Retrieving deleted photos after being deleted from recently deleted

I was clearing up some space in my phone and deleting multiple pictures. Without realizing I deleted some important pictures. Before I realized that they were selected I deleted everything from recently deleted as well. I’m just wondering if there’s any way to retrieve these from iCloud or anything?

Posted on Aug 8, 2023 7:05 AM

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Posted on Jul 19, 2024 6:18 PM

-noskcaj wrote:

Then what do you do on the computer to retrieve them from the older iCloud? And would you find an older iCloud on an older device or where would you find the old iCloud?


Catfan1765 is not saying that you get to access an "older iCloud" – that you get to roll Apple's servers back to whatever was stored on them a month ago (or whatever).


But if

  • You had copies of the photos in iCloud Photos stored on your computer, and
  • You have backups of your Mac as of what it looked like some time ago

then you might be able to pull photos out of those local backups to put back into your Photos Library.


You would probably have to be careful not to mess up the current Photos Library in the process.


Note that:

  • If you were using "Optimize Mac Storage" and your Mac was running low on space, it might not have had full-size local copies of all of the photos in your iCloud Photo Library. In that case your backups might have only reduced-size / reduced-quality versions of some photos, so that would be the most that you could get back.
  • For the backups to contain copies of your local photos, as they existed before the catastrophe, the backups would have to be either versioned (e.g., Time Machine backups) or old (made before the catastrophe). If you had a backup that was just a clone of your system at some time AFTER the catastrophe, that backup wouldn't contain your photos and there would be no retrieving photos from it.
80 replies

Aug 8, 2023 7:18 AM in response to KSKYE

Read this support article for full information --> Delete photos on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

- "If you want to permanently delete your photos or videos, you can remove them from the Recently Deleted album. When you delete a photo from this album, you can't get it back."


If you were storing photos on a computer that are not in a library connected to iCloud, you can see if there is a copy there. If you emailed a photo to somebody you may have a copy in your sent email.

Dec 20, 2024 8:52 AM in response to KSKYE

This issue happened to me last month and I couldn't access my phone for 4 days. Long story short: I have learned to backup on my iPhone often, use other backup services just in case, use harddrives, and to have trusted contacts who use iOS devices for account recovery. Also, write down important passwords, phone numbers, and your Apple password and email in a safe place.

Feb 16, 2025 5:36 AM in response to T26qegy

T26qegy wrote:

I need you to answer me


This is not a real-time chat. Nor is it a hotline to Apple.


Posting an off-topic to a thread, then making additional posts to "bump" the thread twice, within the space of two or three minutes (as shown by timestamps), is not helpful.


However,

  • If you deleted a photo that was "loose" in the filesystem (not kept within any photo application's database), see if it is in the Trash. The Trash is Finder's "safety net", similar to the "Recently Deleted" album in Photos.
  • If the photo is there, you can drag it out of the Trash to save it.
  • If the photo is not there, because you emptied the Trash, that implies that you emptied the Trash despite getting a warning that your data would be permanently deleted, and that you would not be able to get it back.

Feb 26, 2025 10:48 AM in response to MrOlsen4

If you use iCloud Photos, go to Settings > [name on top], and scroll to the bottom to see the other devices signed into your account. Any one using those devices can delete photos in iCloud and will be removed from your phone.

Change your Apple Account password - Apple Support


If someone knows the Passcode to your phone, of course they can delete your photos too.

Set a passcode on iPhone - Apple Support

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Retrieving deleted photos after being deleted from recently deleted

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