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How to Recover Deleted Photos on iPhone 15 - With or Without Backup

This guide will walk you through the steps to recover deleted photos on iPhone 15, 15 Plus & iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max. You can use an iCloud backup, iTunes backup, or third-party software recovery solutions.

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Mark Anderson
Updated on Sep 30, 2024

Check out these efficient options for deleted photo recovery on iPhone 15 with or without a backup.

It's all too common to delete photos on your iPhone 15 only to realize you still need them. Maybe you were trying to clear up space and hit the delete button accidentally, or maybe your finger slipped and you lost your precious photos before you could save them elsewhere.

Actually, the deleted iPhone photos can be recovered from the Recently Deleted album within the 30-40 days after deletion. If they are permanently removed, you can use an iCloud backup or iTunes backup to recover deleted photos on iPhone 15 from a most relevant backup archive.

If you accidentally delete your iPhone 15 photos and don't have a recent backup available, try this iPhone Data Recovery tool to get back your valuable pictures. It can deeply scan iOS device's internal storage and directly recover deleted photos from your iPhone without a backup.

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The photo recovery solutions in this guide work smoothly with iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro / 15 Pro Max, and all earlier and later iOS models.

Where Can I Find Deleted Photos on iPhone 15?

In iPhone 15 with iOS 16 and later, deleted photos from the Camera Roll or Photos Library move to the Recently Deleted album and stay there for 30 to 40 days. If you want to undo the deletion, you can easily recover your iPhone photos from the Recently Deleted folder. Once the recovery period ends, the photos are permanently deleted and will be overwritten by new data. To recover deleted iPhone 15 photos, explore these solutions before your photos are replaced:

How to Recover Deleted Photos on iPhone 15 from Recently Deleted Album

The easiest way to recover deleted photos on iPhone 15 is to check the Recently Deleted album. Built in to iOS 16 and later, it allows users to recover the photos and videos that were deleted within the last 30 days. Here's how to recover photos on iPhone 15 from Recently Deleted album with a few taps.

TIP: If you can't find photos in Recently Deleted, they may be permanently deleted. Scroll down to explore further recovery options to retrieve your deleted iPhone photos.

To recover deleted photos from iPhone 15 within 30 days after deletion:

  • On your iPhone, open the Photos app and tap Albums tab.
  • Choose Recently Deleted album under Utilities.
  • If asked, use your Face ID or Touch ID to unlock the album.
  • Tap Select button from the upper-right corner.
  • To recover all deleted photos in Recently Deleted, tap Recover All to get them back.
  • For specific photos, choose the pictures you want and tap Recover button.

After that, these selected photos will be recovered from Recently Deleted album and go back to your iPhone 15's Photos Library.

Recover Recently Deleted Photos on iPhone 15 from iCloud.com

When iCloud Photos is enabled on your iPhone 15, the deleted photos can also go to the Recently Deleted album in iCloud. Based on internet and cloud storage, iCloud Photos syncs all your iOS photos and any changes you make (including deletions) across all your Apple devices. To recover the photos deleted from your iPhone 15, simply visit iCloud.com and do the following:

1. Enter your Apple ID and password on iCloud.com.

2. Tap Photos icon when you're signed in.

3. Select the Recently Deleted album in the sidebar, from where you can access all photos and videos deleted in the last 30 to 40 days.

4. Choose the deleted photos you want to get back to your iPhone 15.

5. Check the Recover button at the top toolbar. All selected pictures and videos will reappear in your Photos Library and be synced across devices.

Note: The photos synced with iCloud Photos won't be included in a backup when you back up your iPhone using iCloud.

How to Recover Deleted iPhone 15 Photos Without Backup - All iOS Supported

Don't panic if you cannot find deleted photos in the Recently Deleted album on your iPhone 15. These local photos may still be on your device's internal storage until overwritten by new data files. You can use a scanning tool like iPhone Data Recovery to deeply scan your device's storage and recover deleted photos on your iPhone 15 / 15 Plus / 15 Pro / 15 Pro Max and other iOS devices without needing backups.

This effective software can deeply scan your iPhone's internal memory, enabling you to find and recover deleted and lost photos directly without backups. It also offers features to preview specific photos and select only the desired ones for recovery. Unlike other recovery solutions, this method will not replace or overwrite any current data on your iPhone, making it a great way to recover deleted photos on iPhone 15 and other iOS and iPadOS devices.

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More key features you may be interested:

  • Find and recover deleted and lost photos on iPhone / iPad with selection
  • Preview data files before choosing what to recover
  • Recover only selected files and will NOT replace any existing data on device
  • Support all iPhone and iPad models, as well as all iOS versions
  • Retrieve various data files, including photos, messages, contacts, notes, call logs and more
  • Extract and restore files from iTunes backup selectively

When your photos cannot be found in Recently Deleted, here's how to recover permanently deleted iPhone 15 photos without a backup:

Step 1. Choose a recovery mode.

