If you have accidentally deleted photos from your iPhone, there are a few different ways you may be able to recover them. The options available depend on if you backed up your iPhone before deleting the photos, how long ago they were deleted, and whether you have iCloud backups enabled.
Check Recently Deleted Album
If you just deleted photos recently, the first place to check is the Recently Deleted album. When you delete photos on an iPhone, they are moved to this album and kept for 30 days before being permanently deleted. Here’s how to find it:
- Open the Photos app
- Scroll down and select Albums
- Scroll to find and open the Recently Deleted album
This album stores deleted photos for up to 30 days. If you find your missing photos here, you can tap to select them and hit Recover to move them back to the Camera Roll or other albums.
Restore from iCloud Backup
If the photos are no longer in Recently Deleted, your best option is to restore them from an iCloud backup taken before you deleted them. iCloud automatically saves daily backups as long as you have iCloud Backup enabled in Settings > Your Name > iCloud > iCloud Backup.
To restore from a backup:
- Go to Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups
- Tap on a backup that was dated before you deleted the photos
- Tap Restore Backup
This will erase your current iPhone contents and restore everything on your device from the iCloud backup you selected. Make sure to choose a backup that was saved before you deleted the photos.
Use iPhone Data Recovery Software
If you don’t have an iCloud backup from before deleting the photos, your last option is to use third party iOS data recovery software. These tools scan your iPhone’s storage and attempt to recover deleted files even if they are no longer in the Recently Deleted album.
Some top data recovery apps for iOS include:
- iMyFone D-Back – Scans and recovers deleted iPhone photos, messages, contacts, notes, etc. from device or iTunes backup.
- Fonelab – Retrieves lost iPhone photos, videos, WhatsApp messages, voicemails, contacts, notes and more.
- iSkysoft iPhone Data Recovery – Extracts 30+ lost file types from iPhone and iTunes/iCloud backups.
To use one of these software tools to find your deleted photos:
- Download and install on a computer
- Connect your iPhone to the computer
- Select the types of data to scan for (photos, messages, etc.)
- Allow the software to scan your device
- Preview and select the photos to recover
- Save the recovered photos to your computer
With data recovery software, you have a chance of getting back deleted photos even months or years later, unless those sectors of the iPhone storage have been overwritten with new data.
Avoid Deleted Photo Issues
To avoid dealing with this issue in the future, here are some tips:
- Enable iCloud Backup – With regular iCloud backups, you’ll always have a way to restore deleted photos.
- Use iCloud Photos – With iCloud Photo Library enabled, your photos are safely stored in the cloud.
- Export Important Photos – Manually export special photos once in awhile to have an extra backup.
- Don’t Rely on Recently Deleted – Don’t think of it as a way to undo deletions. It’s not a permanent backup.
If Photos Were Deleted by Someone Else
If you think someone else intentionally deleted photos from your iPhone without your permission, that is a serious issue. In that case, recovery should be one of your last steps. First, you’ll want to:
- Change your iPhone passcode if the other person knows it.
- Use Find My iPhone to remotely wipe the device if it was stolen.
- Disable iCloud and email access if they got into your accounts.
- Contact law enforcement if it was theft or unauthorized access.
After taking those security precautions, then attempt photo recovery using the methods in this guide. Do not connect your device to any unknown computers, as they could install spyware apps to compromise your phone further.
Recover from iTunes or Finder Backup
In addition to iCloud backups, you may also have backups stored in iTunes (Windows) or Finder (Mac). Connecting your iPhone to a computer and backing up with iTunes used to be the main way to back up an iPhone before iCloud.
If you have any old iTunes or Finder backups stored on your computer, these can also be used to restore deleted photos. The backup contains a copy of the photos that were on your iPhone at the time of the backup.
To restore from local iTunes or Finder backup:
- Connect your iPhone to the computer
- Open iTunes or Finder
- Locate your device and go to Summary > Restore Backup
- Select the backup you want to restore from
This process will wipe your iPhone and restore its contents to the state they were in at the time of the backup. Make sure to choose a backup dated before your photos were deleted.
Prevent Photo Deletion by Others
If you suspect someone else intentionally deleted your photos without permission, make sure to take measures to prevent it from happening again, such as:
- Set a strong iPhone passcode.
- Don’t share your passcode with anyone.
- Set up Face ID or Touch ID so only you can unlock the device.
- Review which apps have access to your photos.
- Enable Find My iPhone with remote wipe ability.
- Log out of iCloud on any shared devices.
Strengthening the security of your iPhone and iCloud account can help prevent unauthorized access that could lead to your photos being deleted or compromised in other ways.
Retrieve from iCloud Website
If you have iCloud Photos enabled, there is one more place you may find deleted photos – on the iCloud website. Here are the steps:
- Go to https://www.icloud.com and log in.
- Go to Photos
- Click Albums > Recently Deleted folder
- Select the photos you want to recover
- Click Recover to move them back to All Photos
This allows you to view and restore recently deleted photos through the iCloud web interface as well. The Recently Deleted folder here works just like on your iPhone, keeping the deleted photos for 30 days.
Contact Apple Support
If you still cannot find the deleted photos using any of these methods, you can contact Apple support for further help recovering your data. Apple has more advanced tools and resources available for troubleshooting.
To contact Apple support, you can:
- Call 1-800-MY-APPLE in the US
- Start a chat session at support.apple.com
- Book an appointment at an Apple store Genius Bar
Be prepared to provide details about when the photos were deleted, what troubleshooting you’ve tried, and whether you have any backups. The support team will then be able to suggest any other recovery options that may be available.
Summary
To summarize, here are the key ways to recover deleted iPhone photos:
- Check the Recently Deleted album
- Restore from an iCloud backup
- Use data recovery software
- Restore from iTunes/Finder backup
- Retrieve photos from iCloud website
- Contact Apple support for help
Act quickly if photos were just deleted, and make sure iCloud backups are always enabled in the future. With the right tools and techniques, you have an excellent chance of getting back photos that were accidentally or intentionally deleted from your iPhone.