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I’d suggest trying a trusted recovery software. Most of them show a preview before you actually recover anything.
But not always. The data still exists internally until overwritten. Recovery tools just access that leftover data.
Really? I thought once deleted, it’s gone for good.
Edit: I just now got to know that there are some data recovery tools that scan your iPhone directly and try to pull deleted files. I’ve seen people recover photos, messages, and even WhatsApp chats that way. I am going to give them a try.
No backup on iTunes either 😓 I mostly relied on iCloud, which was already full.
In that case, recovery might still be possible if the data hasn’t been overwritten yet. Did you try restoring from iTunes backup?
I don’t think so. My iCloud storage was full, so backup probably didn’t happen.
That’s frustrating. Sometimes updates can mess with local data. Were those photos backed up on iCloud?
Hey guys, I updated my iPhone yesterday and noticed that a bunch of my photos are missing. Checked Recently Deleted too, but they’re not there. Any idea if they can be recovered?
Thank you so much for suggesting Stellar Data Recovery—it actually worked! I was honestly not expecting much, but I gave it a try after checking the basic things first. The scan took some time, but it was able to find most of my missing files, including some really important documents and photos. I managed to recover almost everything, which was a huge relief. I was pretty stressed thinking all my data was gone, so this really helped a lot.
Really appreciate the suggestion
Run a quick antivirus scan as well, sometimes malware hides or relocates files.
Honestly, most people jump straight to recovery tools, but that’s not always the best first move. If your storage is still showing as used, your files are very likely not deleted at all—they’re just hidden, moved, or affected by a system or profile issue. In many cases, running recovery software too early can waste time on unnecessary scans, and if done incorrectly, it can even risk overwriting recoverable data. Before using any tool, it’s better to check if Windows has created a temporary profile, look for hidden or system files, and confirm whether a recent update changed your file locations. That said, if nothing shows up after these checks, then using a reliable recovery tool like Stellar can help locate the missing files. Just don’t treat recovery software as the first step—it should be your backup plan, not your default reaction
If files are not visible but storage is still used, chances are they’re still there.
You can try a reliable recovery software that:
Scans deleted / missing files
Works even if drive is corrupted or not showing properly
Tools like Stellar Data Recovery are designed for this kind of situation and can scan your drive to locate missing files.
Check if files are just hidden
Sometimes files don’t disappear, they just become hidden:
Open File Explorer
Click View → Show → Hidden items
(Update) Tried a paid iPhone data recovery tool and it actually worked! Got most of my missing photos and videos back after scanning my iPhone. Definitely a lifesaver finally.