how to restore deleted files in android?

Switch it off immediately.
Bring it to a specialized service and leave a pile of cash there.

Nevertheless: Keep your expectations low, because such a thing is usually not possible.

are you rooted? -> shutdown immediately, boot to twrp, dump whole eMMC/UFS

no root? -> try diskdigger app. free version only recovers photos. heres a crack from 4pda https://files.catbox.moe/l2gfmu.apk (from 4pda to/forum/dl/post/34080205/DiskDigger+Pro_v1.0-pro-2025-10-05%28163%29.apk , needs login so i downloaded for you)

I don't think you can since it's an encrypted file system, deletions are more permanent.

As others have said, always duplicate data elsewhere.

My phone continuously syncs important data to my computer at home using Syncthing-Fork (on Android), SyncTrayzor (Windows) and Syncthing (Linux).

My photos show up at home in seconds, regardless of where I am, so long as I have a connection.

My data at home has it's own backup process, so my phone data is included in that.

I know this is not helpful to your immediate issues, but here are a few suggestion to prevent it from happening again

• Don't store important data in any default folder. Make your own folders, name them something so you know its yours and not a system folder. I like to start my folder names with "AA", so they show up first in the list.

• • I'm honestly surprised SD maid cleared out the backups folder. I'm speculating here, but I think that backup folder is intended for apps to leave their backup files. All of your data, which isn't associated with an app, got flagged as "leftovers" from a deleted app.

• Backup off device. If SD maid didn't delete everything, a drop in a pool could have. The general rule is to have 3 copys. 2 in your possession (phone, computer, home server, USB stick, etc) and 1 off site somewhere (cloud, at friend's house, etc).

• • The easiest way is to use a cloud provider like drive. Download the sync app to at least 2 devices and enable "keep offline" for the folders. However that is not necessarily the most secure. I like synching to sync all my folder to a computer. It has conflict protection, so if I happen change a file on different devices, it won't save them over each other. The final method that requires the least setup, but the most discipline is a USB drive to copy your data periodically.

• For the data you described, it sounds like you would benefit from storing it all in password manager like KeepassXC. It encrypts all of that, and makes cloud storage a safer option.

Good luck with recovery.

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