[Detailed Guide] How to Recover Lost Data on iPhone Easily

Wonder how to recover lost data on iPhone? Here are 4 proven methods to recover lost data from iPhone with or without backup.

Kelsey by Kelsey Updated March 13, 2023
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How do I recover Lost data on iPhone?

In daily work and life, plenty of people are always accustomed to using iPhone to store a lot of important data that is meaningful to them, such as contacts, text messages, call logs, photos, music, and even app data. 

However, sometimes due to human error, iOS update failure, iPhone crash or corruption, jailbreak failure, and other unknown reasons, you accidentally lose all the data on your iPhone. To be honest, this is really a maddening thing. You may be thinking: how do I recover lost data on iPhone?  

Recover lost data on iPhone

Actually, don't worry too much. If you have already backed up your iPhone using iCloud or iTunes in advance, it is easy to get back your lost iPhone data. If not, you still have a chance to recover lost data from iPhone with third-party iPhone data recovery tools.

4 Proven methods to recover lost data on iPhone

In this next section, we will elaborate on 4 possible workarounds for you about how to recover lost data on iPhone. Usually, iCloud or iTunes is the frequently used method of how to recover permanently deleted files on iPhone. 

iOS Data Recovery

In addition, we will also introduce a powerful iOS data recovery software to effortlessly recover lost iPhone data without backup, so go check it out now!

Method 1. Recover lost data on iPhone with iTunes backup

iTunes, developed by Apple, provides users with a very convenient way to backup iOS data. You just need to connect your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch to your computer and you can instantly back up almost all the data in your device.

If you've already done so, you can follow the steps below to manually recover lost or deleted data on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch with this free iPhone data recovery tool.

Notes:✎...
When restoring lost iPhone data from iTunes backup, it will overwrite the existing data and files in the device, thus putting you at another risk of data loss.
iTunes doesn't allow you to preview the contents of the backup. It can only create a full backup file, as such you have no way to preview or select the data you want to restore.

Step 1. Run iTunes and connect your iPhone to the computer with a USB cable.

Step 2. Click Trust on your iPhone to trust this computer. And tap the device icon on the upper-left corner of the window.

Click the Device Icon

Step 3. Select Summary and click Restore Backup under the Backups menu.

Resote Backup

Step 4. Choose a backup where save the lost data on iPhone and click Restore. Then wait for the restore process to finish.

Click Restore

Method 2. Restore lost data on iPhone with iCloud backup

Alternatively, iCloud is another great way to back up your iPhone to avoid data disasters. If you've used enough iCloud space to store your data, you can easily retrieve them from iCloud backup, regardless of whether it was recently deleted or permanently deleted. 

When recovering lost data on iPhone from iCloud Backup, you need to first reset your iPhone and then set up your iPhone and restore data from iCloud Backup. So, you need to create a new backup of your existing iPhone data before restoring it. Learn the detailed steps below on how to recover lost or permanently deleted files from iCloud.

Step 1. First, you need to reset your iPhone. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.

Erase All Content and Settings

Step 2. Start to set up your iPhone and click Restore from iCloud backup on the Apps & Data screen > Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID and password. 

Restore from iCloud Backup

Step 3. Choose a backup you want to restore. Thus, you can recover lost data on iPhone without iTunes successfully.

Method 3. Recover lost iPhone data from iCloud.com

In addition, if you have synced your iPhone data to iCloud Drive when you accidentally delete your iPhone data, you can also go to iCloud.com within 30 days of the deletion to recover lost or deleted data on iPhone from documents and files.

Step 1. Go to iCloud.com on the web browser.

Step 2. Sign in with your Apple ID and click Account Settings.

Click Account Settings

Step 3. Click the Restore Files option under the Advanced menu.

Restore Files

Step 4. After that, you could select the deleted files. Click Restore Files to start the recovery process. 

