Apple has little known iCloud tools that are designed to let you recover files that have been deleted from ‌iCloud‌, as well as recover Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders that have been lost.

Lost ‌iCloud‌ data isn't a situation that comes up often, but these tools were introduced following an iCloud Drive bug in 2015 that caused some users to lose documents stored in ‌iCloud Drive‌, prompting the creation of the tool.

icloudsettings

Accessing Your Files on iCloud.com

  1. Visit the iCloud.com website on your web browser of choice.
  2. Enter your Apple ID, password, and two-factor authentication code if the feature is enabled.
  3. Once logged in, click on the "Settings" app in the main ‌iCloud‌ menu.
  4. Scroll down to the bottom of the page until you reach the "Advanced" section. icloudrestoreoptions
  5. Click on the content that you need to restore. Options include files stored in ‌iCloud Drive‌, a list of contacts, your Calendars and Reminders, or your Bookmarks.

Restoring Files

Using the "Restore Files" option on iCloud.com brings up a list of all files that have been deleted over the past 30 days. It includes files from apps that support ‌iCloud Drive‌, such as Pixelmator, Napkin, and Byword.

You can select a single file to restore or multiple files, should there have been a catastrophic event that caused ‌iCloud Drive‌ to be wiped entirely. Check the box to make a selection and click "Restore File." Using the file restoration tool returns the file in question to ‌iCloud Drive‌ in its original parent folder, much like undeleting a photo on iOS.

icloudfilerestore
Deleted ‌iCloud Drive‌ files remain available in ‌iCloud‌ for 30 days before being permanently deleted, at which point they become unrecoverable. As a side note, you cannot do a manual permanent deletion with ‌iCloud Drive‌ files as you can do with Photos on iOS - they're sticking around for the full 30 days.

Restoring Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders

Apple regularly archives a list of Contacts, which can be restored to an iOS device at any time. Restoring a list of contacts from the archive will replace the contacts on all iOS devices connected to your ‌iCloud‌ account, while archiving the current list of contacts to ensure nothing is lost. Contacts can't be restored one by one -- this is an all or nothing batch operation.

icloudcontactsrestore
Restoring Calendars and Reminders works like restoring Contacts. Apple frequently creates a backup for the two apps, capturing snapshots for more than a month. Any of these archives can be used to replace a current Calendar or Reminder list, replacing the existing information on all connected iOS devices.

icloudrestorecalendars
Restoring a Calendar will remove all sharing information, so Calendars and Reminders shared with friends and family will need to be shared again. All scheduled events will also be cancelled and recreated, reissuing all invitations for events.

Restoring Bookmarks

Along with Contacts and Calendars, Apple backs up the bookmarks that you have removed from your Bookmarks list in Safari on a regular basis.

icloudrestorebookmarks
To restore them, simply choose the deleted bookmarks you would like to put back in place and then choose the "Restore" option.

Conclusion

Most users probably won't need to delve into the Advanced settings that will restore content like this, but it's nice to have a backup should something disastrous occur. It's also useful because it enables people to restore key information to a new iPhone or iPad without having to work from a full backup.

‌iCloud‌ settings are also handy for immediately signing out of all browsers that are signed into ‌iCloud‌ should you suspect someone has gained unauthorized access to your account and for managing apps that let people look you up using your ‌Apple ID‌. It also displays all devices you're signed into, offers up a look at available storage, and displays the members of your Family Sharing group.

Tag: iCloud

Top Rated Comments

LisaBonet Avatar
124 months ago
Call me a cynic but, ‘Apple quietly introduced tools to recover deleted files ('http://goo.gl/6Ttibf') from iCloud’, suggests to me that they are never really deleted.
Now if this were google, the Fanboys would be up in arms about how Evil Google are storing your data to monetize it.
They just like a same way.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Planey28 Avatar
125 months ago
How about they allow us to restore messages
iMessages aren't stored on a server once they've been delivered, so that would be impossible.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DeathBecomesMe Avatar
125 months ago
How about they allow us to restore messages
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
boston04and07 Avatar
120 months ago
It would be very convenient, but I don't think Apple will ever do it due to privacy concerns.



100% sure, the only way I could think that happened is you were previously signed into iMessage on that device and never signed out, so it thought the messages hadn't been delivered yet.
How are messages any more private than, say, emails, calendar data, stuff people keep in iCloud Drive - heck, even photos? My photos are (to me) way more private than simple old text messages. So is my calendar. But Apple already gives us the option to store that stuff in the cloud if we want. I'd like the same option for my messages. Always having access to them would be very much worth it to me.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Yumbo Avatar
125 months ago
Are you sure? I've had past conversations appear on brand new devices after I've set them up and restored with iCloud.
You restored a backup which includes Messages.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Has No Visible Display Crease – Report

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:58 am PST by
Apple is making significant headway on its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with a new report suggesting the company has achieved a major breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease that plagues current foldable devices. According to Korean publication ETNews, Apple is finalizing its component suppliers for the foldable iPhone, with the selection process expected to be completed...
trump iphone dictation issue

Apple Fixing 'Trump' Dictation Processing Bug

Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:18 pm PST by
Multiple iPhone owners today noticed a pronunciation processing issue that causes the word "Trump" to momentarily show up when using dictation to send a message with the word "racist." In some cases, when speaking the word racist through the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the iPhone briefly interprets the spoken word as "Trump" and "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being ...
airtag orange

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features

Monday February 24, 2025 6:11 am PST by
Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe. Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2: With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the...
airpods pro purple

Here's When AirPods Pro 3 Are Rumored to Launch

Monday February 24, 2025 9:14 am PST by
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year. The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time. Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...
ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...