I seem to have deleted all my OneDrive files while trying to sync with iPhone.

Along this same string, how would do I know if I have a second OneDrive account that my previous data would have been stored on? I still can't find the data, only the folder shells.

I can see the files in my recycle bin on OneDrive Live, but it is only the folder shells with no content, all Folders have 412 bytes content. The will not restore.

Hi, I'm John!

To help narrow down the issue:

1. Do you see the files on onedrive.live.com when you open it in a browser?
2. Are the files missing everywhere (web, PC, and phone)?
3. Did you receive any “files deleted” email from Microsoft recently?
4. Are you using Personal OneDrive or OneDrive for Business/Work account?

If you haven't tried anything yet, please start by:

First, let’s check a few places where the files might still be.

Check the OneDrive Recycle Bin:

• Go to: https://onedrive.live.com
• On the left side, click Recycle bin.
• Do you see the missing files there? If yes, select them and click Restore.

Try OneDrive “Restore your OneDrive”:

• This can roll your OneDrive back to an earlier date:
• https://onedrive.live.com/restore

When you tried this earlier, did you restore to a date before you synced with the iPhone?

If the issue persists, please provide more details by answering my questions.

Click "Add comment" below to let me know.

Regards,

John J.D.

Follow these steps in order, checking after each step whether the missing content has reappeared.

1. Check the OneDrive Recycle Bin in a browser
   1. Go to the OneDrive website and sign in with the same Microsoft account used on the Mac and iPhone.
   2. On the left side, select Recycle bin.
   3. Look for deleted files and folders. If found, select them and choose Restore at the top of the page.
   4. If items were deleted from a shared library (SharePoint/Teams), the site admin may be able to restore them from the SharePoint recycle bin.
2. Use OneDrive “Restore your OneDrive” (if available) If many files were deleted or overwritten, use the point‑in‑time restore feature:
   1. Go to the OneDrive website and sign in.
   2. At the top of the page, select Settings > Restore your OneDrive from the left navigation.
   3. On the Restore page, select a date from before the iPhone sync/accidental deletion, or choose Custom date and time.
   4. Use the activity chart and feed to pick a point just before the mass deletion, then apply the restore.
   5. After restore completes, verify that folders now contain their files again.
   Notes and cautions:
   • This feature requires a Microsoft 365 subscription and is not available in the classic OneDrive for work or school experience.
   • When restoring, any files or folders created after the restore point date are moved to the OneDrive Recycle Bin; they can be restored from there if needed.
   • If a file has been permanently deleted from the OneDrive Recycle Bin, it cannot be recovered by Microsoft tools.
   • If the restore result is not what is wanted, it is possible to undo it by running Restore your OneDrive again and selecting the restore action just performed.
3. Check other Microsoft accounts
   1. Confirm that the correct Microsoft account is in use on the web.
   2. If there might be more than one account (personal vs work/school, or multiple personal accounts), sign out and sign back in with each possible account to see if the content is in another OneDrive.
4. Check local device storage If some files were never fully synced to OneDrive or were stored outside the OneDrive folder:
   1. On the Mac, use Finder’s search to look for known filenames, extensions, or keywords.
   2. Check the Mac Trash for recently deleted items.
5. If files are still missing after these steps
   • If the files are not in the OneDrive Recycle Bin, not restored by Restore your OneDrive, and not present on any device or other account, there is no native Microsoft method to recover them.
   • At that point, only third‑party file recovery tools on the Mac’s local drive might help, but recovery is not guaranteed.

References:

• Find lost or missing files in OneDrive
• Restore your OneDrive
• Delete or restore files from your OneDrive recycle bin in Android, iOS, or Windows mobile
• Troubleshoot OneDrive for iOS app problems
• Unable to restore deleted files from C:OneDrive - Microsoft Q&A