Click Restore Files

Method 4. Recover data from iPhone without backup

We all know that not all people are aware of the importance of backing up iPhone in advance. So is there a way on how to recover lost data on iPhone without backup? In this case, you can only turn to a third-party iPhone data recovery tool to scan your iPhone and recover data from iPhone without backup directly. 

Like this professional iOS data recovery software AOMEI Data Recovery for iOS, it can assist you to recover missing data on iPhone, including contacts, photos, videos, notes, voice memos, call history, calendars, reminders, bookmarks, WeChat history, etc. 

★ Benefits of AOMEI Data Recovery for iOS:
- Selectively preview and recover the lost/deleted data on iPhone you want.
- With advanced scan techniques, you can quickly view and retrieve deleted or lost data with a high success rate.
- While recovering lost data, it does not overwrite all existing data on the iOS device.
- It supports multiple types of iPhone/iPad/iPod with iOS 10 version and later.

Download and install AOMEI Data Recovery for iOS on your computer. Follow the step-by-step guide on how to recover deleted data from iPhone without backup free. We take photos of recovery as an example.

Step 1. Launch this tool on your PC and connect your iPhone to the computer with the USB cable.

Connect iOS Device

Step 2. Click the Scan Now button, you can start to scan your iPhone data.

Click Scan Now

Step 3. Click Photos and select the deleted photo you want to recover, then click Recover. Wait for the recovery process to complete and you can view the deleted photos on your iPhone.

Recover Photos

Bonus tip: A better way to backup iPhone without losing data

After going through the above section, you may have found out that there is an extremely high possibility of losing data when you use iCloud or iTunes to backup and restore data. Therefore, the best free iOS backup software FoneTool may be more suitable for you, which can backup your iOS devices more safely without data loss.

It has a user-friendly interface and with some simple operations, you will be able to quickly backup your desired iPhone data without any expertise. Here are some of its main advantages compared to some other iOS backup software on the market.

★ Fully or Selectively backup iPhone data, including photos, videos, songs, contacts, messages and more.
★ It can allow you to backup data at a super fast speed. Backup 2000+ contacts in 20s.
★ Safely restore data from backup files to your iDevices without data erase.
★ It is perfectly compatible with iOS 16, and 15, as well as works on Win 11/10/8/7.

Download and install this tool for free on your PC, and connect your iPhone to the computer. Learn about how to backup iPhone without iTunes and iCloud.

Download Freeware Win 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download

Step 1. Run FoneTool and go to Phone Backup > Selective Backup > Get Started. Or you can click the Full Backup option to create a full backup.

FoneTool Selective Backup

Step 2. Take photos backup as an example. Click the Photos icon to select the photos you want to backup and then click OK.

Select Photos

Step 3. Click Backup Storage Path to choose a path to save the backup. Click Start Backup.

Start Backup

Then wait for the photo backup to complete, you can find your backup files by clicking Backup History on the left panel.

Restore from Messages Backup

Summary

Hopefully, the 4 feasible methods listed in this guide can help you recover lost data on iPhone, whether you have a backup or not. No worries, data loss is a normal thing that can happen to everyone. Stay calm and follow these instructions to perform the recovery process easily.

Most importantly, this professional iPhone data recovery software - AOMEI Data Recovery for iOS is the fastest and most effective method of how to recover lost or deleted data from iPhone without backup. And it promises that no original device data will be overwritten during data recovery, giving you a more comfortable user experience.

Last but not least, regular backup is the best way to avoid iPhone data loss. Developed by a mature team focusing on data backup with more than 10 years of experience, this professional backup and restore software FoneTool can help you selectively backup important data from your iOS device. Go for it by yourself to have a try.

FoneTool - All-in-one iPhone Data Manager

Transfer, backup and manage data on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch in an easy way.

  • iOS 17 Compatible
  • iPhone 15 Supported

Free iPhone Manager - FoneTool

  • Full/Selective Backup iPhone
  • Transfer between iPhone and PC
  • 1-Click Transfer iPhone to iPhone
  • WhatsApp Backup & Transfer
  • Fully compatible with iOS 17
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