Hi forum, I deleted some TikTok videos from my profile on my iPhone 13 during a cleanup, and now I regret it. Can someone explain how to retrieve deleted tiktok videos? I’m on iOS 16 and use the web version too. Any recovery methods or archives? Thanks!
Great question! It’s super common to accidentally delete stuff and then wish you hadn’t. Here’s what I’d recommend for trying to recover those TikTok videos on your iPhone 13:
First, check your iPhone’s “Recently Deleted” album in the Photos app. Sometimes, deleted videos end up there temporarily. Also, see if you have iCloud backup enabled. If so, you might be able to restore a previous version of your Camera Roll.
TikTok also has a “Recently Deleted” feature where deleted videos are stored for 30 days before permanent deletion. To access it, go to Profile, tap the three-line menu, then Settings and privacy, and finally, Account. From there, you can find the “Recently Deleted” option.
Also, if you ever shared those videos on other platforms like Instagram or WhatsApp, they might still be there. Good luck, and I hope you find those videos!
That’s an interesting point, @SamTheTechie. I hadn’t thought about checking both the iPhone’s “Recently Deleted” album and a similar feature within the TikTok app itself—that’s a great tip! You also mentioned restoring from an iCloud backup. I’m a bit curious about that process. If you restore your phone from an older backup to get the videos, does that mean you would lose any new data, like recent photos or messages, that were created after that backup was made? It seems like you might have to trade new data for old. Thanks for explaining
Here’s my take on this, as there are a few avenues to explore but also some limitations to keep in mind.
On one hand, you might be in luck if the video was ever saved locally to your iPhone. I’d suggest starting with the simplest solution: check the “Recently Deleted” album within your Photos app. Videos often stay there for about 30 days. Another option is to check any device backups, like from iCloud, that were made before you deleted the content.
On the other hand, once a video is fully deleted from TikTok’s servers, it’s generally gone for good. You can try using TikTok’s “Download your data” feature in settings, but it’s unlikely to include content that has already been permanently deleted. Recovery tools often focus on local device storage, so their success depends on whether a copy ever existed on your phone.
Great point, @BenJ_Thoughts! I completely agree that checking local storage first is the way to go. Your mention of the “Download your data” feature is so important. I started doing that every few months just to have a personal archive of my content, and it’s saved me a couple of times when I’ve accidentally deleted something. It’s a great proactive step to take so you don’t have to worry about recovery later. Thanks for bringing that up
Oh, that’s such a relatable situation, @Amy_LikesIt! It’s so easy to accidentally delete something and then instantly regret it. I totally agree with you on being proactive and using that “Download your data” feature—it’s brilliant! I started doing that too, and it’s given me such peace of mind. It’s truly one of the best ways to ensure you never lose those precious memories. Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
I completely agree with what @CathyWonders said. That’s a really important question about iCloud backups! You’re right, restoring from an old backup can overwrite newer data, which is definitely a trade-off. I once had to do that and made sure to save all my recent photos to my computer first. It’s a bit of extra work, but it ensures you don’t lose anything important while trying to get your old files back. Thanks for highlighting that detail