How to: Recovering lost files after signing out of iCloud

If you are using an SSD, then it is hard to say whether a data recovery app will be able to find anything. I can say if the Trash is emptied, then any files which were in the Trash will be permanently destroyed due to how SSDs work. If some other process triggered a deletion event which bypassed the Trash (very possible), then those files are most likely gone. The only real hope is that there is some sort of file system issue which has lost those files...it is a slim hope.

When performing data recovery, you need to stop using the drive with the missing data or you risk overwriting the data or otherwise destroying it. Two options are to install & boot macOS from an external USB drive where you run a data recovery app to attempt to locate the missing items. Or you can put this Mac into Target Disk Mode so you can connect it to another Mac so it shows up as an external drive. It is best if the OS on the host Mac is the same or newer than the OS on the Mac in Target Disk Mode as it makes things much easier due to the multiple APFS volumes utilized by macOS 10.15+. Older versions of macOS as far back as macOS 10.13 can read the APFS volumes used by macOS 10.15+, but you may need to manually mount the volume or locate its mount point under "/Volumes".

Before you can boot to an external USB drive on a 2018+ Mac, you will first need to modify the Mac's security settings to allow for booting from external USB drives if you elect to choose that option.

About Startup Security Utility on a Mac with the Apple T2 Security Chip - Apple Support

There are a bunch of data recovery apps available such as Data Rescue, Disk Drill, and Stellar (I've only used a very old version of Data Rescue many many years ago).

You can also contact a professional data recovery service such as Drive Savers and get a free estimate. They are recommended by Apple and other OEMs.

JBirm21 Said:

"How to: Recovering lost files after signing out of iCloud: I was having some issues with continuity camera and one of the suggested fixes was to sign out of my Apple ID on my Macbook and my iPhone and then sign back in.[...]"

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Are these not on your Mac? Did you format your Mac? If so, then they would be gone. If not, then look elsewhere --all locations on the Mac. If iCloud Photos was not enabled, then they would lay in the Photos app.

JBirm21 Said:

"How to: Recovering lost files after signing out of iCloud: I signed out of my Apple ID and signed back in a moment later and they are just gone.”

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Double-Check ICloud:

Have any other devices that are synced to the same account? If so, enable iCloud Drive and see if they all pop up when signing in. You can also look directly on iCloud at:

• https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive

• http://icloud.com/photos

JBirm21 Said:

"How to: Recovering lost files after signing out of iCloud: I signed out of my Apple ID and signed back in a moment later and they are just gone.”

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A Common Reply of Mine

Troubleshooting Lost Photos:

See if anything here helps…

Go Here: Transfer Photos and Videos from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac or PC - Apple Support



Troubleshooting Lost Photos and Videos:

Loss of data is something you would have agreed to upon opening an Apple Account. So, if the following does not work, then they are gone. That's just the way it is :(

Four Tactics to Try:

A. Start here: If you're Missing Photos or Videos in the Photos app - Apple Support

B. Check iCloud, Directly:

For Photos: Go here, and see if they reside in iCloud: https://www.icloud.com/photos

C. Restore your iPhone from a Backup:

Have any backups of this iPhone prior to this occurrence? If so, restore your iPhone from one that has these photos (the most recent backup, ideally). If not, then take this as a learning experience, knowing to always back up your device for recovery purposes. Important: Back up you iPhone prior to performing this restoration, should anything go wrong from here on out.

D. Where Else to Check:

1. PC
2. PDA
3. eMail
4. Mac Device
5. Cloud Storage
6. Android Phone
7. USB Flash Drive
8. External Hard drive
9. Secure Digital Card
10. Compact Flash Card

JBirm21 Said:

"I understand that they're gone from the most basic parts of the computer. What I am trying to figure out is if there are any sort of data recovery tricks/tips/hacks that anyone has to get into the "guts" of the Macbook to pull them back out."

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Searching for Particular Items:

Apple would never left you did into the "guts" for your Mac (every single file). So, use Spotlight Search. Go here: Search with Spotlight on Mac - Apple Support

Looking for jpg fils:

1. Hold Down: command key
2. Press: spacebar
3. Type: the extension with a dot in front of it.

Screenshot: