Accidentally deleting precious photos is a common digital mishap. If you’re using iCloud Photos, you might be wondering how to retrieve those lost memories. iCloud Photos automatically syncs your photo library across all your Apple devices, meaning deletions are also reflected everywhere. Thankfully, Apple provides a safety net: the “Recently Deleted” album. This feature allows you to recover photos and videos you’ve deleted within the last 30 days across iCloud.com, iPhones, and Macs. Let’s explore how to check for and recover your deleted photos on each platform.
Recovering Photos from iCloud.com
If you’re using a computer or any non-Apple device, iCloud.com is your go-to for recovering deleted photos. Here’s how:
- Navigate to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID and password.
- Once logged in, open the “Photos” app.
- In the Photos app on iCloud.com, locate and click the “Recently Deleted” album in the sidebar. If you don’t see the sidebar immediately, look for a sidebar icon to reveal it.
- Browse through the deleted photos and videos.
- To recover specific items, select the photos or videos you wish to restore. You can select multiple items by clicking on each.
- After selecting your desired photos, click the “Recover” button. The recovered photos will be restored to your main iCloud Photos library and will reappear on all your connected devices.
Recovering Photos on Your iPhone
For iPhone users, recovering deleted photos is straightforward directly from your device. Follow these steps:
- Open the “Photos” app on your iPhone.
- Tap the “Albums” tab located at the bottom of the screen.
- Scroll down to the “Utilities” section and tap on the “Recently Deleted” album.
- For security, especially on devices with iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, or later, you may need to use Face ID or Touch ID to unlock the “Recently Deleted” album.
- Once inside the album, tap “Select” in the top right corner.
- Choose the specific photos or videos you want to recover by tapping on them. Alternatively, if you want to restore everything, you can usually find a “Recover All” option.
- Tap “Recover” at the bottom of the screen and then confirm by tapping “Recover Photo” to finalize the recovery. Your photos will be returned to your main photo library.
Restoring Recently Deleted Items in Photos on Mac
Mac users can also easily recover deleted photos through the Photos application. Here’s how:
- Open the “Photos” app on your Mac.
- In the sidebar of the Photos app, find and click on “Recently Deleted”. You might need to scroll down to see it.
- If the “Recently Deleted” album is locked, you’ll be prompted to use Touch ID or enter your password to unlock it for privacy reasons.
- Review the deleted items.
- Select the photos and videos you want to restore. You can select multiple items.
Recovering deleted photos on Mac: Access the Recently Deleted album in the Photos app sidebar.
- Click the “Recover” button located in the top right corner. The selected photos will be restored to your Photos library on your Mac and across your iCloud Photos.
It’s important to remember that photos and videos in the “Recently Deleted” album are only kept for 30 days. After this period, they are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered from the album. For long-term data safety, consider regularly backing up your entire photo library using Time Machine for Mac or other backup solutions.
These simple steps ensure that you can easily check and recover your deleted photos, giving you peace of mind knowing that accidental deletions don’t have to be permanent.
This information is based on resources from Apple Support:
