Yes, there are several methods that can be used to recover deleted photos from an iPad. Even if you have accidentally deleted photos, or if they have been lost due to a system crash, it is often possible to get them back.
Why Would You Need to Recover Photos from an iPad?
There are a few common scenarios where you may need to retrieve lost or deleted photos from your iPad:
- You accidentally deleted some photos.
- Your iPad crashed, was reset to factory settings, or photos disappeared.
- Your iPad was damaged, stolen, or lost.
- You want to transfer photos off your old iPad to a new device.
Fortunately, even if you find yourself in one of these situations, the photos aren’t necessarily gone forever. The photos may still be stored on your iPad’s internal memory or synced to a backup. Let’s look at some ways you can attempt to recover deleted or lost iPad photos.
Check Recently Deleted Folder on iPad
If you just accidentally deleted photos on your iPad, the first place to check is the Recently Deleted folder. This acts like a trash folder, keeping your deleted photos for up to 40 days before removing them permanently.
To access the Recently Deleted folder:
- Open the Photos app on your iPad.
- In the bottom left, tap on Albums.
- Scroll down and tap on Recently Deleted to view your recently deleted photos.
You can then tap and hold on a photo to select it, tap Select to select multiple photos, or Select All to recover all recently deleted photos. Once selected, tap Recover to move the photos back into your main Camera Roll or other albums.
This Recently Deleted folder should have any photos that were deleted within the last month or so. If your missing photos were deleted further back than that, you will need to use one of the other recovery methods.
Restore iPad from iCloud Backup
If you have iCloud backup enabled for your iPad, you may be able to restore lost or deleted photos from a recent iCloud backup. iCloud automatically backs up your device each day when it’s connected to power, WiFi, and has over 50% battery.
Here’s how to restore from iCloud backup:
- On your iPad, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud.
- Tap on Manage Storage > Backups.
- Select the desired backup that contains the missing photos.
- Tap on Restore iPad and confirm.
Your iPad data including photos will be overwritten with the iCloud backup data. Make sure to pick a backup that occurred prior to the photos being deleted or lost. Once the restore is complete, open the Photos app to view your recovered photos.
The downside is that restoring deletes any photos/data captured after that backup. So you’ll want to recover an iCloud backup shortly after the photos were lost.
Restore iPad from iTunes Backup
You can also restore iPad and photos from a backup stored on your computer through iTunes. Connect your iPad to your computer and follow these steps:
- Open iTunes on your computer.
- Select your iPad under Devices in iTunes.
- Go to Summary > Restore Backup.
- Select the backup you want to restore.
- Click Restore to start the process.
This will overwrite your iPad with the data from your iTunes backup, including any missing photos if they were captured prior to that backup. As with iCloud restore, aim to use the most recent iTunes backup that still contains your lost photos.
Recover iPad Photos with Software
You can also use third party software programs to scan your iPad and find recoverable deleted photos. Some top options include:
- Fonelab iOS Data Recovery – Scans iPad directly or extracts iTunes/iCloud backups to recover photos, messages, WhatsApp data and more.
- iMyFone iBypasser – Recovers deleted photos from iPad even without backup.
- EaseUS MobiSaver – Retrieves lost photos, videos, music, documents from iPad.
These programs can recover photos that were deleted longer than 40 days ago and even extract old backup files that iTunes may no longer recognize. They scan for any trace remnants of photos left on your device and attempt to rebuild them into usable images.
The recovery process involves these general steps:
- Connect your iPad to your computer.
- Select the iPad data types or backups to scan.
- Let the software scan your device.
- Preview and select the photos to recover.
- Save the recovered photos to your computer.
Make sure to use a reputable recovery app from a legitimate developer. Recovery programs can access almost all of your device data, so you want to be sure it’s from a provider you trust.
Retrieve from iCloud Photo Library
If you have the iCloud Photos feature enabled, your iPad photos should be safely stored in your iCloud Photo Library. Even if photos are deleted from your iPad, the original versions may still be found in your iCloud storage.
To view your iCloud Photo Library online:
- Go to iCloud.com and login.
- Click on Photos to open your iCloud Photo Library.
- Check if the missing photos are still stored there.
- Select photos and click Download to save them to your computer.
You may have to scroll back through time using the menu on the left to find deleted photos. But as long as you didn’t manually delete them from the cloud storage, your photos should be there. This provides a great way to retrieve photos deleted from your iPad, even long ago.
Consult Data Recovery Services
For very serious cases of lost iPad data, you may need to turn to professional data recovery services. These experts use specialized tools and techniques to forensically recover data from storage chips and drives.
They can retrieve photos even if:
- Your iPad is damaged/corrupted and won’t turn on.
- You have lost access to your iCloud account.
- Your iPad has been wiped and reset.
Data recovery labs open up the iPad hardware, access the storage chip directly and scan for recoverable photo data. This reduces reliance on any backup files.
The downside is the high cost, ranging from $300 up to $1000+ in some cases. But for irreplaceable photos, the expense may be justified.
Be sure to choose a reputable recovery lab that comes highly reviewed. Search for one experienced specifically in iOS device data recovery. They should be able to provide a free initial evaluation to determine if your photos can be recovered.
Prevent Future Photo Loss
Once you’ve recovered your lost iPad photos, take some steps to avoid being in this situation again:
- Enable iCloud Photo Library – This instantly backs up new photos taken to the cloud.
- Turn on iCloud and iTunes device backups – Provides regular backups of your photo library.
- Export photos to computer – Manually transfer photos to create additional backups.
- Use auto-sync app – Auto-sync photos between iPad and computer periodically.
- Avoid completely wiping iPad – Don’t erase iPad unless absolutely necessary to retain deleted photos.
Following best practices for iPad photo storage and backup will help ensure you don’t lose any precious memories in the future.
Conclusion
While it can be frightening to lose photos from your iPad, there are many effective ways to get them back. As long as you act quickly before they are permanently overwritten, you have an excellent chance of photo recovery success.
Check the Recently Deleted folder, restore from an iCloud or iTunes backup, use data recovery software, retrieve from iCloud Photo Library or turn to a pro data recovery service. With the right approach tailored to your specific situation, you can rescued your deleted or lost photos.
Implementing regular iPad photo backups to both local storage and cloud is also recommended to avoid dealing with this issue again down the road. With the proper recovery methods and backup practices, you can effectively recover and preserve your lost iPad photos.
| Photo Recovery Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Recently Deleted Folder | Quick and easy access on device | Only stores deleted photos for up to 40 days |
| iCloud Backup | Restore everything via one click | Overwrites current iPad data |
| iTunes Backup | Recovers data local backup | Time consuming to restore entire backup |
| Recovery Software | Extracts photos without full restore | Requires software purchase |
| iCloud Photo Library | Access photos anytime online | Need iCloud Photos enabled already |
| Data Recovery Service | Recovers data even from damaged devices | Expensive, involves mailing device in |