The loss of valuable video recordings, be it a family holiday or an important work moment, always causes panic. The smartphone Honor 9despite its reliability and excellent camera, is not immune to accidental deletions or system failures. However, in most cases, deleted files do not disappear permanently immediately after clicking the “Delete” button. The Android system marks the disk space as free, but the data itself remains there until it is overwritten by new information.
The success of the operation data recovery directly depends on the efficiency of your actions. The less you use your phone after losing files, the higher the chances of getting them back intact. Below we will look at all available methods - from built-in ecosystem tools Huawei to using specialized software on a computer.
Before starting any manipulations, make sure that the device is charged at least 50-60%. The process of scanning memory and restoring large video files can take a significant amount of time and require stable power consumption. Also prepare the USB cable that comes with the kit, as poor-quality wires can cause connection errors with the PC.
Checking the built-in shopping cart and cloud services
The easiest and fastest way to get back a lost video is to check standard storage facilities, which are often ignored by panicked users. In the shell EMUIinstalled on Honor 9, the gallery has the function of temporarily storing deleted elements. The files are moved to a special section where they are stored for up to 30 days before being permanently erased.
Open the application Gallery and go to the Albumstab. Scroll down to the very bottom of the list. There you will find a folder named Recently deleted. If your video was deleted less than a month ago, this is where it will be located. Just click on it and select the option Recover.
⚠️ Attention: If you have cleared the "Recently Deleted" folder manually or more than 30 years have passed days, this method will not work. The files will be considered irretrievably lost to standard system tools.
The second important source is cloud storage HiCloud or account Google Photos. If synchronization was enabled on your Honor 9 on, copies of the video could be automatically uploaded to the network. Go to your phone settings, select the section Users and accounts and check the synchronization status for the corresponding services.
Turn on the “Auto Upload” function in Google Photos in advance. This will allow you to create backup copies of all recorded videos in original quality or in a compressed version for free.
To check HiCloud go to Settings → Cloud. If the function was active, you can go through a browser to the official website of the service under your ID Huawei and check for the presence of files in the web interface. This is especially true if the phone's memory was damaged, but the data managed to go to the cloud.
Use of Google Photos and other cloud solutions
Ecosystem Google offers powerful tools for working with multimedia. The application Google Photos is pre-installed on most Android devices, including Honor 9. Its recycle bin functions similarly to the system one, but has its own storage features and lifetime of deleted objects.
Launch the application and click on the menu icon (three bars) in the upper left corner. Select item Trash. Deleted photos and videos are stored here for 60 days if you are a subscriber Google One, or 30 days for regular users. Find the file you need, hold it with your finger and press the restore button at the bottom of the screen.
- 🔄 Synchronization occurs automatically when connected to Wi-Fi, unless other settings are specified.
- 🗑️ Emptying the Trash in the application deletes files forever, bypassing recovery through computer.
- ☁️ Videos can be stored in the compressed Express format, which saves space in the cloud, but reduces quality.
In addition to standard solutions, many users install third-party cloud drives, such as Dropbox, Yandex.Disk or Mail.ru Cloud. If you had any of these apps installed with the camera startup feature active, it's worth checking out their web or mobile clients. Often files are duplicated there unnoticed by the owner.
It is important to understand the difference between deleting a file from the gallery and deleting it from the cloud. If you delete a video in the gallery app, a copy of it may remain in the cloud. Conversely, deleting from a cloud application can erase the local copy if the Free up space or synchronized deletion function is enabled.
Recovery via a computer using specialized software
When the built-in methods are powerless, deep memory scanning apps running through a PC come to the rescue. For Honor 9 utilities such as Dr.Fone, Tenorshare UltData for Android or DiskDigger (PC version) are effective. They try to find traces of files in overwritten sectors of the drive.
Before connecting to a computer, you must activate the mode USB debugging. This is a critical step, without which the app will not gain access to the file system. Go to Settings → About phone and quickly click 7 times on the item Build number. You will see the message “You have become a developer.”
Settings → System → For developers → USB debugging (switch to active position)After activation, connect Honor 9 to the computer with a cable. Launch the recovery app on your PC and follow the setup wizard instructions. The app will prompt you to select the types of files to search - check the box only Videoto speed up the process. The scanning will begin, which can take from 10 minutes to several hours depending on the amount of memory.
⚠️ Attention: On modern versions of Android (starting from 6.0 and higher), access to the full memory is without root access restricted. apps can only find cached thumbnails or files saved on the SD card. Deep scanning of internal memory often requires superuser rights.
