How to Recover Deleted Photos on iPhone

Accidentally deleting a cherished photo can be distressing, but fortunately, there are several methods to recover deleted photos on your iPhone. This guide will walk you through the various ways to retrieve your lost memories, from simple built-in features to more advanced techniques.

Method 1: Check the Recently Deleted Album

Photos deleted from your iPhone are moved to the “Recently Deleted” album, where they remain for up to 30 days before being permanently deleted.

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on the Albums tab at the bottom.
3. Scroll down and tap on Recently Deleted.
4. Look for the photo you want to recover. You can use the search function if needed.
5. Tap on the photo to select it.
6. Tap Recover at the bottom right.
7. Confirm by tapping Recover Photo.

The photo will be restored to its original album. If it’s not in the “Recently Deleted” album, it may have been permanently deleted, and you’ll need to try other methods.

Method 2: Restore from an iCloud Backup

If you have an iCloud backup from before the photo was deleted, you can restore your iPhone to that backup to recover the photo.

Important: Restoring from a backup will erase all data on your iPhone and replace it with the data from the backup. Back up any new data you want to keep before proceeding.

1. Check if you have an iCloud backup that includes the deleted photo:
   • Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups.
   • Look at the backup dates and sizes to determine if a backup was made before the photo was deleted.
2. If you find a suitable backup, erase your iPhone:
   • Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
   • Enter your passcode and confirm.
3. Your iPhone will restart and show the setup screen.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions until you reach the Apps & Data screen.
5. Tap Restore from iCloud Backup.
6. Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID.
7. Select the backup that contains the deleted photo.
8. Wait for the restore process to complete.
9. Once restored, check the Photos app to see if the deleted photo is back.

Method 3: Restore from an iTunes Backup

If you have backed up your iPhone to iTunes on a computer, you can restore from that backup to recover the deleted photo.

Note: This will erase all current data on your iPhone and replace it with the backup data.

1. Connect your iPhone to the computer where you have the iTunes backup.
2. Open iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina or later).
3. Select your iPhone when it appears in iTunes or Finder.
4. In the Summary tab, click Restore Backup.
5. Choose the backup that contains the deleted photo.
6. Click Restore and wait for the process to complete.
7. Once restored, check the Photos app on your iPhone.

Method 4: Use Third-Party Recovery Software

Utilize specialized software designed to recover deleted data from iPhones, which may be able to retrieve photos even after they have been permanently deleted.

Caution: Using third-party software involves risks, such as data privacy concerns; choose reputable software and note that success is not guaranteed.

1. Research and select a reputable iPhone data recovery software (e.g., Dr.Fone, PhoneRescue, or similar tools).
2. Download and install the software on your computer.
3. Connect your iPhone to the computer using a USB cable.
4. Launch the recovery software and follow the instructions to scan your iPhone for deleted photos.
5. Once the scan is complete, preview and select the photos you want to recover.
6. Save the recovered photos to your computer or, if the software allows, directly back to your iPhone.

Additionally, some software can extract photos from backups without restoring your entire iPhone:

• For iCloud backups:
  • Select the option to extract data from an iCloud backup.
  • Log in with your Apple ID and choose the backup.
  • Scan and preview the photos.
  • Recover selected photos to your computer.
• For iTunes backups:
  • Select the option to extract data from an iTunes backup.
  • Choose the backup file on your computer.
  • Scan and preview the photos.
  • Recover selected photos to your computer.