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I am attempting to recover a video that I recently deleted in my files app, and I need help!

When I try to recover one of the videos it says "The Operation Can't Be Completed. Couldn't communicate with a helper application."


These videos come from my photos, and strangely its not allowing me to recover them at all.


I find those videos quite valuable to me and would love to know how to solve this issue.


Thanks all!

Posted on Apr 7, 2023 4:31 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Apr 7, 2023 12:43 PM

I found a workaround that worked!!,


Okay this is how it works.


  1. Copy all the recent videos in your recently deleted section in the files app (on iPhone). You do this by select all, then copy.
  2. Click on On My iPhone section and create a new folder (long hold and click new folder option; next steps will be done inside this new folder).
  3. Now that your inside the new folder, long hold onto the screen until a box appears with the options (New folder, Paste, Scan Documents, and Get Info).
  4. Click on the paste option (verify that all videos have been copied into that new folder).
  5. Once that is done, open iTunes on either a windows or mac and use the file sharing option. Click on that new folder among the other files and click on save button. (I suggest you also create a new folder on your desktop just to be sure you know where those saved videos are going).
  6. Once saved onto desktop, delete those videos (in the files app) that weren't allowing themselves to restored; otherwise copies of the same video will appear and things can get particularly confusing.
  7. Go back to the file sharing and click on the new folder, but this time select add/add files. Add all the files you saved onto the desktop folder.
  8. Verify that they have appeared in the files app on your iPhone device.
  9. These can now be selected all and saved back onto photos and you didn't lose anything.


This method is a bit of a long workaround but so far on the whole of the internet I couldn't find a single solution, so I thought I would help out those of you who may be in similar situations.


Thanks for reading and I hope my method helped solve your issue!

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Apr 7, 2023 12:43 PM in response to appleuser5939

I found a workaround that worked!!,


Okay this is how it works.


  1. Copy all the recent videos in your recently deleted section in the files app (on iPhone). You do this by select all, then copy.
  2. Click on On My iPhone section and create a new folder (long hold and click new folder option; next steps will be done inside this new folder).
  3. Now that your inside the new folder, long hold onto the screen until a box appears with the options (New folder, Paste, Scan Documents, and Get Info).
  4. Click on the paste option (verify that all videos have been copied into that new folder).
  5. Once that is done, open iTunes on either a windows or mac and use the file sharing option. Click on that new folder among the other files and click on save button. (I suggest you also create a new folder on your desktop just to be sure you know where those saved videos are going).
  6. Once saved onto desktop, delete those videos (in the files app) that weren't allowing themselves to restored; otherwise copies of the same video will appear and things can get particularly confusing.
  7. Go back to the file sharing and click on the new folder, but this time select add/add files. Add all the files you saved onto the desktop folder.
  8. Verify that they have appeared in the files app on your iPhone device.
  9. These can now be selected all and saved back onto photos and you didn't lose anything.


This method is a bit of a long workaround but so far on the whole of the internet I couldn't find a single solution, so I thought I would help out those of you who may be in similar situations.


Thanks for reading and I hope my method helped solve your issue!

Apr 7, 2023 5:56 AM in response to Limnos

unfortunately those photos aren't on photos app but instead located in the files app. In the files app there is a recently deleted section where I can view those videos I am searching for. However when it comes to actually restoring them it doesn't allow me to do so; "The Operation Can't Be Completed. Couldn't communicate with a helper application." So basically I'm stuck.

I am attempting to recover a video that I recently deleted in my files app, and I need help!

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