Quick Answers
There are a few common reasons files may go missing from your iPhone:
- You deleted the files accidentally
- The files were synced with iCloud but have not downloaded yet
- Your iPhone storage is full so files cannot be saved
- There is a software bug or glitch causing files to disappear
The good news is that even if you can’t find a file on your iPhone, it may not be lost forever. Here are some tips to help locate and recover missing files on an iPhone:
Check Recently Deleted Folder
When you delete photos, contacts, messages or other data on your iPhone, they don’t disappear right away. Deleted items go into a Recently Deleted folder where they stay for 30 days before being permanently erased. So your missing files might still be in the Recently Deleted folder.
To access it, open the app where the file should be such as Photos, Notes, Voice Memos etc. Then scroll down and look for the Recently Deleted section. If your lost file is there, tap to open it then tap Recover to restore it back to the main app interface.
This folder expires and empties itself automatically after 30 days though. So if you notice a file is missing, check the Recently Deleted folder sooner rather than later.
Search iPhone Storage
Use the iPhone’s built-in search feature to look for a missing file by its name or keyword. Swipe down from the middle of any Home screen to access Search. Type in a relevant keyword for the file and see if it surfaces a result.
This works for finding photos, videos, notes, contacts, emails and more. Just be as specific as possible when entering search terms.
Check Other Apps or Folders
Files sometimes end up saved in an unexpected app or location. For example, you might find a missing photo in your Notes or Files app rather than the Photos app.
Or if you were browsing in Safari but didn’t intentionally save anything, check the Downloads folder to see if an image was saved there.
Think about which apps you were using around the time the file disappeared. Even if you didn’t save it yourself, an app may have autosaved a file somewhere you don’t expect. Poke around all your apps and folders to double check.
Restore from iCloud Backup
If your missing iPhone files were synced to iCloud but have not yet downloaded to your device, you may be able to restore them from an iCloud backup.
Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups. Select the desired backup then tap Restore. This will erase your current device data and replace it with the iCloud backup data.
So only use this method if you cannot locate the missing files any other way. And be sure you have a recent enough iCloud backup that would include the lost files.
Restore from iTunes or Finder
Similarly, you can restore from a backup of your iPhone data on iTunes or Finder. This also wipes your device and replaces its data with the backup.
Connect your iPhone to a computer with iTunes (Windows) or Finder (Mac). Select your device, go to Summary then select Restore Backup. Choose the backup with your missing files and let the restore complete.
Again, this erases your current iPhone data so only use as a last resort. And the backup must be recent enough to contain the files when they were still present.
Check iPhone Storage
If your iPhone is low on storage space, that can cause files to go missing. When your storage is full, new files cannot save properly. Plus older files may be automatically deleted to make space.
Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see your available space. If it’s lower than about 10% free, your storage is likely full.
To free up space:
- Delete apps you no longer use
- Offload unused apps which keeps documents/data
- Manage and delete old conversations in Messages
- Delete or upload old photos and videos
- Delete cached data and websites from Safari
- Turn on iCloud Photos to offload images
- Stream music via Apple Music or Spotify instead of storing songs locally
Clearing even a few GB of space can help prevent files from mysteriously disappearing on your iPhone.
Update iOS Software
Sometimes an iOS bug or glitch results in files vanishing unexpectedly. Updating your iPhone to the latest iOS version may solve the issue.
Go to Settings > General > Software Update to see if any updates are available. Install the newest iOS update and then check if your missing files have reappeared.
Updating your apps can also help, as their previous version could have been buggy. Go to the App Store > Updates and install any available app updates too.
Factory Reset as Last Resort
If all else fails, a factory reset will wipe your iPhone data clean and may help restore mysteriously missing files.
Note that you will lose all unsaved data in the process. So if you go this route:
- Fully back up your iPhone data first via iCloud or iTunes/Finder.
- Then go to Settings > General > Reset and choose Erase All Content and Settings.
- Set up your iPhone as new after the reset completes.
- Finally restore your data from the backup you made.
This essentially gives you a clean slate and may resolve any software issues that caused file disappearance. But again, only reset as a last ditch effort after trying all other options.
Prevent Future File Disappearance
To avoid having this issue again in the future:
- Backup your iPhone regularly via iCloud or iTunes/Finder.
- Maintain at least 10% free space on your device.
- Update to the latest iOS versions.
- Don’t fully delete files unless you are sure you won’t need them.
- Use iCloud Photos to sync your camera roll online.
- Check Soon Deleted folders if you can’t find a file.
Following best practices for iPhone file management will minimize the chances of important documents and data going missing from your device unexpectedly.
Recover Lost Files with Data Recovery Software
If your files have been permanently deleted from iPhone and you don’t have a backup, third party iOS data recovery software offers one last option to try and get them back.
These programs connect to your iPhone and scan its raw storage for recoverable data, even if you can no longer see the files in iOS itself.
Some top data recovery apps include:
| Software | Features |
| FoneDog Toolkit | Recovers 20+ file types from iOS or iTunes backup. |
| iMyFone D-Back | Scans iPhone storage for deleted data. |
| EaseUS MobiSaver | Free trial version available. |
Just don’t save any new files to your iPhone or overwrite existing data, as this makes recovery much harder. And opt for a free trial where available to test if the software can find your missing files before paying.
With luck, data recovery should help salvage any lost photos, documents or other irreplaceable iPhone files – giving you peace of mind even if something goes mysteriously missing from your device again down the road.
Conclusion
It can be alarming when important files seem to disappear without a trace from your iPhone. But in many cases the data is still there somewhere – you just need to know where and how to find it again.
First exhaust simpler options like checking the Recently Deleted folder, using Search, or poking around in less obvious apps. Restoring from a backup should work if you’re synced to iCloud or iTunes. And clearing out storage space can enable missing files to become accessible again on your device.
Updating your software, resetting the iPhone entirely, or employing data recovery tools are more advanced solutions to resurrect vanished data. The key is not to panic or overwrite the device’s storage before trying multiple retrieval tactics.
With consistent backups and sufficient free space, you can minimize files ever going astray to begin with. But even if something does disappear mysteriously someday, hope is not lost. Just tap into iPhone’s built-in recovery features or turn to specialized data recovery software and there’s a very good chance your files can be found.