We’ve all been there. You’re scrolling through your camera roll, swiping away at pictures you don’t want anymore, trying to free up some storage space. Then it hits you – you accidentally deleted those photos from your trip to Hawaii last year! Now you’re frantically googling “how to recover deleted photos from iPhone” and hoping you can get them back.
I feel your pain. Losing photos, especially ones that are meaningful to you, sucks. But don’t panic just yet! Unless you’ve recently restored your iPhone from a backup or the photos have been gone for over 30 days, there’s still hope. Let me walk you through a few ways to recover deleted photos on an iPhone.
When you delete photos on your iPhone, they aren’t immediately erased. Instead, they get stored in the Recently Deleted folder within the Photos app. It’s like a recycling bin for pictures.
To access it:
You’ll then see small thumbnails of all your recently deleted photos. Simply tap on the ones you want to recover, then hit “Recover” in the bottom right. It’s that easy!
The only catch is that iOS will permanently erase photos from this folder after 30 days. So, if you notice something is missing, recover it ASAP.
If it’s been over 30 days, don’t sweat it. You can still restore deleted photos from an iCloud backup as long as you’ve been backing up your iPhone.
Here’s what to do:
It will completely erase your iPhone and restore everything from your last iCloud backup, including those deleted photos.
Pro Travel Tip: Always back up your iPhone before a trip in case you lose it or it gets stolen.
If you don’t have an iCloud backup, third-party software like Fonelab can scan your iPhone’s storage and recover deleted photos. The basic steps are:
It works even if your photos have been deleted for a while. Don’t take any new photos or install new apps, as that could overwrite the deleted data.
Similar to iCloud, iTunes can back up your iPhone locally on your computer. So, if you routinely sync with iTunes, you may be able to restore deleted photos from an iTunes backup.
To do this on a Mac:
On Windows, the process is similar – just open iTunes instead of Finder.
If you use iCloud Photo Library, your photos sync across all your devices. You may find deleted iPhone photos on your iPad, Mac, or even the iCloud website.
It’s also worth checking cloud storage services like Google Photos or Dropbox if you use them. If your photos were backed up there, you can download them to your iPhone.
If all else fails, reach out to Apple Support. Explain your situation, and they may be able to recover deleted photos from an iCloud backup on their end. Just keep in mind this isn’t guaranteed.
If your photos have been erased from the Recently Deleted folder, your best bets are restoring from an iCloud or iTunes backup or using data recovery software. Act quickly though, as overwritten data is difficult to recover.
Yes, any photos sitting in your Recently Deleted folder still take up iCloud storage space. To free up space, delete the photos permanently or recover them.
Third-party software is your next best option if you don’t have an iCloud or iTunes backup. Some paid versions can recover deleted photos even without a backup.
Accidentally deleting photos on your iPhone doesn’t have to be a catastrophic loss. As long as you act quickly, you have several ways to get your photos back and avoid having to recreate those memories. Just stay calm, don’t take any more photos, and try the methods above one by one.
And, of course, make sure you’re regularly backing up your iPhone to prevent this headache in the future. iCloud and iTunes backups have saved many of us from our own stupidity.
So chin up, buttercup. You’ve got this! With a little effort, you’ll be flipping through your deleted photos and breathing a sigh of relief in no time.
Up until working with Casey, we had only had poor to mediocre experiences outsourcing work to agencies. Casey & the team at CJ&CO are the exception to the rule.
Communication was beyond great, his understanding of our vision was phenomenal, and instead of needing babysitting like the other agencies we worked with, he was not only completely dependable but also gave us sound suggestions on how to get better results, at the risk of us not needing him for the initial job we requested (absolute gem).
This has truly been the first time we worked with someone outside of our business that quickly grasped our vision, and that I could completely forget about and would still deliver above expectations.
I honestly can't wait to work in many more projects together!
Disclaimer
*The information this blog provides is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as financial or professional advice. The information may not reflect current developments and may be changed or updated without notice. Any opinions expressed on this blog are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author’s employer or any other organization. You should not act or rely on any information contained in this blog without first seeking the advice of a professional. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this blog. The author and affiliated parties assume no liability for any errors or omissions.
