Nov 28,2019 • Filed to: Photo/Video/Audio Solutions • Proven solutions

Nov 12, 2019 Assuming you use Photos or iPhoto as your Mac image library app, then the library may hold the only copy of every photo you've ever taken with a digital camera or your smartphone. Your image library should probably have its own dedicated backup method in addition to Time Machine to ensure that one-of-a-kind photos are retained for the long term. May 15, 2019 Later, you can recover deleted iPhoto library on Mac with photos. Step 1: Quit iPhoto app on Mac. Step 2: Connect your Time Machine drive to Mac. Then choose Apple followed by System Preferences to run Time Machine. Step 3: Scroll down the timeline and choose the date of your last backup with Time Machine.

How Do I Recover Deleted Photos from iPhoto?

A moment ago, when I was editing photos in iPhoto library, my MacBook suddenly shut down. When I restarted it, I realized that all my photos disappeared from my iPhoto library. I didn't know what happened, but I really need my photos back. Can somebody tell me how to recover iPhoto library photos? Best regards.

Generally speaking, iPhoto library photos can be lost due to accidental deletion, iPhoto library corruption, unknowing formatting of Mac partition/volume, system errors, or emptied iPhoto trash among other reasons.

Faced with such vulnerable iPhoto library, you might be in fear of your photos missing from iPhoto library. Just calm down. There is still high possibility to restore them.

If you have another iPhoto library backup on your Mac, you can retrieve lost photos from it. Otherwise, you need to get an iPhoto recovery utility to help you. Here I would like to recommend four methods to help you recover deleted photos from iPhoto library.

Method 1: How to Recover Permanently Deleted Photos from iPhoto?

What is iPhoto library? Apple iPhoto is designed to store, manage, edit and share digital photos from various storage media like digital cameras to a user's iPhoto Library. All of the photos can be kept track of and your invaluable memories can be stowed away in iPhoto library. However, deleting iPhoto library photos is not an unfamiliar issue for every Mac user using iPhoto.

1. Free Download Recoverit Data Recovery

To recover deleted photos in iPhoto library, we would like to recommend Recoverit Data Recovery for Mac, a professional iPhoto recovery program that is able to recover iPhoto library on Mac computer. No matter how photos were lost from your iPhoto library, you can get them back in a few clicks with this tool.

Iphoto Mac Download

2. How to Recover Deleted Photos from Computer

Now, download and install Recoverit iphoto recovery software to get your deleted photos back. It is highly suggested to install the program in another partition of your Mac so as to avoid data overwriting.

Step 1. Select the location of the iPhoto library

With Recoverit Mac iPhoto Recovery, select the partition that you set your iPhoto library in, and click “Start” to begin all-around scan for your lost pictures.

Step 2. Scan the iPhoto library for lost photos

Your Mac iPhoto library will start an all-around scan for your deleted iPhoto photos. It will take some time to finish the scan process.

Note 1: If it’s the partition formatting that causes the issue, please go to 'Deep Scan' after an all-around scan.
Note 1: If you wanna get the exact formatted photo recovery, you need to get steps on the guide: How to recover photos after format.

Step 3. Recover lost photos from the iPhoto library

Found files will be displayed to the left of the window, and you will be able to preview found photos. Then you just need to select your lost photos and click “Recover” to save them back to your Mac.

Note: Please do not keep the recovered photos in the original partition.

Recoverit can also be used to recover iMovie files on Mac.

Method 2. How to Recover Deleted Photos from iPhoto Trash on Mac

How to find deleted photos on Mac? It may be the confusion for many people. Usually, when our pictures are deleted from iPhoto, they will be moved to iPhoto Trash.

However, if your photos were accidentally dragged to the iPhoto Trash and you could not drag them back to Mac desktop, you can resort to your iPhoto Trash for iPhoto recovery.

Open iPhoto and go to iPhoto trash in the sidebar.
Select the desired picture or simultaneously press Ctrl and click those deleted photos.
Right click to select 'Restore to iPhoto Library'.

After following the above steps, your iPhoto photos will be retrieved easily. If this method does not work, Recoverit Mac Data Recovery, iPhoto recovery software, can assist you in recovering all data from emptied Mac Trash.

Method 3. Recover iPhoto Library Photos from Time Machine Backup

Time Machine is an inbuilt backup program on Mac, which can help you restore lost pictures with ease. If Time Machine is open when your iPhoto library is accidentally deleted, it would backup the deleted photos promptly and fully.

Keep your Time Machine drive connected to the Mac.
Go to Finder, open your Pictures folder and select iPhoto library.
Enter Time Machine in the Dock or in the /Application folder.
According to the timeline on the right side, opt for your desired backup.
Navigate to the desired location on a hard drive to save iPhoto library.
Select the iPhoto library you want to recover and click on the Recover button.

Note 1: By default, your iPhoto library can be located in 'Home/Pictures/iPhoto Library'.
Note 2: If your photos are damaged, here you can get the solutions: How to repair corrupted photos on Mac.

How to Get iPhoto on Mac

Having recovered deleted photos, you can access the iPhoto library to view and confirm them. iPhoto library, known as a package, stores a whole hierarchy of folders and files.

In the Finder, it always appears as a single icon. Here is the way to access the iPhoto library package for your convenicence.

Open home/Pictures/ and click on 'iPhoto Library'.
Right click it and choose 'Show Package Contents'.
Select 'Masters' or 'Originals' to search for your original iPhoto photos.

If you do not take photos backup to Time Machine, or you accidentally deleted them there, use Recoverit Mac Data Recovery. It is capable of recovering deleted photos from Time Machine.

Method 4. How to Rebuild iPhoto Library for iPhoto Recovery

Accidentally delete iPhoto photos or unexpectedly lose them? Apple iPhoto includes a feature to solve the issue. When your iPhoto library becomes unreadable or your photos disppear from iPhoto library, iPhoto for Mac allows you to rebuild the currently selected iPhoto library. And the way is as follows.

Quit iPhoto first if it is running and re-open it.
Press and hold the Command and Option keys when you click on the iPhoto icon.
A dialog box will appear with rebuild options.
Choose the options that you would like to use to rebuild the iPhoto library.
Hit on Rebuild to start rebuiding your iPhoto library. A few minutes is needed.

Note: Before rebuilding your currently selected iPhoto library, you should create its backups in case of data loss. iPhoto library bakcup can help you restore lost data caused by unexpected accidents during the rebuild process.

The Bottom Line

The steps to do iPhoto recovery from Time Machine Backup or iPhoto Trash are simple and effective for every novice or professional Mac user. However, if Time Machine is turned off during the accidental deleteion and the iPhoto trash is also emptied, it seems unlikely to manage to recover deleted photos with native Mac tools.

In this case, it is highly recommeded

Recover Iphoto Library Mac