Have you accidentally deleted a TikTok video? You are not alone. It can happen while editing, transferring files, or cleaning up an SD card. Losing a video is especially frustrating after you have spent hours creating it.
A deleted video is not always gone permanently. You may still be able to recover it if the storage space has not been overwritten. This guide explains how to recover deleted TikTok videos using four practical methods. It also shares tips to help protect your drafts, edits, and exported videos.
Part 1: Can You Recover Deleted TikTok Videos from a Computer?
Yes, you can recover deleted TikTok videos if a copy exists on your computer or a connected storage device. When a local video is deleted, Windows removes its file reference and marks the space as available. The data may remain recoverable until new files overwrite it.
Recovery may also be possible if the video was uploaded to cloud storage. In that case, check the My files or Recycle Bin section of the cloud service.
Deleting a published TikTok video also removes it from TikTok’s servers, and the app does not provide an undo option. However, recovery may still be possible if a copy remains on an SD card, computer, USB drive, or cloud account.
Part 2: What Should You Do After Deleting TikTok Videos?
If you recently deleted the video, take these steps immediately to improve the chance of recovery:
- Stop using the affected drive: Do not save, move, download, or install anything on that storage device. New data can overwrite the deleted video and make recovery much less likely.
- Save recovered videos to a different location: When using data recovery software, restore files to another drive to avoid overwriting the deleted video or other recoverable data.
- Know the video format: Common formats include MP4, MOV, FLV, WMV, MKV, and M4V. TikTok commonly uses MP4 and MOV. Knowing the original format can help you locate the video during a scan.
These steps are simple, but they can significantly improve your chance of restoring a lost TikTok video from a computer or external storage device.
Part 3: How to Recover Recently Deleted TikTok Videos on PC?
If the video was deleted recently, the chance of recovery may be higher. Windows provides several options for restoring recently deleted files, and a cloud backup may also contain a copy.
Here is how to recover deleted videos from PC when a local copy was saved on your computer or storage device:
- Method 1.Recover Deleted TikTok Videos Using Ctrl + Z
- Method 2. Restore Deleted TikTok Videos from Recycle Bin
- Method 3. Restore TikTok Videos with File History
- Method 4. Check OneDrive or Google Drive Backups
Method 1. Recover Deleted Videos Using Ctrl + Z
Accidentally deleted a video a few seconds ago? Windows allows you to undo the deletion with a simple shortcut. This method is the easiest way to get your video back without using recovery software.
Follow these steps to recover your TikTok video:
- Go to the folder where the video was originally stored.
- Right-click an empty area and choose Undo Delete.
- Or simply press Ctrl + Z on your keyboard.
Method 2. Restore Deleted TikTok Videos from Recycle Bin
If you deleted the video with the Delete key or the context menu, Windows may have moved it to the Recycle Bin. Files in the Recycle Bin are not permanently deleted and can usually be restored in a few clicks.
Here are the steps to restore the deleted video:
- Find and open Recycle Bin from the desktop.
- Locate the deleted video. Sort items by name, deletion date, or original location, or search for the filename.
- Select the TikTok video, right-click it, and choose Restore. Windows will return it to its original folder.
If the TikTok video is not in the Recycle Bin, it may have been permanently deleted. This can happen after the Recycle Bin is emptied or when Shift + Delete is used. Videos deleted from a USB drive or SD card also bypass the Recycle Bin. For removable storage, you can also learn how to recover deleted videos from SD card. In these cases, try the following methods.
Method 3. Restore TikTok Videos with File History
File History is a Windows backup feature that can save copies of files from folders such as Documents, Pictures, Music, Desktop, and Videos. It must have been enabled before the video was deleted.
To get started, follow these steps:
- Open Control Panel and select System and Security.
- Select File History, then click Restore personal files.
- Use the arrows to choose a backup created before the TikTok video was deleted.
- Select the video or its folder, then click the green Restore button.
Method 4. Check OneDrive or Google Drive Backups
OneDrive is integrated with Windows and includes cloud storage for Microsoft accounts. If your TikTok videos were synced or uploaded, you may be able to download an existing copy or restore a deleted file.
The process is simple. Just follow these steps:
- Open Google Drive or OneDrive in a browser and sign in to your account.
- Click My files or My Drive and browse the available files and folders.
- Select the video or folder, then click Download.
- If the video is missing from My files, check the OneDrive or Google Drive Recycle bin. When sync is enabled, deleting a local file may also remove its cloud copy. Locate the video in the Recycle bin, right-click it, and choose Restore.
For personal accounts, OneDrive generally keeps deleted items in the Recycle Bin for up to 30 days. If the file is no longer there, you may need to recover a local copy from the original storage device.
Part4: How to Recover Deleted TikTok Videos After 30 Days?
If more than 30 days have passed, the video may no longer be available in a cloud Recycle bin. Videos deleted from external storage also do not enter the Windows Recycle Bin. In these cases, you can scan the original storage device with iToolab RecoverGo Windows Data Recovery.
RecoverGo can scan for permanently deleted local video files, provided the data has not been overwritten. It can help recover exported TikTok videos from Windows drives, USB flash drives, SD cards, and other connected storage devices. This tool uses a read-only scan process, so it does not modify the source drive during scanning.
Key Features
- Recover deleted videos and other lost files with a recovery success rate of up to 99.7%.
- Supports common video formats, including MP4, MOV, AVI, M4V, 3GP, WMV, MKV, FLV, and MPG.
- Supports various data loss scenarios, including accidentally deleted TikTok videos, formatted drives, and lost files after device errors.
- Provides a free scan and file preview before recovery.
- Lets you filter results by file type, path, date modified, and other criteria.
- Works with Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, and 7.
How to Recover a Deleted TikTok Video with RecoverGo
Step 1 Download and launch RecoverGo. Select the internal drive, external drive, or folder where the TikTok video was stored, then click Search for Lost Data.
Step 2 Wait for the scan to complete. You can monitor the progress and filter the results while the scan is running.
Step 3 Select Video from the file-type filters, locate and preview the deleted TikTok video, then click Recover. Save it to a different drive or folder to avoid overwriting recoverable data.
Part 5: How to Prevent TikTok Video Loss?
Use these practical tips to reduce the risk of losing your videos:
- Back up TikTok videos regularly. Keep copies in local storage, cloud storage, and an external drive.
- Export videos before deleting drafts. TikTok drafts are stored locally on the device, so save the finished video before removing the draft or uninstalling the app.
- Organize files carefully. Check folders before deleting them to make sure they do not contain TikTok exports or original footage.
- Avoid Shift + Delete unless necessary. This shortcut permanently deletes local files and bypasses the Recycle Bin.
- Enable cloud sync or automatic backup for folders that contain TikTok videos.
Final Thoughts
This guide explains how to recover deleted TikTok videos from a Windows PC, cloud backup, or connected storage device. Start with Recycle Bin, File History, or OneDrive when a backup or recently deleted copy may still exist.
If those options are unavailable, iToolab RecoverGo Windows Data Recovery can scan the original storage device for deleted local video files. Stop using the affected drive, preview the files found, and save recovered videos to a different location.