What are root access and is it worth getting them?
root access give full access to the system, which increases the chances of recovery. However, receiving them will void the warranty, may lead to bricking of the phone and disrupts the operation of banking applications (Google Pay/SberPay). Retrieving them for the sake of restoring one video is risky.
If the app has found your files, it will display them in a list with a preview option. Select the required videos and click the button Recover. Save files strictly to your computer’s hard drive, and not back to your phone, so as not to overwrite other deleted data.
Working with an SD memory card and file managers
If your videos were stored on an external memory card microSDthe chances of success increase significantly. The internal memory of smartphones is more difficult to recover due to encryption technology and command TRIMthat clears deleted blocks. A memory card works on simpler principles.
Remove the card from Honor 9 and insert it into the computer card reader. Use reliable utilities for recovering data from flash drives, such as Recuva (free) or R-Studio (professional). These apps ignore Android restrictions and work directly with drive sectors.
In Recuva select the drive that matches your memory card and specify the file type - “Video”. Run an in-depth analysis. After completion, the app will show a list of found files with a recovery status: “Excellent”, “Good” or “Unrecoverable”. Focus on files with a green indicator.
| app | License type | Efficiency on SD | Difficulty of use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recuva | Free | High | Low |
| DiskDigger | Freemium | Medium | Low |
| R-Studio | Paid | Very high | High |
| Dr.Fone | Paid | High | Medium |
Recovery from an SD memory card is always more effective and safer than an attempt to scan the internal flash memory of a smartphone without root access.
Also use file managers on the phone itself, such as ES Explorer or built-in File Manager. Sometimes videos are not deleted, but are simply moved to hidden system folders or the extension is changed. Try to find files with the extension .tmp or without an extension in the folder DCIMby changing their name manually.
Risks of obtaining root access for recovery
Many guides advise getting root access to increase the efficiency of recovery. On Honor 9 this is a complex procedure that requires unlocking the bootloader. Officially, the company Huawei stopped issuing unlock codes several years ago, so users have to resort to paid third-party services.
The process of unlocking the bootloader and setting superuser rights (via TWRP i Magisk) carries serious risks. An error at any stage can cause the phone to stop turning on altogether. In addition, after unlocking, security-related functions, such as payment via NFC, stop working.
- 🔓 Unlocking the bootloader erases all data from the phone (Factory Reset).
- 🚫 The device warranty is canceled instantly.
- 🛡️ Banking applications and services with a high level of protection stop working.
If your video is not critical evidence or a unique archive worth more than the smartphone itself, obtaining root access is not economically feasible. It is better to contact a professional service where the data can be extracted using a memory dump (chip-off), although this is an expensive procedure.
⚠️ Attention: Do not download dubious applications from unknown sources that promise “instant recovery without a PC.” Most often, these are ransomware viruses or dummy apps that do not have access to Android system partitions without superuser rights.
Prevention of data loss and proper backup
The best way to combat video loss is to regularly create backups. Set up automatic synchronization with multiple sources at the same time. For example, use Google Photos for quick access and HiCloud or a local computer to store originals in full quality.
It is recommended to connect Honor 9 to your computer at least once a month and copy folder DCIM/Camera to an external hard drive. This “3-2-1” strategy (three copies of data, on two different media, one of which is in a different location) guarantees the safety of your media collection even if your smartphone is broken or stolen.
☑️ Monthly data security checklist
You should also be careful about application access rights. Do not give file managers or memory cleaners full rights to delete files without your approval. Often it is aggressive optimization algorithms that delete “heavy” video files, mistakenly considering them garbage.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is it possible to restore video if the phone has been reset to factory settings?
Data recovery after a Factory Reset on modern smartphones with memory encryption is extremely difficult and in most cases impossible using software methods. Encryption keys are removed, making the data unreadable. Only expensive hardware restoration in the laboratory can help.
Why does the restored video not open or shows a black screen?
This is a sign of partial data overwriting. The file header could be restored, but the video stream itself was damaged. Try opening the file in a player VLC for Androidthat can play broken containers, or use video editors to try to fix the title.
How long are deleted files stored in the phone's memory?
Physically, the data remains on the media until new information is written in its place. However, the Android system can run a command TRIMthat clears these blocks to optimize performance. This can happen in the background for several days or weeks.
Are data recovery apps free?
Most effective apps operate on a Freemium model. They allow you to scan your memory for free and show the files found, but they ask you to pay for the ability to save them. Free versions are often limited by the amount of data recovered (for example, up to 500 MB).
Does the Honor 9 model affect the chances of recovery?
Yes, Honor 9 uses a file system that may differ depending on the firmware version (EMUI). Older versions of Android on this device may have fewer levels of protection, which makes recovery easier, but at the same time, the lack of security updates leaves data vulnerable.