Cannot recover deleted PDF with markups from Books on iPad

Question

Level 1

8 points

Cannot recover deleted PDF with markups from Books on iPad

I downloaded a document I was working on as a PDF to my iPad, and opened it in the Books app. I then used the markup tools to highlight and make notes to myself on it.

Stupidly, I thought I was done and didn't need this file anymore, so I deleted it, to avoid mixing it up with other versions on my device. This was just a few days ago.

Now I need it back, specifically with my markups. I cannot find it anywhere. It's not in my recently deleted folder when I opened up my iCloud in a browser. It's not in my Recently Deleted folder in Files. I can't find anything similar to Recently Deleted in the Books app. And most of the advice I see along these lines says "Just go back to the Bookstore and re-download your purchase." Well it wasn't a purchase, it was my own document.

Is there really no way I can get this back? There's no way at all to get back something I removed from the Books app short of re-downloading a purchase???

(Maybe this was dumb of me to mark up a PDF in Books. Doesn't matter now, that ship has sailed.)

This is an iPad running OS 26.5

iPad (10th generation)

Posted on Jul 9, 2026 7:42 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

SpiderMac

Level 4

1,226 points

Jul 9, 2026 7:45 AM in response to kringstrom

You mentioned checking iCloud from a browser, but you might have only looked in the standard iCloud Drive section. Apple has a recovery tool hidden inside the advanced settings.

Log into iCloud.com from a computer (or using desktop mode on your iPad). Click on the square icon grid in the top right to open the menu, then go to Account Settings (or click your profile picture and then iCloud Settings). Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to find the Advanced section. Click on Restore Files.

PDFs synced with the Books app often appear in this specific list of recently deleted files, which is completely separate from the regular "Recently Deleted" folder in iCloud Drive. If you find it there, select it and click Restore.

Reply

Answer 2

picas

Level 7

21,273 points

Jul 9, 2026 4:26 PM in response to kringstrom

Just ignore SpiderMac – Books aren't included at iCloud.com website.

If you backed up to iCloud before deleting the file then restore it from the backup: Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup - Apple Support

Reply

Answer 3

SpiderMac

Level 4

1,226 points

Jul 9, 2026 8:08 AM in response to kringstrom

Try this: go directly to this specific URL: icloud.com/recovery

Log in with your Apple Account. You will immediately see the Restore Files option.

Reply

Answer 4

kringstrom Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 9, 2026 7:57 AM in response to SpiderMac

This sounds so hopeful, but I can't find the Advanced section, either by clicking on my profile picture or the square icon grid. I can get to iCloud Settings but I see nothing like "Advanced". I did this on my (Windows) computer.

Reply

Answer 5

kringstrom Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 9, 2026 8:30 AM in response to SpiderMac

Bizarrely, under "Restore Files" it reads "No Files". Books is set to back up to iCloud, too. It's a mystery

Reply