How to Recover deleted pictures on iPhone? 5 Best Solutions

For many iPhone users, photos are the most important data stored on their device – so losing those photos can be a disaster.

However, even if you accidentally deleted some or all of your pictures on iPhone, you can get them back.

We’ll discuss how to recover deleted photos on your iPhone with or without backup.

How to Recover Deleted Pictures on iPhone?

There are five best solutions to recover deleted pictures on iPhone. Use the solution that fits your needs and helps you recover your lost pictures.

1. Recover Deleted Pictures on iPhone from Recently Deleted Albums

Pictures taken with the iPhone Camera application are saved by default in the Photos application. If a photo or video is deleted, it’s moved to the Recently Deleted folder in the Photos app. This folder is the same as your computer’s Recycle Bin and retains the deleted photos for 30 days. Once this period expires, your photos are permanently deleted from this folder. Perform these steps if you want to recover recently deleted photos on your iPhone:

• Open the Photos app.
• Tap on Albums at the bottom.

• Scroll down to find the Recently Deleted folder.

• Tap on the Select option at the top-right corner of the screen.

• Select the deleted photos you want to recover on your iPhone.

• Now, tap Recover, and the pictures will be returned to their original iPhone albums.

Note – If you want to restore all the deleted photos from your Recently Deleted folder, tap on the Recover All button.

How to Recover Deleted Pictures on iPhone From a Backup?

If your photos are not in the Recently Deleted folder, you might get them back by restoring your iPhone from a previous backup. There are three ways to restore deleted photos on iPhone – iCloud website, iTunes backup, or Finder.

When recovering photos from your iPhone from backup, pay attention to the date of creation of your backups. Use the most recent backup but don’t delete all older backups. It’s always good to have multiple backups if something goes wrong.

2. Recover Photos on iPhone using iCloud via the iCloud website

Apple’s iCloud Backup helps you recover deleted photos from your iPhone to your system. For iCloud to automatically back up all your pictures and videos, you must first set up and enable iCloud Photos on your device. Here’s how to enable iCloud Photos to Backup all your photos:

• Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
• Tap iCloud and then go to Photos.

• Toggle on iCloud Photos to enable it.

To restore photos from iCloud, follow these steps:

• Go to the iCloud Website and log in with your Apple credentials.

• Once logged in, select ‘Photos’ from the app list.

• Go to Recently Deleted Album, select the photos you wish to restore, and click Recover.

3. Recover Photos on iPhone using iTunes

Many iPhone users use iTunes backup to recover their deleted photos and videos. This Apple’s proprietary tool syncs your iPhone files to your PC or Mac. Follow the steps to recover deleted photos from iTunes backup:

• Connect your iPhone to your Mac system with macOS Mojave or an earlier version.
• Click on the iPhone icon at the upper-left corner of your iTunes window.

• Click the Summary tab in the left pane.

• Now in the Backups section, click on Restore Backup.

• Select the backup you want your phone to use.

Note - macOS Mojave is the last version of Apple’s OS to ship with iTunes. In macOS Catalina and newer version, iTunes is split into different apps: Podcasts, Books, TV, and Music. Moreover, Finder is used to manage and sync content on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

• Once the restoration process is complete, check the Photos app to see if the deleted photos were recovered. If not, try repeating the process and return to the most recent backup or choose an older backup.

4. Recover Deleted Pictures on iPhone using Finder

To restore the pictures on iPhone using Finder in macOS Catalina 10.15 or above, follow these steps:

• Open Finder on your Mac with macOS Catalina 10.15 or above.
• Connect your iPhone to your Mac system.
• Select your iPhone from the location lists on the left.

• Navigate to the General tab and click Restore Backup.

• Select the backup date you like to use for restoring.

• Click the Restore button to confirm.

How to Recover Pictures on iPhone without Backup?

What to do if there is no iPhone backup or you cannot restore pictures using iCloud or iTunes? Use iPhone data recovery software to restore lost iPhone pictures.

Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone can find and restore deleted/lost pictures, videos, chat messages, audio, contacts, etc., from your iPhone/iPad/iPod touch. This software is easy to use when restoring deleted photos, and you can operate it even if you don’t have technical knowledge. Follow the steps to discover how to use software to recover deleted photos:

• Connect your iPhone to your computer.
• Download Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone on your PC or Mac.

•  Select Recover from iPhone on the main screen of the software.

• Select the data type and click Next. The scanning process will start.

• Once the scanning is completed, preview the data. Select the recovered data you want to restore and click Save.

• Choose the destination to save the recovered data.

Conclusion

The data loss issues in Apple can be resolved easily through multiple backup solutions — iTunes, iCloud, and iCloud.com. However, these native backup recovery solutions fall short when you need to recover specific data, though you can easily recover deleted photos in your iPhone from these backup options. However, you will also end up replacing every existing data on your device!

Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone fills this gap quite efficiently. It recovers your deleted photos in water damage, jailbreak, factory reset, Black Screen of Death, etc. In addition, this software has an exceptionally high data recovery success rate, making it an essential utility for iPhone users.

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6 Things We Can Do To Save A Water Damaged iPhone

“Hey there! I accidentally spilled water on my iPhone 14 Pro yesterday and it won`t turn on anymore. I was pretty sure I retrieved the phone within 10 seconds, yet it’s not working! Is there a way to save and fix water-damaged iPhone?”

If you’ve ever accidentally dropped your phone in water or drenched it in rain, then you’re not alone. From a split cup of coffee or water to dropping it in pools, bathtubs or toilets, your iPhone can be water-damaged due to various reasons.

With new-generation Apple devices, water exposure isn’t an immediate death sentence for your iPhone as it used to be. But it can still create issues in your iPhone, such as:

• Liquid droplets flowing inside the iPhone screen
• Issues in the charging port or the iPhone won’t charge.
• No audio or ruffled audio.
• Blurry images due to moisture in the camera lens.
• The internal part of the device gets corroded.

While the new iPhones have good water resistant capabilities, this doesn’t mean they are totally immune to water. Being electronic devices, water can seriously damage them.

This article shares several best practices that can help you save a water-damaged iPhone. But first, let’s understand how water resistant your iPhone is.

Is my iPhone water resistant?

The water resistance of the smartphones is rated by the “ingress protection” code, also called IP rating.

This rating includes two number: the first number indicates protection against solids, such as dust, whereas the second demonstrate resistance to liquid, mainly water. For example, the iPhone 12 has a rating of IP68, which means it provides six levels of protection from solid and eight levels of protection from liquid.

There are multiple types of IP ratings, but IP67 and IP68 are mainly applied to iPhones.

• IP67  – A device with this rating can withstand being submerged in up to 1 meter of water for a maximum of 30 minutes
• IP68 – iPhone with an IP68 rating can survive submersion in water up to 2 meters for a maximum of 30 minutes

Here’s the list of last few generation iPhone with their IP rating

• iPhone 15/15 Plus/ 15 Pro/ 15 Pro Max – IP68
• iPhone 14/14 Plus/ 14 Pro/ 14 Pro Max – IP68
• iPhone13/ 13 Mini/ 13 Pro / 13 Pro Max – IP68
• iPhone12/ 12 Mini/ 12 Pro / 12 Pro Max – IP68
• iPhone 11/ 11 Pro / 11 Pro Max – IP68
• iPhone XS/ XS Max – IP68
• iPhone X/XR /8/8 Plus /7 /7 Plus/ SE (2^nd generation) – IP67

What Not to Do?

Most iPhones offer certain level of water resistance, but it doesn’t mean an iPhone dropped in swimming pool or a bucket full of water is immune to any damage. Moreover, not every repair step will help you fix water-damaged iPhone; and some can complicate things further. Before, we start on potential steps to save your water-damaged iPhone, let’s first look at some absolute things that worsen the cause and should be avoided at all costs.

1. Don’t turn on your iPhone

Your iPhone will turn off automatically after being dropped in water. However, you should manually turn it off if it doesn’t turn off. Turn your phone on only if you are sure water or moisture content from the exterior and interior is completely dry. Turning on the water-damaged iPhone might cause water to reach inside the device, causing it to malfunction.

