How to Recover Unsaved/Deleted Quicktime Recordings in 2025

"Took a screen recording with Quicktime on Mac but didn't save it before stopping to record. Is there any way to recover unsaved Quicktime recordings?"

A user from Apple Support Communities is asking for help for a solution to recover his QuickTime recordings. In this article, we will introduce two methods about how to recover deleted QuickTime videos for you.

Method 1. Recover Unsaved QuickTime Recordings on Mac

Your hard work on recording and capturing the screen on Mac might get lost midway while it is continuing with the Quicktime app. For example, a sudden power off, Quicktime crash, Quicktime window shut down unexpectedly. All these incidents will cause Quicktime recordings unfinished and unsaved. How to get back your work though it is not properly preserved? Follow the steps below to recover unsaved QuickTime videos.

Step 1. Go to /Users/[user name]/Library/Containers/com.apple.QuickTimePlayerX/Data/Library/Autosave Information.

Step 2. Click in and find a bundle named Unsaved QuickTime Player Document.qtpxcomposition. Right-click on the .qtpxcomposition file, and there you can see the .m4a audio recording.

This way only works for recovering unsaved QuickTime videos. If you have deleted the QuickTime recordings, you can switch to Method 2 to have a try.

Method 2. Recover Deleted QuickTime Recordings

When you deleted the QuickTime Recordings, don't panic. Check your Trash bin first. All content deleted from the Mac will remain in the Trash bin for 30 days or until you empty the Trash. Find the wanted video in the Trash bin and click "Restore" to get it back.

While if you want to recover deleted QuickTime recordings after emptying the Trash bin, you might need help from some third-party software. Here we recommend EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. Let's check what it can do.

• Supports to recover deleted or lost files from the emptied Trash Bin, accidental deletion, or other causes.
• Combine quick and deep scans into a straightforward process to help load files faster.
• Enables users to preview all recoverable files and data.
• Provide both Simple and Absolute protection to safeguard essential files.

Download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, and follow the 3-step guide to recover deleted Quicktime videos:

Step 1. Scan for deleted files

Select the hard drive, external drive, or SSD where your important data & files were deleted and click "Search for lost files".

Step 2. Filter the lost files

The software will run quick and deep scans and work hard to find as many deleted files as possible on the selected volume. Filter wanted files through the "Type" and "Path" options.

Step 3. Recover deleted files

Double-click the deleted files to preview. Then, click the "Recover" button to get them back.

Tip: Where are the QuickTime Recordings in Mac

Go to the Application folder on your Mac's dock. If you have made a video recording before, open the QuickTime app, choose File to check the recording. If you do not have a screen recording before, you can also choose File > New Screen Recording from the menu bar to make a new one. Please note that the Scratch Disk is the default location where the files you create with QuickTime X are stored on Hamilton lab computers. The default for personal computers is the Movies folder. 

The Bottom Line

That's all about how to recover deleted QuickTime videos. Besides recovering lost and deleted files on Mac, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac can also help users recover unsaved Word files on Mac, reset Mac to factory setting without data loss, and recover files from the formatted USB drives. Have a try on this tool to better protect your Mac content.