I accidentally deleted some important files from my Mac and realized that Recuva, a tool I’ve used on Windows, isn’t available for macOS. Is there an equivalent or alternative software for recovering deleted files on a Mac? I need to restore them quickly.
Oh wow, I see I’m not the only one surprised that Recuva isn’t available for Mac. Honestly, that’s weird to me. I used to be on Windows for years, and Recuva was my go-to whenever I needed to bring something back that wasn’t in the Recycle Bin. Two weeks ago I got my first MacBook as a gift, and I’m still getting used to it (setting things up, figuring out where everything is, all that stuff).
Knowing myself, I decided to download Recuva right away, just to have it in case of emergency… and turns out there’s no Mac version 
. What really confuses me is that the same developers made CCleaner for iPhone, even though it used to be Android-only, but somehow they skipped Recuva for macOS?
Anyway, I see a ton of programs listed here already, but I’ve got no clue which one to pick. I don’t wanna pay money and paying just to test all of them sounds even worse. Maybe someone who knows their stuff will drop by and help me out?
Hey @Grace, yeah, totally get your confusion. Recuva’s been a Windows favorite for ages, so a lot of people expect it to work on macOS too, but it doesn’t. The reason’s pretty simple: Recuva was built for NTFS/FAT file systems, while Macs use APFS or HFS+, which are completely different. That’s why there’s no native Mac version, and probably never will be, unless Recuva decides to invest in building one for macOS.
Anyway, before I suggest something solid, I need a bit more info. What kind of data do you usually lose, stored directly on your Mac or on external drives like SD cards or USB sticks? If it’s on your system disk, what chip does your Mac have (you can check it in about this mac)? And one more thing, are you 100% against paid software, or are you open to it if it actually works? Because if not, your only real free option is PhotoRec. It’s probably the only non-commercial recovery tool for Mac that’s worth mentioning. But fair !warning!, it’s not pretty. I won’t scare you with details, just google what its interface looks like first. If you get a few minutes, reply with those details and I’ll point you in the right direction.
no no no, don’t even waste your time answering all that. @Jack already gave you the best advice: PhotoRec. It works, and it’s free, what else do you need? Yeah, the interface looks… interesting, let’s say that. It kinda reminds you of the old command prompt, you don’t even type stuff in, it just gives you options, hit enter a few times, and it starts scanning. It’s only a bit confusing the first time. Watch a quick YouTube guide or read a short tutorial, after that, no problem at all.
And come on, it’s not like you’re gonna need data recovery every week. Maybe once or twice a year, tops. So just download it and move on with your new Mac life.
@Isla thanks for the suggestion, but I’m not too sure about PhotoRec. I watched a couple of YouTube videos about it and didn’t really feel like trying it. Plus, that design, oof.
So yeah @Jack, I’m gonna need your help. I’m pretty careless sometimes, so I delete stuff all the time, both from my main drive and from external ones. No SD cards, just a regular hard drive and a USB stick where I keep my college projects. My Mac’s running on the Apple M2 chip. And judging by what I’ve seen so far, I’ll probably have to pay for recovery software. But I really don’t want any subscriptions I just want to buy it once and be done with it. Is there something like that?
Recuva isn’t available for macOS, but don’t worry, there are some solid alternatives out there for file recovery. I’ve tried a few myself and can point you towards some of the better options.
First up, Disk Drill. It’s probably the closest thing to Recuva you’ll find for Mac. It’s super user-friendly and effective for recovering deleted files. I had to use it once when I accidentally wiped out an entire folder of documents, and it managed to retrieve most of them for me. You can download Disk Drill from the CleverFiles website here: Download Disk Drill. It’s pretty straightforward, and they even offer a free trial, which is nice if you just need it for a one-time recovery mission.
Another good alternative is PhotoRec. While the name suggests it’s just for photos, this open-source software handles a wide range of file types. It’s not as user-friendly as Disk Drill and lacks a graphical interface, so it might be intimidating if you’re not comfortable with command-line tools.
If you’re looking for something built into macOS, you could also try using Time Machine if you have it set up. It’s great for recovering files from backups. But, of course, this only helps if you’ve been regularly backing up your system.
Lastly, consider EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. It’s another paid software but comes with a free trial, just like Disk Drill. It’s pretty powerful and can recover files from various scenarios, from accidental deletion to disk formatting.
In short, if you want something easy and effective, go with Disk Drill. If you want a free option and don’t mind the learning curve, try PhotoRec. And always remember to set up Time Machine to avoid these situations in the future if you haven’t already.
Yep, there are options. Personally, I’m all in for Disk Drill. For me, Disk Dill is hands down the best data recovery app you can get on Mac to replace Recuva. It works perfectly with all kinds of external drives and can even recover data from your system drive on a Mac with an M2 chip (same goes for M1, M3, M4, and probably the newest M5). The key thing is to install a special extension when you first run it. Most other recovery tools simply can’t access system-level storage on Apple Silicon Macs. As far as I know, EaseUS can also do something similar, but beyond that, I can’t really vouch for the rest.
What really sold me on Disk Drill is its pricing model - $89 for a lifetime license. No subscriptions, no monthly charges. And the license works for both macOS and Windows, which is awesome if you ever switch between systems. You can install and scan any of your drives for free, just to see what it finds. Then decide if it’s worth buying. But I’m betting you’ll be impressed.
upd: I saw a few people above mention Disk Drill’s free limits. just to clarify, those apply only on Windows. On Mac, the app lets you preview recoverable files but doesn’t actually let you restore them for free. On Windows, though, the developers give you 100 MB of free recovery, which is handy for your testing.
Unfortunately, Recuva doesn’t have a version for macOS, but there are several alternatives out there to help you recover deleted files on your Mac. One of the most popular and effective tools you can use is Disk Drill. You might find it particularly useful because it combines ease of use with powerful recovery features. Here’s a quick guide to what you can do:
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Download and Install Disk Drill:
Go to Disk Drill’s official website, download the macOS version, and install it on your Mac. -
Launch Disk Drill:
Once installed, open the application. You’ll need to grant it permissions to access your storage to perform the recovery. -
Select the Disk:
The main window will show all available disks and partitions. Select the one where your deleted files were previously stored. -
Scan the Disk:
Click on the “Recover” button next to your disk. Disk Drill will give you a couple of scan options, including Quick Scan and Deep Scan. Quick Scan is faster but might not retrieve all files. Deep Scan takes longer but is more thorough. -
Preview and Recover:
After the scan completes, Disk Drill will list all the recoverable files. Use the preview function to confirm it’s the data you want to recover. Select the files you need and click on the “Recover” button again. It’s generally a good idea to save the recovered files to a different disk than the one you recovered them from to avoid overwriting any other deleted files.
Here are some more alternatives if Disk Drill doesn’t do the trick for you:
1. Data Rescue 5:
This is another reputable data recovery software for Mac. It offers thorough scanning options and a straightforward interface.
2. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard:
Known for its easy-to-use interface and robust recovery capabilities, it’s another good alternative. It supports recovery from internal/external hard drives, USB drives, and more.
3. Stellar Data Recovery for Mac:
This has a reputation for recovering various file types, including documents, photos, and videos, from different storage media.
When choosing recovery software, keep in mind a couple of things:
File System Support:
Make sure the software supports the file system of your device. Macs typically use HFS+, and more recently, APFS.
Recovery Methods:
Good software should offer various recovery methods like Quick Scan, Deep Scan, and maybe photo or video recovery.
User Interface:
Unless you’re comfortable with technical jargon, go for something with a user-friendly interface.
Preview Function:
A preview feature is crucial to confirm you’re recovering the correct file before finalizing the recovery process.
Backup Strategy:
For future prevention of data loss, consider setting up a reliable backup strategy using tools like Time Machine or third-party cloud storage solutions.
Extra Tip:
Once you notice files are missing, avoid using the affected drive as much as possible. This minimizes the chances of overwriting the deleted files, which can make recovery significantly harder.
So, while it’s a bummer that Recuva isn’t available on macOS, Disk Drill and these other options are pretty solid. Just follow these steps, and you should be able to get back most, if not all, of your important files. If you have more questions or run into issues, feel free to ask!
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Seriously? There’s no Mac version of Recuva and it’s 2023. How frustrating is that? Anyway, if you’re stuck looking for an alternative, you might want to check out Disk Drill.
Sure, it’s not perfect. Some say Disk Drill can be a bit slow and the free version’s recovery limit is pretty low, which is a scam as far as I’m concerned. But at least it’s something. It supports a range of file systems (which is a plus) and it’s pretty user-friendly—too user-friendly for those who assume that’d mean it’s actually effective.
There’s also Data Rescue, Stellar Data Recovery, and EaseUS, but they’ve got their own issues. Seems like every recovery tool out there has some kind of catch, particularly when you’re on a Mac. Isn’t it just typical?
In conclusion: Disk Drill might be your best shot, but don’t get your hopes too high.
Thanks for the detailed breakdown, @Jack! That actually cleared up a lot of confusion. I’m gonna go download Disk Drill right away.
P.S. I was gonna wait and buy it the next time I accidentally delete something again, but changed my mind. Better to have it ready than freak out later.
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Well, your call, I just suggested a good free option. I had some pretty bad luck with a few well-known recovery tools that were already mentioned here. I bought two different programs, and neither managed to recover my data. In the end, I had to use PhotoRec, and I got used to it.
But after reading what @Jack wrote, I think I finally get why those apps failed (they probably don’t work on Macs with Apple Silicon). Seems like they were made only for Intel-based models.
Glad to see you’ve found your favorite tool. Solid choice, honestly. Disk Drill is one of the best budget-friendly commercial data recovery apps out there. At our company, we use R-Studio, but the version we rely on costs close to $1000 because we need the advanced features. So for personal use, Disk Drill definitely makes more sense.
However, I noticed no one here mentioned a detail about recovery on modern Macs. Most of them (including yours, most likely) use SSDs as their internal drives. SSDs rely on a process called TRIM, which automatically erases deleted data blocks after file removal. Once TRIM runs, recovery becomes impossible. That’s why timing is critical, and the sooner you start scanning, the higher your chances of getting the files back. However, for external media it won’t be an issue.
Also, once you get comfortable with your Mac setup, I’d strongly recommend enabling Time Machine backups. That way, even if TRIM wipes the deleted files, you’ll still have a system snapshot to restore from. It’s the best safety net you can have on macOS.
Oh, right, good catch! I got so focused on recommending the right software that I totally forgot to mention the SSD part. You’re absolutely right about TRIM, that thing can ruin recovery chances fast. Thanks for adding that detail, it’s super important
Oh guys, thanks a lot for all the tips and explanations! Installed Disk Drill, everything’s working great. I’ll definitely keep the part about TRIM in mind next time I need to recover something from internal drive. But I mostly use memory cards and external hard drives in my work and everyday routine.
Really appreciate the help, have a great day, everyone!