User level: Level 1 (4 points)Randomly all of my videos from 2019 are gone. I have photos from that year and videos from 2018 as well as 2020, but something seems to have happened. I did not intentionally delete anything nor did anyone to my knowledge.
There is nothing in the hidden folder and nothing in recently deleted, so I’m scratching my head as to what happened. Is there any way to recover them or am I SOL?
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Original Title: 2019 Videos Have Disappeared
Posted on Sep 22, 2026 1:01 PM
User level: Level 7 (25,466 points)Sep 23, 2026 8:05 AM in response to JoyfulFreckles
You can see this:
If you're missing photos or videos in the Photos app
Basically the above says to look in Recently Deleted and in Hidden. Be sure to check your Library thoroughly. You can use the search field with the date or location—the pictures may not be where you expect, as dates may have changed. And remember, you can sort the Library by date captured or by date added. Also, your Library view now has filters, and you may not have your filter set to "All Items.”
If you don't use iCloud Photos, but you have Settings>Apple ID>iCloud Backup turned on, then you may be able to recover data. You should look here:
Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup - Apple Support
“Restore” is what you do when you buy a new phone, so this safety, if you have it set, requires you to erase everything on your phone and replace it with the backup. You would have to get to the backup quickly, usually within a day, before the backup is replaced by a newer one. However, if you did have iCloud Photos enabled, then the iCloud Backup wouldn't make an extra copy.
Perhaps you have shared your videos with friends-- then you could get them to send copies back to you.
Unfortunately, if you don't keep your own backups to an external drive, then there really isn't any place else to look. To back up your pictures and videos you can just plug in an external drive, select the pictures, and use Share>Save to Files. Alternatively, you can backup to a computer:
Transfer photos and videos from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac or PC
If you haven't done one of those backups, then your remaining pictures and videos continue to be in peril.
User level: Level 1 (24 points)Sep 22, 2026 7:35 PM in response to JoyfulFreckles
my missing photos
Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256362946