Jul272010

How can I recover deleted files on an iPhone 3?

null asks:

How do I recover deleted files, eMails, and or text messages on an iPhone 3?



Similar questions

  • http://dhdaily.com Josh Fox

    As far as I can tell, the only way to recover that kind of stuff would be by using a backup from iTunes. You can choose to restore your device from a backup by right clicking on it on the left side of iTunes and selecting “Restore from backup”. I’ve never gone through the process myself, but I would imagine all you would have to do is select the backup you want to use and wait.

    • Thomasscharrer

      I am a licensed private investigator and I have in home kits that retrieve deleted information off of iPhones even if the phone has not been backed up on itunes. You could even send the phone to our lab and we will do it for you. Call Tom 8 6 6 6 4 0 1 0 1 0.

      • User352098

        How much you charge where are you based

      • Melissa Borges

        Can you possibly walk me through it??? I have court 2mrw morning and lost a very inportant piece of evidence???

      • Cm

        Would love some more info on it too. Lost a note that I would love to retrieve for my daughter.

      • Cm

        Also, I’m from Canada and your phone number doesn’t work from here. Would like to hear from you.

      • Nicolajones0106

        Hi I am hoping you might be able to help me recover a deleted note – not backed up recently – i need it for evidence too! Also, would you know of a way to tell if me iphone3 has been somehow bugged or hacked into? Where are you based?

  • Pegasus

    If for some reason, you lost some important information on your iPhone, whether from 3rd party applications, your photos, contacts, notes, SMS, call history, calendar, etc., and doing a restore from iTunes is futile, don’t give up yet! As long as you have performed a backup in iTunes recently, your data is safely tucked away in a database in your computer—but you need another tool that can read and extract the data so you can copy it back to your iPhone.
    In case you want to know, your iPhone backups are located in your Mac (~Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup) or on a PC (c:Documents and SettingsApplication DataApple ComputerMobileSyncBackup).

    What You Need
    Download and install the following:
    DiskAid for Mac or Windows (requires a jailbroken phone to access the Root Folder)
    iPhone Backup Extractor for Mac (not sure if there is a Windows equivalent)
    Use iPhone Backup Extractor
    (1) Open iPhone Backup Extractor

    (2) Click Read Backups
    (3) Select from Device Name or Date where you want to retrieve your backup data and click Choose.

    (4) Select the Application where you want data be restored from or scroll down and select Other Files if you want to restore data from the built-in iPhone apps such as photos, address book, notes, SMS, etc.
    In this example, we will extract the Notes backup to our computer so we need to select Other Files.

    (5) Click Extract and select a folder where you want to extract the Notes data in your computer (remember this location).

    Use DiskAid To Copy Backup Data To iPhone
    (6) Connect your iPhone to your Computer.
    (7) Open DiskAid.

    (8) Click the pull-down at the bottom of the screen where it says Media Folder and select Root Folder (click Go Ahead when a warning window pops up).
    For this example, we will recover data from our Notes application.
    (9) Click User -> Library -> Notes.

    (10) Click the Copy to Device icon above.
    (11) Go to the folder where you extracted the Other Files backup files (in step 5) and select “notes.db“.

    (12) Click Open.
    (13) Click Replace.

    (14) Check your iPhone to verify the recovered data.
    (15) Do the same for the rest of your data that you want to recover.
    Smile! :)

    • http://www.makeuseof.com/ Aibek

      thanks for the excellent answer!

    • Donny

      I recently had to recover lost data from an iphone 3g that was never backed up. I created an image of the iphone (about 8gb). I used Photorec to parse the image and it seems like it did the job. I have one problem though. The contacts look as though they are in vcard format but have an extension of .abcdp. I tried to open them in textedit but had no luck. Just a bunch of gibberish when opened. Please help!! Thanks!

      • http://www.makeuseof.com/ Aibek

        thanks for the inpout. In regards to the contacts, i suggest you post thsi as another question. I am sure there are people here who know how to fix this.

