How to Recover Deleted Files on iPhone with/without Backup

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 16 update, device crash, jailbreaking is failed, etc. Data loss on iPhone can drive you crazy if you have no idea on 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 to recover recently or 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!

Further Reading: How to Delete Documents and Data on iPhone >

How to Recover Deleted Files on iPhone without Backup

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 in 2022, PhoneRescue for iOS is just the exact tool. 

PhoneRescue for iOS 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:

• 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, reminders, calendars, Safari bookmarks, Safari history, etc.
• Support to find and recover deleted files and data from iPhone without backup, from iTunes backup, and from 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.

If you have no backup available, you may need PhoneRescue to directly recover your deleted files. To recover deleted data from iPhone, firstly you should download PhoneRescue for iOS free trial to your Windows or Mac computer, and then follow the steps below to recover deleted files from iPhone.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone and choose Recover from iOS Device

Connect your device to the computer via USB cable, choose the Recover from iOS Device mode, and 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.

You May Like: How to Recover Photos from Broken iPhone >

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.com, 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 it contains 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 PC computer, 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.

Also Read: How to Fix iPhone Recently Deleted Files Won’t Delete >

The Bottom Line

This tutorial also applies to recovering deleted files on an iPad or iPod touch on iOS. If you meet any problem when recovering with PhoneRescue for iOS, be free to contact us by sending an email, and we will reply to you as soon as possible! Download the free trial of PhoneRescue for iOS to have a try >