2. Plug it in or Use the Charging Port in Any Way

Moreover, don’t charge your iPhone battery as it can result in an electrical short circuit or even combustion, resulting in a fire. No matter how water resistant the iPhone is, it’s better to not plug it in when wet or water-damaged.

3. Don’t use hot air to blow dry your iPhone

Blow-drying your iPhone with hot air can damage your device further. Hot air may heat your iPhone to an unbearable degree, making it unsuitable for device hardware. Also, avoid using a space heater or furnace sidewall exhaust to dry your iPhone.

Steps You Can Take to Potentially Save Your Water-Damaged iPhone

If you drop your iPhone in water, the following methods can save your iPhone from potential damage.

1. Take it out and turn it off immediately

Remove your iPhone from the water right away. Once retrieved, turn it off immediately. If there is any iPhone cover and screen guard to protect your phone, remove them as they might hold moisture. Use a paper towel or cotton cloth to wipe the iPhone’s exterior.

2. Evacuate the SIM card

After drying the iPhone’s exterior, remove the SIM card tray, if not using an e-SIM. Although SIM cards have a watertight seal, getting them out helps. Use a paper towel to dry the SIM card and the tray.

3. Dry your iPhone

While Apple recommends simply wiping the iPhone dry or tapping excess water out of the ports, we recommend the below-mentioned ways to ensure your iPhone is as dry as possible.

• Place it in a dry place

You need to place the iPhone in a warm and dry place so the water inside the phone can evaporate. Place it in a nearby window with proper sunlight, but do not expose the device to harsh sunlight.

• Place it in uncooked rice

The uncooked rice trick used to be the go-to method to dry any visible liquid in iPhone, as rice absorbs moisture quickly. Place the iPhone in a bag or bowl of rice for a day or two to ensure the water traces inside the phone are absorbed entirely. However, this method is slightly risky, as uncooked rice can push grains and dust in the charging port of your device.

• Dry it with silica gel packets

If the water has seeped into the internal parts of the iPhone, try burying it in a heap of silica gel bags in an airtight container. This helps in absorbing the moisture from the inside of your iPhone. Using silica gel packets is a safer alternative to the uncooked rice method for drying a wet iPhone, as nothing will get clogged in the ports.

• Use a hairdryer (if it has a cool wind setting)

If your hair dryer has a cool wind setting, you can use it to dry wet iPhone. While drying the iPhone, keep the hair dryer in low mode and keep your iPhone at a distance so that air blowing doesn’t cause any damage.

Or, you can keep your iPhone under a cool air fan to dry it.

4. Disassemble the phone and let it air dry

If drying the iPhone via uncooked rice method or silica gel packet doesn’t work, consider dismantling it as your last resort. You can use DIY repair tips to open the device to dry it out or go to any trusted tech expert.

Caution: We wouldn’t recommend dismantling the iPhone using DIY tips as it may worsen the problem.

Dismantle your iPhone carefully, air dry its interior, and assemble it back after a few hours. Also, if the Liquid Contact Indicators inside the iPhone have already detected water damage, opening the phone invalidates your warranty coverage.

5. Check if your warranty is still valid

If all the above efforts fail to fix the iPhone from water damage, you must check if the device’s warranty is still valid. If it is, call your manufacturer and request a repair or replacement. If it is invalid, visit an Apple Genius bar to repair your cell phone.

6. Take the phone to an approved repair shop

The longer you wait to take your iPhone to an Apple Genius bar, the more damage it incurs. If you cannot dry the wet iPhone by following the manual methods mentioned above, rush to an Apple Genius bar to get it repaired and minimize the chances of further damage.

How To Find Out If Your iPhone Has Water Damage?

Liquid Contact Indicator, or LCI, is the new way to determine whether or not your iPhone is exposed to water damage. An LCI is generally of white or silver color; however, when it comes in contact with water or other liquid, it turns red.

See the table to learn where the indicators are planted in your respective iPhone, depending upon its model.

