Recovering Photos from iCloud

Understanding iCloud Photo Storage

iCloud automatically syncs photos taken on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch over Wi-Fi or cellular data to keep them updated across all devices logged into the same iCloud account. The iCloud Photo Library stores the photos in the cloud rather than local storage. While this makes them accessible everywhere, it also means they won't be present if you lose access to your iCloud account.

Fortunately, there are a few methods to recover deleted or lost iCloud photos depending on the situation.

Checking iCloud Photo Settings

Before trying to recover any photos, check if iCloud Photo Library is enabled in your account. On iOS devices go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud and make sure Photos is toggled on. On Mac, open System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud and check Photos. If Photos isn’t enabled, your photos likely weren’t synced to iCloud in the first place but stored locally on your devices.

If Photos is enabled, verify that you have sufficient available storage in your iCloud account plan to maintain backups of your photo library. Upgrading a low storage tier can allow currently inaccessible photos to be restored from the cloud.

Using iCloud.com to View Photos

The easiest way to check if photos are actually synced with your iCloud account is to log in to iCloud.com and click Photos. Browse through all your Photo Library pictures here, with the option to share, print, or save them to your computer. If certain photos you expect to see aren’t available in iCloud, they may be stored locally on a device and need to be recovered separately.

Recovering Deleted Photos from Recently Deleted Folder

If you have accidentally deleted photos from your iPhone/iPad camera roll or iCloud storage in the last 30 days, you may be able to restore them through the Recently Deleted folder:

• On an iOS device, open the Photos app and select the Albums tab at the bottom > Recently Deleted. Choose Select to restore individual photos/videos or tap Recover All at the bottom to restore everything.
• At iCloud.com, click Photos then select the gear icon in the sidebar > Recently Deleted. Choose photos/videos to recover or click Recover All.

After 30 days, deleted items will be permanently removed from the Recently Deleted folder and can no longer be recovered through this method.

Restoring from iCloud Backup

If photos have been accidentally deleted or lost due to iOS device issues and are no longer showing in the iCloud account at all, you can restore them from an iCloud backup containing the missing data. There are a couple methods depending on whether you're trying to restore onto an iOS device or saving them to your computer:

Using iCloud Restore on iPhone/iPad

• Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud on your iOS device and tap Manage Storage.
• Select Backups then choose the backup you want under From this iPad/iPhone. Tap Restore, enter Apple ID/password if prompted, then tap Restore again.
• Full iCloud backup data including photos will be restored to device. Skip iPhone/iPad setup screens until you reach home screen to confirm.
• Open Photos app and check if missing photos, albums, etc are now restored in proper date order as before.

Using Restore from iTunes/Finder on Computer

• On Mac/PC connect iOS device to computer and open latest iTunes/Finder app to see device and info sidebar.
• Under Backups or Manage Backups select desired backup > Restore Backup.
• On the confirmation popup choose to backup device if prompted then click Restore to begin.
• After completing, device will reboot itself. Set it up anew leaving all settings default.
• Once home screen appears, check Photos app to see if all missing iCloud photos, albums etc. now restored from backup.

Note that this will also revert device to the date of the chosen iCloud backup. Ensure the backup is relatively recent to avoid losing other newer photos/data that you may want to keep on the device.

Using Third Party Software to Extract iCloud Photos

If the above approaches fail to recover any deleted photos from iCloud storage, specialized iOS data recovery software offers another way to restore, extract, and download all cloud-synced photos along with app data, notes, call history etc. Some top options include:

iMyFone iBypasser

• Desktop software for Windows/Mac that extracts iCloud photos, Safari history, notes, call logs, calendars, and more in bulk even without backup.
• Amplify scan mode guarantees full extraction of all available iCloud data. Flexible save formats like HTML/CSV.
• Additional support for extracting data from damaged iOS device hard drives when normal methods fail.

Fonelab iOS Data Recovery

• Available as both a desktop app and web version that natively integrates into iCloud storage for recovering photos and all other data.
• Specialized scanning algorithms go deep into iCloud system allowing full recovery of any original file names, structures, metadata etc.
• Extended capabilities to also retrieve data from encrypted iTunes and local device backups as well from crashes, screen locks or other issues.

The advanced scanning tech these tools leverage often enables recovering photos that may be partially corrupted or inaccessible through regular account restore methods. However they do typically come at a price unlike options for managed Apple account holders detailed earlier.

Preventing Future Photo Loss on iCloud

To avoid needing to recover deleted iCloud photos again, implement additional safety practices:

Creating Local Backups

• Automatically save photos/videos stored in iCloud to your computer or external storage drive using the Download Originals to this Mac/PC option under iCloud Photos settings.
• Import iPhone/iPad camera photos to desktop apps like Photos or Lightroom Classic regularly for organized backups that won’t disappear if iCloud fails or encounters issues.

Disabling iCloud Photo Library

Alternatively if you don't want automatic syncing to the cloud and prefer having photos remain only in local storage:

• Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos on iOS device
• Or open System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud > Photos on Mac
• Then toggle the iCloud Photos switch OFF fully disabling the cloud Photo Library sync.

Keeping Files Only, Not Photos

On iCloud.com you can also disable Photos under iCloud settings but choose Keep Files to continue storing documents. This allows limiting photo sync while retaining other important backups.

Quick Tip to ensure your videos never go missing

Videos are precious memories and all of us never want to ever lose them to hard disk crashes or missing drives. PicBackMan is the easiest and simplest way to keep your videos safely backed up in one or more online accounts. Simply Download PicBackMan (it's free!), register your account, connect to your online store and tell PicBackMan where your videos are - PicBackMan does the rest, automatically. It bulk uploads all videos and keeps looking for new ones and uploads those too. You don't have to ever touch it.

FAQs About iCloud Photo Recovery

How long are deleted photos stored in iCloud Recently Deleted?

Deleted photos stay in the Recently Deleted folder for 30 days before being permanently removed if not restored.

What happens when my iCloud storage is full?

If you run out of your allocated iCloud storage capacity, new photos won't sync across devices or upload to iCloud until space is available again after deleting content or upgrading to a higher storage plan.

Can you recover photos without iCloud backup?

Without backups enabled, photos only saved locally on a device's camera roll or storage can't be recovered through iCloud. You'd then need data recovery software or iPhone repair facility for extracting data off the physical device itself.

Why can't I restore photos from old iCloud backup?

Apple only retains a limited number of your most recent iCloud backups rather than keeping every single backup indefinitely. Access to backups more than 1 year old is often unavailable.

Do erased photos still take up iCloud storage space?

Yes, the content deleted from both Photos and Recently Deleted continues occupying iCloud storage quota until the 30 day window ends when they are permanently removed.