How to Recover Permanently Deleted Photos from iPhone? Compatible with iOS 17/16/15 and All Versions

"What if I accidentally delete a photo? How do I recover permanently deleted photos from my iPhone?"

From time to time in our lives, we accidentally delete important photos due to some inadvertent or accidental action. These photos may be lost due to software updates (such as iOS 17/16/15/14/13/12, etc.), iPhone jailbreaks, or for some unknown reason. So, in the face of this situation, how do we recover these permanently deleted photos from the iPhone? Don't worry, this article will walk you through the possible ways to recover deleted or lost photos on your iPhone. These methods work for all types of iOS devices, including the iPhone, such as the iPad and iPod touch.

PART 1 Can I Restore Permanently Deleted Photos from iPhone 15/14/13/12/11/XS/X/8/7/6s/6/5s/5?

The answer is yes, but not 100% guaranteed. In fact, the iPhone uses an SQLite database to store data. When users delete photos, they don't really disappear from the iPhone, but are marked as "unassigned" but are still stored on the device. It is as if they are hidden and the user cannot see them directly. Therefore, some third-party tools are needed to find and restore these deleted but still existing photos.

Please note, however, that deleted data does not remain permanently on your iPhone. As new data is generated, these old data, labeled "unassigned," may be overwritten or replaced. Therefore, any manipulation of the iPhone can affect the recovery success rate of deleted photos.

To maximize the success rate of recovery, you can take the following actions as soon as you become aware of data loss:

-Stop using iPhone immediately: This can reduce the possibility of new data overwriting deleted data.

-Avoid restoring factory settings: Unlike normal deletion, restoring factory settings will completely delete all data, making recovery difficult.

-Understanding data types: Compared to other data types such as text messages and notes, recovering media files (such as photos) is more complex because their structure is more complex.

PART 2 How to Recover Permanently Deleted Photos from iPhone with or without Backup?

If you haven't backed up your iPhone data and accidentally deleted your photos, you need to turn to a professional iPhone data recovery tool. I highly recommend using Geekersoft Data Recovery for iPhone, which has been recommended by popular media sites such as Cult of Mac and Makeuseof due to its high recovery rate and good reputation.

If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud or iTunes, you can choose to restore deleted photos from the backup. Please note, however, that this will overwrite the existing data on your iPhone, and the recovery process may be time-consuming.If you only want to restore specific photos rather than the entire backup file, it is recommended that you use a backup extraction tool, such as Geekersoft Data Recovery for iPhone, which makes it easy to export photos from your iTunes or iCloud backup.

PART 3 Recover Permanently Deleted or Lost Photos from iPhone Using A Professional Data Recovery tool - Geekersoft Data Recovery for iPhone

If you don't have backup files, you'll need to use a professional data recovery tool to recover deleted or lost photos from your iPhone. Geekersoft Data Recovery for iPhone - your one-stop solution. Geekersoft Data Recovery for iPhone is a powerful tool of the iOS data recovery, it supports from iPhone 13/12/11/15/14 / XS/X / 8/7/6 s / 5 s / 6/5 and other equipment, and iTunes/up to backup the rapid retrieval images.

Key features of Geekersoft Data recovery iPhone version:

Recover lost iPhone photos from iTunes/iCloud backups without backup.

Support multiple recovery scenarios, such as screen crack, iOS upgrade, and accidental deletion.

Recover photos without losing existing data and maintain image quality.

Support 22+ iOS device data types, including photos, emails, etc.

Compatible with all iOS devices and iOS versions, including iOS 17/16/15/14/13/12.

Option 1 Use Geekersoft Data Recovery for iPhone to Directly Scan and Recover Permanently Deleted or Lost photos on iPhoneIf you're struggling with how to recover permanently deleted or lost photos on your iPhone, try the free trial version of Geekersoft Data Recovery for iPhone to get back lost photos on your iPhone. The detailed steps are as follows.

Step 1 Download and run the software

Please download the free iPhone version of Geekersoft Data Recovery from the official website and install it on your computer. Then, in the main window, select "Recover from iOS Device" mode and click "Start"

Step 2 Select a file type

In the selection of the type of file you want to recover, check "Photos" and click "Next".

Step 3 Connect and scan devices

Connect your iPhone to your computer using the cable, then tap "Scan." Geekersoft Data Recovery for iPhone will start scanning your iPhone for deleted photos.