How To Recover Data From Water-Damaged iPhone?

Once you have powered on your water-damaged iPhone after drying, it is possible to recover data from it. There are two ways to recover lost data from water-damaged iPhones: backup services or professional iPhone data recovery software .

Let’s see various scenarios where you can recover data from a water-damaged iPhone:

iPhone won’t turn on

If your iPhone won’t turn on even after drying the wet iPhone using the tips mentioned above, it has short-circuited or water has eroded some of its internal components. In such a situation, use any backup service to recover your iPhone data.

If you have enabled iCloud backup on your iPhone, you can easily restore your data. You can visit the official iCloud website and log into your account to save the lost data on your computer. Or, set up your new iPhone using the existing iCloud credentials to restore the data of your previous iPhone.

iPhone starts but data is lost

If you turn your iPhone back on again, but its data is lost, try setting up your phone with existing iCloud account to recover the data. However, if you haven’t enabled iCloud backup, it is recommended that you use reliable iPhone data recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone. This software recovers deleted/lost photos, videos, audio, messages, voice memos, calendars etc. from iPhone, iPad, iTunes, and iCloud backup files.

The software supports recovery in all data loss scenarios like water-damaged devices, accidental deletion, failed iOS updates, iPhone stuck in recovery mode, etc. This iPhone recovery software is compatible with all variants of iPad and iPhone, including the series of iPhone 15/14/13/12/11 and below.

Conclusion

We hope you fix the water-damaged iPhone after following the above suggestion. However, it would be best if you were extra careful to protect your iPhone from any type of water damage. Here are some best practices you must follow:

• Use a waterproof case to provide an additional layer of protection to your iPhone against water.
• Keep your iPhone away from sinks, bathrooms, toilets, etc.
• Be mindful in rainy conditions, and put your phone in a waterproof bag or safe pocket.
• Refrain from touching your iPhone with wet hands.
• Take regular data backups, as it is handy in data loss situations.

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FAQs

What do I do if my iPhone speaker doesn’t work after falling into water?

If there is water in your iPhone speaker, it may not work. In such a situation, try drying your iPhone and turning it on to take a backup of your data before testing the speaker. You can even visit Apple Genius Bar to get the help of a tech expert to fix your iPhone.

What should I do if I don’t find the deleted iPhone files after scanning?

Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone is an efficient software to recover all kinds of lost data from iPhone, iTunes, and iCloud.

In case you are unable to find the lost data after quick scan through Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone , choose to perform Deep Scan.

Deep scan is a next level of aggressive scanning. It involves thorough scan of the device and the backups (iTunes and iCloud) using advanced algorithms. Deep Scan recovers as much data as possible from the selected device or backup. It searches for lost files on the basis of file signature. This recovery option recovers everything that is found in the selected source. This option is especially helpful in case of severely deleted and corrupted iPhone data.

How to perform Deep Scan?

Once quick scan is completed, in the preview window choose Click Here option at the bottom left of the window to start Deep Scan.

When the scanning process is completed, a dialog box displaying the message ‘Deep Scan completed’ is displayed.

In case the additional data is not recovered through Deep Scan, the dialog box displays the message ‘Deep Scan completed. No additional data found.’

Files found during Deep Scan can be viewed in the preview window and saved at any desired location.

Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone® Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone® is the best DIY software to recover missing or accidentally deleted Contacts, Messages, Calendar, Photos, Videos, Call History etc directly from iPhone or iPad.

Why Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone takes time in scanning my iPhone?

Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone thoroughly scans your iOS device, computer, and iCloud to retrieve every bit of data. However, the scanning time of the software depends upon the following:

• The amount of data in your iOS device: Greater the amount of data on your iPhone more time it will take to scan.
• The size of RAM on your iPhone: Greater the RAM more will be the scanning time. For instance, the software will take more time to thoroughly scan an iPhone 12 with 6GB RAM compared to iPhone 11 that has 4GB RAM.
• RAM of your computer: The recommended system requirement of Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone is 8GB. Although it can scan and recover from 4GB RAM computer, but you may experience slow speed.