There’s nothing worse than realizing a photo you loved is gone—wiped clean from iCloud and even the Recently Deleted folder. For many iPhone users, that moment comes with a sinking question: can I get back permanently deleted iCloud photos?
The good news is that while permanently deleted iCloud photos don’t stay in your account forever, there are still several ways to attempt recovery. Apple offers a few built-in recovery options, but when those fail, specialized tools like Gbyte Recovery step in with deeper scanning technology.
This guide walks you through every method of iCloud photo recovery after permanent deletion, including both official Apple routes and third-party recovery apps.
What Happens to Permanently Deleted Photos from iCloud?
Before looking at recovery solutions, let’s clarify how Apple handles deleted photos:
Recently Deleted folder (30 days): When you delete a photo, it moves to the “Recently Deleted” album in iCloud Photos for up to 30 days. You can restore photos from the recently deleted anytime during this window.
After 30 days: The photo is flagged for permanent deletion and removed from the iCloud photo vault for deleted items.
Beyond 30 days: Apple’s servers may still temporarily hold copies, but they are inaccessible to users unless Apple intervenes through the Apple iCloud data recovery service for photos.
This timeline means that your recovery method depends largely on when the deletion happened and whether you had a backup.
Method 1: Recover Permanently Deleted Photos from iCloud Website
If it’s been less than 30 days since deletion, the iCloud website is the fastest and easiest way to restore your photos.
Steps to Recover Photos from iCloud Website
Visit iCloud.com and log in with your Apple ID.
Open the Photos app.
In the sidebar, click Recently Deleted.
Select the photos from iCloud you want to restore and click Recover.
🔑 Tip: If the album is empty, also check iCloud Drive → Recently Deleted, especially if the image was uploaded via a third-party app.
Method 2: iTunes or Finder Backup Restore
If the photos were deleted more than 30 days ago but you previously synced your iPhone with iTunes (Windows) or Finder (macOS), you can restore from an old backup.
Steps to Restore via iTunes/Finder
Connect your iPhone to your computer.
Open iTunes (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
Select your iPhone when it appears.
Click Restore Backup and choose a version created before the deletion date.
Wait for the process to complete.
⚠️ Note: Restoring from backup will overwrite your current device data, so be cautious.
Method 3: Contact Apple iCloud Data Recovery Service
For critical cases, you can request assistance directly from Apple. While this isn’t guaranteed, Apple sometimes helps retrieve files recently removed from its servers.
How to Request Apple Photo Recovery
Visit Apple Support.
Explain that you need iCloud photo recovery after permanent deletion.
Provide your Apple ID and the approximate deletion date.
Wait for Apple’s engineering team to check if recovery is possible.
This works best if the deletion happened very recently.
Method 4: Use a Permanently Deleted Photos Recovery App (Gbyte Recovery)
When official options fail, the most effective solution is to use a permanently deleted photo recovery app.
Gbyte Recovery is a professional-grade tool designed for iOS. Unlike Apple’s limited recovery, Gbyte performs a deep scan of your iPhone storage, reconstructing photo fragments that iCloud no longer shows.
Steps to Recover Deleted Photos from iCloud Without Backup
Download & install Gbyte Recovery on your computer.
Connect your iPhone and launch the program.
Select Photos as the target file type.
Run a deep scan to detect recoverable files—even after permanent deletion.
Preview and restore the photos you want with one click.
✅ Why choose Gbyte Recovery?
Works even if no backup exists
Allows scanning for free and selective recovery without overwriting your phone
Provides a higher success rate than traditional backup restores
Method 5: Restore from an iCloud Device Backup
If you had iCloud Backup enabled before the deletion, you can restore your iPhone to a previous state.
Steps to Recover Photos from iCloud Backup
On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.
Restart the device and follow the setup prompts.
When asked, select Restore from iCloud Backup.
Sign in with your Apple ID and pick a backup created before the photos were deleted.
⚠️ Warning: This method erases your iPhone before restoring data. If you don’t want a full reset, Gbyte Recovery offers a safer alternative.
Comparison of Photo Recovery Methods
Method | Difficulty | Data Overwrite Risk | Recovery Rate | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
iCloud Recently Deleted | Easy | None | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
iTunes/Finder Backup | Medium | High | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Apple Support (Data Recovery) | Hard | None | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ |
Gbyte Recovery App | Easy | None | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
iCloud Device Backup | Medium | High | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Final Verdict
So, how to recover permanently deleted photos from iCloud?
If it’s within 30 days: check the Recently Deleted folder on iCloud.com.
If you have a backup: restore via iTunes, Finder, or iCloud device backup.
If no backup exists: use a permanently deleted photos recovery app like Gbyte Recovery, which gives you the best chance of retrieving files safely.
While iCloud has limits, third-party tools bridge the gap, making permanently deleted photo recovery possible even when it feels hopeless.