Step 4 Preview and restore the photo

Once the scan is complete, filter out the deleted photos by enabling the "Show Deleted Content Only" button. Preview and select the photo you want, then click "Recover" and select the storage path to restore the photo to the local folder.

Option 2 Retrieve Deleted iPhone Photos from iTunes Backup

If you can't get back your precious photos by scanning your device directly, there is another way to restore them from an iTunes backup. You just need to do the following.

Step 1 Select "Restore from iTunes Backup" in the main window and then click "Start" to continue. In the following window, remember to select "Photos" as the type of file you want to retrieve, and then click "Next".

Step 2 All available iTunes backup files on your computer will be displayed. All you have to do is find the backup that contains your lost photos and click "Scan."

Step 3 After scanning is complete, preview and select the photos you want to recover. Finally, click "Recover" and the photos will appear in the computer folder of your choice.

Option 3 Retrieve Deleted iPhone Photos from iCloud Backup

The first step is in the main window, select "Recover from iCloud" and log into your iCloud account. Geekersoft Data Recovery for iPhone does not record your account information.

Step 2 Select "Photos" as the type of file you want to recover in the backup and click "Scan".

Step 3 After scanning is complete, preview and restore the deleted photos required, and click "Restore".

PART 4 Other Ways to Retrieve Deleted Photos from iPhone

Option 1 Quickly Retrieve Deleted iPhone Photos from Recently Deleted

If you have recently deleted photos by mistake for any reason. Well, first I suggest you go to the "recently deleted" album to view. This may work for users who clean their Recently Deleted albums less frequently. However, deleted photos will only remain in "Recently Deleted" for 30 days and will not be restored after expiration.

If you are looking for how to recover deleted photos from your iPhone for free, follow these steps:

Step 1 Open the Photos app on your iPhone and tap the Recently Deleted album.

Step 2 Select "Recover All" to recover all photos, or select the photos you want to recover individually. Then click "Recover" and the photo will reappear in your album.

Option 2 Retrieve iPhone Photos via iTunes Backup

If you regularly use iTunes to sync iPhone data, then you can try to restore deleted photos through iTunes backup. Here are the steps:

Step 1 Use a USB cable to connect your iOS device to the computer that is syncing data.

Step 2 Open iTunes, click on your iPhone icon, and click "Summary" > "Restore Backup."

Step 3 Select the backup that contains the photos you want to recover and click "Restore". iTunes will begin restoring the backup data to your iPhone. After a few moments, you can view the recovered photos on your iPhone.

Tips: Although iTunes will automatically back up your data when you sync with your iPhone. But if the iTunes backup isn't up to date, it may overwrite some of the existing data on your device during the recovery process. To avoid data loss, we recommend that you use a professional data recovery software (such as Geekersoft Data Recovery for iPhone) to recover photos from your iTunes backup.

Option 3 Restore Deleted Photos from iCloud Backup

If you have iCloud Backup enabled on your iPhone, that is, if you set it up as follows: "iCloud > iCloud Backup > Settings", then when your iPhone is plugged in, locked, and connected to Wi-Fi, the relevant data on your device will automatically be backed up to iCloud. Which deleted photos may exist in your iCloud backup, you can restore by following these steps:

Step 1 Start the iPhone, choose "Settings > General > Restore", and select "Erase All content and Settings".

Step 2 After the device is reset, select "Restore from iCloud Backup" from the "Set Up New iPhone" process and log in to your iCloud account.

Step 3 Select the backup that contains the photos you want from the iCloud backup list.

Step 4 Complete the configuration process as prompted to restore data from the backup.

Tips: Restoring an iCloud backup overwrites data that hasn't been backed up yet on your device. If you want to recover your data more securely, you can restore from iCloud backups using something like Geekersoft Data Recovery for iPhone.

Bonus: Selectively Restore Permanently Deleted Photos from iPhone from iCloud or iTunes Backups

While recovering from iTunes and iCloud are common official data recovery methods, they generally do not support selective recovery and may overwrite existing data on the device. For this, you can consider using iMyFone iTransor, which is a powerful backup and recovery tool. It allows users to individually back up or restore specific types of data on the device, such as photos, contacts, notes, etc.

Try it now for free: Experience the convenience and efficiency of iMyFone iTransor now!

Summary

These are the tried-and-true solutions for recovering permanently deleted photos from your iPhone. Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages, and you can choose according to your needs. However, we recommend that you regularly back up your iOS device using iTunes/iCloud to keep your data as secure as possible.