How to restore deleted apps on Android: a complete and updated guide

As time goes by we install many applications on our Android phones or tabletsSome of these apps end up being deleted because we don't use them or don't think we need them, but there are cases where it's been a mistake and we've deleted an app we wanted to use or want to use again. When this happens, it's helpful to know... How to restore deleted apps on Android to avoid losing access to important tools, valuable data, or paid apps that we have already purchased.

In this way we will be able to use those apps again on your mobile without having to pay for them again or look for alternatives that might not suit us. Many users of the operating system want to know how to do this, especially when the app has disappeared for no apparent reason, has been automatically uninstalled, or they suspect that someone else with access to the phone has deleted it.

Knowing how they can restore deleted apps on android It's essential to maintain control over everything you have installed. Below, we'll show you how to do this on an Android phone or tablet, as well as other methods such as backups, third-party tools, or system settings that can affect app visibility.

Firstly, many users wonder if It is possible to restore any deleted application On Android, this is something we can do in most cases, but not all. It depends on several factors: where we downloaded the apps (whether we used the Google Play Store or an external APK), whether we're using the same Google account, and whether we have a backup.

If the app was downloaded from the Google Play Store With the same Google account we currently use on our phone, we won't have any problems in this regard, because the store keeps a complete history of all the apps and games we've installed. Furthermore, if we've configured the backups on AndroidIt is possible to restore not only the apps, but also some of their data and settings.

On the other hand, it is also worth knowing that Not all apps disappear due to manual uninstallation.Sometimes apps are hidden by mistake, deactivated, deleted due to lack of space, or stopped displaying due to profile restrictions and parental controls. Below, we'll also look at these scenarios so you can distinguish between an app that has actually been deleted and one that's still on your device but isn't showing up.

Google Play Store

The Google Play Store is the official app store on AndroidThe vast majority of users on this operating system download their apps and games from this store, as there is a huge selection available and it is the safest option when downloading anything. Furthermore, it is the best method if we want restore apps we have deleted at some point, because the store keeps a record of all installations associated with our account.

As you know, the Google Play Store is linked to our Google accountThis is the same account you use on your phone for services like Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. Therefore, every app downloaded from this store will be recorded in a kind of purchase and download history. There's a list of all the apps and games you've installed from the store over time, including both paid and free apps.

This record will be of This is a huge help when restoring deleted apps on Android.Because it will become the primary source for finding everything we've ever installed, seeing which apps are no longer on the device, and deciding which ones we want to reinstall with a single tap. Furthermore, from the Play Store we can also manage updates, view permissions, and check the compatibility of each app with our Android devices or even a compatible Chromebook.

It is important to mention that The apps you buy on Google Play are associated with your account.not to the device. This means you can use them on any Android phone or tablet as long as Sign in with the same Google accountwithout having to pay for them again. If, upon entering the store, you see that a paid app asks you to pay again, it is very likely that you are using a different account than the one you used for the original purchase.

Of course, this is a method that works with those apps that we ourselves have removed from the phone or that have been uninstalled due to a specific problem. If Google has removed an app or game from the Play Store or Android because it considers it dangerous, it has violated policies, or it is no longer compatible with your device, you won't be able to reinstall it on your phone or tablet, even if it still appears in your history or in the "Uninstalled" apps section.

Outside of these exceptional cases, the Play Store method It works well for virtually all users of the operating system and is easy to use, even if you don't have much experience with Android. Below, we'll see, step by step, how to use this app history to restore apps you've previously deleted.

How to restore deleted apps on Android

This method will depend on the Google Play Store and that we downloaded the apps from the official store. In other words, if the application you're planning to restore was downloaded from this store, then you can do it without problems, but not if you downloaded it from alternative stores, third-party repositories, or through an APK file that was manually installed and not registered in Play.

All those apps we've downloaded from the Play Store They are recorded in a specific section. from the store, which is always accessible to us with the correct Google account. This section not only saves the apps that are currently installed, but also those that were at some point deleted from the device but are still associated with the account as previous purchases or downloads.

Yes, you have to use the same Google account that you have on your phone The app was downloaded at the time of download, so you can restore it. However, this shouldn't be a problem for users who haven't switched accounts or who remember which ones they've used. If you use multiple Google accounts on the same device, it's recommended to switch between them in the Play Store to check which account you used to download each app.

The steps to restore deleted apps on Android from the Play Store are simple and can be done in just a few seconds. Here's what you need to do:

1. Open the Google Play Store on your Android phone.
2. Click on your profile picture in the upper right part of the screen (in previous versions you have to press on the three horizontal lines in the upper left part).
3. In the menu that appears, press on Manage Apps and Device.
4. Click on the tab Administrator at the top of the screen.
5. A list of the apps installed on the mobile.
6. Click on the option Installed And at the bottom you'll see two options. Now tap on Not installed.
7. Those apps that we have had installed in the past on the mobile, but that are no longer there, will be shown.
8. Find the app you want to restore in that list, using the internal search engine if necessary.
9. Tap on this app to open more details.
10. Your profile opens in the Play Store with all the usual information.
11. Press on Install (the green button).
12. Wait for the installation to complete and verify that the icon reappears in the app drawer or on the home screen.
13. Repeat the process if there are more apps you want to restore in this case.

