How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files on iPhone [NEW!]

It is quite a common phenomenon that you may lose some valuable files on an iPhone due to various kinds of reasons like accidental deletion, a failed new iOS update, device crash, jailbreaking failure, etc. Data loss on iPhone can drive you crazy if you have no idea how to recover deleted files on iPhone. But you don’t need to worry about it too much because there is always a practical method that can help you get back the deleted files on your iPhone.

In this guide, we will offer you several workarounds on how to recover permanently deleted files on iPhone. Normally, you can recover permanently deleted files on iPhone from iCloud or iTunes. Besides, we will also introduce a way to recover permanently deleted files on iPhone without backup. Check them out now!

How to Recover Deleted Files on iPhone without Backup [Safe & Easy]

To safely recover deleted files from iPhone without backup, you need to take the aid of some iPhone data recovery tool, which makes it possible for you to directly recover them from your iPhone even if you haven’t backed up data before. Among the most useful iPhone data recovery tools, PhoneRescue for iOS is just the exact one. 

PhoneRescue for iOS – iPhone Data Recovery is developed to help iPhone iPad iPod users recover multiple types of iOS data and files on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Besides guaranteeing you the safety of your files and the usability of the program, Free install PhoneRescue for iOS and enjoy some of its outstanding features:

Key Features:

• Enjoy the world’s highest recovery success rate, it has helped 5,700,000 iOS users recover deleted or lost files successfully.
• Support to recover as many as 31 types of iOS content, including photos, messages, app & app data, notes, contacts, call history, videos, Safari bookmarks, etc.
• Support to find and recover deleted files and data from iPhone without backup, from iTunes backup, and iCloud backup. Whether you have backed up or not before deleting the files, you have the chance to get what you have lost with PhoneRescue for iOS.
• Supports All modes of iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, including the newest iPhone 14 as well as iOS 16.

Step 1. Free get PhoneRescue for iOS and Connect your iPhone

 Download PhoneRescue for iOS free trial to your Windows or Mac computer > Connect your device to the computer via USB cable > Choose the Recover from iOS Device mode > Click on the Right Arrow icon to continue the file recovering process.

Step 2. Choose the types of files and start to scan your deleted files

Select the category that you would like to recover and click OK > PhoneRescue will scan your device to find files on your iPhone.

Step 3. Preview and recover permanently deleted files on iPhone

You can preview those files that you deleted, and choose any of them to have a recovery. There are two recovery options, you can directly recover the files like contacts, messages, and notes back to your iPhone, and you can also save your deleted media files like photos to your computer.

Step 4. Successfully recover permanently deleted files on iPhone

Once you get deleted files back on your iPhone, you will get the Data Recovery Completed page as below.

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How to Recover Deleted Files on iPhone from iCloud/iTunes Backup

If you cannot find what you want in the “Recently Deleted” album, the files you’d like to recover might be permanently deleted. In such situations, you must wonder “how do I recover permanently deleted files on my iPhone?” Well, iCloud or iTunes can help if you have backed up your iPhone to iTunes or iCloud in advance.

Before we take advantage of iCloud/iTunes backups to recover deleted items on iPhone, we need to know three important facts.

1. What is backed up in iCloud/iTunes?

We have to make sure that the iCloud/iTunes backup can back up most of the data that we are using such as photos, contacts, notes, calendars, etc.

2. iCloud/iTunes backup will not allow you to preview what is in it

The backup file is secured as an integral folder. There is no way to preview or check the iCloud backup files unless using some professional technologies.

3. iCloud/iTunes restoring feature requires erasing the iPhone first

When we want to put the backup file back on the iPhone, we need to erase the device first. Thus, the existing data and files on your iPhone will be overlapped. It would put you at another high risk of losing some other important data and files if the important data is not covered in the iCloud backup.

If you insist on recovering deleted files from iCloud/iCloud drive/iTunes, you can further learn how to recover deleted files from iCloud or How to Restore iPhone from iTunes Backup. However, it is important to note that you can only recover data deleted within 30 days from iCloud, not permanently deleted data.

If you do not like the traditional iTunes/iCloud restoring methods, we have another option, with which you can preview the backup files and restore the files without erasing your iPhone. And it is PhoneRescue for iOS. It differs from the traditional ways of restoring from iCloud/iTunes since PhoneRescue for iOS will not erase any data on your iPhone. You can also view the backup files to check whether they contain the files you’d like to restore. You can selectively recover what you need instead of all types of content.

Step 1. Download PhoneRescue for iOS and connect your iPhone

Download PhoneRescue for iOS and install it on your computer > Connect your device to the computer > Choose the mode – Recover from iCloud.

Step 2. Log in to your iCloud account and choose the iCloud backup

Log into the iCloud account > You will see all the content in your iCloud > Select iCloud Backup to recover files deleted from iCloud.

Step 3. Preview deleted files and recover them from iCloud

Preview files before recovering > Recover the selected items from iCloud to your iPhone or your computer.

Also Read: Why Can’t I Delete Apps on iPhone and How to Delete iOS Apps >

Recover Deleted Files on iPhone from the Recently Deleted Album

If what you would like to find is photos, the first method that you should apply must be the “Recently Deleted” album. Normally, when we delete pictures on iPhone from the camera roll or some other albums, the photos will not permanently disappear but be moved to the “Recently Deleted” album and saved them there for 30 days. Before that date, you can easily get them back to the original album. Here are the detailed steps,

1. Go to Photos App > Tap on Albums > Scroll down to find the Recently Deleted album.
2. Open Recently Deleted album > Preview the recently deleted photos and check if there are photos you want to recover.
3. Click Select > Select the photos you want to recover > Tap on Recover in the bottom right corner.

Besides, the “note” data is also similar to the “photos”. You can also find a “Recently Deleted” folder where you can find the notes deleted within 30 days. Simple steps:

Open the “Notes” App > Tap the “Recently Deleted” folder > You will see what you have there.

As the photos deleted within 30 days go to the “Recently Deleted” album, this is a possible solution to recover recently deleted photos from iPhone. However, unlike Mac or Windows computers, there is no recycle bin on an iPhone. Normally, the deleted files will stay on your iPhone for 30 days. Therefore, if the photos are deleted for more than 30 days, you can take other measures to recover permanently deleted photos from your iPhone.

Hopefully, you can recover the recently deleted files. If not, please keep reading about more possible methods.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files on iPhone from iCloud Drive

This method works when you have “iCloud Drive” enabled on your iPhone. If “iCloud Drive” is enabled on your iPhone, your files are synced between your iPhone and iCloud Drive. This facilitates access to files from numerous iOS devices and is also one method for recovering deleted files on iPhone. When you permanently delete files from your iPhone, they are automatically moved to the “Recently deleted” folder in iCloud Drive. As a result, you can gain access to iCloud Drive and restore the erased files. The steps are ready for you as below:

• Sign in to the same account on iCloud.
• From the home screen, select iCloud Drive.
• From the bottom, select Recently Deleted.
• Choose the files to be recovered. After that, click the Recover button.

The permanently deleted data will be restored to iCloud Drive in this way.

The Bottom Line

This tutorial also applies to recovering deleted files on an iPad or iPod touch on iOS. If you meet any problem like how to recover deleted files on iPhone, feel free to try PhoneRescue for iOS. Based on custom-designed technologies, PhoneRescue for iOS comes as the ONLY lifesaver to safely rescue you from any iOS data disasters at the first moment! Download PhoneRescue for iOS now and get back your lost files on iPhone!