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User profile for user: arielc2009
arielc2009 Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Can I retrieve photos and videos that were not backed up on iCloud?

So, I got a new iphone (iphone 16) and was transferring my stuff from my old phone (iPhone 12) to my 16 and before i did that i didn’t realize my backup wasn’t on so my last backup was like months ago. My icloud was also full and i didn’t realize it but i transferred my stuff over and factory reset my old phone. I went to go check my new phone once everything seemed to be loaded and some of my videos and photos didn’t transfer. Does that mean that they are permanently gone now that i’ve factory reset the old phone and the icloud was full and didn’t hold them to put on my new phone? or is there some way i can get them back?


[Re-Titled By Moderator]

iPhone 12, iOS 16

Posted on Oct 17, 2024 6:15 PM

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3 replies
User profile for user: TheLittles
TheLittles
User level: Level 10
195,274 points

Oct 17, 2024 9:51 PM in response to arielc2009

arielc2009 Said:

"Can I retrieve photos and videos that were not backed up on iCloud?"

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For reference....


Troubleshooting Lost Photos and Videos:

Loss of data is something you would have agreed to upon opening an Apple Account. So, if the following does not work, then they are gone. That's just the way it is :(


Four Tactics to Try:

A. Start here: If you're Missing Photos or Videos in the Photos app - Apple Support


B. Check Recently Deleted:

Starting in iOS16, Recently Deleted is a location to tap in the Photos app to recover these.


C. Check iCloud, Directly:

For Photos: Go here, and see if they reside in iCloud: https://www.icloud.com/photos


D. Restore your iPhone from a Backup:

Have any backups of this iPhone prior to this occurrence? If so, restore your iPhone from one that has these photos (the most recent backup, ideally). If not, then take this as a learning experience, knowing to always back up your device for recovery purposes. Important: Back up you iPhone prior to performing this restoration, should anything go wrong from here on out.


D. Where Else to Check:

  1. PC
  2. PDA
  3. eMail
  4. Mac Device
  5. Cloud Storage
  6. Android Phone
  7. USB Flash Drive
  8. External Hard drive
  9. Secure Digital Card
  10. Compact Flash Card
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User profile for user: TheLittles
TheLittles
User level: Level 10
195,274 points

Oct 17, 2024 9:52 PM in response to arielc2009

arielc2009 Said:

"Can I retrieve photos and videos that were not backed up on iCloud?: [...]My icloud was also full and i didn’t realize it[...]"

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Troubleshooting Full iCloud:


One unique method...

Download All of iCloud:

Use my user tip: Getting a Quick and Direct "iCloud Drive-to-External Hard Drive" Download - User Tip

One thought would be to download all of iCloud to an external drive. Once downloaded, verify your can access the data. Once verified, trash what is in iCloud. As for seeing through the download, do so in Finder on a Mac. You would download it to an external drive, and then open the drive in Finder. Search through it using the search bar on the top-right corner of the Finder window. Once downloaded, trash what is in there.

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Can I retrieve photos and videos that were not backed up on iCloud?

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