Identify what changed
Before taking action, distinguish a deleted file from an overwritten file, a moved folder or a gallery filter that hides an existing item. Search the underlying file location and preserve the current state where possible. Applying a broad recovery operation to an uncertain problem can create additional versions without clarifying the original failure.
Match the documented feature
pCloud describes Trash for deleted items, Revisions for earlier file versions and Rewind for a past account or folder view. Its help lists 15 days for free plans, 30 days for paid plans and 365 days with Extended File History. Check the actual account and incident date; these are documented windows, not a promise that every missing file can be restored.
Do not rely on permanent-trash recovery
The same help article contains conflicting language about permanently deleted Trash items. Its warnings say permanently removed items cannot be recovered and extended history is not retroactive. Our conservative practical conclusion is to avoid promising recovery after permanent deletion. Preserve other copies and obtain account-specific clarification if the only desired file appears to have been permanently removed.
A fictional wrong-edit incident
A photo was cropped yesterday but still exists. First inspect its available revisions rather than assuming it is inTrash. Recover a candidate to a separate location and compare it with the intended source. Keep the current derivative if it has value. If the needed version is outside retained history, an independent copy—not a new add-on purchased afterward—may be the available recovery route.
Preserve the incident timeline
Write the last known good state, when the change was noticed and which recovery route was inspected. Keep actual observations separate from guessed dates. If multiple versions appear, compare them in a separate working location before replacing anything. Recovery can create new copies that need identification; an extra file is not automatically the desired version merely because it came from a feature named Rewind.
Sources used for this page
These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.
- pCloud file recovery and history — Merchant documentation · help.pcloud.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-28