Photo Booth is an application that comes installed on your Mac and provides a fun and innovative way to take pictures and videos. Using the app’s filters and effects lets you be extremely creative when developing visual content. But what can you do when some important images or videos get deleted from your MacBook?
Fortunately, there are several ways to retrieve lost Photo Booth images. You can use a backup, native macOS features, or dedicated data recovery software.
Hopefully, one of the methods we describe will help show you how to find and recover the lost images.
Is it possible to retrieve deleted data from Photo Booth on a Mac?
Yes, it is possible to retrieve photos deleted from Photo Booth on your Mac. This is because when macOS deletes a file, it does not immediately remove it from its storage device. Instead, it deletes the logical links that make the data accessible to applications and marks the space occupied by the deleted item as being available for future use by the OS.
Eventually this space will be reused as new information is saved to the disk. Until that happens, the deleted files can be restored using data recovery software. But there is one very important factor to consider when attempting this recovery method.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Stop using the storage device that experienced the data loss. Using the device risks overwriting the data you want to recover. Avoid any activity that might write to the disk until the recovery process is complete.
How to Recover Deleted Photo Booth on a Mac
We are going to show you how to recover deleted photo booth videos and images using a variety of recovery methods.
Method 1. Check the Mac’s Trash
The first place to look for any deleted items on your Mac machine is in the Trash. Follow these simple steps to locate and recover a Photo Booth image from the Trash.
- Open the Trash by clicking on its icon.
- Scroll through the list of items in the Trash and locate the image you want to recover.
- Right-click on the file and select the Put Back option which restores the file to its original location.
Method 2. Restore the Images with a Time Machine Backup
Restoring photos from Time Machine is another option for recovering lost images from Photo Booth. This method requires you to have created a Time Machine backup that contains the deleted images.
If you have done so, (and you are backing up your Mac, right?), use the following steps to get your photos back from a Time Machine backup.
- Connect the storage device that contains the Time Machine backup to your Mac.
- Open a Finder window displaying the storage location where the lost data was last stored. It will be in the folder that contains the Photo Booth images. It should be in /Users/USERNAME/Pictures/Photo Booth Library. USERNAME will be your name.
- Open Time Machine by clicking the Time Machine icon on the menu bar.
- With Time Machine’s arrows and timeline, scroll through the snapshots and backups to locate the photos you want to retrieve.
- Select the files for recovery and click the Restore button. The images will be restored to the Photo Booth Library.
Method 3. Use Third-Party Data Recovery Software
Data recovery software is the most effective way of restoring Photo Booth content. It can get back images that are no longer in the Trash and that you failed to back up with Time Machine.
Here’s how to recover deleted Photo Booth videos and images using Disk Drill data recovery software.
- Download and install Disk Drill data recovery software for Mac. Don’t use your Mac’s main disk as this is where the Photo Booth library is located. Use a removable drive for the download and installation.
- Start Disk Drill and select your Mac’s main drive from the list of available disks.
- Click on the Search for lost data button to initiate the scanning algorithms that find your deleted files.
- Preview the files found by Disk Drill. In this case, you can look in the Pictures and Video folders where found files are stored and made available for preview.
- Preview the recoverable files and select the ones you want to restore.
- Click the Recover button to complete the recovery. You will be prompted to choose a safe location to store the recovered data. Don’t use the original drive to avoid potentially overwriting the lost data.
With a few clicks, Disk Drill can get your lost Photo Booth images back. It is a comprehensive data recovery tool that can retrieve more than 400 different file types from virtually any kind of disk-based storage device. Data recovery software like Disk Drill can recover files that you thought were permanently deleted.
Bonus tip: Where are Photo Booth photos stored on a Mac?
You might be wondering where does Photo Booth save videos or where do Photo Booth pictures go after being taken. Photos and videos taken with Photo Booth are stored in the app’s library.
Here is how to get to the folder that holds the images.
- Open Finder and navigate to your home directory.
- Open the Pictures folder.
- Locate the Photo Booth Library.
- Right-click on the library and select Show Package Contents.
- Navigate to the Pictures folder inside the Photo Booth Library to view the photo files created by Photo Booth.
Conclusion
Losing some of your Photo Booth creations can be devastating. Fortunately, one of the methods we have described should be able to recover your old Photo Booth pictures and videos that have been accidentally deleted. As a precaution against losing valuable data, we recommend that you start backing up your Mac regularly if you aren’t already doing so.
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FAQ
Use the following procedure to recover deleted photos from Photo Booth.
- Download and install Disk Drill.
- Select the disk that experienced data loss.
- Click Search for lost data to scan the disk.
- Preview the found files.
- Choose the images you want to restore and click Recover.
Yes, you can delete the Photo Booth app using the following steps.
- Open Finder and navigate to the Applications folder.
- Locate the Photo Booth app.
- Right-click on the Photo Booth icon and select Move to trash.
Use the following procedure to import photos into Photo Booth.
- Copy the photos you want to import into Photo Booth to the /Users/USERNAME/Pictures/Photo Booth Library/Pictures folder.
- Make a copy of the recents.plist file located in the /Users/USERNAME/Pictures/Photo Booth Library/ folder.
- Close Photo Booth and open the original recents.plist file with TextEdit. You will see a list of the photos in Photo Booth.
- Add the names of the photos you want to import to Photo Booth using the same format in the recents.plist file.
- Save the recents.plist file and start Photo Booth. The imported images will now show up in the app.
Yes, you can get back videos deleted from Photo Booth using several different methods. You can:
- Retrieve a deleted video from the Trash;
- Restore deleted videos from a Time Machine Backup;
- Recover deleted videos using third-party data recovery software.
The following procedure demonstrates how to recover deleted videos from Photo Booth using data recovery software.
- Download and install Disk Drill for Mac on a disk that did not contain the deleted Photo Booth videos. This is to guard against accidentally overwriting the data you want to recover.
- Launch the program and select the target disk from the list of available devices.
- Click the Search for lost data button to scan the device for recoverable items.
- Look in the Video folder as the scan progresses to see what video files can be recovered. You can select files for recovery as the scan proceeds or wait until it is finished.
- Identify and select the PhotoBooth videos you want to recover. You can preview them if you wish to make sure you are recovering the right item.
- Click the Recover button and when prompted, select a safe storage location for the recovered data that is not on the original disk.
- Click OK and let the program recover your lost videos.
Photo Booth saves videos and images to a dedicated folder in your home directory. The path is ~/Pictures/Photo Booth.
Robert Agar
Robert is a freelance writer who graduated from Pace University in New York with a Computer Science degree in 1992. Former computer specialist at IBM. Over the course of a long IT career, he has worked for a number of lar...
Read full bio
Robert is a freelance writer who graduated from Pace University in New York with a Computer Science degree in 1992. Former computer specialist at IBM. Over the course of a long IT career, he has worked for a number of lar...
Read full bio
Approved by
Brett Johnson
This article has been approved by Brett Johnson, Data Recovery Engineer at ACE Data Recovery. Brett has a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Systems and Network, 12 years of experience.
This article has been approved by Brett Johnson, Data Recovery Engineer at ACE Data Recovery. Brett has a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Systems and Network, 12 years of experience.
FAQs
Can you retrieve deleted photos from Photo Booth? ›
Check the Trash folder for Photo Booth images. If you have accidentally deleted them, Trash will keep the photos for 30 days or until you empty it.
Can you recover permanently deleted videos on Mac? ›One of the best ways to recover deleted video on Mac is to use data recovery software. As long as you don't overwrite the “deleted” files with new information, they should still be on your machine. NOTE: Stop using the affected disk drive as soon as you realize you've accidentally deleted video to prevent overwriting.
Where are Photo Booth images stored on Mac? ›Each time you capture a picture or video in Photo Booth, those pictures get stored in a special Photo Booth Library file stored inside your Pictures folder. If you double-click this Photo Booth Library file, it will load Photo Booth and display all your captured images at the bottom of the Photo Booth window.
How can I get permanently deleted photos back? ›- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app .
- At the bottom, tap Library Trash .
- Touch and hold the photo or video you want to restore.
- At the bottom, tap Restore. The photo or video will be back: In your phone's gallery app. In your Google Photos library. In any albums it was in.
Step 1: Log in to iCloud. Step 2: You can find the recently deleted files in iCloud Drive by clicking the Recently Deleted button at the bottom of the window. Step 3: The next step is to click Recover All or select the items you want to restore and click Recover..
Does Apple keep permanently deleted photos? ›Delete or hide a photo or video
Deleted photos and videos are kept in the Recently Deleted album for 30 days, where you can recover or permanently remove them from all devices. , then tap Hide in the list of options. Hidden photos are moved to the Hidden album. You can't view them anywhere else.
On iCloud.com, you can recover files deleted from both iCloud Drive and other apps within the last 30 days, whether you deleted them on iCloud.com or another device that has iCloud Drive turned on. However, you can't recover or restore files you permanently remove.
Can permanently deleted videos be found? ›Yes. Files that are permanently deleted may still be reconstructed using recovery software. You can also use a backup of the videos, if one exists, to restore the files.
Can I recover permanently deleted? ›In order to restore permanently deleted files from the Recycle Bin, you will need a backup copy of the files to restore from. If you don't, you will need to use an effective data recovery solution or have the data professionally recovered using a data recovery service.
Are permanently deleted files gone forever? ›If you permanently delete a file, you only remove the entry for that file and not the file itself. The file is removed from the file system tables, but it is not wiped off. In fact, it's still physically present on the hard disk.
When you delete something from Photo Booth where does it go? ›
Method 1: Restore Photo Booth Files From the Trash Folder
When you delete a Photo Booth file, it gets sent straight to the Trash folder. By default, it stays there until you delete it once more from inside the folder or you empty your Trash. Restoring a file from the Trash folder is very simple: Step 1.
Videos are stored in your Photo Booth Library, but hidden inside a special bundle folder.
How do I backup my Photo Booth? ›- Open Finder.
- Locate the PhotoBooth library file (usually in user/pictures )
- right click on it, hit show package contents.
- Copy all files from the Pictures folder (if you want to have the original photos without effects on them also copy the Originals folder)
In the Photo Booth app on your Mac, if you see the View Photo button or the View Video button , click it to see the Take Photo button or Record Video button . If the Record Video button isn't showing, at the bottom left, click the “Record a movie clip” button . Click the Record Video button .
Can permanently deleted photos be found? ›If you delete a photo or video that's backed up in Google Photos, it will stay in your bin for 60 days. If you delete an item from your Android 11 and up device without it being backed up, it will stay in your bin for 30 days.
How do I recover permanently deleted videos from my computer? ›Step 1: First, open the" Control Panel" on your PC. Step 2: Navigate to "System and Maintenance," followed by "Backup and Restore." Step 3: Tap on "Restore my files" and follow the process to restore lost or deleted videos.
Can I recover deleted photos from 5 years ago? ›The answer is ? Yes?. Fortunately, there are recovery software whose search engines can retrieve photos deleted long time ago from PC, Mac, and removable storage drives. Further, various backup solutions also keep you safe from losing old deleted photos.
Where do permanently deleted files go on Mac? ›On every Mac, deleted files are first sent to the Trash. If the files are also deleted in the Trash, a copy is saved on the hard drive of your device. This copy is not overwritten by other data until later. In other words, even if you've already emptied the Trash, your data is not necessarily lost.
Can you recover deleted files after emptying the Recycle Bin Mac? ›Can I recover files on Mac if Trash has been emptied? Yes, it's usually possible to recover files from an emptied Trash but only with third-party file recovery software. We say usually because files from Trash that has been emptied can be recovered only until the storage space they occupy is used for other files.
Does Mac Time Machine restore deleted files? ›If you use Time Machine to back up the files on your Mac, you can easily get back lost items or recover older versions of files. You can use Time Machine within many apps. On your Mac, open a window for the item you want to restore.
Can police see your deleted photos? ›
The answer is yes—by using special tools, they can find data that hasn't been overwritten yet. However, by using encryption methods, you can ensure your data is kept private, even after deletion.
Is it possible to recover permanently deleted photos and videos? ›There is no official way to recover permanently deleted photos, videos, or files if removed from the trash. To recover your deleted data, you'll always need a backup service like Google Photos, Google Drive, one drive, or any other local backup. The backup can be used anytime to access the deleted files and photos.
Where do permanently deleted photos and videos go? ›The photos you delete on your smartphone or tablet will be moved to the Recently Deleted or Trash folder. They will stay there for 30 days. If you delete a picture on your computer, it will go to the Recycle Bin (on Windows) or Trash (on Mac) before they are completely removed.
Where do permanently deleted files go? ›1. Where do permanently deleted files go? When you delete a file from your computer, it moves to the Windows Recycle Bin. But, if you empty the Recycle Bin or use the ctrl + delete option, the file is permanently erased from the hard drive.
How to recover deleted files on Mac? ›Open the Trash Bin on Mac. Locate and select the missing files. Right-click any of the selected files. Select the Put Back option to restore deleted files on Mac to its original location.
How can I recover permanently deleted files without backup? ›- Access the Start menu and type “cmd” in the search bar.
- Select "Run as administrator" to run Command Prompt with administrator privileges.
