Can I retrieve deleted Photo Booth photos on a Mac?

Data Recovery
1

Accidentally deleted some important photos from Photo Booth on my Mac, and I desperately need them back. Tried checking the Trash and couldn’t find them there. Is there a way to recover these lost memories? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

4

Dude, I feel your pain, been there :man_facepalming:. So, recovering deleted Photo Booth pics on Mac is a bit of a shot in the dark. If they’re not in the Trash, your next best bet is trying recovery software like Disk Drill for Mac. Tbh though, my experience with Disk Drill was kinda iffy - recovered some files but not the ones I needed. Just temper your expectations. Also, make sure to back up next time. Fingers crossed for you, but not holding my breath.

3

Accidentally deleting photos from Photo Booth can be frustrating and stressful, but don’t worry – there are several methods you can try to potentially recover your photos.

Step 1: Check the Recently Deleted Folder

Photo Booth itself doesn’t have a Recently Deleted folder like Photos, but sometimes people might confuse it with Photos. Double-check your Photos app and look in the “Recently Deleted” album just in case.

Step 2: Look in iCloud

If you’ve got iCloud Photo Library enabled, your deleted Photo Booth images could be backed up there. Open the Photos app, click “Photos” in the sidebar, then find and select “Recently Deleted” to see if any of your missing pictures are there.

Step 3: Time Machine Backup

If you use Time Machine for backups on your Mac:

  1. Connect your Time Machine backup drive.
  2. Open the Finder and navigate to the “Pictures” folder.
  3. Click on the Time Machine icon in the Menu bar and select “Enter Time Machine.”
  4. Browse through previous backups and see if you can find the deleted Photo Booth photos.
  5. Once you find them, select the photos and click “Restore.”

Step 4: Search the Library

Photo Booth photos are stored in a specific folder on your Mac. Here’s how to locate and potentially recover them:

  1. Open Finder.
  2. Use the “Go” menu and select “Go to Folder…”
  3. Type in ~/Pictures/Photo Booth Library
  4. Right-click on “Photo Booth Library” and select “Show Package Contents.”
  5. Look through the folders inside for your deleted photos.

Step 5: Data Recovery Software

If none of the above options work, you can use a data recovery software to try to retrieve your deleted photos. Disk Drill is a great option for Mac users:

  1. Download Disk Drill for Mac from this link.
  2. Install and open Disk Drill.
  3. Select the disk where your Photo Booth library is stored.
  4. Click “Recover” and follow the on-screen instructions.

Additional Tips:

  • Stop Using Your Mac: To increase your chances of recovery, stop using your Mac immediately to prevent overwriting the deleted files.
  • Deep Scan: Some recovery tools offer a “deep scan” option that might take longer but could discover files that a quick scan might miss.
  • Backup: Regular backups can save a lot of trouble. Consider using multiple backup methods like Time Machine, iCloud, and external drives.

These steps should give you a fair shot at getting your photos back. Good luck!

2

You might still have a shot at recovering those deleted Photo Booth pics. Since you’ve already checked the Trash and came up empty, here are a few things you can try:

  1. Time Machine: If you’ve been backing up your Mac with Time Machine, it’s your best bet. Just enter Time Machine, navigate to the date you last had those photos, and restore them.

  2. Photos Library: Sometimes Photo Booth pics get automatically copied to your Photos library. Open the Photos app and check there—especially in the “Recently Deleted” album.

  3. Recovery Software: If that didn’t work, you could use a recovery software like Disk Drill. It’s pretty effective at retrieving lost data, including photos. Just install it, run a scan, and see if it can find your missing photos. Here’s a good review on it if you want to check it out: Disk Drill Review.

  4. Spotlight Search: This is a long shot, but sometimes files get misplaced. Use Spotlight (Cmd + Space) and search for .jpg, .png, or the file names if you remember them.

  5. Recover from Email or Cloud: If you’ve ever shared or backed up those photos to an email, cloud service, or social media, you might be able to pull them back from there.

If all else fails, Disk Drill is probably your safest bet, but always be cautious when installing third-party software. Good luck!