Recovering deleted videos from an iPhone after 30 days can be challenging but may still be possible in some cases. The key factors that determine if a video can be recovered include how the video was deleted, whether the iPhone has been synced or restored since deletion, and whether the storage space the video occupied has been overwritten with new data.
How are videos deleted on iPhone?
There are a few common ways videos can be deleted from an iPhone:
- Deleting videos directly from the Photos app
- Deleting videos from recently deleted album in Photos app
- Deleting videos using the iPhone’s Settings app
- Performing a factory reset of the iPhone
When you delete a video using the Photos app or Settings, the video is moved to a ‘recently deleted’ album where it stays for 30 days. After 30 days, the video is permanently deleted. Performing a factory reset instantly and permanently deletes all data, including videos.
Does syncing or restoring from a backup affect deleted videos?
If you sync your iPhone with your computer or iCloud account, or restore your device from a backup after deleting videos, this can overwrite the deleted videos making them unrecoverable. This is because syncing and restoring replaces the data on your device with the data from your latest backup. If the backup was done after you deleted the videos, then the backup won’t contain the deleted videos.
Is it possible to recover deleted videos from iPhone after 30 days?
If a video was deleted directly from the Photos app and has been in the ‘recently deleted’ album for over 30 days, then it is very unlikely you’ll be able to recover it. This is because after 30 days, the video is permanently deleted and the storage space it occupied is made available for new data. As new apps and data get stored on the iPhone, that space is overwritten, making the video unrecoverable.
However, if the video was deleted but you did not sync or restore your iPhone from a backup in the 30 days since deletion, then recovery may be possible. This is because the deleted video would still be present in your backup. You can recover it by restoring your phone from that backup. Avoid using your iPhone during this time to prevent overwritten any deleted data.
Can you recover permanently deleted videos if the space wasn’t overwritten?
If a video was permanently deleted more than 30 days ago but the storage space it occupied wasn’t overwritten with new data, then specialized data recovery software may be able to recover it. The software scans the iPhone’s storage for traces of deleted data. If the original video file is still intact and wasn’t corrupted or fragmented, then the software may be able to restore it.
However, the chances of recovery depend on how much free storage space is available on your iPhone. The more storage available, the less likely deleted videos have been overwritten. With newer high capacity iPhones, it’s possible deleted videos from over 30 days ago may still be recoverable.
Can you recover videos if you performed a factory reset?
If you performed a factory reset on your iPhone, then the chances of recovering permanently deleted videos are very slim. A factory reset erases all data on the iPhone and restores it to factory default settings. Unless you had a backup from before the reset, the deleted videos would not be present on any backup.
In the very rare case that a factory reset fails to fully overwrite all data, specialized data recovery software could potentially find traces of deleted videos. But there is no guarantee, as a reset is designed to completely wipe the iPhone. Preventing overwritten data after a reset is extremely difficult.
Best practices to keep recoverable backups of deleted videos
To improve your chances of recovering deleted videos from an iPhone in the future, follow these best practices:
- Back up your iPhone regularly before deleting anything important. Backup to your computer or iCloud.
- Avoid restoring your iPhone from a backup after deleting videos. This overwrites the deletions.
- If you do delete videos, don’t use the iPhone much until you can attempt recovery. This prevents overwritten data.
- Consider an additional backup device like an external hard drive to store backups.
- Use a video recovery app as soon as possible after deleting videos.
Software to recover deleted iPhone videos
If you need to recover deleted videos from your iPhone, these apps can help:
| Software | Key Features |
|---|---|
| iMyFone D-Back | Recovers videos deleted recently or years ago. Allows preview of recoverable videos. Works even after factory reset. |
| iSkysoft Toolbox | Recovers deleted videos, photos, contacts, messages, notes, etc. Scans storage deeply to find deleted files. Easy to use interface. |
| EaseUS MobiSaver | Video recovery along with photos, messages, etc. Preview recoverable data. Filters scan results by file types. |
Can you prevent video deletion?
To avoid accidentally deleting important videos from your iPhone, consider these prevention tips:
- Enable the “Recently Deleted” album in Photos app to keep deletions for 30 days.
- Use iCloud or Google Photos to automatically back up new videos you take.
- Turn on iCloud’s “My Photo Stream” to store last 30 days of photos and videos.
- Disable swipe to delete in your Photos app settings.
- Protect critical videos by keeping them in Albums which you don’t delete.
- Check recently deleted space for unintended video deletions immediately after discovery.
Conclusion
Recovering deleted videos from an iPhone after 30 days is difficult but sometimes possible. The chances depend largely on whether the storage space has been overwritten and if you restored from backup recently. Using data recovery software as soon as possible after deletion offers the best chance. Avoid syncing your iPhone to iCloud or iTunes until attempting to recover the videos. Following best practices of regular backups and deleted album review can help prevent permanent data loss.
