Lab.Fone for Android
 
...

Why Can't I See My Pictures in My Gallery? Fix It and Recover Pictures

...

Photos hold a special place in our lives, helping us relive cherished memories and stay connected with loved ones far and wide. They offer a personal window to our most treasured moments, making it all the more frustrating when they suddenly disappear from your Gallery app.

If you've ever found yourself asking, Why can't I see my pictures in my Gallery? You're not alone. Many Android users face this issue. In this guide, we'll explore some common reasons why your pictures might not be showing up and walk you through the steps to fix the issue, so you can get your photos back in no time.

why can't i see my pictures in my gallery

 

Part 1: Why Can't I See My Pictures in My Gallery?

If you're unable to see your photos in the Gallery app, there could be a variety of reasons behind the issue. Here are the most common culprits:

Cache Buildup: Over time, your device accumulates cached data, which can take up valuable space and cause issues like missing pictures.

.nomedia Files: Sometimes, photos end up in folders marked with a ".nomedia" file, causing the system to ignore them entirely.

Malware or Bugs: Issues such as malware attacks, failed updates, or even bugs can prevent photos from showing up in the Gallery.

Accidental Deletion: It's possible that your photos were accidentally deleted without you realizing it.

Part 2: How to Fix Android Gallery Not Showing Pictures

Now that you know the possible cause of the gallery not showing pictures, it's time we take you through the solutions to fix the problem. Let's now get started.

Tip 1. Check to See If You Did Not Close the Camera after You've Taken Your Photos

If you have a habit of closing your Gallery app after taking a picture, you might be shocked if you try to open it again and find no images available. Sometimes, the camera freezes while snapping pictures, and closing it immediately can lead to an "images missing" issue. So, ensure you keep the camera active while snapping your photos.

Tip 2. Enable the Show Hidden System Files Option

Sometimes, your Android device hides the files that are not supposed to be seen. The hidden files are just a part of the system, and they do not seem to have an issue when they exist alone.

You must enable the Show Hidden Files option if you want to see your image files in the Gallery. Here is how you can do that:

Step 1: Head to File Manager on your Android phone.

Step 2: Tap on the More options.

Step 3: Navigate to Settings, then look for the Show hidden files option and toggle it on.

unhide the hidden files on android phone if you cannot see the photos in the gallery ap

Tip 3. Erase or Rename the .nomedia File

Maybe you saved your images in the .nomedia folder without knowing. Try deleting the folder or renaming it, which is a feasible solution to make your pictures visible in the Gallery.

Step 1: Open the File Manager app on your Android phone.

Step 2: Find where the pictures you wish to display are.

Step 3: Head to the folder and name the .nomedia file again, or you can erase it. Reboot the Android device and check for the photos in your Gallery again.

rename the nomedia file when your android gallery does not show your pictures

Tip 4. Check If the Album Is Hidden and Unhide It

If the Album is hidden, it's obvious you won't see photos in your Gallery app. So, unhide the Album by doing this:

Step 1: Open the Gallery app on your Android device.

Step 2: Tap on the three-dot menu or the More option.

Step 3: Tap the Hide or Unhide albums Option, and toggle on the Show hidden albums option.

show hidden albums on your android device if you cannot see your photos

Guess you need: You can back up your photos from your Android phone to your Windows PC with ease. Whenever you need the pictures, you can restore them directly.

Tip 5. Delete Cache in Gallery App

With time, the Gallery app will get more cache, such as albums, icons, art, or unwanted thumbnail images, which can crash or corrupt the Gallery app. This will, in turn, lead to images not showing on your Gallery with just black or grey squares. So, make sure you do away with the cache in your Gallery App by doing this:

Step 1: Go to Settings on your device. Scroll down and find the Apps option.

Step 2: Scroll down and select the Gallery option from the list.

Step 3: Navigate to Storage and click Force Stop to close the app if it's frozen or corrupt.

