User level: Level 1 (4 points)I accidentally deleted my phone on find my iPhone because I was trying to get rid of my old phone. Old phone is already reset and sent off. I have no iCloud back up. Are all of my photos really gone!?
Posted on Sep 18, 2026 1:40 PM
User level: Level 10 (199,348 points)Sep 18, 2026 1:49 PM in response to Snowantric
The iPhone did not "delete itself".
You erased the iPhone, so everything is gone if you did not first make a backup before you erased the iPhone.
It would be a good idea for you to set up automatic daily backups to iCloud for your "new" phone. That way, you can avoid another "accident" and catastrophe.
User level: Level 10 (105,996 points)Sep 18, 2026 1:52 PM in response to Snowantric
Yes, your phone did exactly what you told it to do. The backup is what would be needed to restore your data due to this mistake. There is no valid reason why you should not have a backup. It is also useful if your phone becomes locked due to someone entering the Passcode incorrectly too many times, requiring it to be erased, or even if you accidentally dropped it where it would no longer power on.
User level: Level 9 (55,707 points)Sep 18, 2026 2:16 PM in response to Snowantric
If they existed only on the phone, and nowhere else, they are gone.
There are several ways to "back up" photos on an iPhone. The "set and forget" methods are:
If you were using iCloud Photos – but just didn't think of it as a backup – you might be able to get your photos back from iCloud. But if you were not using it on your phone, before you erased your phone, turning it on now won't save any of the deleted photos.
Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256360037