How to Recover Deleted Videos From iPhone

Accidentally deleting videos on an iPhone can lead to the loss of important moments, but recovery is often possible. When videos are deleted, they may not be immediately lost forever, thanks to the various recovery options available. This article provides clear strategies to retrieve deleted videos on iPhones. With these methods, you can successfully restore your lost videos and guarantee that your valuable memories are reclaimed.

Is It Possible to Recover Deleted Videos from iPhone?

When you remove a video from your iPhone, the actual file not immediately deleted. iOS stores it in a database marked for deletion until the task of cleaning the databases of junk is performed. This temporary status allows you to recover deleted videos on your iPhone. Also, backups play a critical role, as they can preserve a copy of your data if it’s permanently removed from the device’s active storage.

The possibility of recovering deleted videos depends on various aspects:

• If you try to recover a video immediately after deleting it, you have a better chance of finding it. The system might erase the file completely when it does regular maintenance. To get the most from this, turn off your internet access, then activate airplane mode. This stops your device from synchronizing and receiving new information.
• Regular backups to iCloud or through Finder/iTunes significantly enhance the chances of recovering a video, as these backups may contain deleted files.

How to Recover Deleted Videos from iPhone

If you want to recover deleted videos from your iPhone, then there are several ways available to get them back from the delete list. Method varies depending on where you think the deleted video could be, be it the device or a backup created before the deletion. We will outline some ways to guide you through these options for recovery as effectively as possible.

1. Check Recently Deleted Album for Deleted Video

Your iPhone has a built-in safety net for accidentally deleted photos and videos. The Recently Deleted album in the Photos app holds all deleted media for up to 30 days before they are permanently erased. Here’s how to find deleted videos on iPhone in this album:

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
2. Open the Collection tab from the bottom menu.
3. Scroll down and locate the Recently Deleted album under the ‘Utilities’ section.
4. Tap on it, unlock it with passcode or Face ID to view all the recently deleted media.
5. If you find the video you want to recover, tap on the video and then tap Recover at the bottom-right of the screen.
6. Confirm your choice to restore the video to your main album.

This method is simple and should be your first step to recover deleted videos on iOS, as it requires no additional tools or backups.

2. Recover Deleted Videos with Disk Drill

We’ve placed this method in second place because not everyone has backups—and even if backups exist, there’s no guarantee that the missing videos will be included in them. (We’ll go into more detail about this in the backup-related methods below.) In those cases, you can rely on a third-party recovery software such as Disk Drill. Disk Drill makes a complete iTunes backup of an iPhone, and scans it for recoverable files or recently deleted phone videos that are still in the phone’s database before the device deletes them permanently.

To perform the scan, you’ll need free space on your Mac or an external drive that’s at least twice the size of the space occupied on your iPhone. Disk Drill also scans iTunes backups, allowing you to restore individual files rather than the entire iPhone state from the backup.

1. Download and install Disk Drill on your Mac.
2. Connect your iPhone to the computer using a USB cable and trust the computer if prompted on your iPhone. You can also scan your iPhone over Wi-Fi if your phone connects to your Mac via the corresponding function in Finder.
3. Launch Disk Drill and select your iPhone from the list of available devices in the iPhone & iPad section.
4. Click on Search for lost data to initiate scanning. It may take a while, depending on the amount of content you have on your iPhone.
5. Once the scan is complete, browse through the found data and locate any videos you wish to recover. Disk Drill categorizes files by type, making it easier to find specific items.
6. Select the videos you want to recover and choose a location on your computer to save them.

3. Review Deleted Video in iCloud

The next fast move to make is to investigate iCloud Photos—especially if, as part of an earlier tip, you’ve switched off the internet and placed the iPhone in airplane mode. Sometimes, the synced video deleted from your device is not removed from iCloud, despite not being able to see it on the device anymore, so you may have one more chance to recover it before it is completely gone once the sync process runs, which may not have happened yet due to low power mode or lack of internet connection.

1. Access iCloud by visiting www.icloud.com from a web browser on a different device (not from your iPhone).
2. Log in with the Apple ID associated with your iPhone.
3. Once logged in, select the Photos icon to enter the photo library.
4. Go to the Albums tab and look for the Recently Deleted album. Then, check the main library to see if the video is still available there.
5. If you find the video in the main library, download it to your device. If you find it in the Recently Deleted album, select it, click Recover to restore it, and then download it, too.

4. Restore iTunes/Finder Backup with Deleted Videos

Restoring a deleted video with an iTunes or Finder backup is possible if the backup was created before the deletion. But, as we noted earlier, a backup doesn’t always guarantee the video will be there. If iCloud Photos was turned on, the media library isn’t saved in the backup to save space. You can preview your Finder/iTunes backup for the videos you need in Disk Drill, which is absolutely free, and then restore your iPhone from the backup if necessary.

1. Connect your iPhone to the computer you usually sync with Finder (or iTunes on older macOS).
2. Open Finder/iTunes and select your device.
3. Click on the ‘General’ tab, then choose ‘Restore Backup.’
4. Look through the available backups in Finder/iTunes, paying attention to the date and size of each backup to select the one that most likely contains your deleted video.
5. Click ‘Restore’ and wait for the process to complete. Make sure your iPhone stays connected throughout the entire process.

5. Recover Videos from iCloud Backup

Another way to recover old deleted videos from your iPhone is to restore your iPhone from an iCloud backup. This method is similar to the Finder/iTunes backup method, but it uses data stored in iCloud, so in this case, if your media library was synced with iCloud during the backup, the videos will not be included in the backup. You must choose this recovery option if you have a backup in iCloud that predates the video deletion. Restoring from iCloud replaces the current contents of your iPhone with those in the backup, which might lead to the loss of any recent data not backed up.

1. Check your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi.
2. Go to Settings > General > Reset and select Erase All Content and Settings.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to reset your iPhone. When you reach the Apps & Data screen, choose Restore from iCloud Backup.
4. Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID.
5. Select the backup that predates the deletion of your video. Pay attention to the dates of the backups to verify that you choose the correct one.
6. Wait for the restoration process to complete. Keep your device connected to Wi-Fi during this time.

Can Data Recovery Services Help Recover Deleted Video from iPhone?

When considering professional data recovery services after trying all the methods discussed in this article, it’s necessary to know the limitations imposed by the iPhone’s architecture. The iPhone stores data in an encrypted format within databases, and unlike traditional hard drives, SSDs, etc, it does not allow direct access to memory blocks to search for deleted files. Furthermore, the iPhone’s garbage collection procedure, which permanently clears data, can render recovery attempts futile once it has been executed.

Professional recovery centers are typically unable to retrieve deleted videos if they have been cleared by the iPhone’s internal processes. However, these services are extremely valuable in scenarios involving physical damage to the device, where they can repair or bypass hardware issues to access lost data:

• If the iPhone has sustained physical damage that prevents it from being recognized by recovery software.
• When internal components need repair or replacement to regain access to data.

While these services can be costly and do not guarantee success, they remain a main option for accessing data when damage rather than deletion causes data loss.

Conclusion

This article covers several methods to recover deleted videos from an iPhone, from using built-in options like the Recently Deleted album to using third-party software and considering professional recovery services for physical damage. Each method applies to specific scenarios and has its limitations. Knowing these helps you navigate the recovery process more effectively and may allow you to restore valuable videos thought to be lost.