Recovering Deleted Emails
We’ve all deleted emails we didn’t mean to. Depending on how soon you realize the message has been deleted determines what action you can take.
If the message was deleted just now, you can usually recover deleted emails right away. iCloud keeps removed emails for up to 30 days, which is helpful, honestly. After that window closes, things get trickier.
Permanently deleted emails aren’t always recoverable, but there are still a few options worth checking before you give up.
So don’t panic yet! Try the methods within this article, and hopefully one of them works for you.
How to Recover Deleted Emails From iCloud Mail
First, let’s clarify the terms. Removed messages from iCloud mean they are gone for good, deleted on the device means you may still be able to recover them.
If you want to recover your deleted emails, you can do so by using your iCloud backup. If you haven’t backed up your phone in a while, you may need some extra support in retrieving lost data.
The following methods will teach you how to recover permanently deleted emails from iCloud. This includes how to recover iCloud emails deleted from the Trash.
Method 1. Recover from Trash in Mail
Recently deleted iCloud messages first end up in your Trash folder in the Mail app, where they stay for up to 30 days before they're erased forever. If a message is still in there, you can just drag it back into your inbox or wherever else you want it.
On iPhone or iPad:
- Open the Mail app and tap Mailboxes.
- Choose your iCloud account, then tap Trash (or Bin).
- Find the email, tap it, then tap the folder icon and move it back to Inbox or another mailbox.
On Mac (Apple Mail):
- Open Mail, and select your iCloud mailbox in the sidebar.
- Click the Trash folder.
- Right‑click the message and choose Move to → Inbox (or drag it to the desired folder).
💡 Tip: If you have just accidentally sent an email to Trash, shake your mobile device to undo the action!
Method 2. Recover via iCloud.com Mail
If you can't find a deleted email in your Mail app, try checking iCloud.com, which shows you what's actually stored on Apple's servers for your account. This can be handy if your devices are out of sync or you've set them up to only sync a bit at a time.
Steps on iCloud.com:
- Go to icloud.com, sign in with your Apple ID, and open Mail.
- In the left sidebar, select Trash.
- Select the message(s), click Move, and choose Inbox or another folder.
Method 3: Check Junk and “Not Junk”
Sometimes perfectly legit emails get filtered to Junk instead of actually being deleted, so they don't even show up in your Trash. Marking them as Not Junk not only gets them back where they belong but also helps to train your junk filter so it does a better job in the future.
To restore from Junk on iCloud.com:
- Sign in to icloud.com and open Mail.
- Click the Junk folder in the Mailboxes list.
- Select the message, choose Move to Inbox, or use Not Junk/Move so future messages from that sender are not treated as spam.
Method 4: Recover Emails with iCloud Backup (iOS 16 and later)
To do this, you will need to erase all data from your mobile device to replace it with the backup file.
- To erase your device, go to Settings → General.
- Then click Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings.
- You will have a clean iPhone after the process is done. Now follow the steps on the setup screen, and make sure you are connected to Wi-Fi.
- Once you reach the Apps and Data section, tap Restore from iCloud Backup.
- Sign in to your iCloud, select the latest backup file, and follow the steps to finish the process. Your lost emails should now be back in your mailbox.
Method 5: When Emails Are Gone
If an email is missing from Trash and Junk on all devices and iCloud.com, then it's probably gone for good and can't be recovered using Apple's standard tools.
In that case, your only other options are to try and dig up an older backup from one of your Apple devices or use some third-party recovery software, but even then there's no guarantee you'll be able to get it back.
📌 Tools that help keep your email inbox tidy (like bulk unsubscribe, smart filters that know what to look for, and auto cleanup that does the hard work for you) can help reduce the number of accidental deletions and let you spot important messages before they get sent to the Trash.
Manage Your Mailbox With Clean Email
Clean Email helps you keep your mailbox organized, so important messages are easier to find and harder to lose in the first place. By grouping emails and managing them in bulk, it reduces the risk of accidental deletions and overlooked messages.
The app works with all IMAP-based mail service providers, including iCloud, Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and others. It’s available as a web app and on macOS and iOS devices, making it easy to manage your email wherever you check it.
📌 You can use the Trash folder within Clean Email to retrieve any recently deleted emails from your account. To do this, head into your Trash folder, locate the email, and mark the checkbox to select the message. Then choose Restore. Confirm the action, and you are done!
Clean Email also has many other benefits and handy features to optimize your inbox management.
📌 The Auto Clean feature allows you to create automated rules to remove the need to perform manual tasks.
Create Auto Clean rules to move emails into selected folders or Trash as soon as they hit your inbox. To create a rule, simply select the email using the checkbox and click the Create Rule button in the actions toolbar.
Then follow the steps and fill out the criteria. You can always edit and remove any rules you’ve created using the Auto Clean dashboard.
📌 The Unsubscriber tool makes removing yourself from mailing lists with just a couple clicks of a button.
You just need to select one or multiple senders and click Unsubscribe. The app will send unsubscribe requests and complete unsubscribe forms without your manual work.
📌 Alternatively, you can choose to deliver the newsletter to the Read Later folder, keep only the newest email from the selected newsletter, and more.
📌 The Smart Folders feature will bundle similar emails into easy-to-manage folders (they serve like labels).
With Smart Folders, you can quickly locate and organize iCloud emails. For example, you can click the Online shopping folder to check all your shopping-related emails from one place. This is handy if you are looking for a specific email or want to manage a group of emails within the same genre.
From here you can apply any action to these messages or create an Auto Clean rule.
Even though Clean Email isn’t a data recovery app, it helps you stay in control of your inbox so fewer emails get lost or deleted by mistake.
💡 Note: Clean Email cares about your Privacy and Security. It never collects, shares, or sells user data with any third parties.
Check out our other useful articles:
- How to forward iCloud Mail
- Gmail vs. iCloud Email – which is the better option?
- How to recover deleted emails from Gmail
How to Recover Deleted iCloud Emails – FAQs
Does iCloud keep deleted emails?
iCloud will keep your removed messages within its backup file. If you do regularly back up your iPhone, that is.
How do I retrieve a deleted email from iCloud?
To retrieve a deleted email from iCloud, you may have to erase all your iPhone’s current settings and restore it. By restoring it, you can choose a previous backup file that hopefully contains your removed messages.
How do I recover permanently deleted emails from iCloud?
You can recover deleted emails by restoring the latest iCloud backup file or by using Data Recovery Software like Disk Drill.
How to recover deleted emails from iCloud after 30 days?
To recover emails after 30 days, you will have to restore your mobile with a previous backup file. This may get rid of any new data.
