Losing your tiktok drafts can be frustrating, especially when you’ve spent time creating videos you’re not ready to post. Whether it’s due to app glitches, accidental deletion, or device issues, many users often wonder how to recover TikTok drafts and restore their unfinished content. In this guide, we’ll walk you through effective methods to recover drafts on TikTok, including ways to retrieve deleted drafts on iPhone, and share practical tips to prevent losing your videos in the future. By following these steps, you can safely regain access to your saved drafts and keep your creative workflow uninterrupted.
Before learning how to recover TikTok drafts, it’s important to understand why they go missing in the first place. Drafts are stored locally on your device, not on TikTok’s servers, which makes them more vulnerable to unexpected loss. Here are some of the most common reasons:
By identifying the cause, you’ll have a clearer idea of whether you can recover deleted TikTok drafts or if they’re permanently gone.
Often, your drafts are still on the device but overlooked. Here’s how to find them:
Deleting or reinstalling TikTok will erase all drafts stored on your iPhone. However, you can try restoring them from a backup:
Connect your iPhone to a computer and open iTunes. Select your iPhone under the device menu. Click Restore Backup and choose a version created before TikTok was deleted. Wait for the process to finish, then reinstall TikTok and check if your drafts return.
Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. During setup, select Restore from iCloud Backup. Pick the backup that contains your drafts.
On iPhone, go to Settings → [your name] → iCloud → Manage Storage → Backups to see if a recent backup contains your video. If present, you can extract files from that backup (see third-party extractors-UltData below) or restore the whole backup (full restore erases current data — backup first).
If you have an iTunes backup that pre-dates the deletion, you can extract videos from that backup without restoring the phone by using a backup extractor or recovery tool. Tenorshare’s guide explains how to pick a specific iTunes backup and scan it.
Even if drafts are missing from TikTok, you may still have saved video copies in your iPhone storage: Open the Photos app on your iPhone. Check the Recents, Albums, and TikTok folders. Search for “TikTok” in the Photos app to quickly locate related files. If you use iCloud Photos, log in at iCloud.com and check your synced media.
While these won’t restore the editable draft, you can re-upload the raw video into TikTok and continue editing.
If none of the above methods work, professional iPhone recovery software like Tenorshare UltData can help retrieve deleted TikTok drafts directly from device memory.
Why Choose UltData for TikTok Draft Recovery?
UltData iPhone Data Recovery is a trusted iOS data recovery solution designed to recover lost or deleted files, including photos, videos, messages, and app data. Unlike basic manual recovery methods, UltData iOS Backup scans deep into your iPhone’s storage to locate hidden or accidentally deleted files that the system no longer shows. It works even without iCloud or iTunes backups, making it a powerful option for users who have uninstalled TikTok or lost drafts due to system glitches. Its user-friendly interface and high recovery success rate make it one of the most reliable tools for retrieving missing TikTok drafts.
Here’s how to use it:
This tool is especially useful when your TikTok drafts were deleted after uninstalling the app and you don’t have iCloud/iTunes backups.
After you’ve recovered your drafts, it’s wise to take precautions to avoid repeating the same problem. Here are practical tips to ensure your drafts stay safe:
Before closing TikTok, enable the “Save to Device” option so a copy of your draft is stored in your phone’s gallery. This ensures you’ll still have the video even if the draft disappears from the app.
Regularly upload important drafts to iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox. Cloud backups give you peace of mind if your app crashes or your phone malfunctions.
Running outdated versions of TikTok may lead to bugs that cause draft loss. Updating ensures better stability and reduces the risk of glitches.
Reinstalling TikTok clears your drafts. If you must uninstall, make sure to back up your drafts first.
Label drafts clearly and store backup copies in organized folders. This makes it easier to retrieve them quickly when needed.
Q1: Can you recover deleted drafts on TikTok directly from the app?
A: No. Once a draft is deleted within TikTok, there is no built-in option to restore it. Drafts are stored locally on your device, not on TikTok’s servers, which makes backups or recover tools essential.
Q2: How do I recover drafts after deleting TikTok on my iPhone?
A: If you uninstalled TikTok, your drafts will be erased. The best way to get them back is by restoring from an iTunes or iCloud backup created before deletion. Alternatively, if you don’t have a backup, you can use a data recovery tool like Tenorshare UltData, which scans your iPhone for hidden or deleted files.
Q3: What’s the easiest way to restore TikTok drafts without a backup?
Without an iCloud or iTunes backup, the simplest solution is to use UltData iOS Data Recovery. It can recover deleted TikTok videos and drafts directly from your iPhone’s internal storage with just a few clicks.
Q4: How can I prevent losing TikTok drafts again?
Enable the Save to Device option when creating drafts so copies are stored in your Photos app. Also, keep regular iCloud or iTunes backups, and avoid uninstalling TikTok without saving your drafts first.
Losing your TikTok drafts can be disappointing, but it doesn’t mean your videos are gone forever. By checking your Drafts folder, restoring from iTunes/iCloud backups, searching your Photos app or cloud storage, and enabling Save to Device, you can often bring back your unfinished content. For cases where traditional methods don’t work, professional tools like UltData iOS Contacts Recovery provide a reliable way to recover deleted TikTok drafts directly from your iPhone storage. With the right steps and preventive habits, you can ensure your creativity is never lost and your drafts remain safe for future posting.
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UltData - Best iPhone Data Recovery Tool
Recover Deleted & Lost Data from iOS Devices Easily, No Backup Needed！
UltData: Best iPhone Recovery Tool
Recover Lost iPhone Data without Backup
By Sophie Green
2025-09-11 / iPhone Data