These steps have helped us restore deleted apps on android directly. If we access the tab that says Not installedWe can see all the apps we've downloaded to our phones in the past, but which are no longer installed. These are the apps we've deleted from our device at some point, either by mistake, to free up space, or because we no longer use them.

Therefore, all that remains is Find the app you want to restore.So, it will be available again on your device with its icon and all its permissions reactivated. This record is always kept in the Play Store, as it's associated with your Google account, not the specific phone. Therefore, you can always access it, even when you change phones or tablets and want to reinstall everything you used previously without having to remember the names of each app.

In addition, you can also Install apps on your Android phone from your computer You can use the Google Play website if you find it more convenient to search there or if you don't have your phone handy. To do this, simply follow these steps:

1. Go to the website play.google.com from your computer's browser.
2. Sign in with the same google account that you use on your Android device.
3. Find the application you want to reinstall using the search bar at the top.
4. Choose Install, Installed o Enable, depending on the case that appears on the button.
5. If you have multiple devices associated with that account, choose from the list. the device on which you want to install the app.
6. Confirm by pressing again on Install and wait for the phone to automatically download the application.

This option is especially useful when you want recover multiple apps at once Or when it's easier to locate the apps on your computer's large screen. In just a few minutes, you'll have all the reinstallations underway without touching your phone.

Android BackupService

Android BackupService It is a service available in the operating system that may be of interest to many users. This option is part of the Google automatic backups It typically creates a backup of many installed applications, as well as their main data, settings, and some system adjustments. Thanks to this, it's able to save enough information to... restore deleted apps of the phone also after a device change or a factory reset.

So, this option can be helpful for users of the operating system who want to go beyond simply reinstalling from the Play Store and also recover some of each app's internal data (such as settings, preferences, or account information). While it's a slightly more complex process than the previous one when using advanced commands, for most users, simply enabling backups in the device settings is sufficient.

On a technical level, Android allows developers and advanced users to run ADB commands From a computer to force manual backups or restores. In that context, the command to use is adb shell bmgr backup nowThis allows you to initiate a backup of compatible apps and their data. This type of use is much more specific and requires enabling developer options and USB debugging, so it's not the most common use for most users.

It is important to add that This method requires Android 7.0 (Nougat) or higher For some of bmgr's advanced backup and restore features, backups must have been previously enabled for data to be preserved. If you didn't have this option enabled in the past, or if you disabled it, the system won't have saved your app data, and you'll only be able to reinstall them without restoring the internal information.

Therefore, although this service allows for native backups, since it's somewhat complex at an advanced level, many users either use the previous method of reinstalling apps through the Play Store, or resort to third-party backup apps that are responsible for cloning and restoring applications and data with simpler interfaces.

If you wish, you can use this native Android backup method, but the Google Play Store method remains the only option. much simpler and more direct For most people. Even so, it's good to know that this is an option that Android offers if you want to make a complete backup, for example, before formatting the device or switching to a new phone.

View Recently Deleted Apps on Android

If you have deleted any apps from your phone recently And if you want to know the name of an app, either because you want to reinstall it or because you want another user to try it, this is possible thanks to your Google Play history. In fact, it's very similar to the steps we followed in the previous section, only in this case we want to see the apps in the order they were removed from our device or, more precisely, in the order they were added to the account.

Often we think an app has vanished into thin air and we need to figure out what happened. This list of "Uninstalled" apps helps us to detect accidental deletions, possible uninstallations by another person who has used the phone or even apps that are no longer available but still appear in our history.

Luckily, from the Play Store, as we have said before, we can see this list of deleted apps You can easily see everything. However, the apps shown are those that were originally installed using a specific Google account. If you've switched Google accounts and are currently using a different one on your phone, you won't see all the apps you removed from the device with the previous account.

Furthermore, it is possible Sort this list by date To quickly identify the most recently installed or deleted apps, we'll also show you how to view them in chronological order in this list. The steps are as follows:

1. Open the Google Play Store on your Android phone.
2. Click on your profile picture at the top right of the screen (in previous versions of the store you have to click on the three horizontal stripes at the top left).
3. In the menu that appears, tap on the option to Manage Apps and Device.
4. Click on the tab Administrator at the top of the screen.
5. A list of the apps installed on the mobile is now displayed.
6. Click on the option Installed And at the bottom you'll see two options. Now tap on Without Installing.
7. Those apps that we have had installed in the past on the mobile, but that we have deleted, will be displayed.
8. If you want to have them in chronological order, click on the option Name (the filter in the upper right corner) and now choose the option to Recently added.
9. Search for the app you want, starting with the most recent ones if that's what you're interested in.

This is the process we followed before, but now if want you can put the list in chronological order To see the apps you've most recently deleted or added. This way, you can more easily find an app that disappeared recently or check what changes have been made to your device in the last few days.

Thanks to this option, we can easily have a good view of the apps we've deleted from our phonesIf you're looking for a recently deleted app on Android, this process will allow you to access it in seconds without having to remember its exact name. It's undoubtedly a very useful tool for keeping track of the installation and uninstallation history on your device.

