8 Best Free iPhone Recovery Tools to Restore Your Lost Data

Last Christmas, my mom was in tears.

She had just finished importing 300+ family photos from her iPhone after a once-in-a-decade family reunion—only to accidentally delete the entire album while trying to "clean up space."

There was no backup. Nothing in Recently Deleted. Even iCloud Photos had stopped syncing a few weeks ago because of storage issues.

She thought it was all gone forever. Are deleted photos truly gone from your iPhone? That’s when I started searching for the best free data recovery software for iPhone, hoping something—anything—could get those memories back.

After testing a handful of tools, one stood out: Gbyte Recovery. It scanned her iCloud account without requiring a cable, jailbreak, or tech skills—and within 20 minutes, she was scrolling through her lost photos like nothing had happened.

This experience sent me deep into the world of the best free recovery data software—and what actually works in 2025. Whether you're trying to recover iPhone photos, formatted hard drives, or deleted SD cards, here are the tools that saved the day.

Quick Summary: Best Free Data Recovery Software in 2025

Let’s break them down. 👇

Gbyte Recovery

If you’re looking for the best free iPhone data recovery software in 2025, Gbyte Recovery is the tool to try first.

Instead of requiring cables or iTunes backups, Gbyte works by scanning your iCloud account directly via two-factor authorization. Just install it on your PC or Mac, log in to iCloud, select the data type (e.g., Photos, Messages, WhatsApp, Safari history), and let it scan.

Why it stands out:

• No USB Needed—Recover deleted files from iPhone via iCloud.

• iOS-Specific – Built specifically for iPhone/iPad data, like messages, photos, and third-party app data.

• User-Friendly – No jailbreak, no technical steps.

• Free scan and selectively recover what you really need without overwriting your existing iPhone data.

✅ Best for: Recovering deleted iPhone photos without backups ❌ Limitation: Free version allows recovery of limited number of files

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard

This is one of the most popular names in the data recovery space. The free version of EaseUS lets you recover up to 2GB of lost files from PCs, USB drives, memory cards, and even formatted partitions. It also offers a separate tool for iPhone data recovery.

Key Features:

• 2GB Free Recovery – Very generous for personal use.

• Partition Recovery – Useful for deleted or formatted drives.

• Cross-Platform – Available for both Windows and Mac.

✅ Best for: PC or Mac users needing broad file support ❌ Limitation: Some features locked behind paid plan

Wondershare Recoverit

Wondershare Recoverit is best for users looking to quickly restore common file types like images and videos. The UI is clean, and it offers fast scans. However, the free version is capped at 100MB, which limits larger recoveries.

Key Features:

• 100MB Free Limit – Good for testing, but limited for large jobs.

• 1,000+ File Types Supported – Great compatibility.

• Fast & Simple – Beginner-friendly interface.

✅ Best for: Simple recoveries and testing ❌ Limitation: Doesn’t support iPhone recovery unless upgraded

Stellar Data Recovery

Stellar offers up to 1GB of free recovery and is particularly good at deep scans for corrupted or fragmented files.

It supports all common media formats and works on various storage devices.

Key Features:

• 1GB Free Data Recovery

• Deep Scan for complex recoveries

• File Preview before restoring

✅ Best for: Recovering heavily damaged or deleted files ❌ Limitation: No free iPhone support, slower scan times

Disk Drill

Disk Drill shines with its UI and recovery capabilities for PC and Mac users. The free version allows 500MB of recovery and includes extra tools like data protection and disk health monitoring.

Key Features:

• 500MB Free Limit

• Recovery Vault – Helps prevent future data loss

• Deep + Quick Scans

✅ Best for: PC/Mac users needing more than just recovery ❌ Limitation: iPhone data recovery not supported in free version

Recuva

Recuva is lightweight and fast. It supports a wide range of file types and works well on USBs, SD cards, and external drives. Its deep scan mode can locate files even after a format.

Key Features:

• Secure Deletion Option

• Wide File Support

• No Recovery Limit (basic)

✅ Best for: Lightweight, fast recovery ❌ Limitation: No iPhone support

iMobie PhoneRescue for iOS

If your main concern is iPhone recovery, PhoneRescue is worth considering. The free version lets you scan your device for recoverable data and preview results. Full recovery requires a paid plan.

Key Features:

• Designed for iOS

• Preview Before Restore

• Multiple Data Types

✅ Best for: iOS users who want to see what’s recoverable ❌ Limitation: Actual recovery requires upgrade

MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free

MiniTool’s free plan gives you 1GB of recovery and excels at partition recovery and formatted disk recovery.

However, like several others, it doesn’t support iPhone in the free version.

Key Features:

• Partition Recovery

• Cross-Platform (Win/macOS)

• 1GB Free Limit

✅ Best for: Recovering lost partitions or formatted drives ❌ Limitation: No iOS support in free plan

Final Thoughts

If you're reading this while panicking over lost files, I get it.

I’ve been there—and luckily, so have these tools.

For iPhone-specific recoveries, Gbyte Recovery is the best place to start. It’s reliable, secure, and doesn’t require a USB connection. If you're on PC or Mac, EaseUS, Recuva, and Disk Drill provide powerful, user-friendly free options.

Choosing the best free data recovery software depends on your situation, but rest assured—whether you're rescuing photos from an iPhone or documents from a dying hard drive, there’s a tool out there that can help.

Start with the free versions. You might be surprised how much you can recover—without paying a cent.