How To Restore Deleted Photos on iPhone or iPad Quickly

How to Recover Deleted Photos or Videos in the Photos App—Real Talk

So, I’ve been there — accidentally deleted some precious photos and videos and instantly started panicking. Honestly, it’s super frustrating because you think they’re gone forever, but here’s the good news: Apple’s Photos app has a safety buffer called “Recently Deleted”. It hangs onto your deleted media for about 30 days before it’s gone for good. The catch? It’s not always obvious where it is or how to get stuff back, especially if you’re not used to the layout or if things changed after an update.

Finding the “Recently Deleted” Album

If you’re in a rush, your first move should be to open the Photos app. Scroll all the way down your library — yep, that long list of albums and photos — because that’s usually where Apple sticks the “Recently Deleted” album. On my older iPhones, it was buried in some menu deep in “Utilities” or tucked away under “Albums, ” but lately it’s usually right there at the bottom. Sometimes, I just pull down on the list to refresh or to check if the layout is acting weird — it helps.

Once you spot it, tap on “Recently Deleted.” This album is pretty much your digital recycling bin. Items stay here for a limited time (about 30 days), giving you a chance to recover them before permanent deletion. If it’s not immediately visible, double-check that you’re looking in the main Albums tab and not in a different section — depending on your iOS version or layout, it might be labeled differently or tucked away a bit.

Getting through Security and Previewing Deleted Files

When you tap into “Recently Deleted, ” expect the app to ask for some quick authentication — Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode. It’s just a security thing, making sure someone else isn’t recovering or deleting your stuff.On older devices, or if biometric security is turned off, you’ll need your passcode.

After authenticating, you’ll see all your deleted photos and videos, along with how many days you have left before they’re wiped for good — usually 30, but it’s worth double-checking, especially if some items are missing or if you’re in a rush. If what you want is still there, you’re golden. If it’s not, well, it might be already gone, so quick is better than sorry.

How to Select and Restore Files

To restore specific photos or videos, tap the “Select” button (top right).You can then tap on individual items or use swipe gestures to select multiple images at once. Sometimes, I’ve noticed it’s easy to accidentally deselect something if my fingers are sweaty or if the app’s lagging a bit — Murphy’s law. So take your time.

Once selected, look for a “Recover” button — it might be at the bottom or in a menu. Sometimes it’s hidden behind a More icon or three dots, depending on the version. Confirm the recovery when prompted, and the media should pop back into your regular library. Easy, right? Well, after some trial-and-error, I found that quick action matters — if you wait too long, they might disappear forever.

Recover All Your Files Fast

If you’re facing the horror show of a full delete or just feeling lazy, there’s usually a “Recover All” option. Tap “Select, ” then “Recover All, ” and confirm. This works well for bulk restores, like if you accidentally wiped out an entire album or a bunch of files. Keep an eye out for that toggle or button at the top, as sometimes it’s sneaky small.

But be warned — if some of those files were deleted more than 30 days ago or if things are a bit out of sync with iCloud, they might not be recoverable. The window to bring them back is narrow. Once the 30 days pass, they’re gone for good, no second chances.

Some Final Tips and Troubleshooting

Note that depending on your iOS version, layout, or device model, the “Recently Deleted” album might be in a slightly different spot or called something else. If it’s not there, double-check in the “Utilities” section or search in the Albums tab. Also, if you’re using iCloud Photos with the Optimize iPhone Storage setting, those deleted files might still be floating around in iCloud. You can check everything on iCloud.com.

Another thing: I tend to forget that deleting on my device doesn’t delete immediately from iCloud unless I do it from there, too. So, if you’re really paranoid about perfection, double-check both locations. And always, always back up your favorite moments. The “Recently Deleted” folder is handy, but it’s no magic shield — backups are still your best friend.

Honestly, I kept missing that “Recently Deleted” folder because it’s not in the first few screens and sometimes needs a little refreshing or reboot to show up. It’s a little inconvenient, but as long as you act within 30 days, recovery is usually straightforward. The key is acting quickly before those files are gone for good.

Hope this helped — it took me way longer than I’d like to admit to figure all this out. Anyway, hopefully this saves someone else a weekend of stressing out. Good luck!