Forum Discussion

Kodyon's avatar
Kodyon
Iron Contributor
Feb 01, 2026

How to recover erased photos on iphone from my windows computer?

Alright, I'm in full panic mode. I was cleaning up my iPhone's storage and managed to permanently erase a bunch of photos I really need. I do NOT have a recent iCloud backup (I know, I know). My only...
Features
TrappJean's avatar
TrappJean
Silver Contributor
Feb 01, 2026

If you've accidentally deleted photos on your iPhone and don't wish to restore them directly from iCloud or your device, first check your Windows computer—many people have previously synced, imported, or backed up photos, and older copies often remain stored locally.

How to recover erased photos on iphone

  1. Open the Start Menu → Search for and launch Windows Photos → Navigate to categories like Albums, Favourites, or Imports. Many photos synced or imported from your iPhone are automatically archived here. Even if deleted from your phone, they may still exist on your computer.

  2. Press Win + E, then enter in the top-right search box: heic OR .jpg OR .png

  3. Next, set the search toolbar to: Modified date → Select Before deletion date

  4. This quickly filters all common iPhone photo formats, pinpointing files from before accidental deletion by time.

This Windows self-check process is ideal for users who have previously synced or imported photos to their computer. In many cases, recover erased photos on iPhone remain fully preserved as copies on your Windows machine. We recommend prioritising built-in Windows features for your search—they are secure and completely free. Turn to iCloud recovery or third-party tools only if you truly cannot locate the files, which helps minimise the risk of data overwriting and secondary loss.