Install and open iPhone Data Recovery software on a PC or Mac, and choose Recover from iOS Device on its main interface; then connect your iPhone 15 to computer via a USB cable.

Step 2. Scan your iPhone 15 for deleted photos.

Click the Start Scan button when your device info displays on the screen. Give it a few minutes to perform a full scan and find all deleted and lost files.

Step 3. Recover photos from iPhone directly.

After scanning, all recoverable files will show up and be sorted by category. Click the Camera Roll, Photo Library, App Photos, or other image categories you prefer, then take your time to view and select which photo you'd like to recover.

Hit the Recover button. When the dialog box pops up, choose a local folder to save all these photos you just recovered from your iPhone 15.

How to Recover Photos Deleted on iPhone 15 with Backups

If you have an earlier iPhone backup made before your iPhone 15 photos were deleted, here are several different ways to restore deleted iPhone photos from a backup in iCloud or iTunes:

Restore Only Photos from iTunes Backup via iPhone Data Recovery

In the event that you have backed up your iPhone with iTunes or Finder on your computer, you can choose to scan the iTunes backup and restore only photos from it selectively. This process will not replace the current data on your iPhone 15, so you won't lose any existing data. To proceed, ensure the iTunes backup is made before you delete your iPhone 15 photos. Here's how to recover deleted photos on iPhone 15 from an iTunes backup:

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To restore iPhone photos from iTunes backup without overwriting:

  • Launch iPhone Data Recovery on your computer and opt for Recover from iTunes Backup File on the left.
  • When it automatically detects the backups on your computer, you'll see a list of iTunes backups with the date when they were made.

  • Choose an iTunes backup that contains your deleted iPhone 15 photos, and hit Start button.
  • It takes a few minutes to load all iTunes backup files.
  • Once done, go to the photo categories and preview the pictures you want back.

  • Select everything you desire and hit the Recover button at the bottom.
  • When prompted, select a local computer folder to keep all your recovered photos.

Restore Deleted iPhone Photos from iCloud Backup

For the photos you accidentally deleted from your iPhone 15, there's still a chance to recover them from an iCloud backup. This method works if your device data was backed up with iCloud before the photos were permanently deleted. Keep in mind that restoring phones from iCloud backup will erase all current data and settings on your iPhone 15 before the backup content is restored. Ensure you have a backup of any newer data added after the original backup.

Before you follow the steps to recover permanently deleted photos on iPhone15, make sure that there's an iCloud backup available:

  • Head to Settings > your Apple ID > iCloud > iCloud Backups. All successful iCloud backups will be listed.
  • Confirm that there's one backup made before your photos got deleted.

Now, take these steps to get your iPhone 15 photos recovered using an iCloud backup:

1. Erase and reset the iPhone 15 by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.

2. If asked, input your Apple ID and password to initiate the erasing process.

3. Once done, the iOS device will reset to factory settings and restart automatically.

4. Follow the onscreen prompts to set up your iPhone again.

5. When the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen appears, choose From iCloud Backup in the option menu.

6. Sign in to your iCloud account and choose the most relevant backup to recover photos.

Depending on how much data your iCloud backup contains, it can take a few minutes or hours to download and restore everything to your iPhone 15. After that, you can open the Photos app on your iPhone to view all the restored photos and videos.

Recover iPhone Photos Deleted from iPhone 15 via iTunes Backup

Similar to the iCloud backup method, restoring from iTunes backup can also help you recover deleted photos on iOS devices. This process will reset your iPhone 15 and restore it to the state it was backed up in, which means that any new data added after the backup will be overwritten. To avoid unnecessary data loss, try using the iPhone Data Recovery above to recover iPhone photos from iTunes without replacing your current data.

On a Windows PC or a Mac with macOS 10.14 and earlier, open iTunes. On a Mac with macOS 10.15 or later, run Finder. The steps are slightly different.

  • Link the iPhone 15 to computer and launch the iTunes.
  • When asked, enter your iPhone passcode and tap Trust on the device screen.
  • In the upper-left corner of iTunes window, click the phone icon.
  • Locate the Summary tab, and scroll down to the Backups section.
  • Check This Computer and click Restore Backup button.
  • From the pop-up selection box, choose the iTunes backup that includes the photos you deleted.
  • Hit Restore again to restore your iPhone 15 from the backup.

All photos will be restored to your iPhone 15 along with other backup files.

After You Recover iPhone Photos

Once you have recovered all your deleted photos on iPhone 15, be sure to back up your data regularly to prevent future data loss. With iTunes, Finder, iCloud or other third-party cloud services, you can back up important your photos and videos safely. Even if you accidentally deleted some of them, the options in this guide will allow you to recover iPhone photos with ease.

About Mark Anderson
Mark is a passionate content creator with years of experience in technical field. He has written a variety of niches and always shares a unique insight into the world of Internet & technology.