How to Recover Deleted Screen Recordings on Android, iPhone, Windows, and Mac

TL;DR:

Successfully recovering a deleted screen recording requires immediately checking your device's Trash, Recycle Bin, or Recently Deleted folder—which typically retains files for 30 days—and existing backups before halting all new file saves to prevent permanent data overwriting.
    ● For desktop recordings, verify the Recycle Bin and File History targeting the Videos > Captures folder for Xbox Game Bar or Videos > Screen Recordings for Snipping Tool, while Mac users should rely on Trash and Time Machine backups.
    ● Wondershare Recoverit can scan readable Windows, Mac, USB, or SD drives for recoverable MP4 or MOV files, but it strictly cannot retrieve deleted media directly from Android or iPhone internal storage.
    ● Software cannot recover recordings that crashed or never finished saving, and restoring from cloud services like Google Photos is only possible if the video was fully backed up before deletion without triggering cross-device synchronization removals.

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If you saved a screen recording and later deleted it, start with the device's Recently Deleted, Trash, or Recycle Bin. Next, check the folder where the recorder saves videos and any backup that existed before the deletion. If a video was saved to a Windows or Mac drive and the deleted data is still recoverable, a local recovery scan may help.

Before you try: Stop saving new files or making recordings on the affected computer or removable drive. New writes can overwrite deleted data. If you find a playable copy, save it to a separate location before trying riskier methods. Recoverit does not directly recover deleted files from Android or iPhone internal storage; those devices require their own Recently Deleted and backup checks.

Part 1. Find the Screen Recording's Original Save Location

A recording that has disappeared from the Gallery or desktop is not necessarily deleted. First identify the app and folder that created it, then choose the least disruptive recovery option.

Check the Save Folder on Each Device

Xbox Game Bar creates MP4 clips in Videos > Captures. Microsoft's current Snipping Tool documentation describes a Videos > Screen Recordings folder; older versions and manual saves may differ. On Mac, the Screenshot toolbar lets you pick a destination. Check the Snipping Tool instructions, Xbox Game Bar recording guide, or Mac Screenshot settings if those locations look unfamiliar.

Choose the Recovery Path That Matches the Loss

If the recorder shows the file in a different folder, play it and make a backup: no deletion recovery is necessary. If it was deleted, continue with the device-specific steps. A recording that never finished saving or an existing video that will not play is a different problem; the distinction is explained briefly in Part 7.

Part 2. Recover Deleted Screen Recordings on Android and iPhone

Phone recordings are often stored in a Gallery or Photos library, so built-in restore options are the most useful first step. Do not install an unfamiliar recovery APK or reset your phone in an attempt to retrieve one deleted video.

Restore Android Screen Recordings From Gallery or Google Photos

Step 1. Open your recorder or Gallery app and check Screen recordings, Videos, or the date the recording was made. On Samsung Galaxy phones, Gallery may list deleted videos under Menu > Recycle bin. Other Android phones use different labels and may have a separate files-app Trash.

Step 2. If the missing recording appears in Gallery Trash, select it and choose Restore. Samsung's published Gallery policy gives a 30-day Trash period, but other apps and devices may use different rules.

Step 3. Open Google Photos with the same Google Account that backed up the video. Go to Collections > Trash, select the recording, and tap Restore if available. Google's current Google Photos restore guidance describes a 30-day Trash window; do not rely on older articles that promise 60 days. Items permanently deleted or removed from Trash cannot be restored by Google Photos.

Step 4. Play the restored video and confirm it contains the complete screen recording and sound. If it is not there, search other Google Accounts, a previously enabled device-cloud backup, or an exported copy on your computer. Backups only help if the recording was actually included before it disappeared.

Important: Some Google Photos deletions can also remove synchronized device copies. If the recording is still available on another device, preserve that copy before making more changes. Recoverit on a computer cannot directly scan modern Android phone-internal storage as though it were a USB disk.

Recover an iPhone or iPad Screen Recording From Recently Deleted

Step 1. Open Photos and check the video library or the recording date. If it was deleted, choose Collections > Recently Deleted (the layout can vary), then unlock the album with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.

Step 2. Select the recording and tap Recover. Apple says items in Recently Deleted remain there for 30 days unless permanently removed sooner. See Apple's deleted-video instructions.

Step 3. Verify that the restored clip plays. If it is absent, check whether a separate copy was exported to Files, a computer, or another storage service before deletion. Be careful with device-backup restores: replacing a phone's data just to find a recording can overwrite newer information and should not be treated as a routine first step.

Part 3. Restore Deleted Screen Recordings on Windows

For an MP4 made with Xbox Game Bar, Snipping Tool, OBS, or another desktop recorder, search its configured save folder before scanning the drive. If you know the file was removed, check Recycle Bin and pre-existing File History backups.

Restore a Video From Recycle Bin

Step 1. Open Recycle Bin and sort by deletion date or search for the video name. Check for clips originally saved under Videos > Captures, Videos > Screen Recordings, or another recorder's folder.

Step 2. Right-click the recording and choose Restore. Open the restored folder and play the clip. If it is not in Recycle Bin, it might have been permanently deleted, saved elsewhere, or removed from a location that does not use the Recycle Bin.

