How to Retrieve Lost Photos: A Comprehensive Guide

Losing precious photos can be devastating. Whether they were accidentally deleted, hidden, or seemingly vanished into thin air, there are several ways to retrieve them. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for recovering lost photos on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, iCloud.com, and Apple Vision Pro.

alt text: A person looking at photos on their iPhone

Check the Recently Deleted Album

Accidentally deleted photos aren’t immediately lost forever. They’re moved to the Recently Deleted album, where they remain for 30 days before being permanently erased. Act quickly to recover them within this timeframe.

Recovering from iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Photos app.
2. Swipe up and tap “Recently Deleted” in the Utilities section.
3. Authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID to access the album.
4. Tap a photo or video, then tap “Recover.” For multiple selections, tap “Select,” choose your items, tap the “More” button, and then tap “Recover.”
5. Confirm the recovery.

Recovering from Mac

1. In macOS Ventura or later, open Photos and select “Recently Deleted” in the Utilities sidebar.
2. Use Touch ID or your password to unlock the album.
3. Click the photo or video you want to recover.
4. Click “Recover.”

Recovering from iCloud.com

1. Sign in to your Apple Account at iCloud.com.
2. Click on “Photos.”
3. Select “Recently Deleted” in the sidebar (if the sidebar isn’t visible, click the “Show Sidebar” button in the top-left corner).
4. Select the photo and click “Recover.”

Recovering from Apple Vision Pro

1. Open the Photos app.
2. Tap “Collections” in the sidebar.
3. Scroll down and tap “Recently Deleted” in the Utilities section.
4. Unlock the album using Optic ID or your passcode.
5. Tap and hold a photo or video, then tap “Recover.” For multiple items, tap “Select,” choose your photos and videos, tap the “More” button in the upper-right corner, and then tap “Recover.”
6. Tap “Recover” to confirm.

Unhiding Hidden Photos

If you’ve hidden photos, they reside in the Hidden album. They might appear missing, but they can be easily unhidden. Ensure the Hidden album is visible in your Photos app settings. Hidden photos sync across devices using iCloud Photos.

Unhiding on iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Photos app.
2. Swipe up and tap “Hidden” in the Utilities section.
3. Use Face ID or Touch ID to unlock the Hidden album.
4. Select the photo or video you want to unhide.
5. Tap the “More” button and then tap “Unhide.”

Unhiding on Mac

1. Open Photos and click “View” in the menu bar, then select “Show Hidden Photo Album.”
2. Select “Hidden” in the sidebar and click “View Album.”
3. Unlock the Hidden album with Touch ID or your password in macOS Ventura or later.
4. Select the photo or video to unhide.
5. Control-click the photo and choose “Unhide Photo.” Alternatively, use “Image > Unhide Photo” from the menu bar or press Command-L.

Unhiding on iCloud.com

1. Sign in to your Apple Account at iCloud.com.
2. Click “Photos.”
3. Select “Hidden” in the sidebar and click “Show Hidden Photos” (if the sidebar is hidden, click the “Show Sidebar” button in the top-left corner).
4. Select the photo, click the “More” button, and then click “Unhide.”

Unhiding on Apple Vision Pro

1. Open Photos and tap “Collections” in the sidebar.
2. Scroll down and tap “Hidden” in the Utilities section.
3. Unlock the album with Optic ID or your passcode.
4. Tap and hold a thumbnail and tap “Unhide.” To unhide multiple items, tap “Select,” choose your photos or videos, tap the “More” button in the upper-right corner, and then tap “Unhide.”

Ensure iCloud Photos is Enabled

iCloud Photos provides a backup of your photos and videos across your devices. Even if you disabled iCloud Photos after taking a picture, it might still be recoverable.

Enabling on iPhone or iPad:

1. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud.
2. Tap “Photos.”
3. Turn on “Sync this [Device].”

Enabling on Mac:

1. Open Photos and choose Photos > Settings (or Preferences) from the menu bar.
2. Click the “iCloud” tab.
3. Select “iCloud Photos.”

Connect to Wi-Fi and allow a few minutes for synchronization after enabling iCloud Photos.

Enabling on Apple Vision Pro:

1. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud.
2. Tap “Photos.”
3. Turn on “Sync this Apple Vision Pro.”

Check Your iCloud Shared Photo Library

With iCloud Shared Photo Library (iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16.1, and later), photos might be located in different library views.

Switching Library Views on iPhone or iPad:

1. Open the Photos app.
2. Tap the profile button in the upper-right corner.
3. Choose “Both Libraries,” “Personal Library,” or “Shared Library.”

Shared Library photos are marked with a specific icon alt text: Personal Library Icon.

Sign in with the Same Apple ID

Consistent use of the same Apple ID across all devices ensures photos and videos stay updated. Verify your Apple ID in Settings, identified by your name and email address. Your email address is your Apple ID. This is crucial for seamless iCloud Photos functionality.