You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Help! I’ve deleted some very precious photos

I’ve bought a new iPhone SE, did a back up on my old phone and then set up my new phone and transferred everything from the old phone to the new one.I then went and deleted over 1000 photos off my old phone (my sons going to use it) thinking that they’d still remain on my new phone but they haven’t. They deleted off both phones, I haven’t got them in my recently deleted folder as I figured I’d clear the space. I’ve just checked my photos and I’m devastated to see that my phone hasn’t got them. Gutted! Please can anyone tell me if and how I can get them back? I have iCloud but have no clue how it works, I’m hoping that they are there but don’t know how to check. Please advise

Posted on Sep 12, 2020 1:23 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 12, 2020 1:33 PM

Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID. It's certainly worth checking to see if they could be there. I doubt they will be as iCloud is a syncing service. When you delete frome one device, you delete from all. But check anyway.

11 replies

Sep 12, 2020 1:41 PM in response to Jess-FMhh

It might also be worth noting that if you were using iCloud Photos on your old phone (which you must have been), those photos are actually not included in the iPhone backup.

What does iCloud back up? - Apple Support


So hopefully they are in the recently deleted area, otherwise they might be gone gone

Delete photos on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

Sep 12, 2020 1:58 PM in response to Jess-FMhh

I'm terribly sorry to hear that.. here is some misc reading you can do to be prepared for next time

Set up and use iCloud Photos - Apple Support

iCloud Deconstructed - Apple Community


If all you have for Apple devices is your iPhone, you may not even want/need to use iCloud photos. It's better for syncing than anything else. (ie you also have an iPad and a MacBook and you want the pictures readily available on all devices). Also can be used to free up space on your iPhone.

So if you would prefer to keep your photos on your iPhone and make it so that your backups do include the photos, you'd want to turn off the switch in Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos.

If you take a bunch of photos and you don't have a large capacity phone, you will eventually run out of space, but there are options. You can look into Google Photos, which I hear actually keeps the photos and lets you delete them from your device. Amazon photos might do the same thing. I'm sure there are other options as well.

You could also transfer photos to a computer and delete from your phone to save space

Transfer photos and videos from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support


If you do continue to use iCloud photos, and you come into the same situation.. Next time turn off iCloud photos on the old phone before deleting the pictures. This should have prevented what happened to you.


Also, just in case this info is helpful to you.. if you are planning to leave your iPhone as is and let your son use it, you should really be creating him an Apple ID and wiping the phone, setting up family sharing.. possible parental controls. Apple IDs were not meant to be shared. A few support articles to review below

Help your child set up an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

How to create a new Apple ID - Apple Support

Set up Family Sharing - Apple Support

Use parental controls on your child's iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support



Sep 12, 2020 1:50 PM in response to Jess-FMhh

Try going to icloud.com , sometimes if you have the right setting turned on it will have uploaded to icloud. You can view the icloud photos saved on this site right in photos which will apear immediately after you sign in. If its not there you will probably have to check and make sure its saved somewhere else or otherwise I cannot help.

Help! I’ve deleted some very precious photos

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.