Accidentally deleting photos on your iPhone can be frustrating, but there are several ways to recover them. Whether you want to restore a single photo or an entire batch, the steps are simple and effective. Your deleted photos aren’t gone forever, and with a few easy steps, you can retrieve them from the Recently Deleted album.
Many users find relief in knowing their photos are kept for around 30 days before being permanently deleted. This allows you ample time to recover any precious memories lost in a mistake. To start, open the Photos app, navigate to the Recently Deleted album, and select the photos you wish to restore.
If your photos have been deleted for over 30 days, other methods like iCloud backups can help. By restoring your iPhone to a previous backup, you can bring back deleted images that were saved in your previous states. This ensures that even older photos can potentially be recovered if needed.
1. Check the Recently Deleted Album
When you delete a photo, it goes into the Recently Deleted album for 30 days before being permanently removed.
Steps:
- Open the Photos app.
- Go to the Albums tab → scroll down to Recently Deleted.
- Unlock with Face ID/Touch ID if prompted.
- Select the photo(s) → tap Recover.
👉 Best for: Photos deleted within the last 30 days.
(Source: Apple Support)
2. Restore from an iCloud Backup
If the photo is no longer in Recently Deleted, you may be able to restore it from an older backup.
Steps:
- Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings.
- Set up your iPhone again and choose Restore from iCloud Backup.
- Select a backup made before the photo was deleted.
⚠️ Warning: This erases your current data and replaces it with the backup.
👉 Best for: Photos deleted more than 30 days ago, if you regularly back up to iCloud.
3. Restore from a Computer Backup (iTunes/Finder)
If you back up your iPhone to a Mac or PC, you can restore from there.
Steps:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer.
- Open Finder (macOS Catalina or later) or iTunes (older macOS/Windows).
- Select your device → choose Restore Backup.
- Pick a backup from before deletion.
👉 Best for: Users who back up locally to a computer.
4. Use iCloud Photos
If you have iCloud Photos enabled, deleted photos may still be recoverable from iCloud.com.
Steps:
- Go to iCloud.com and sign in.
- Open the Photos app.
- Check the Recently Deleted folder.
- Select and recover photos if available.
👉 Best for: Users with iCloud Photos turned on.
5. Try Third‑Party Recovery Tools
If none of the above work, third‑party iOS recovery software may help. Popular tools include:
- iMazing
- Dr.Fone – Data Recovery
- iMobie PhoneRescue
These scan your device or backups for recoverable data.
⚠️ Results vary, and full recovery isn’t guaranteed.
6. Prevent Future Data Loss
- Enable iCloud Photos for automatic syncing.
- Regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud or a computer.
- Use Google Photos or another cloud service for extra redundancy.
✅ Bottom line:
- Within 30 days → check Recently Deleted.
- Older than 30 days → restore from iCloud/computer backup.
- No backup → try third‑party recovery, but success isn’t certain.
Key Takeaways
- Deleted photos are stored for about 30 days before permanent removal.
- The Recently Deleted album is the first place to check for lost photos.
- iCloud backups can restore photos deleted more than 30 days ago.
Understanding iPhone Photo Deletion and Recovery
iPhone 13 users may sometimes accidentally delete photos. Fortunately, there are several ways to recover these deleted photos using the built-in features and third-party tools.
The Basics of Photo Deletion on iPhone
When a photo is deleted on an iPhone, it first goes to the Recently Deleted folder. This folder keeps the deleted photos for 30 days. After this period, the photos are permanently deleted. This temporary holding period helps prevent accidental data loss.
Deleted photos can still be easily recovered before the 30-day window ends. Users need to open the Photos app and navigate to the Albums tab to find the Recently Deleted folder. From there, they can select the photos they want to restore.
Native Solutions for Recovering Deleted Photos
The native Photos app on the iPhone provides a simple way to recover deleted photos. Users just need to:
- Open the Photos app.
- Go to the Albums tab.
- Open the Recently Deleted folder.
- Select the photos to recover.
- Tap Recover.
This process brings the photos back to the main library. It’s quick and requires no special software.
Utilizing iCloud and iTunes for Data Retrieval
iCloud Backup: Users can restore photos from an iCloud backup if the photos were backed up before deletion. This involves:
- Going to Settings.
- Tapping on Apple ID then iCloud.
- Choosing Restore from iCloud Backup.
iTunes Backup: If an iTunes backup was made, users can restore their iPhone to recover photos:
- Connect the iPhone to a Mac or Windows PC with iTunes.
- Select the iPhone in iTunes.
- Click Restore Backup.
Both methods will replace all current data with the backup data.
Leveraging Third-Party Tools and Services
Several third-party software solutions can help recover deleted photos. These tools often provide deeper scans and more recovery options than native solutions. Notable ones include:
- Dr.Fone: This tool works with both Mac and Windows PC. It can recover photos even from a damaged iPhone.
- MyRecover Assistant for iOS: To use this tool, download it on your computer, connect your iPhone, and follow the instructions to scan and recover photos.
These tools come with step-by-step guides and user-friendly interfaces, making the recovery process straightforward.
