Apple has introduced a new feature in iOS 18 that will help users recover lost or damaged photos and videos. The new “Recovered” album in the Photos app will automatically detect and display previously inaccessible media files that are still stored on the device, giving users a second chance to save them.
Image source: Apple
The innovative feature is available not only in iOS 18, but also in iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia. According to Apple, the new technology can identify and locate previously lost or damaged media files, displaying them in a new album called “Recovered” in the Photos app. This album will exist in parallel with the “Recently Deleted” album that users are already familiar with. It is noted that when updating to iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, the device will automatically scan for recoverable photos and videos.
There are several reasons why photos or videos may be lost or corrupted. For example, this may happen due to database corruption issues or when a photo taken is not saved properly to the library. Additionally, third-party apps that have permission to manage the Photos library may also cause problems.
To find this album, users need to follow these steps:
Open the Photos app Scroll down and find the Utilities section Tap on Recovered and authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID Select a photo or video and decide whether to Delete Permanently or Restore to Library
It is important to note that the new album will only be visible if there are actually lost or damaged media files on the device. Otherwise, this option will not be displayed.
The introduction of this useful feature in iOS 18 follows a recent incident involving a database corruption bug in iOS 17.5 that resulted in deleted photos reappearing. At the time, Apple stressed that the issue was random and affected a small number of users. The addition of the new feature gives more control over the process of deleting photos and videos, as well as the ability to recover media files that were thought to be lost.
If you notice an error, select it with your mouse and press CTRL+ENTER.