Other reasons why apps may disappear on Android

In addition to manual removals, there are several Common reasons why apps may disappear on your Android phone, and which can be mistaken for a permanent deletion. Knowing these reasons will help you determine if you really need to restore an app or simply make it visible again.

• Accidental deletion: When using your phone in a hurry, it's easy to drag an icon to the uninstall option or accidentally tap the uninstall button from the app's information. This is more common on devices where a quick gesture is all it takes to delete apps.
• Operating system updates: Some major system updates may make certain apps obsolete or make them incompatible. In these cases, they may disappear or stop working, and the system may disable them or suggest their uninstallation.
• Restricted profiles and parental controls: On devices with multiple users or with active parental controlsCertain apps may be hidden or blocked on some profiles, giving the impression that they have been deleted when in reality they are only restricted.
• Insufficient storage: When the device runs out of space, some customization layers or optimizers may Automatically remove the least used apps or suggest uninstalling them to free up space. This might be surprising if you don't remember deleting them yourself.
• Malware and malicious software: In more extreme cases, malware can cause apps to malfunction, prevent them from opening, or even uninstall them. That's why it's important to always install apps from trusted sources like Google Play and carefully review the permissions you grant.

Before you start restoring apps, it's a good idea to check if the app is still installed but hidden in the app drawer or disabled in the system settings. On many phones, you can access the app drawer and use the search bar at the top to type the app's name. If it appears, it means it hasn't been deleted, and you'll just need to put the icon back on your home screen.

Restore apps when they have been installed from APKs or other stores

Not all apps are downloaded from Google Play. Sometimes we install apps through a APK file downloaded from the internet or from other alternative stores. In these cases, the Play Store does not keep a complete installation history and you may not be able to restore the app from the "Uninstalled" section.

If the app was installed using an APK file that is still on your phone, you can try to locate it. reinstall it manuallyThese files are usually saved in the folder of Downloads The APK file can be found on your device or in the folder configured by the browser you used for the download. From a file explorer, simply tap on the APK file and follow the installation steps, provided you have enabled the option to install apps from unknown sources.

When it comes to external apps that you no longer have in storage, a good practice is to use backup applications Third-party apps that back up APKs and their data so you can restore them in the future. These apps usually let you select which applications you want to protect so that even if you uninstall them, you can recover them later without having to download them again from the original source.

There are also advanced recovery tools that promise recover deleted apps even after uninstallation, but many of them require root access and are not suitable for all users. Furthermore, their effectiveness is often limited if the app was not previously backed up or if the data has been overwritten.

Use of third-party backup and backup applications

As we mentioned, there is another method to recover deleted apps from an Android device: it involves using a backup applicationThat is, a tool that backs up the applications we download and install. This method is recommended when what we want to restore are applications that come from an APK package or apps obtained outside of the Play Store.

There are various backup apps available, most of them free, but some offer a paid option to remove ads or add advanced features. What they do is create a automatic backup of applications When these apps are installed or updated on the phone, the available options allow us to select which apps we want to "protect" from accidental deletion, creating a backup of them.

Some of these apps also offer additional features, such as manage updates From the installed applications, they can display a list of apps with new versions available or even group both user and system apps in a single panel. In some cases, they may integrate caller ID systems or other complementary features, but the essential function remains backup and restore.

If we need to recover a deleted application using these types of tools, we simply need to access the backup appTo restore an application, go to the relevant section and select the application you want to restore, then tap "Restore and Install." The backup app will typically reinstall the original APK and recover any associated data it may have saved.

Keep in mind that to make backups, you need have free space in storage from the phone, since APKs can take up a lot of space if many apps are backed up. It's also important to know that these types of apps cannot recover apps that were deleted before installation, as there was no previous backup on the device.

How to restore an app icon when it's not on the home screen

Often we think we've deleted an app, but in reality, only the data has been removed. home screen shortcutIn those cases, the application is still installed and working, it just doesn't have a visible icon on the home screen.

To check this, the first thing to do is open the app drawer Swipe up on the home screen (or use the corresponding button depending on your custom interface) and search for the app by name. You can also use the search bar within the app drawer, typing the app's name to quickly find it.

If you find it, you'll just have to press and hold its icon and drag it to the home screen to recreate a shortcut. In some Android launchers, you'll also find the "Add to Home Screen" option in the icon's settings when you press and hold it.

If the app doesn't appear in the app drawer, it's worth checking if it's there. hidden in the launcherMany phones include a "Hidden Apps" section where you can hide apps so they aren't immediately visible. Access the launcher or app drawer settings and check if the app is marked as hidden to make it visible again.

Only if the app does not appear in either the app drawer or the list of apps in the System Settings (in the Applications section) can you confirm that it has been actually uninstalled and it will be necessary to use the Play Store, a backup, or an APK to reinstall it.

Knowing all these methods and tools, restoring deleted applications on Android, whether they are apps from the Play Store, external APKs, or hidden applications, becomes a controlled and flexible process that avoids wasted time and unnecessary worries every time an icon disappears from the mobile phone.