Step 4: Click the Clear cache button to remove the cache. Once done, restart your Android device and check if the pictures appear in your Gallery app.

delete cache in gallery app when it does not show the pictures

Tip 6. Switch Off Image Grouping

If you still can't see the images in the Gallery after removing the cache, it might be time to try turning off the Image Grouping feature. The image grouping feature usually puts together similar photos. So, chances are that the images you're looking for are lost in the group. So, ensure you switch it off.

Tip 7. Delete and Reinstall the Gallery App

There is a high chance that your Gallery fails to show pictures due to virus attacks. So, uninstalling and installing the app will probably solve the problem. The following steps will help you to uninstall the Gallery app from your Android device.

Step 1: Head to Settings on your Android device. Tap the Apps > Manage apps option.

Step 2: Look for the Gallery app in the all apps list and click it to open. Then, uninstall it through the uninstall button at the top of the screen.

Step 3: Go to the Google Play Store, search for the Gallery app, and click on the Install option to install it again.

reinstall gallery app on your android phone if it fail to show your photos

Note: On most unrooted Android phones, you cannot directly uninstall pre-installed apps, such as the built-in Gallery app. Thus, if you cannot see the "Uninstall" icon under the Gallery settings, please install a third-party gallery app from the App Store.

Part 3: Get Your Pictures Back from Android via Photo Recovery

In some cases, your photos might not appear due to accidental deletion or other serious issues. If this is the case, don't worry; there's still hope. With Coolmuster Lab.Fone for Android, you can easily recover deleted photos from both your Android device's internal storage and SD card. This powerful tool offers a straightforward solution to retrieve lost photos, even if you don't have a backup.

What this program can do for you:

1. Recover any deleted photos from your Android internal memory without backup.

2. Restore your deleted videos, pictures, songs, and other media files from an SD card without backup.

3. Back up the deleted or existing files from your Android device to the computer.

4. Allow you to select what photos you want before the recovery.

5. High rate of success in recovering deleted data.

Download this recovery software.

Recover deleted images from your Android phone via this software:

01Launch the tool on a PC and use a USB cord to connect your Android device to the PC, ensure the USB debugging mode is enabled on your mobile phone.

02Once done, wait for the device to be recognized and select the Photos option. Then, hit Next to proceed. Select Deep Scan or Quick Scan, and click Continue to scan all the deleted images from the device.

select photos option to retrieve deleted photos from android

03Click on the Photos folder to open and preview the images to recover. Tick the images and click Recover to restore them to your computer.

fast recover android photos

Watch this video to get more intuitive details on how to recover deleted photos from an Android phone.

Conclusion

As frustrating as it can be to deal with disappearing pictures in your Gallery, we hope this guide has helped you pinpoint the issue and provided effective solutions to fix it. Whether it's clearing out cache, or renaming a .nomedia file, there's always a way to bring your lost images back to life.

Remember, if your photos were unintentionally deleted, Coolmuster Lab.Fone for Android is an excellent tool to restore them with just a few clicks. Keep your memories safe and secure with these simple fixes and enjoy hassle-free photo management.

Related Articles:

iPhone Photos Not Showing Up on PC? Quick Solutions Here! (Windows & Mac)

How to Transfer Photos from SD Card to iPhone in 4 Useful Ways [Ultimate Guide]

Photos Didn't Transfer to New iPhone? Work It Out with Easy Solutions

How to Transfer Pictures from Android to Android? [4 Ways]

    Android Recovery     Why Can't I See My Pictures in My Gallery? Fix It and Recover Pictures
Lab.Fone for Android
Two data recovery modes: Android Data Recovery & SD Card Recovery.
Recover deleted contacts, SMS, call logs, photos, videos, music and documents.
Preview and back up all Android data to the computer in case of data loss.
High success rate of data recovery without file quality loss and format change.
Terms & Conditions Privacy (UPDATED) License Agreement Uninstall Copyright © 2026 Coolmuster. All Rights Reserved.
feedbackFeedback