Deleted photos and videos normally move to the Recently Deleted collection before they are permanently removed. If the item is still there, you can restore it directly to your photo library.
Quick steps
- Open Photos.
- Open the Recently Deleted collection in Utilities.
- Unlock the collection if asked.
- Select the photo or video.
- Tap Recover and confirm.
Recently Deleted is temporary
Items remain in Recently Deleted for a limited period, and Photos shows how much time remains. After an item is permanently removed from that collection, the ordinary Photos recovery option can no longer restore it.
Check iCloud Photos
If you use iCloud Photos, deletions and recoveries sync across devices signed into the same Apple Account. Recovering the image on one device should return it to the synchronized library.
If the photo is not there
Check other photo services or backups you use, such as Google Photos, OneDrive, a Mac photo library, or an older computer backup. Avoid tools that guarantee recovery of permanently deleted iPhone photos without an existing copy or backup.
Before you finish
If storage optimization is enabled, some full-resolution originals may live primarily in iCloud even though previews appear on the iPhone. That is different from deletion. Before attempting recovery, search the Photos library, check Hidden and Recently Deleted, and verify the Apple Account in use. This prevents unnecessary restores when the picture is simply in another collection or synchronized library.
When a missing photo is important, avoid taking many new photos or making broad library changes until you have checked the available recovery locations. Start with Recently Deleted and synchronized cloud libraries, then look at computer imports or other backups. Keeping the recovery process narrow reduces the chance of replacing newer device data just to retrieve one older image.
Find the Recently Deleted collection first
If you are looking for a photo you just removed, Recently Deleted should be your first stop. Searching the normal library will not return an item that has already moved there. Recovering it places the photo or video back into the main library and synchronized iCloud Photos library when applicable.
Check Recently Deleted first
Open Photos and find Recently Deleted in the Utilities area. Authenticate if requested. Select the photo or video and choose Recover. Items remain there only for a limited period before permanent deletion, so check this location as soon as you notice something is missing.
Check synchronized and backup locations
If the item is no longer in Recently Deleted, determine whether another copy exists in iCloud Photos, a Mac or PC import, Google Photos, another cloud service, a shared album, or a device backup. Restoring an entire device backup just for one photo can replace newer data, so verify what the backup contains before using that approach.
Matthew Roberts created this site to help his friends and family with questions that they might have about how to change the settings on their iPhones. It now serves as an archive of iPhone how-to guides to help anyone that stumbles upon this website.