Find files that forgot their names.

RecoverX scans Android storage by reading binary file signatures, not file extensions. It recovers hidden, renamed, and orphaned files that other tools miss.

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RecoverX
1,847 scanned 23 found
JPG
IMG_0042 (recovered)
3.2 MB · wrong ext
MP4
video_backup.tmp
48.1 MB · hidden
PDF
document_001
892 KB · no ext
MP3
voice_rec_042
2.7 MB · .nomedia
PNG
screenshot_hidden
1.4 MB · orphaned
No root required
30+ file signatures
On-device only
Open source

How it works

Three steps from lost to found.

RecoverX reads the first few bytes of each file and matches them against a database of known magic numbers. No cloud, no upload, no guessing from file extensions.

01

Grant storage access

Choose a scan mode and allow storage permissions. RecoverX works with All Files Access on Android 12 and below, or granular media permissions on Android 13+.

02

Scan by signature

The scanner walks storage directories and reads file headers, matching bytes against 30+ known file signatures. Pause, resume, or cancel at any time.

03

Export recovered files

Select the files you want and export them to a date-stamped folder. Correct extensions are restored automatically based on the detected file type.

Supported formats

30+ signatures, five categories.

Each format is defined by its magic number pattern. Adding a new file type is a single entry in the signature database, no other code changes needed.

Images

7 formats

JPEG, PNG, GIF, WEBP, BMP, HEIC, and more. Identifies images with wrong or missing extensions by reading header bytes.

JPEG PNG GIF WEBP BMP HEIC

Videos

6 formats

MP4 MOV AVI MKV 3GP WEBM

Audio

6 formats

MP3 AAC WAV OGG FLAC

Documents

6 formats

PDF, Word (DOC/DOCX), PowerPoint (PPT/PPTX), Excel (XLS/XLSX). Detects both legacy OLE and modern OOXML formats.

PDF DOC DOCX PPT PPTX XLS XLSX

Archives

5 formats

ZIP, RAR (v4 + v5), 7Z, APK. Distinguishes between archive types and Android package files by secondary headers.

ZIP RAR4 RAR5 7Z APK

Scan modes

Choose how deep to look.

Each mode targets different recovery scenarios, from a quick check of common folders to a full signature-only sweep of everything on disk.

Quick

Scans common media folders and known locations. Fastest option for a first pass.

Deep

Full storage walk including hidden and system directories. Finds files in cache and app data folders.

Signature-only

Ignores file names and extensions entirely. Matches purely by magic numbers. Catches renamed files other tools skip.

Hidden

Targets dotfiles and files guarded by .nomedia markers. Surfaces content invisible to gallery apps.

What RecoverX can and cannot do

Honest about the limits.

RecoverX cannot recover files the filesystem has already unlinked

True block-level carving requires root access and raw disk reads. RecoverX works without root by finding files that are still on disk but invisible to normal browsing. Here is what it can and cannot recover:

  • Hidden files (dotfiles, .nomedia-guarded)
  • Files with renamed or missing extensions
  • Orphaned files in cache or system directories
  • Files in app data folders not normally browsable
  • Files the OS has permanently deleted (unlinked)
  • Files on encrypted storage without the key

Start recovering files.

Download the latest APK from GitHub releases. No account, no cloud, no tracking.

Download APK View on GitHub