missmemily
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Q: PhoneClean deleted my photos, how do I get them back?

I'm sorry if this is the wrong community, I wasn't sure where to post. I used iMobie's PhoneClean to free up some space on my phone. Unfortunately, instead of clearing out cached data and useless information, it deleted over half of my photos. I didn't notice until about a week later and since then I have backed up my phone to my computer (no iCloud backup as I have run out of space). I tried the restore option in PhoneClean and it ended up crashing my phone. Upon trying again today, the previous backup I wanted to use is gone from the application. Is there a way to restore my iPhone 5s in iTunes from an older backup and maybe get my deleted photos back?

iPhone 5s, iOS 9.2

Posted on Dec 30, 2015 12:06 PM

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missmemily

Q: PhoneClean deleted my photos, how do I get them back?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by AJ397,

    AJ397 AJ397 Dec 30, 2015 12:12 PM in response to missmemily
    Level 5 (6,416 points)
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    Dec 30, 2015 12:12 PM in response to missmemily

    When you plug it in to iTunes it should say when it was last backed up to that computer. Since the last backup was after the deleted photos restoring to a backup would not restore them. If you imported the photos to your computer you could sync them back to the phone.  Doing a restore to backup, will erase anything new on the device that has not been backed up. -AJ

     

    I would also recommend deleting PhoneClean and never reinstalling it.

  • by missmemily,

    missmemily missmemily Dec 30, 2015 12:13 PM in response to AJ397
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 30, 2015 12:13 PM in response to AJ397

    That's my problem, I didn't realize the photos were gone at first and have since done at least 2 backups. I did a couple because I didn't want to lose my new things but now I don't know what to do. And yes I plan to delete it.

  • by Ingo2711,

    Ingo2711 Ingo2711 Dec 30, 2015 12:59 PM in response to missmemily
    Level 7 (25,977 points)
    iPhone
    Dec 30, 2015 12:59 PM in response to missmemily

    You could check iTunes/Edit/Preferences/Devices and check for any backups listed from the time your problem started.

    If there is only one listed, your data is gone, as already explained, backups that have not been used to restore a phone will be overwritten.

    If you are lucky and there is an old backup listed that might at least have some photos, transfer the photos you have on your phone to the computer and restore from that backup later. After that you can transfer the old photos to your computer and use the latest backup to restore back to the status you have now.

  • by AJ397,

    AJ397 AJ397 Dec 30, 2015 1:03 PM in response to missmemily
    Level 5 (6,416 points)
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    Dec 30, 2015 1:03 PM in response to missmemily

    Is this App in the Apple App Store? I was not able to locate it.

  • by Ingo2711,

    Ingo2711 Ingo2711 Dec 30, 2015 1:18 PM in response to AJ397
    Level 7 (25,977 points)
    iPhone
    Dec 30, 2015 1:18 PM in response to AJ397

    You'll have to install it on your computer. Since iTunes is supposed to sync with the phone, this might result in complications when you transfer data.

  • by IdrisSeabright,

    IdrisSeabright IdrisSeabright Dec 30, 2015 1:25 PM in response to AJ397
    Level 9 (59,714 points)
    iPhone
    Dec 30, 2015 1:25 PM in response to AJ397

    AJ397 wrote:

     

    Is this App in the Apple App Store? I was not able to locate it.

    I believe it's an application you run on your computer.

  • by AJ397,

    AJ397 AJ397 Dec 30, 2015 1:26 PM in response to IdrisSeabright
    Level 5 (6,416 points)
    Accessibility
    Dec 30, 2015 1:26 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

    Meg St._Clair wrote:

     

    AJ397 wrote:

     

    Is this App in the Apple App Store? I was not able to locate it.

    I believe it's an application you run on your computer.

    Oh. Thanks for the clarification.

  • by IdrisSeabright,

    IdrisSeabright IdrisSeabright Dec 30, 2015 1:30 PM in response to AJ397
    Level 9 (59,714 points)
    iPhone
    Dec 30, 2015 1:30 PM in response to AJ397

    They have a very attractive website.....

  • by Ingo2711,

    Ingo2711 Ingo2711 Dec 30, 2015 1:41 PM in response to IdrisSeabright
    Level 7 (25,977 points)
    iPhone
    Dec 30, 2015 1:41 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

    From that attractive website:

    More Free Space.More Fun

    Yes, what else is there to wish for

  • by missmemily,

    missmemily missmemily Dec 30, 2015 3:18 PM in response to Ingo2711
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 30, 2015 3:18 PM in response to Ingo2711

    Is there anything I can do with the backup files saved to my computer from earlier dates? I've located what I think is the backup from earlier this month but don't know what to do with it.

  • by Ingo2711,

    Ingo2711 Ingo2711 Dec 31, 2015 2:38 AM in response to missmemily
    Level 7 (25,977 points)
    iPhone
    Dec 31, 2015 2:38 AM in response to missmemily

    If you have found an older backup and there is a chance that it contains the lost photos, use this backup to restore from.

    iTunes

    1. Connect your device to the computer that you stored your backup on.
    2. Open iTunes. If iTunes tells you there's an iOS update, get the latest version.
    3. Go to File > Devices > Restore from Backup. If you're using Windows and don’t see a File menu, press the Alt key.
    4. Look at the date and size of each backup and pick the most relevant.
    5. Click restore and wait for the process to finish. Your device will restart and then sync with your computer. Stay connected until the sync finishes.

    Get help with this process, or read about encrypted backups.

    Remember, that all settings and data will be set back to that point in time when the backup had been taken. Transfer the photos you have on the phone at the moment to your computer before you start. This article explains how to do that. Depending on your Windows version, there is a program called "camera wizard" to do that, or Windows will recognize your phone as a camera and give your the option to import the photos.

    Import photos and videos from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your computer - Apple Support

     

    If you have restored the phone from the old backup you found, do the same again, to get the rest of the missing photos.

     

    Finally you can restore from the most recent backup again, if your some data like contact or calendar info is not complete.