PhotoRec for Mac
Recover deleted photos, documents and videos from disks and memory cards.
by CGSecurity
Free download · macOS · runs in Terminal · Updated
- 4.5K Ratings
- 4.4
- Price
- Free 100% free
- Category Cleaning
- Developer CGSecurity
- License
- OSS Open Source
- Platform macOS
What PhotoRec Does
Recovers hundreds of formats
Photos, videos, documents, archives and many more file types.
Works on damaged media
Ignores the file system and searches the raw data, even on formatted or corrupted drives.
Memory cards & USB
Recover from camera cards, USB sticks and external drives.
Source stays untouched
Recovered files are written to another location, not to the drive you are recovering.
Terminal interface
A simple text-based menu guides you through each step.
Open source
Free software from CGSecurity, together with TestDisk.
About PhotoRec for Mac
PhotoRec is a free, open-source data recovery tool from CGSecurity, distributed together with TestDisk. Despite its name, it recovers far more than photos: documents, videos, music, archives and hundreds of other file formats.
PhotoRec ignores the file system and scans the underlying data for known file signatures. That is why it can often recover files from formatted cards, corrupted drives and disks that macOS can no longer read properly.
It runs in Terminal with a simple text menu. Recovered files are saved to a different drive or folder, so the source media is not overwritten during recovery. For best results, stop using the affected drive as soon as you notice the data loss.
User Reviews
Leave a commentAverage score from people who use PhotoRec on their Mac. Tap the stars below to add yours.
What we like about PhotoRec
Rescues formatted cards
Editors’ note
Works even when the file system is gone, which saves many photo libraries.
Recovers almost anything
Editors’ note
Supports hundreds of file types beyond photos.
Safe by design
Editors’ note
Writes results elsewhere so the original data stays intact.
How to Recover Deleted Files with PhotoRec
-
1
Stop using the drive
Avoid writing new files to the disk or card you want to recover from.
-
2
Start PhotoRec
Open Terminal and run photorec (with sudo for full disk access).
-
3
Select disk & file types
Choose the source drive, partition and, optionally, which file types to look for.
-
4
Choose a destination
Pick a folder on another drive for recovered files and start the scan.
How to Download & Install PhotoRec on Mac
- Download — tap Free Download to get the PhotoRec installer.
- Extract — unpack the downloaded archive, or install via Homebrew with brew install testdisk (PhotoRec is included).
- Open Terminal — go to the extracted folder or use the installed command.
- Run — start PhotoRec with sudo photorec and follow the on-screen menu.
Is PhotoRec Safe?
Yes — PhotoRec is a safe app for Mac. It is open-source software that reads the source drive and writes recovered files to a different location, so it does not modify the data you are trying to recover.
We never repack or modify installers. You can verify this page and its download yourself with independent security scanners:
- Open-source from CGSecurity
- Source media is not modified
- No ads or bundled extras
Information
- Developer
- CGSecurity
- Category
- Cleaning & Maintenance
- Price
- Free
- License
- Open Source
- Compatibility
- macOS · runs in Terminal
- User rating
- 4.4 out of 5 (4.5K ratings)
PhotoRec FAQ
Yes. PhotoRec is free, open-source software from CGSecurity.
It can scan SSDs, but if TRIM has already cleared the deleted blocks, recovery may not be possible.
Usually not — files are recovered by content and get generic names, sorted by type.
Yes. It does not write to the source drive. See the safety check above for scanner reports.
