How to Recover Deleted Videos from iPhone

TL;DR:

To recover a deleted iPhone video, immediately check the Recently Deleted album in the Photos app or on iCloud.com where items are temporarily held for up to 30 days before permanent removal.
    ● Restoring an older iCloud or computer backup will only retrieve the missing video if the backup was created before the deletion and while iCloud Photos was disabled, as synced media is excluded from device backups.
    ● Recovery software such as Recoverit cannot directly scan an iPhone internal memory via USB and is exclusively meant for retrieving video copies previously exported to a Windows PC, Mac, or external drive.
    ● The standard 30-day recovery window is bypassed if your iCloud storage exceeds its capacity limit, causing deleted videos to be removed immediately without appearing in the Recently Deleted folder.

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To recover deleted videos from an iPhone, check Recently Deleted in Photos first. If the video is still there, select it and choose "Recover" without restoring the phone or using recovery software. Otherwise, look for an existing iCloud Photos copy, a backup that actually included the video, or a copy previously saved to a computer.

Apple normally keeps deleted photos and videos in Recently Deleted for 30 days, but an item can be removed sooner. Do not empty that album or erase your iPhone while checking your options. The methods below explain the recovery conditions, current controls, and what to do if a video is missing.

Part 1. Check Whether Your Deleted Videos Can Be Recovered

The important question is where a usable copy remains. Start with methods that restore individual videos, then consider a whole-device backup only when it contains the files you need.

An empty album changes the next step. It is a reason to check independent copies and backup eligibility, rather than assume a different app can recover the same deleted original.

Can You Recover Permanently Deleted Videos Without a Backup?

Apple does not provide an undo option for videos permanently removed from Recently Deleted. Its Photos deletion and recovery guidance explains the normal 30-day window and permanent-deletion limit. If you have no device backup, look for an earlier export, a separately uploaded cloud copy, or a video you sent to someone. Those are alternative copies, not recovery of erased iPhone storage.

If none exists, do not assume a paid scan will reconstruct the video. Turning on backup now cannot add a previously deleted recording to an older backup.

Can Recoverit Recover Videos Directly from an iPhone?

Recoverit does not support recovery from iPhone internal storage. The official Recoverit guide explicitly excludes mobile devices. Its role here is recovering a video that was previously exported or downloaded to a supported computer or drive and then deleted from that storage. Connecting the iPhone by USB does not turn it into a supported recovery source.

Part 2. Recover Videos from Recently Deleted on iPhone

Use this method if: You can open Photos and the deleted video is still in Recently Deleted. This is the quickest free option and does not require a backup.

Step 1. Open and unlock Recently Deleted

Open "Photos," tap "Collections," then scroll to "Utilities" and open "Recently Deleted." Tap "View Album" and authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode when prompted.

Older layouts: In iOS 18, open Photos and swipe up to reveal Utilities. In iOS 17, start from the Albums tab. The screenshot above shows the newer Collections layout.

Step 2. Select and recover the video

Tap "Select," choose the video, open the "More" menu, and tap "Recover." Confirm the recovery. For one open item, Recover may be directly available.

Step 3. Check the restored recording

Return to your library, find the recording, and play it to check its content and duration.

If it is missing: It may have expired or been permanently deleted. Apple also documents an exception when iCloud storage exceeds its limit: deleted photos and videos can be removed immediately without being available in Recently Deleted. This concerns iCloud capacity, not simply a full iPhone.

Part 3. Recover Videos Through iCloud Photos

Use this method if: The video had synced to iCloud Photos and you want to check it from a browser, including when the iPhone is unavailable. iCloud Photos synchronizes deletions across devices, so its website does not provide an extra recovery period after the phone's copy is permanently deleted.

Step 1. Open the correct iCloud Photos account

Go to iCloud Photos and sign in with the Apple Account used on the iPhone. Check the library for the video before assuming it was deleted.

Step 2. Recover the item from Recently Deleted

Open "Recently Deleted" in the sidebar, select the video, and choose "Recover." The example below has a photo selected; the same command restores videos. This Photos album is separate from iCloud Drive's deleted-file tools.

Step 3. Verify and save the available copy

Check that the video returns to the library, then download a copy and confirm that it plays. Apple's iCloud Photos recovery instructions describe this individual-item workflow; it does not erase your iPhone.

If it is absent from both places: A backup or independent copy is the next option. Do not expect another device using the same synced library to preserve a deletion indefinitely.

Part 4. Restore an iPhone Backup That Includes the Videos

A backup can help only if it was made after the video was recorded and before it was deleted, and the video was included. Restoring an older device state can replace newer data, so preserve current data and the older backup before continuing.

