iCloud provides cloud storage and syncing services for Apple devices. When you delete a file or photo from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, it may be retained in a “Recently Deleted” folder on iCloud for a period of time before being permanently erased.
Can you recover recently deleted photos from iCloud?
Yes, you can recover recently deleted photos from iCloud for up to 40 days after deletion. When you delete a photo from your iPhone or iPad, it goes into the Recently Deleted album in iCloud Photos. The deleted photos remain there for 40 days before being permanently deleted.
To recover recently deleted photos from iCloud:
- Open the Photos app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac
- Go to the Albums tab and locate the Recently Deleted album
- Select the photos you want to recover
- Click Recover to restore the photos back to your iCloud Photos library
This allows you to recover photos that may have been accidentally or unintentionally deleted for up to 40 days.
Can you recover recently deleted files from iCloud Drive?
Unfortunately, there is no “Recently Deleted” folder for iCloud Drive like there is for Photos. When you delete a file from iCloud Drive, it is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered through iCloud.
However, if you have a Mac computer there are a couple of options to recover deleted iCloud Drive files:
- Restore from a Time Machine backup – If you have Time Machine backups enabled, you may be able to restore the deleted file from an earlier backup.
- Use data recovery software – Software like Disk Drill can scan your Mac’s hard drive and recover deleted files from iCloud Drive, so long as they haven’t been overwritten.
But if you don’t have a backup or recovery software, there is no built-in option to retrieve deleted iCloud Drive files through iCloud itself.
Can you see and recover recently deleted notes from iCloud?
Unfortunately there is no “Recently Deleted” folder for Notes in iCloud. When you permanently delete a note from the Notes app on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or iCloud.com, it is permanently erased and cannot be recovered through iCloud.
However, on a Mac you may be able to recover deleted notes using data recovery software to scan and retrieve notes that have not been overwritten. Or if you have a Time Machine backup, you can restore deleted notes from an earlier backup.
But unlike Photos, there is no way to recover deleted Notes directly from iCloud. So make sure to have backups or exported copies of important notes.
Can you recover recently deleted contacts from iCloud?
There is no “Recently Deleted” section for contacts synced to iCloud. If you permanently delete a contact from your iPhone, iPad or Mac, it is erased completely from iCloud.
However, you may be able to recover deleted contacts by:
- Restoring from a Time Machine backup on a Mac
- Using data recovery software to find contacts that have not been overwritten
- Viewing backups of your contacts in iCloud at icloud.com
- Syncing the contact again if it exists on another synced device
But there is no built-in Recently Deleted feature for contacts in iCloud. Be very careful when deleting contacts, as they can be difficult to recover if you don’t have a backup.
Can you recover recently deleted calendar events from iCloud?
Unfortunately, there is no Recently Deleted folder for Calendar events synced via iCloud. If you permanently delete an event from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or iCloud.com, it is removed entirely from iCloud with no way to directly recover it.
However, you do have a couple options to retrieve deleted events:
- If you have a Time Machine backup on your Mac, you may be able to restore the deleted event from a previous backup.
- On a Mac, data recovery software can potentially find the deleted event and restore it if it hasn’t been overwritten.
- If the event still exists on another synced iOS device, it will sync back and be restored.
Otherwise, there is no built-in ability to recover events deleted from iCloud Calendar itself. Make sure to export important calendar data for backup.
Can you see recently deleted reminders in iCloud?
No, there is no Recently Deleted folder for Reminders synced via iCloud. If you permanently delete a reminder from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or iCloud.com, it is completely erased from your iCloud Reminders account.
The only way to recover deleted Reminders is if you have a backup:
- You can restore Reminders from a Time Machine backup on a Mac
- Third-party data recovery software may be able to recover deleted Reminders
- A deleted Reminder may sync back if it still exists on another synced device
But once a Reminder is deleted from all synced devices, there is no way to retrieve it directly from iCloud.
Can you recover recently deleted voice memos from iCloud?
No, there is no Recently Deleted option for voice memos stored in iCloud. If you permanently delete a voice memo from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or iCloud account, it is gone for good with no way to recover it directly through iCloud.
Your only option is to try to restore voice memos from a backup:
- You may be able to recover deleted voice memos from a Time Machine backup on a Mac
- Third-party data recovery tools could potentially find deleted voice memos not yet overwritten
- If the memo still exists on another synced device, it will be restored
But once deleted from all devices, voice memos are permanently erased from iCloud itself. Make sure to back up important voice recordings.
