In most email clients, when you delete an email, it gets sent to your trash folder, where it remains for a predetermined amount of time until it gets permanently deleted, either by the user or the email service provider.
However, if you’ve already deleted emails from the trash folder, the chances of recovering them directly from within the email client become more limited. This is because storing emails takes a lot of space. Email data cannot be stored indefinitely by the email provider, lest the inbox become too full to receive more emails.
Thankfully, there are still a few methods you can look into after the email has been removed from the trash folder:
1. Email Service Provider’s Support
Contact the customer support of your email service provider and explain the situation. Some email providers might have backup systems or retention policies that allow them to recover deleted emails for a certain period of time. Provide them with as much information as possible, including the subject, sender, and approximate date of the emails you’re trying to recover to make it easier for them to find the email.
2. Data Recovery Services
If the emails are extremely important and you are willing to invest time and possibly money, you could consider using third-party data recovery services. These services specialize in recovering deleted data from various storage mediums, including email servers. However, these services can be quite expensive.
Some of the more popular data recovery services include:
- DataSavers
- Kroll Ontrack
- Stellar Data Recovery
- EaseUS Data Recovery
3. Local Email Client Backups
If you have locally stored copies of your emails in a desktop email client (like Microsoft Outlook or Thunderbird), you might be able to recover deleted emails from your local backup if you have one. Check your client’s help center for guidance on restoring backups.
4. Use Third-Party Tools
There are third-party tools designed to recover deleted emails from email platforms. However, using those tools can be risky as they might require access to your email account credentials. Be cautious and ensure that you’re using reputable tools. Some of the more popular ones include:
- Recoverit
- Mailvare Free Email Recovery
- Outlook PST Repair
- Disk Drill
- Email Recovery for Mozilla Thunderbird
Remember that the longer you wait to try to recover deleted emails, the lower the chances of recovery become, as many email providers have retention periods. After that, emails are permanently removed from their servers, so it’s important to act quickly if the deleted emails are of high importance.
