How do I get my voice recordings back?

Check Recently Deleted Folder

The first step is to open the Voice Memos app and check the Recently Deleted folder. When you delete a voice recording in Voice Memos, it is moved to this folder and stored for 30 days before being permanently deleted (Apple Support). So if you accidentally deleted a recording within the past 30 days, you may still be able to recover it from the Recently Deleted folder.

To access the Recently Deleted folder in Voice Memos, launch the app and tap on the Recents tab. Swipe left on the screen until you see a Recently Deleted section. This folder will contain any voice recordings deleted within the past 30 days. Simply tap on a recording to listen to it, then tap ‘Recover’ if you want to restore that recording back to the app.

However, keep in mind that after 30 days, the deleted recordings are permanently erased and can no longer be recovered from this folder. So be sure to check for your missing recordings here soon after deletion.

Use File Recovery Software

File recovery software can help restore deleted or lost voice recordings on both iOS and Android devices. These tools scan your device’s memory and dig out recoverable audio files.

For iOS devices like iPhones, specialist tools like iMyFone D-Back and Dr.Fone can recover lost iOS voice memos, WhatsApp recordings, meeting recordings, and other audio files. They dig deep into the device’s storage and work even if you’ve accidentally deleted files or performed a factory reset.

On Android, apps like Disk Digger and EaseUS Android Data Recovery can scan internal or external storage to find deleted audio recordings. These tools can recover audio from popular apps, and support various formats like MP3, WAV, AMR, and M4A. Just install the app and grant it the needed permissions to scan device storage and recover missing audio files.

Restore from iCloud Backup

If you had your voice memos synced to iCloud, you may be able to restore them from a previous iCloud backup:

Navigate to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups. Select the desired backup and tap on Restore. This will overwrite your current data and settings with the iCloud backup you selected (see this Apple discussion for more details).

All iCloud backups contain device settings, app data, photos and videos in the Camera Roll, device settings, app data, and more. So as long as you had iCloud Backup enabled and your voice memos were synced prior to deletion, restoring from a backup should retrieve them.

Just keep in mind this will also revert other data like messages, app settings, etc. to the state they were in at the time of the backup. So only restore if you’re certain you want to overwrite your current data and the voice memos are that important to retrieve.

Check Other Devices

If you had iCloud backups or syncing enabled on your iPhone, your voice recordings may have been automatically synced to other Apple devices signed in to the same iCloud account. Check old iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, or other iOS/macOS devices you’ve used in the past to see if you still have access to the deleted recordings there.

You can also check devices like iPods, Apple Watches, HomePods, and Apple TVs in case your recordings were saved or streamed to those as well. Since Apple has ecosystem integration across its products, it’s possible your deleted iPhone recordings exist on other Apple devices you own.

Additionally, if you had your iCloud account linked to any Windows devices, you may find your recordings saved in the iCloud Drive folder on your PC. It’s worth checking thoroughly across all connected devices before assuming your recordings are gone forever.

Contact Your Carrier

For cell phone recordings, carrier may have backups. Many carriers keep voice recordings and deleted voicemails stored on their servers for a period of time. Contact your cell phone carrier’s customer support and request data recovery assistance. Explain that you accidentally deleted important voice recordings and ask if they can recover or retrieve the deleted files. Some carriers may be able to restore deleted voicemails and recordings from a backup. Check with your carrier to see what voice data they have access to.

Be prepared to provide your account information and phone details to verify your identity. Depending on their policies, there may be a fee for this data recovery service. Act quickly, as carriers only store data for a limited time before permanently deleting it. The sooner you contact them, the more likely a successful voice recording recovery. Just keep in mind, there is no guarantee the carrier can recover deleted recordings, but it’s worth asking about.

For reference:
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-for-the-phone-company-to-retrieve-a-deleted-voicemail

Try Recuva

Recuva is a free deleted file recovery tool for Windows PCs. It can help recover lost or deleted voice recordings on a computer by scanning the drive to find files that have been marked for deletion but not yet overwritten. Recuva may be able to recover recordings that were transferred from a phone to a computer before being accidentally deleted.

To use Recuva:

• Download and install Recuva from https://www.ccleaner.com/recuva
• Run Recuva and select the drive where you believe the deleted files were located
• Choose the type of file you are looking for (Audio) and click “Scan”
• Recuva will search the drive and display files it finds that can be recovered
• Select the voice recordings you want to restore and click “Recover”
• Choose a location to save the recovered files

The sooner Recuva is used after deletion, the greater the chance of full recovery. Avoid saving new data to the drive before recovering deleted files.

Check with App Developer

If you used a specific app to record your voice recordings, contacting the app developer may help you recover deleted files. App developers often have access to tools and backups that regular users don’t.

For example, if a bug in the latest app update caused recordings to be deleted, the developer may be able to roll back the update or access backups to restore your files. They may also have logs that show when recordings were created and deleted.

Before reaching out, make sure you have details like:

• The name and version of the recording app
• Your device model and OS version
• When approximately the files went missing
• Your app account information or ID

With this information, the app developer has the best chance of tracking down your lost recordings and restoring them. Developers want happy customers, so they’re often willing to help recover data, especially if it was their app at fault.

Avoid Overwriting Data

One of the most important steps when trying to recover deleted voice recordings is to avoid overwriting the data. According to Apple Discussions, if you record a new voice memo, it will permanently overwrite any deleted recordings. Therefore, it’s crucial to stop recording new memos as soon as you realize you’ve deleted a recording you want to recover.

You should also avoid installing new apps or updating existing apps. When apps get installed or updated, they write data to your device’s storage which could overwrite your deleted recordings. The key is to stop using your device’s storage and create a read-only state until you can attempt to recover your lost recordings through other methods.

Enhance Security

To prevent losing recordings again, it’s important to enhance the security of your voice recordings by setting up automatic backups and protecting sensitive files.

For iPhone users, enable iCloud backup which will automatically save your voice memos and recordings to Apple’s cloud servers (Cherkassky, 2022). You can also use iCloud’s encrypted end-to-end storage for an extra layer of security.

On Android, use Google Drive backup which will automatically back up app data including recordings made on certain apps (FTC, 2022). This protects your data in case your phone is damaged, lost or stolen.

For extra protection, use an app that allows you to password protect sensitive voice recordings so they cannot be accessed without authentication. You can also encrypt recordings before syncing them to the cloud.

Summary

If you’ve accidentally deleted important voice recordings, the first thing to do is remain calm and act quickly to avoid overwriting the data. Check the Recently Deleted folder on your device and restore anything you find there. Use a file recovery app like Recuva to scan the storage and recover deleted files. You can also restore from an iCloud or iTunes backup if you have one. Contact your carrier in case they retained any files. The key is to avoid saving new data that could overwrite the deleted recordings. Act quickly and use multiple methods to give yourself the best chance of getting those recordings back.

With time-sensitive data recovery, every minute counts. Don’t save new files or record new voice memos until you’ve exhausted your options. Avoiding any overwrites is crucial. Follow the key steps outlined here, and keep trying different recovery methods. With persistence and care, you can likely recover those lost voice recordings.