Restore an Earlier Recording With File History

Step 1. If File History was configured before the deletion and included the recording's folder, open the folder in File Explorer, right-click, and select Restore previous versions. Choose a backup dated before the file disappeared.

Step 2. Open or preview the backup to confirm it contains the recording, then choose Restore to another location when available if you need to protect newer files. If there is no previous backup, File History cannot create one retroactively.

Follow Microsoft's File History restore instructions for the current interface. Do not restore an entire folder over the current one without reviewing what might be replaced.

Part 4. Recover Deleted Screen Recordings on Mac

Mac screen recordings made with the built-in Screenshot toolbar are usually MOV files saved to the desktop or another selected folder. If you deleted the saved file, check Trash first; use Time Machine only if it contains an earlier copy.

Put a Deleted Screen Recording Back From Trash

Step 1. Open Trash in the Dock and look for a file beginning with Screen Recording, another filename you used, or the recording date.

Step 2. Right-click the video and select Put Back. Check the original folder and play it. If the video is missing from Trash, confirm the folder selected under Shift + Command + 5 > Options > Save to before assuming it was permanently deleted.

Restore an Existing Time Machine Backup

Step 1. Open the folder that contained the recording, then choose Browse Time Machine Backups if Time Machine was enabled. If you use an external backup drive, connect it when necessary.

Step 2. Browse to a date before deletion, select the video, and click Restore. The file should return to its original location. Confirm the restored clip opens before deleting any other copies. Apple's Time Machine recovery steps cover the current process.

Part 5. Check Cloud Backups for an Existing Screen Recording Copy

A separate copy in Google Photos, iCloud Photos, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or a recorder's own account may survive even when the original device file is deleted. A service only helps if that recording was uploaded, synced, or backed up before the loss.

Search the Cloud Library and Deleted-Items Folder

Step 1. Sign in to the correct account and search by recording date, filename, file type, or folder. Check the main library first; a moved item may simply be in a different folder.

Step 2. If the file was deleted in that service, open its Trash, Bin, Recycle Bin, or Recently Deleted area. Restore a matching recording if the service still offers that option, then download or export another copy to a safe location. Availability and retention policies differ by service and can change.

Avoid Confusing Cloud Sync With a Separate Backup

Deleting a synchronized file may also remove it from other connected devices. If your only surviving copy is open on another device, preserve it without triggering another deletion or overwrite. A file that was never uploaded cannot be restored from the cloud. For recordings kept inside an online-only workspace, follow that service's account and Trash options instead of scanning your computer's storage; a related example is our Loom video recovery guide.

Part 6. Recover Permanently Deleted Local Screen Recordings With Recoverit

If a completed recording was saved on a readable Windows or Mac disk, SD card, USB drive, or other supported external storage, but is no longer in Trash or backups, Wondershare Recoverit can scan that storage for candidate files. This is a later option, not the first step for a recently deleted phone recording.

Check Whether a Local Scan Applies

Recoverit's official Windows data recovery guide excludes Android/iOS phones and tablets from direct recovery and does not support overwritten or physically failed storage. If a drive repeatedly disconnects or shows physical damage, stop scanning and seek qualified data-recovery help. Successful recovery is never guaranteed, particularly on storage where SSD TRIM or subsequent writes have removed the data.

Scan, Preview, and Save the File to Another Drive

Step 1. On a Windows or Mac computer, open Wondershare Recoverit Video Recovery. Select the drive or supported external storage that originally held the saved screen recording. If possible, run the software without installing anything on the source drive.

Step 2. Start a scan and look for videos by file type, location, name, or date where the current version makes those filters available. Common screen recording formats include MP4, MOV, and MKV; preview matching results if supported. A filename alone is not proof of a complete playable recording.

Step 3. Select the candidate recording and choose Recover. Save it to a different healthy drive, not the scanned source. Open the output and check its duration, picture, and sound. If a recovered file is present but cannot play, first preserve the recovered copy; video repair is a separate workflow.

Part 7. What If the Screen Recording Was Never Saved?

A recording lost when an app crashed, a capture stopped before export, or a session never produced a file is not the same as a deleted MP4. First check the recorder's project or draft list and its output directory; an unfinished recording may not contain a playable file that ordinary recovery software can find.

For step-by-step troubleshooting of recordings you can't find, didn't save, or lost during capture, use our separate lost or unsaved screen recording guide. If the saved file exists but will not play, do not treat that as deletion: preserve the original and diagnose the video before attempting repair.

For future recordings, select a known save folder, make a short test clip, leave enough free space, and keep a copy on different storage. These habits help prevent losing the only copy of a long meeting, lesson, or gameplay capture.

Conclusion

To recover deleted screen recordings, begin with the recording's saved location, Recently Deleted or Trash, and any backup that already contains it. Use Windows File History or Mac Time Machine only when a suitable earlier backup exists. If a completed video was subsequently deleted from supported computer-accessible storage, Recoverit may help you scan for a surviving file, but it cannot retrieve deleted media directly from phone-internal storage or guarantee recovery after data has been overwritten.