RecoverHelper
recoverhelper.com
What it is
RecoverHelper restores deleted photos, videos and other files from computer drives and removable storage. It offers Quick Scan, Deep Scan and Carving Only modes, and lists support for more than 30 formats across photos, camera RAW, video, audio, documents and archives. Supported sources include internal and external disks, SD and microSD cards, USB drives and digital cameras. On NTFS, it rebuilds original filenames and folders; on APFS, HFS+ and raw volumes, recovery is by signature without original names. The desktop app opens the source drive read-only and requires recovered files to be saved to another drive. Each scan produces a SHA-256 manifest, an HTML report with per-format statistics and a live hex visualizer. The maker says scan results, file contents, filenames and metadata are not sent to its servers; pairing sends a token and hashed machine ID. The software is free, with no paid tiers, subscriptions or license fees. JPG and PNG recover immediately; pairing the free mobile app unlocks other formats.
Spec sheet
- What it does
- Recovers deleted photos, videos and other files from drives, SD cards and USB devices.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Platforms
- The download page lists Windows 10/11 and macOS 64-bit desktop versions, plus an Android app for Android 8.0 or newer.Read 7 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Free plan
- YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Privacy
- The maker says the desktop app sends no scan results, file contents, filenames, or metadata to its servers; pairing sends a token and hashed machine ID.Read 7 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Support
- Support is provided by email and the site publishes numerous step-by-step recovery guides.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Headquarters
- Seoul, Republic of KoreaRead 23 Sep 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Maker
- RecoverHelper says it is operated by TanzSoft Co., Ltd., with a business address in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.Read 7 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Android recovery
- The Android app offers Quick and Deep scans of trash, hidden folders, caches and storage by file signature.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Android recovery limit
- Without root, the Android app can recover files still present in trash, hidden, or cache locations, but cannot read wiped storage sectors.Read 7 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- API and SDK
- The reviewed official pages describe desktop and mobile applications but publish no public API or SDK.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Apple compatibility
- The iPhone listing requires iOS 16 or later; its Mac compatibility requires macOS 13 and an Apple M1-or-later chip.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
- Apple privacy disclosure
- Apple's listing says the developer indicates that no data is collected by the app.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
- Bad-sector handling
- Failed sector reads are skipped so scanning can continue on failing drives.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Drive support
- It scans internal and external disks, SD and microSD cards, USB drives, and digital cameras.Read 7 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- File system limits
- Original filenames and folders are rebuilt on NTFS; APFS, HFS+, and raw volumes are recovered by signature without original names.Read 7 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- File systems
- The site lists NTFS, FAT32, FAT16, exFAT, APFS and HFS+ support, with MBR and GPT partition tables.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- File-format coverage
- The product advertises more than 30 formats spanning photos, camera RAW, video, audio, documents and archives.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Forensic reports
- Each scan produces a SHA-256 manifest, an HTML per-format report and a live hex view.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Google Play update
- Google Play lists the Android app as updated on October 8, 2026.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Installation warning
- The downloadable Windows build is not yet code-signing certified, so SmartScreen may warn on first launch.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- iPhone companion
- The iPhone app finds duplicate and similar photos, large media and screenshots, and serves as a desktop-recovery companion.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
- Languages
- The desktop product advertises a 16-language interface.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Liability limit
- The terms cap total liability at USD 50 where legally permitted.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Licence
- Terms grant a non-exclusive, non-transferable personal-computer licence and prohibit resale, redistribution, reverse engineering, decompilation and modification.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Limit: administrator rights
- Raw-disk or memory-card scans may require administrator privileges.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Limit: advertising
- The website and mobile app use third-party advertising to fund the free product.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Limit: Mac filenames
- On APFS or HFS+ disks, recovery is signature-based and restores contents without original filenames.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Limit: overwritten data
- On non-rooted Android devices, fully overwritten storage sectors cannot be read or recovered.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Limit: recovery certainty
- The terms provide the software as-is and disclaim any guarantee that a particular file will be recovered.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- LinkedIn company profile
- A LinkedIn profile named Tantsoft describes a Dhaka software-development agency founded in 2018 with 51–200 employees; the profile does not identify itself as the Seoul TanzSoft operator.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
- Maker legal identity
- The product site identifies TanzSoft Co., Ltd. as operator and gives Seoul, South Korea as its address, with business number 739-88-03141.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Mobile pairing
- Pairing the free Android or iPhone app with the desktop app unlocks recovery of formats beyond JPG and PNG.Read 7 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- NTFS recovery
- NTFS Master File Table scanning can restore original filenames, folder paths and timestamps.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Offline period
- After pairing, the desktop unlock remains cached for 30 days of offline use.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Pairing unlock
- Scanning a desktop QR code with the mobile app unlocks video, RAW, audio, document, archive and partial-recovery formats at no charge.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Partial recovery
- The software can salvage readable bytes from damaged or fragmented files.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Preview
- Thumbnail previews let users select individual files before recovery.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Privacy design
- The desktop application claims no telemetry, cloud uploads or ads; its pairing request sends only a token and hashed machine ID.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Rating on Apple App Store
- Apple says the app has not received enough ratings or reviews to display an overview.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
- Rating on Google Play
- The listing shows 100+ downloads but no star rating or review count.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Read-only operation
- The source drive is opened read-only and the application says it cannot write to it.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Recovery methods
- It offers Quick Scan, Deep Scan, and Carving Only modes for different recovery scenarios.Read 7 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Reports
- Each scan produces a SHA-256 manifest, an HTML report with per-format statistics, and a live hex visualizer.Read 7 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Safety
- The source drive is opened read-only, and the app requires recovered files to be saved to a different drive.Read 7 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Scan modes
- Quick Scan uses NTFS MFT data, Deep Scan combines MFT scanning with signature carving, and Carving Only scans without a file system.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Self-hosting
- The reviewed official pages describe installed desktop and mobile software and do not offer a self-hosted server edition.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Supported formats
- The site lists support for more than 30 formats, including photos, camera RAW, video, audio, documents, and archives.Read 7 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- Supported media
- It scans internal and external HDDs and SSDs, SD and microSD cards, USB drives and digital cameras.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
- System requirements
- Desktop builds require 64-bit Windows 10/11 or macOS; the Android listing requires Android 8.0 or newer.Read 15 Oct 2026 · recoverhelper.com
Plans and prices
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Three scan modes cover different recovery scenarios.
- More than 30 file formats are listed.
- Source drives are opened read-only.
- Scans produce a manifest and HTML report.
Limits
- Formats beyond JPG and PNG require mobile-app pairing.
- Non-NTFS recovery does not restore original names.
- Recovered files must be saved to a different drive.
- Android without root cannot read wiped storage sectors.
Who it suits
It suits people trying to recover files from computer disks, memory cards, USB drives or cameras. Those needing formats beyond JPG and PNG must pair the desktop app with its free mobile app.
Verdict
RecoverHelper offers broad source-device and file-format coverage at no subscription or license cost. Note the pairing requirement for non-JPG and PNG formats and the limits on original filenames outside NTFS.
Where Specifiction places it
- Photo recovery software#4 of 468.9
- Data recovery software#18 of 1288.5
- Photo Recovery Software#10 of 448.4