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When cleaning up files on your MacBook, you accidentally delete important videos. We've all felt that sinking feeling. Losing important things, like a favorite memory, a work project, or a creative masterpiece, can be stressful. Don't worry! It's easier to get back videos you deleted on a MacBook. macOS has many built-in tools that can help you get back lost files.

If those don't work, powerful third-party Mac data recovery tools can also get back files you thought were lost forever. You can do many things to regain your videos, from restoring items from the trash to using advanced data recovery software. It will help you get back your important movies and keep your data safe in the future by showing you the best ways to do it.

recover deleted videos from MacBook

How Does Deletion Work on MacBook?

Before you look into ways to recover lost videos on MacBook, you need to know how macOS deletes files. It takes a while for a file to disappear after you delete it on your MacBook. Instead, the file is sent to the Trash, where it stays until you empty it manually.

The file is still on your hard drive even after you empty the trash; it's just marked as free space so that new data can be written over it. It means that the file can be recovered with special software as long as no new data has been added to it.

Methods to Recover Deleted Videos on MacBook

Method 1: Recover Deleted Videos from the Trash

If you want to recover deleted videos, the first place you should look is the Trash. If you haven't cleaned them, they might still be there.

Steps to Recover Videos from the Trash:

  • Open the Trash: To empty the trash, click the Trash button in the Dock.
  • Search for Your Deleted Videos: You can use the search bar or scroll through the Trash to find the deleted videos.
  • Right-Click and Restore: Right-click on the video you want to restore after you've deleted it and choose Put Back. This will restore the video to its original state.

Recover Deleted Videos on MacBook

It is the fastest and easiest way to retrieve deleted videos, but it only works if you haven't already emptied them.

Method 2: Use Time Machine Backup

Time Machine is a built-in backup program for macOS. If you regularly back up your MacBook with Time Machine, you can recover deleted videos from an older backup.

How to Recover Videos Using Time Machine:

  • Connect Your Time Machine Backup Drive: When you use Time Machine, always connect an external drive to your MacBook.
  • Launch Time Machine: In the menu bar, click the Time Machine button and choose "Enter Time Machine" or "Browse Time Machine Backups."
  • Navigate to the Date Before Deletion: The timeline on the right side of the screen allows you to go back in time.
  • Select and Restore Videos: Find the videos you deleted, click on them, and then click the "Restore" button. Time Machine will take them back to where they started.

recover lost videos on Mac

You can only use this method if you have a Time Machine backup before you delete the file. By backing up your info regularly, you can always get it back.

Method 3: Recover Videos from iCloud

If you have set up iCloud Drive or Photos to sync videos, you might still be able to find deleted videos in your iCloud storage. iCloud will keep lost files for up to 30 days before getting rid of them.

Steps to Recover Videos from iCloud:

  • Visit iCloud.com: Go to iCloud.com in a computer browser.
  • Sign In: You can log in with your Apple ID.
  • Check iCloud Drive or Photos: Depending on where your movies were saved, go to either iCloud Drive or Photos.
  • Look in Recently Deleted: Check the "Recently Deleted" folder in iCloud Drive and Photos. This folder will hold deleted files for up to 30 days. Pick out your videos and click "Recover" if they are there.

recover lost videos on Mac

iCloud can save you a lot of trouble, especially if you lose or damage your MacBook and can't access your original files.

Method 4: Use Professional Data Recovery Software

Professional data recovery software can help you find lost videos on MacBook even if you've cleaned out the trash or looked through backups. A famous recovery tool for macOS called Do Your Data Recovery for Mac is a great way to retrieve deleted videos.

Step 1. Download and Install: Go to the Do Your Data Recovery for Mac website, download the software and install it.

Do Your Data Recovery for Mac

  • Recover permanently deleted videos on MacBook.
  • Recover lost videos from an erased hard drive on MacBook.
  • Recover lost videos from MacBook's internal SSD, external hard drive, USB drive, digital camera, etc.

Step 2. Launch Do Your Data Recovery for Mac: Open the app and choose the drive where the videos were saved, which is usually your MacBook's internal drive.

recover deleted videos on MacBook

Step 3. Start a Scan: Click the "Scan" button to begin the scan. Do Your Data Recovery for Mac will do a deep check to find video files that can be recovered.

recover deleted videos on MacBook

Step 4. Preview and Recover: When the scan is done, you can see a preview of the videos that can be recovered. Pick out the files you want to get back, then click "Recover" to save them somewhere else.

recover deleted videos on MacBook

Do Your Data Recovery for Mac also can help you recover deleted images, documents, folders, audio files, emails, archives on MacBook.

Preventing Future Video Loss on MacBook

It can be stressful to try to get back videos that you deleted. Here are some ways to keep your important movie files safe so that this doesn't happen again:

1. Enable Time Machine Backups

Set up a Time Machine to back up your MacBook regularly. With backups, you can retrieve information even if you delete it permanently or your hardware breaks.

Back Up Videos and Other Files with Time Machine

Back Up Videos and Other Files with Time Machine

Learn how to back up your Mac data including videos, images, system, documents with Time Machine.

2. Use iCloud or External Drives

Keep your videos in sync with iCloud or a cloud service. You could also save them on a portable drive to ensure you have extra copies of important files.

3. Avoid Overwriting Deleted Files

If you realize you removed a file by accident, you should stop using your MacBook immediately so that new data doesn't overwrite the deleted file and make it harder to get it back.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, losing important movies on your MacBook can be upsetting, but they are easy to get back if you know what to do. There are several built-in ways to get back lost files in macOS. You can start by checking the Trash, using Time Machine, or looking through iCloud backups. If these tips don't help, you can use a strong tool like Do Your Data Recovery for Mac to get back movies you accidentally deleted.

You can help keep your data safe by setting up Time Machine backups, syncing with iCloud, and keeping files on external drives. If you know how to use these methods, you can recover your important videos and keep your data safe for future use. This will give you peace of mind the next time you accidentally delete something.

Do Your Data Recovery for Mac

Do Your Data Recovery for Mac

Do Your Data Recovery for Mac, one of the best Mac data recovery software, can help you easily and completely recover deleted, formatted or lost files from Mac HDD/SSD, external HDD/SDD, USB drive, memory card, digital camera, or other storage devices.

DoYourData Author

Written & Updated by Henry Lee

Henry Lee joined DoYourData in 2022. He is interested in writing articles about fixing PC/Mac’s problems. He often shares tutorials and skills regarding information tech and enjoys helping people solve various data loss problems or hard drive crash problems. He likes reading and cooking very much when he is off work.

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