DB Labs
Updated March 8, 2026
By Jack Smith, iOS Developer at DB Labs
How to Recover Deleted Videos on iPhone
Accidentally deleted a video? You likely have 30 days to get it back. Here are all three recovery methods, from easiest to most complex.
Method 1: Recently Deleted Album (Easiest)
This is the first place to check. When you delete a video, it goes to Recently Deleted for 30 days.
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Open Photos and go to Albums
Open the Photos app and tap Albums at the bottom of the screen.
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Scroll to Utilities and tap Recently Deleted
Scroll to the bottom of the Albums page. Under Utilities, tap Recently Deleted. You will need to authenticate with Face ID or passcode.
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Find your video
Browse or search for the deleted video. Videos are shown with a countdown indicating how many days until permanent deletion. Tap the video to open it.
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Tap Recover
Tap Recover in the bottom-right corner of the screen. Confirm the prompt. The video is instantly restored to your Photos library.
Method 2: Recover from iCloud.com
If the video does not appear in your iPhone's Recently Deleted album, check iCloud.com directly. Sometimes items deleted from one device appear in the iCloud Recently Deleted but not the device-level album.
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Go to icloud.com/photos
Open Safari or any browser and go to icloud.com/photos. Sign in with your Apple ID.
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Click Recently Deleted in the sidebar
In the left sidebar, click Recently Deleted. You will see all deleted photos and videos from the past 30 days.
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Select and recover
Select the video and click Recover. It will reappear in your iCloud Photos library and sync back to your iPhone.
Method 3: iTunes/Finder Backup (Last Resort)
If the 30 days have passed and the video is gone from Recently Deleted, you may be able to restore from a device backup. Warning: this restores your entire iPhone to the backup state, overwriting current data.
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Connect iPhone to Mac or PC
Connect your iPhone to a computer with a Lightning or USB-C cable. Open Finder on Mac (or iTunes on Windows).
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Select your iPhone and click Restore Backup
Select your iPhone in Finder's sidebar. Click Restore Backup. Choose a backup that was created before you deleted the video.
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Wait for restore to complete
The restore process will overwrite your current iPhone with the backup. This can take 30 minutes to several hours. After the restore, find the recovered video in Photos.
Prevent Future Accidental Deletions
- Enable iCloud Photos so all videos are backed up automatically.
- Enable automatic photo backup to Google Photos or another service as a second backup.
- Make regular iTunes/Finder backups before doing any large cleanup session.
Clean Videos Carefully with Swype
Swype lets you review videos one at a time before deciding to delete. No accidental bulk deletions — swipe left only on videos you are sure about.
Download Swype FreeFrequently Asked Questions
How long do deleted videos stay in Recently Deleted?
Deleted videos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days. After 30 days, they are automatically and permanently purged. You can recover them any time within those 30 days by going to Photos > Albums > Recently Deleted and tapping Recover.
Can I recover a video after 30 days?
Not from the device itself. After 30 days, videos are permanently removed from the iPhone. You may recover them from an iCloud backup or iTunes/Finder backup if one was made before the deletion. Third-party recovery software claims to help in some cases but results are not guaranteed.
Why is my deleted video not in Recently Deleted?
Three reasons: (1) The 30-day window passed and the video was automatically purged. (2) The Recently Deleted album was manually emptied. (3) The video was stored in a third-party app (WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok) that does not use the Photos trash system — in that case, the app's own delete action is permanent and bypasses Recently Deleted entirely.