These distinctions follow Apple's backup inclusion and exclusion rules. Having iCloud Backup enabled is not proof that it contains a separate copy of your iCloud Photos videos. Check whether iCloud Photos was enabled when the backup was made; today's setting cannot establish that history.

For an older computer backup, use "General > Manage Backups" in Finder or Apple Devices and archive it before making a newer backup. Apple's backup management guide explains how archiving prevents later backups from replacing it. Copy important current files to separate storage and verify those copies before restoring the phone. Then choose the matching restore route below.

Restore from an iCloud Backup

Use this method if: You have an eligible iCloud device backup, can access its Apple Account, and have preserved current data. If you cannot establish that the missing video could be in the backup, do not erase the phone to test it.

Step 1. Confirm the backup before erasing

Open "Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Storage" or "Manage Account Storage," then "Backups." Check the relevant device backup and date. Apple's iCloud backup restore procedure requires an already configured iPhone to be erased first, so preserve current data before proceeding.

Step 2. Choose the iCloud backup during setup

Once the backup and current data are safeguarded, use "Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings" to return to setup. At "Transfer Your Apps & Data," choose "From iCloud Backup" and sign in. Select the relevant backup made before deletion. Older versions call this option "Restore from iCloud Backup."

Step 3. Finish restoration and check Photos

Keep the iPhone connected to power and Wi-Fi while restoration completes. Open Photos and verify the recording. If it is absent, reconsider whether that backup included it; repeating the same restore will not add an excluded video.

Restore from a Finder, Apple Devices, or iTunes Backup

Use this method if: An eligible backup is saved on your computer. Use Finder on macOS Catalina or later, Apple Devices on current Windows PCs, or iTunes on older supported setups.

Step 1. Connect the iPhone and select it

Open the appropriate app, connect the iPhone with a data cable, and respond to any trust or passcode prompt. Select the phone and open its "General" or "Summary" view.

Step 2. Choose Restore Backup

Choose "Restore Backup" in the Backups area, as shown in Finder below. The separate "Restore iPhone" control starts a factory restore; it is not the backup-selection control.

Step 3. Select the relevant backup and verify the result

Choose the backup from before the deletion, enter its encryption password if required, and start the restore. Keep the phone connected until it restarts and finishes syncing. Check the recovered videos in Photos. If the needed backup or password is unavailable, stop this route and check separate video copies.

Part 5. Recover an Exported Video Copy from a Computer or Drive

Use this method if: You previously transferred the actual iPhone video to a Windows PC, Mac, or external drive and then lost that local file. A desktop scan can examine that storage; it cannot scan the iPhone's internal memory or retrieve a video that was never downloaded there.

Step 1. Check the existing file and its Recycle Bin or Trash

Search the folder where you saved the recording. On Windows, if it is in "Recycle Bin," right-click it and choose "Restore." The Windows 10 example below shows that command for a document; the same command restores a video. On a Mac, check Trash or follow the free checks to recover a video deleted from your Mac before scanning.

Microsoft Windows 10 Recycle Bin example. Used with permission from Microsoft.

If the local copy is no longer available there, Recoverit Video Recovery can scan supported storage for recoverable video files. Stop writing to the affected drive, install the program elsewhere, and prepare another healthy drive for recovered files. The download is free; saving results depends on the applicable plan and limits.

Wondershare Recoverit

Lost an iPhone Video You Once Saved to Your Computer?

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Already checked Recently Deleted and iCloud? If an iPhone video you exported to a Mac, PC, or external drive was later deleted there, Recoverit can search that storage for missing MOV or MP4 clips. Preview possible matches before recovering.

Step 2. Scan the location that held the video

Open Recoverit and select the drive or folder where the exported video was stored. Start the scan. These screens show the Windows computer-recovery workflow; select the local source, not the connected iPhone.

Step 3. Find and preview the recording

Filter the results for videos and use the filename or file type, such as MOV or MP4, to narrow them. Preview candidate files where supported and check that they contain the recording you need.

Step 4. Recover to another drive

Select the video, choose "Recover," and save it to a different healthy storage device. Open the saved file in a video player and check its duration and playback before making a second copy.

The dialog also handles videos. Choose the destination according to your source drive; the sample's C: selection is not suitable if C: is where your video was lost.

If recovery fails: An overwritten file cannot be restored by a scan, and a listed result may be incomplete. Stop software attempts on a physically damaged or repeatedly disconnecting drive and seek a professional assessment.

Conclusion

Start iPhone video recovery with Recently Deleted, then check iCloud Photos and eligible backups. Confirm that a backup included the video before restoring the device. If you previously exported the recording, its computer or drive copy provides another recovery route, including Recoverit when that local file was deleted. Once you retrieve a usable video, keep an independent copy so a synced deletion does not remove your only version.