- Type attrib -h -r -s /s /d drive letter:\*. *" and press Enter.
The Ctrl+Z Function to Undo Accidental Deleted Files. A lot of people don't understand the importance of this simple command "Ctrl+Z" which can undo any previous instantly deleted files. While you accidentally deleted a file or folder on the computer hard disk drive, you can retrieve the files back by click "Ctrl+Z".
Is it possible to recover permanently deleted photos from laptop? ›A sure shot way is to trust a professional photo recovery software. They are designed to recover lost or permanently deleted photos from your computer drive, regardless of the cause of photo loss. Tools like Stellar Photo Recovery can restore photos shot with any DSLR, Android, iPhone, webcam, CCTV, etc.
Is anything ever truly deleted from a computer? ›Truth of the matter is that your data is never really deleted when you delete it from your computer manually. When you delete your files, they are being sent to the Recycle Bin, where they can be recovered at any time.
Can you get files back after emptying Recycle Bin? ›After emptying the Recycle Bin, you can not undo that action without any software. Recycle Bin recovery is possible using Advanced File Recovery, which can retrieve permanently deleted files on your computer using a smart algorithm.
How to recover deleted video? ›
When you delete videos stored on your PC or computer, the deleted files go directly to the trash. At this point, you can still easily recover your videos. To do this, right-click on the video placed in the trash and click on "restore". This recovery principle remains the same on laptops.
Where are my photos after freeing up space? ›If you remove copies of photos and videos on your Android device, they're now deleted but, you still can: See your photos and videos, including the ones you just removed, in the Google Photos app and photos.google.com.
What comes out of a Photo Booth? ›Once the payment is made, the photo booth will take a series of photographs, although most modern booths may only take a single photograph and print out a series of identical pictures. Before each photograph, there will be an indication, such as a light or a buzzer, that will signal the patron to prepare their pose.
Where did all my Photo Booth Pictures go? ›Head to the "Pictures" folder. You'll see "Photo Booth Library". Right click this and select "Show Package Contents". Then navigate to the "Pictures" folder within it, and there you go - you should see all your photos.
Where are recorded videos stored on Mac? ›Generally, macOS stores videos in your Movies folder, which you can locate using Finder. All you need to do is launch the Finder application and click Movies in the sidebar.
Where does Apple photos store videos? ›When you import photos and videos into Photos, they're copied to the Photos library in the Pictures folder. If you prefer, you can store photos and videos outside the Photos library (for example, in a folder on your Mac or on an external drive) and still view them in Photos.
How do I get my photos from Time Machine backup? ›Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and choose Enter Time Machine, or choose Apple menu > System Settings, click General in the sidebar, then click Time Machine on the right. (You may need to scroll down.) Time Machine opens and shows your available backups.
Where are Photo Booth photos stored? ›Photo booths are computers with hard drives. When a photo booth takes a photo, it stores the image in a folder on the computer's hard drive.
Are permanently deleted photos gone forever? ›There is no official way to recover permanently deleted photos, videos, or files if removed from the trash. To recover your deleted data, you'll always need a backup service like Google Photos, Google Drive, one drive, or any other local backup. The backup can be used anytime to access the deleted files and photos.
Does Photo Booth automatically save videos? ›Beyond the effects included — Star Wars holograms anybody? — Photo Booth is a handy application, always ready to take a snapshot or record a video, not having to worry about settings or image controls. But Photo Booth has a weakness. Recordings are only saved at the end, when you press the STOP button.
What apps can recover permanently deleted photos? ›
DiskDigger is an effective photo recovery app for Android devices. This app helps to recover deleted photos by scanning the device's internal memory. This recovery software comes with two options to recuperate deleted images: Basic Scan, which doesn't need root access to your phone memory.
Does Photo Booth have a time limit? ›Absolutely not, there are no restrictions on the amount of times your photo booth can be used throughout your wedding or event. Some companies shut down the use of the photo booth during dinner and quiet time of an event but not us.
Where do camera videos save? ›Photos and videos captured with the built-in camera or webcam are saved by default to the Camera Roll folder.
Can you recover permanently deleted videos? ›Yes. Files that are permanently deleted may still be reconstructed using recovery software. You can also use a backup of the videos, if one exists, to restore the files.
How do I recover permanently deleted files from my computer? ›Press the Windows key, enter Windows File Recovery in the search box, and then select Windows File Recovery. When you are prompted to allow the app to make changes to your device, select Yes. There are 2 basic modes you can use to recover files: Regular and Extensive.