Apple has introduced a new feature in iOS 18 designed to help users recover lost or damaged photos and videos. The Recovered album in the Photos app will automatically detect and display previously inaccessible media still stored on the device, giving users a second chance to save it.
Availability Across Devices
This innovative feature is not limited to iOS 18; it is also available in iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia. According to Apple, the new technology can identify and locate previously lost or damaged media, displaying it in a new Recovered album in the Photos app. This album will coexist with the “Recently Deleted” album, which users are already familiar with. Upon updating to iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or macOS Sequoia, the device will automatically scan for recoverable photos and videos.
How to Access the Recovered Album
To find this album, users need to follow these steps:
- Open the Photos app.
- Scroll down to the “Utilities” section.
- Click on “Recovered” and authenticate using Face ID or Touch ID.
- Select a photo or video and decide whether to “Delete permanently” or “Restore to library.”
It’s important to note that the new album will only be visible if there are indeed lost or damaged media files on the device. Otherwise, this option will not appear. We’ll keep you updated on any further enhancements or updates to this feature.
Addressing Common Issues
Photos or videos can be lost or damaged for several reasons. For instance, this can occur due to database corruption issues or when a photo is not saved properly in the library. Additionally, third-party apps that have permission to manage your Photos library can sometimes cause problems.
The arrival 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, notes NIX Solutions. At the time, Apple emphasized that the issue was random and affected a small number of users. The addition of the Recovered album gives users 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.