Can you recover recently deleted texts/iMessages from iCloud?
Unfortunately no, iCloud does not retain recently deleted texts or iMessages. If you permanently delete a text or iMessage conversation on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, it is erased completely from your iCloud account.
You cannot directly recover deleted texts/iMessages from iCloud. Your only option is through a backup:
- On a Mac, you may be able to restore deleted texts from a Time Machine backup
- Third-party iOS data recovery tools can potentially recover deleted messages not overwritten
- If the conversation still exists on another device, it can be synced and restored
But once deleted from all devices, texts and iMessages are permanently erased from iCloud itself. Make sure to back up important message conversations.
Can you see recently deleted apps from iCloud?
No, there is no way to see or recover recently deleted apps purchased from the App Store and synced via iCloud. When you delete an app from one of your devices signed into your iCloud account, it is permanently erased from your iCloud data.
The only way to restore a deleted app is to redownload it from the App Store on one of your devices. But there is no Recently Deleted section that retains unsynced app data after deletion from all devices.
Can you recover recently deleted bookmarks from iCloud?
Unfortunately, there is no Recently Deleted folder for bookmarks synced to iCloud via Safari or Chrome. If you permanently delete a bookmark on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, it is removed entirely from iCloud.
Your only option to recover deleted bookmarks is through a backup:
- You may be able to restore bookmarks from a Time Machine backup on a Mac
- Third-party iOS data recovery software could potentially retrieve deleted bookmarks not overwritten
- Bookmarks may be synced back if still present on another device
But once deleted from all devices, bookmarks are permanently erased from iCloud itself. Make sure to regularly export your bookmark data.
Can you recover recently deleted Safari history from iCloud?
No, there is no way to recover your recently deleted Safari browsing history from iCloud. When you clear your Safari history on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, it removes that data completely from your iCloud account.
You cannot directly restore recently deleted browsing history from iCloud. Your only options are:
- On a Mac, restore history from a Time Machine backup
- Use third-party iOS data recovery tools to find history not yet overwritten
- History may sync back if still present on another device
But once removed from all devices, your Safari browsing history is permanently deleted from iCloud itself.
Can you recover recently deleted notes from iCloud on iPhone/iPad?
Unfortunately no, there is no Recently Deleted folder for Notes in iCloud. When you permanently delete a note from the Notes app on your iPhone or iPad, it is completely erased from your iCloud account.
On an iPhone or iPad, your only way to try to recover deleted notes is:
- Use a third-party iOS data recovery app to retrieve notes not yet overwritten
- Notes may be restored if still present on another synced device
But once deleted from all devices, notes are permanently removed from iCloud itself. Make sure to back up your important iPhone and iPad notes regularly.
Can you see recently deleted files from iCloud on Mac?
There is no built-in Recently Deleted folder for iCloud Drive files on a Mac. When you delete an iCloud Drive file on your Mac, it is permanently erased from iCloud.
However, you do have a couple options to recover deleted files on a Mac:
- Restore from a Time Machine backup
- Use third-party Mac data recovery software to retrieve deleted files not yet overwritten
- A deleted file may sync back if it still exists in iCloud Drive on another device
So while you can’t directly see or recover deleted files from iCloud itself on a Mac, backup solutions like Time Machine give you some recovery options.
Can you view recently deleted photos from iCloud on the web?
Yes, you can see and recover recently deleted photos from iCloud for up to 40 days through the iCloud Photos web interface at iCloud.com.
To view deleted photos online:
- Go to iCloud.com and log into your account
- Open the Photos app
- Go to the Albums view
- Scroll down and click on the Recently Deleted album
Here you can see all photos recently deleted from your devices over the last 40 days. You can select any photos you want to recover and click Restore to move them back to your Photos library.
So while many iCloud data types do not have Recently Deleted recovery, photos deleted from iCloud can be restored via the iCloud Photos web app.
Conclusion
To summarize, while iCloud does retain deleted photos in the Recently Deleted folder for up to 40 days, most other data like contacts, calendars, reminders, notes, and documents do not have this safety net when deleted. They are permanently erased.
Your only way to recover most deleted iCloud data is through backups like Time Machine, or with third party software and tools. Be very careful when permanently deleting anything from your iCloud account and ensure proper backups are in place for critical data.
