire device with a general file recovery app.

Attempt to Restore from Backup

If you had your audio files backed up either to the cloud or an external drive, you may be able to restore them from the backup. Here are some options to try:

Restore from Google Drive or Samsung Cloud

Open the Google Drive or Samsung Cloud app on your device and check if the audio files show up there. If you see them, you can download them back onto your device to recover them.

For Google Drive, tap on the 3 line menu > Backups to view files from your phone’s backup. For Samsung Cloud, go to the Recents or Gallery tab to look for your audio files.

Restore from computer backup

If you backed up your device to your computer through Samsung Smart Switch or Android File Transfer, connect your phone to the computer again. Then browse to the phone’s backup folder (usually under Username > AppData > Local > Samsung > SmartSwitch on Windows) to retrieve the audio files.

Copying them back onto your device from the backup folder will restore them.

Just be sure to look in folder locations related to the dates when the audio files were originally on your device.

Try Connecting to a Computer

One option to try recovering deleted audio files is to connect your Samsung device to a computer via a USB cable. Once connected, you can open the phone’s storage folders and manually search for audio files. Any files still existing on the phone should be visible when browsing the phone’s storage from the computer.

To preserve any recovered audio files, consider transferring them from the phone to your computer for safekeeping. You may be able to recover deleted files this way that are no longer visible or accessible directly on the phone.

There are also data recovery programs for computers that may help retrieve deleted files from a connected Android device. Software like Tenorshare UltData for Android can scan a phone’s storage and recover deleted media files.

Connecting the phone to a computer gives you another route to access the phone’s file system and search for deleted audio files. If the files can be found, you can transfer them off the phone to preserve them.

Reset App Data/Cache

Resetting the app data and cache for audio apps on your Samsung device may reveal audio files that seemed to have disappeared. When you clear the data and cache, it essentially wipes the app back to its original out-of-the-box state. This clears any files that may have gotten corrupted or hidden within the app.

To reset the data and cache for an audio app like Samsung Music:

Go to Settings > Apps.

Select the audio app.
Tap Storage.
Select Clear Cache and Clear Data.

This will wipe the cached and stored data for the app. Re-open the audio app and check if your missing files have reappeared. However, keep in mind that resetting app data will not recover files you have manually deleted from your device’s storage. For that, you will need a more advanced data recovery method.

Factory Reset Device

As a last resort, you can try performing a factory reset on your Samsung device to erase all data and settings and restore it to its original state. However, be warned that a factory reset will delete all data, apps, and account information stored on the device.

Before resetting, be sure to back up any critical data, files, or settings you want to keep, including contacts, photos, app data, etc. Automatically backed up content like photos or contacts synced to the cloud may be able to be restored after the reset, but locally stored app data will be erased.

To factory reset your Samsung device:

Open the Settings app
Tap General Management > Reset > Factory Data Reset

Tap Reset and follow the prompts to confirm

After the reset completes, you can try checking if any audio files were restored. However, there is no guarantee a factory reset will recover deleted audio files. The reset simply restores the original firmware and software.

Contact Samsung Support

If you have tried all the troubleshooting steps and still can’t recover your lost audio files, contacting Samsung support directly may be your last option for help. Samsung has customer service agents available by phone, online chat, and email who may be able to offer additional troubleshooting tips or solutions.

To contact Samsung support:
– Call 1-800-SAMSUNG (1-800-726-7864) – available 24/7

– Start a live chat on Samsung’s support website
– Email Samsung customer care at mailto:[email protected]

When reaching out to Samsung support, have the following information ready:
– Your device model number
– Details on how and when you lost the audio files

– Steps you’ve already tried to recover the files

Keep in mind that Samsung may not be able to directly recover deleted or lost audio files. However, their technical support can provide troubleshooting tips and help determine if your device requires service or repair.

Prevent Future Audio File Loss

There are several steps you can take to avoid losing audio files again in the future:

Back up your audio files regularly to a computer or cloud storage. This will ensure you have a separate copy if files go missing from your device. See this Samsung support article for backup options.

Avoid rooting or jailbreaking your Android device, as this can make the OS unstable and prone to errors that may cause file loss. According to this Reddit discussion, rooted devices are more susceptible to data loss.

Install a trusted antivirus app to guard against malware that could corrupt or delete files. Android’s developer site recommends taking precautions against malware.

Rename important audio files so they are easily identifiable and avoid accidental deletion. Use descriptive names like “BirthdaySong.mp3” rather than generic names.

Organize your audio files into well-named folders like “Music” or “Voicemails” for easier access and organization. Keeping files organized can prevent accidental deletion.

By regularly backing up your audio files, avoiding device rooting, installing antivirus software, renaming files, and organizing into folders, you can take key steps to avoid losing your audio files again.