Photos were deleted from my iPhone roughly 18 months ago by a former partner who had access to my password. The images may now be relevant to a criminal case, and I have been unable to get clear guidance from Apple Support. Is there any department or official process I should contact to find out whether the photos can still be recovered, or whether they might exist in an iCloud or device backup?
3 Answers
The reason support may not be able to help is that Apple does not normally keep a recoverable copy of permanently deleted photos. It is still worth asking whether any older backups or synced devices are associated with the account, but after 18 months the chances of recovery through Apple are very low.
Since the images may relate to a criminal investigation, avoid changing or overwriting any old devices or backups if you still have them. Contact the investigator or police handling the case and ask whether they can arrange an appropriate forensic examination or advise on preserving potential evidence. Also secure the account now by changing the password and enabling two-factor authentication.
Apple probably cannot restore them directly. Photos in the Recently Deleted folder are generally removed permanently after about 30 days, or sooner if that folder was emptied. The main possibility is an older iCloud, computer, or other device backup made before the deletion—provided the photos were included in that backup and it still exists.
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