      • Realxcase

        Hey Donny,
        You seem to have hang on this, please could you help me with clearer detail on how to recover my very important files, like recorded voices, pictures and videos? The phone suddenly refused to transfer the files to the computer and some that did transfered was such a big files (Like 815MB each picture), and could not open.
        Help..
        Cheers

        • http://www.makeuseof.com/answers Tina

          Realxcase,

          in case you don’t hear from Donny, feel free to ask a new question via the respective button in the top left on MakeUseOf Answers. Someone else may be able to help you if they see your question.

      • Dawnb0521

        Can you explain more how to do this .  My jusband recently took my phone locked himself in the bathroom and said he downloaded everything from my phone and emailsed it to himself.  I want to know what he saw .  He was only in there like 5 minutes no computer or anything just my iphone3 .  I have only synched my phone in itunes once month ago.

        • http://www.makeuseof.com/answers Tina

          Dawn,

          I’m afraid I don’t know the answer and I’m not sure whether you will receive a reply here. If not, I recommend you to ask a new question.

      • Appleuser50

        how did u create an image?

  • Manny Rey

    How can I recover my iphone recent call, missing call log application. My phone no longer registers incoming, outgoing, missed calls.

    • http://www.makeuseof.com/answers Tina

      Manny,

      I recommend to post a new question of your own. The question you responded to is rather old and you are unlikely to receive any fresh input.

    • Hollandday

      Manny,
      Ask your phone operator for recent call log but sometimes they can charge for the service.

  • Thomasscharrer

    I am a licensed private investigator and I have kits that allow you to retrieve deleted information off of an iPhone even if the phone has not been backed up on itunes. I have inn home kits for your use or you can send the phone to my lab. Call Tom for more information at 8 6 6 6 4 0 1 0 1 0.

    • Jasonnjones

      How do you use the kit to recover items? How long is the process and how complicated? oh, and how much?

    • mike

      how much do you charge for the in-home kits?

    • Thrillseaka

      u failed to mention country an area code, not everyone knows u bickus dickus!

  • Karen99

    How do I recover MMs SMS, etc from iphone Restore .ipsw files???

    • http://www.makeuseof.com/answers Tina

      Karen,

      the above question is several months old and as you see you have not received a response. I’m afraid I cannot answer your question, however, I recommend you to ask a new question. It will be published on the Answers frontpage and you will receive replies for sure!

  • ATD

    has anyone else ever used the program above (diskaid) succesfully to retrieve lost data…from an iphone that was never backed up before?

  • J Dr

    Hi, ATD

    What do you mean by “iPhone that never backed up before”? As a matter of fact, each time you sync data, all
    previous data are automatically backed up by iTunes and saved as a file
    with extension (.sqlitedb). This special backup file will be
    continuously updated along with the later sync, and the files can’t be
    viewed or taken out unless you use some special tricks. Learn more from this pretty new yet informative article http://www.squidoo.com/recover-iphone-data

  • Steff

    How can u find deleted messages from the text free app on the iPhone ? Or how can u find the Internet storage on the iPhone ? Because my boyfriend got mad because of my old messages and old websites I used to use but I deleted them and he said that there’s a special trick to recovering deleted information and I was just wondering of anybody knew what it was…

  • Rose_bandvar

    so i accidently deleted all my apps of my iphone…i would like to restore them any help??

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/GAID4TOEQ6EXRV7BWHAUJ2WZAE Luke

    Well, there is another feature that we should not ignore – iTunes, the
    core element to connect and sync all data between your iPhone and PC or
    Mac machine. As a matter of fact, every time you sync data between
    iPhone and iTunes, all previous data will be automatically backed up by iTunes
    and stored as a .sqlitedb file, which will be updated along with the
    later sync continuously. But those backup files can’t be viewed or taken
    out unless you use some software using special algorithms to extract. I am now testing this data recovery for iTunes program, http://www.anysoftwaretools.com/data-recovery-itunes.html 

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