Start with these three steps
Name the missing item
Record the app, filename, approximate date and last folder used. Say whether you need the editable project, an exported document or both.
Check every relevant location
Open the Files sidebar and review On My iPad, iCloud Drive and any connected storage or cloud provider. Search inside the original app as well.
Keep what you can still open
Retain existing exports, attachments and collaborator copies. Open them to check their contents, then save a separate copy before reorganising anything.
Establish where the file actually lived
Files brings several storage locations into one interface. On My iPad refers to local files; iCloud Drive, external media and connected providers are separate locations. A familiar filename in Recents does not tell you which location originally held it.
Search by part of the name and inspect the containing folder. For a download, check Downloads and the original email or web link. If you used an external drive during a project, include it in the search rather than assuming the iPad imported everything.
Sources: [1] Apple Support
Distinguish an app project from its export
Apple explains that an app can store creative projects in iCloud without exposing all its data as ordinary files. An empty app folder in Files therefore does not settle whether the project survives in that app's account.
Use the app's own project browser and account information. A PDF may preserve the readable assignment, while an image or video export may preserve the finished result. Ask separately about editability, layers, timelines, linked material and earlier versions; which of these matter depends on the work.
Sources: [2] Apple Support
Recover eligible deleted files
In Files, open Recently Deleted from the sidebar, select the wanted items and choose Recover. Files deleted from On My iPad or iCloud Drive have a 30-day window unless permanently removed sooner. Recovered items return to their original location.
For iCloud files, also check the recovery tools on iCloud.com. Leave the relevant cloud folders unchanged while recovery runs. A third-party provider's own deleted-items or version-history tools may be relevant, but check that provider's actual rules.
Sources: [3] Apple Support [4] Apple Support
Choose the next route from the evidence
An iCloud-synchronised project is not automatically a historical copy inside the iPad's device backup. Establish the account, storage method and backup date before proposing a full restore.
If the only copy seems to be on a damaged iPad, give an assessor the app name and expected file type. Specify a concrete success test: for example, the project opens with its editable contents. A thumbnail or filename alone would not meet that objective.
A realistic view of recovery
- No recovery folder can return a file already permanently removed from it; an independent copy may still exist.
- An exported result may not contain everything needed to continue editing the original project.
Your questions, answered
Is a missing Files entry proof that my project was deleted?
Should I restore an old iPad backup first?
What should I ask a recovery assessor to retrieve?
Need help with the original iPad?
Describe the model, what happened and which data matters. Data Recovery Lab NZ is an external specialist; ask it to confirm the assessment route for your exact device.
Sources & further reading
Primary and specialist guidance checked 27 October 2026. Features and instructions depend on the model and operating system.