Deleted screenshots are among the easiest files to recover — they are regular image files (PNG or JPG) stored in predictable locations. The recovery method depends on where the screenshot was stored and how it was deleted.
Part 1. Where Screenshots Are Saved by Default
| Platform | Default Screenshot Location |
|---|---|
| Windows 11/10 | C:\Users\[Username]\Pictures\Screenshots\ |
| Windows (Print Screen only) | Clipboard — not saved to disk automatically |
| Mac | Desktop (varies by macOS version) |
| Mac (changed) | Custom location set in Screenshot app |
| iPhone | Camera Roll (Photos app) |
💡 Tip: On Windows, only Win + PrtScn and Win + Shift + S (snip to file) save screenshots automatically to disk. Pressing PrtScn alone copies to clipboard only — if you didn't paste and save, there's nothing to recover from disk.
Part 2. Check the Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac)
Windows:
- Open Recycle Bin on the Desktop
- Search for
.pngor filter by Date Deleted - Right-click → Restore to return to the Screenshots folder
Mac:
- Open Trash from the Dock
- Find the screenshot (sorted by date or search by name)
- Right-click → Put Back
⚠️ Important: On Windows, screenshots deleted with Shift+Delete do not go to the Recycle Bin. They are permanently deleted immediately. For these, proceed to Part 4 — data recovery software.
Part 3. Recover From Previous Versions (Windows)
Right-click the Screenshots folder → Properties → Previous Versions — if System Protection was enabled, an earlier version of the folder appears showing deleted screenshots.
On Mac: File → Revert To → Browse All Versions (if the folder supports Auto Save, which screenshot folders typically don't — use Time Machine instead).
💡 Tip: To enable System Protection (so Previous Versions works in the future), right-click This PC → Properties → System Protection → select your C: drive → click Configure → turn on protection. Set a reasonable disk space allocation (5–10 GB is usually enough).
Part 4. Recover Deleted iPhone Screenshots
- Open the Photos app → Albums → scroll to Recently Deleted
- Screenshots deleted within the last 30 days appear here
- Tap the screenshot → Recover
If more than 30 days have passed, the screenshot is permanently deleted from iCloud and no software can recover it from the cloud.
| Recovery Method | Platform | Time Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recycle Bin restore | Windows | Until emptied | Shift+Delete bypasses this |
| Mac Trash restore | macOS | Until emptied | Command+Delete bypasses this |
| iPhone Recently Deleted | iOS | 30 days | Automatic expiry |
| Previous Versions | Windows | Shadow copy age | Requires System Protection enabled |
| iCloud Recently Deleted | iCloud | 30 days | Synced across Apple devices |
| Data recovery software | Windows/Mac | Until overwritten | For permanently deleted files |
💡 Tip: On Android, screenshots are usually stored in a Screenshots album in the Gallery app. Check the Gallery app's trash or Recently Deleted folder first — Samsung and Google Pixel devices both maintain a 30-day deleted items period for photos and screenshots.
🗣️ r/techsupport user: "Deleted 200 screenshots trying to free up space. Found all of them in Photos → Recently Deleted. Restored in about 30 seconds. Always check there first before panicking."
🗣️ r/datarecovery tip: "For Windows screenshots that bypassed Recycle Bin (Shift+Delete), check Previous Versions on the Screenshots folder first. If System Protection was enabled, you can get them back in seconds without any software."
Part 5. Recover Permanently Deleted Screenshots With Ritridata
For screenshots permanently deleted from a Windows or Mac drive, Ritridata scans the drive and recovers deleted PNG and JPG files — filter scan results by .png extension to find screenshots specifically.
Step 1 — Select the drive (C:\ for Windows screenshots)
Step 2 — Run a scan and filter by PNG or JPG file type
Step 3 — Preview the screenshots and recover to a different folder
FAQ
Where are Windows screenshots stored? Screenshots taken with Win + PrtScn or Win + Shift + S (Save to file) are stored in C:\Users\[Username]\Pictures\Screenshots\. Screenshots taken with PrtScn alone are only in the clipboard and were never saved to disk.
Can I recover a screenshot I took but never saved on Windows? If you only pressed PrtScn (without Win + PrtScn), the screenshot went to clipboard only — it was never written to disk and cannot be recovered by any software. Win + PrtScn saves automatically.
How do I recover deleted iPhone screenshots older than 30 days? After 30 days in Recently Deleted, iPhone screenshots are permanently erased from iCloud. If you had iCloud Photos enabled and synced to a Mac, check the Mac's Photos app Recently Deleted folder — it may have a slightly different deletion timeline.
Are screenshots on Mac stored as PNG or JPG? macOS saves screenshots as PNG by default. You can change this in the Screenshot app (Cmd + Shift + 5 → Options → Format). Recovery software searches for both PNG and JPG files to cover both formats.