How to Recover a QuickTime Recording? 6 Ways in 2026

TL;DR:

For an unsaved recording after a crash, check QuickTime's AutoSave or recovery folders and the system temporary folder. For a saved recording that was deleted, check Trash, iCloud Drive Recently Deleted, and Time Machine. If the file was saved to a detected drive but is no longer available, recovery software may help. Recent Items alone usually does not contain the unsaved video file.

1. Stop writing new data to the recording's storage location.
2. Check QuickTime recovery/AutoSave locations and Finder search.
3. Check Trash, iCloud Drive, and Time Machine.
4. Use recovery software for a deleted local recording on a detected drive.
5. Save recovered recordings to another healthy location.

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If a QuickTime screen recording disappears, first determine whether it was successfully saved, temporarily stored after a crash, deleted after saving, or never written to disk. These situations require different recovery methods.

Stop recording new content and avoid saving files to the same storage location while you investigate. Check QuickTime's recovery files, Finder, Trash, iCloud Drive, and Time Machine before using data recovery software.

Note: Recovery software cannot guarantee a recording that was never saved, was overwritten, or was removed by SSD cleanup. Save any recovered video to a different healthy location.

This guide explains six practical ways to recover a QuickTime recording on Mac in 2026.

Choose the Right Recovery Method

Part 1. Why Are QuickTime Recordings Lost?

• QuickTime or macOS crash: The recording may not have finished writing to disk.
• Save operation interrupted: Quitting QuickTime, losing power, or disconnecting storage during export can leave an incomplete file.
• Accidental deletion: A saved `.mov` file may have been moved to Trash or removed from iCloud Drive.
• Low storage: Screen recordings need enough free space to write and finalize the video.
• File-system or drive error: An external drive, SD card, or Mac volume may become inaccessible.
• Video corruption: The file may exist but fail to open because its container or metadata is incomplete.

Part 2. Where Are QuickTime Recordings Stored on a Mac?

A saved QuickTime recording is stored wherever you selected in the Save dialog. The desktop is common, but it is not the only possible location.

1. Open Finder and search for .mov files.
2. Sort results by Date Modified or Date Created.
3. Check the Desktop, Movies folder, Documents folder, Downloads, and any external drive used during recording.
4. In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder and inspect ~/Library/ScreenRecordings when relevant to your macOS version.
5. For an unsaved recording after a crash, check QuickTime's recovery or AutoSave folders rather than relying only on Recent Items.

Note: Folder names and recovery paths can change between macOS versions. Do not delete unknown temporary files until you have checked them for a playable or recoverable recording.

Part 3. Recover Saved QuickTime Recordings with Recoverit

If a QuickTime recording was saved to a Mac drive, external drive, USB device, or SD card and later deleted or lost, Wondershare Recoverit may be able to scan the detected storage location.

Recoverit is not a guaranteed solution for an unsaved recording that never reached the disk, an overwritten video, or a file on storage that macOS cannot detect. For a video that exists but will not play, use a video repair workflow after making a copy.

Steps to Scan for a Deleted QuickTime Recording

1. Protect the source: Stop saving new files to the recording's original location.
2. Select the location: Open Hard Drives and Locations and choose the detected Mac drive, external drive, or SD card.

   

3. Scan: Start the scan and avoid disconnecting the storage device.

   

4. Filter: Search by video type, file name, date, or location.
5. Preview: Preview supported results before saving them.

   

6. Recover elsewhere: Save the video to another healthy storage location.

Note: Recovery depends on whether the recording was written successfully, deleted without being overwritten, and stored on a device that macOS detects.

Part 4. Check Recent Items and Finder Search

Recent Items can help you reopen a recording that was already saved and recently used, but it is not a dedicated recovery folder for unsaved recordings.

1. Open the Apple menu and review Recent Items.

   

2. If the recording appears, open it and use File > Save or Save As to create a safe copy.
3. If it does not appear, search Finder for .mov and sort by date.
4. For a crash-related unsaved recording, continue with AutoSave and temporary-folder checks.

Part 5. Check QuickTime AutoSave and Recovery Locations

After an unexpected QuickTime or macOS crash, macOS or QuickTime may leave a recovery document or temporary composition. The path and file name can vary by macOS and QuickTime version, so treat the following location as a place to inspect rather than a guaranteed folder.

1. Open Finder and choose Go > Go to Folder, or press Shift + Command + G.

   

2. Check the QuickTime container path when it exists: ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.QuickTimePlayerX/Data/Library/Autosave Information/.

   

3. Look for an unsaved QuickTime document or composition created around the time of the crash.

   

4. Open a candidate only with QuickTime or a copy of it.
5. Use Save or Export As and save the result to a separate folder.

Note: The recovery path may not exist if QuickTime never completed a save operation. Do not delete candidate files until the recording has been opened and copied successfully.

Part 6. Explore the Temporary Folder for Unsaved Recordings

The system temporary directory may contain fragments or cached files after an application crash, but it is not a guaranteed QuickTime backup. Do not delete or modify files until you have checked them.

1. Open Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
2. Run open $TMPDIR.

   

3. Search the opened folders for recently modified QuickTime, movie, composition, or temporary files.

   

4. Copy a candidate to another folder before attempting to open or repair it.

   

5. Open the copy with QuickTime and save it to a separate healthy location if it is playable.

Part 7. Recover Deleted QuickTime Recordings: 3 Ways

If the recording was saved successfully and later deleted, check built-in recovery sources before using data recovery software.

Way 1: Restore from Trash

1. Open Trash.
2. Locate the deleted `.mov` file.
3. Right-click it and choose Put Back.
4. Open the recording and save a backup copy to another location.

Way 2: Restore from iCloud Drive

If Desktop and Documents or another folder was synced with iCloud Drive, check iCloud Drive's Recently Deleted area and version history when available.

1. Sign in to iCloud.com with the correct Apple Account.
2. Open iCloud Drive and check Recently Deleted or the file's version history.
3. Select the recording and restore or download it to a safe location.

Way 3: Restore from Time Machine

1. Connect the Time Machine backup disk.
2. Open the folder where the QuickTime recording was saved.
3. Enter Time Machine and choose a backup date before deletion.

   

4. Select the recording and click Restore, or copy it to another location.

   

Conclusion

QuickTime recording recovery depends on whether the video was saved, where it was stored, and how it disappeared. For an unsaved recording, check AutoSave and temporary locations. For a saved recording, check Finder, Trash, iCloud Drive, Time Machine, and then recovery software when the storage device is detected.

Do not save new data to the source location, and do not assume Recent Items contains an unsaved copy. Save any recovered video to another healthy location and use a video repair workflow if the file exists but will not play.