How do I recover lost Pages files on iPad after app removal?

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Level 1

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How do I recover lost Pages files on iPad after app removal?

when I was in school a few years ago, I wrote all of my class notes in Pages. After I finished school, I did not use my iPad for a while. I recently turned it on a few months ago and it required some updates. When I updated the iPad, the pages app was gone. I just redownloaded it and I see that all my files in pages are gone. How do I get them back?? They are very important.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Lost file in Pages app on IPad after app was removed. How do I get them back??

iPad, iPadOS 18

Posted on Nov 17, 2025 7:31 PM

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Answer 1

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zinacef

Level 10

88,720 points

Dec 4, 2025 3:17 PM in response to Liznis

First, open the native Files app (the blue folder icon) and browse both the "On My iPad" and "iCloud Drive" locations for a Pages folder, as iOS often preserves data even when an unused app is "offloaded" to save space; you should also check the "Recently Deleted" folder within the Files app just in case. If they are not on the device, log into iCloud.com on a computer to see if they are on the server and be sure to check the "Data Recovery" or "Restore Files" section in the account settings where Apple archives deleted files for 30 days. If neither of these works and the files were stored locally, your only remaining option is to restore the iPad from an old backup (via iCloud or iTunes) created during your school years, though be aware this will revert the device's entire contents to its state from that time.

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