iPhone allows us to conveniently record precious memories in high quality wherever and whenever we are, and also makes it possible for us to easily manage the videos.
However, it’s just natural that we may slip and accidentally delete a video from our gallery. This is a case that need not be worried about because we can still recover it from the Recently Deleted folder. What is really painful is that we delete it from the Recently Deleted folder, which means we delete it permanently.
Do not give up, however, because there are ways that you can recover videos that have been permanently deleted from your iPhone.
Check Photos Folder on iCloud
If you have enabled photos sync to iCloud.com, then you must turn off the internet connection including WiFi and cellular data at once. This will prevent iCloud from syncing with your iPhone. It makes it possible that your permanently deleted video is still in the Photo folder on iCloud.com.
You can go to settings to check whether you have enabled photos sync to iCloud. Open Settings App > Apple ID > iCloud. Below the title Apps using iCloud, you will see Photos. If it says “On”, then it means your photos and videos will sync to iCloud.
In this case, visit iCloud.com as soon as possible, open the Photos folder to check if your permanently deleted video is there or not.
Once you’re logged in, the first place to check is the Recently Deleted folder. If you see the video there, click on it and click Restore. Once the file has been restored to the Gallery, you simply sync iCloud and your iPhone, and the video will appear on your device again. If it is still in the Gallery, download it on your computer to save it.
Check Other Apple Devices Using the Same Apple ID
This suggestion is also based on that the video deleted on iPhone has not been deleted on other Apple devices sharing the same Apple ID, for example, iPad. I mean the video has not yet been permanently deleted at the time your iPad and iPhone sync. If you cut the internet connection on the iPad quickly after the deletion, then it is very possible that your permanently deleted video on iPhone can be found on the iPad. Go check it now.
Recover Permanently Deleted Videos from Backups
If the video is not on iCloud or other Apple devices since you didn’t check it before they are synced with your iPhone, you have to restore it from your iPhone backup, be it iCloud backup or iTunes backup. Your permanently deleted video might be in a most recent backup. Make sure that you had backed up your iPhone after the video was recorded.
A. Restore Permanently Deleted Videos from iTunes Backup
Let’s take a look at how to recover videos from your iPhone’s backup. First, connect your iPhone to your computer, and launch the iTunes software. If you are using Mac, it is Finder. Select your device by clicking the phone icon. you’ll be presented with a summary of information. Off to the right, you’ll see the Backup section. You have two options here – Backup Phone, or Restore Backup. Click on Restore Backup and your device will be restored to an earlier state, with the permanently deleted video returned to your device. This process will take a while, so sit back and relax.
B. Restore Permanently Deleted Videos from iCloud Backup
Depending on your settings, your phone will automatically and routinely back up photos and other files to the server. You can check your iCloud backup by going to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups.
The process for restoring the deleted videos from iCloud backup is a little different from restoring from iTunes backup. You have to factory reset your iPhone first. Go to Settings > General > Reset >Erase All Content and Settings. You will be asked to enter your phone password. After that, you will be asked to set up your phone. There will be the option to restore from iCloud backup. Choose it and follow the on-screen instructions. Once the restoration finishes, you will see the permanently deleted video is recovered.
Use File Recovery Software
If the previous three methods fail to bring back that video that you wish to restore to your phone, you can try a third-party file recovery software. This kind of software will connect to your phone, analyze its file structure, and try to recover any files that have been permanently deleted from the system.
Let’s take a look at how such software works, and how they make it possible to restore files that you think are already gone for good from your system.
When you permanently delete a video or image, meaning you removed them from the Recently Deleted folder, it is not totally erased from the device’s memory. What the storage device does is to hide the file, and let it park in the memory spaces that have been allocated to it until the device decides that it needs the space for new files. That’s when the system overwrites all or part of the memory that has been occupied by the file.
So, in summary, the file recovery system will look at the file structure, looks for files whose pieces remain intact and not have been overwritten, and recover them. That’s why and how your permanently deleted videos on iPhone can be recovered by data recovery software.
You Should Initiate Recovery As Soon as the Video is Deleted!
If you want a higher chance of recovering your videos after being permanently deleted, you should initiate file recovery right after the files have been removed from your storage. As no new files have been added yet after deletion, the pieces of the videos in the memory are all intact. This makes it possible for the file recovery software to reclaim the files for you to re-download to your iPhone or a separate storage device.
If you wait for longer, you’re increasing the chances of the file being partially overwritten by your storage device. At this point, the file might be unrecoverable already.
In closing, we’d like to say that you should make full use of your backup options. It’s good to have backups of your files on your computer or iCloud storage. In the information technology world, redundant backups are a necessity to prevent critical data loss. While you’re not a programmer or a data manager, the same thought applies because those memories on your phone deserve to be cherished, and are definitely worth backing up.
Lastly, make sure to secure your files by locking your phone with a password that only you know. You don’t want anyone tampering and accidentally deleting the videos, images, and other files that matter.
