Data recovery software does precisely what you’d expect, recover deleted or lost files. There are several use cases for such programs. The most obvious one, of course, is to restore accidentally deleted files. Don’t forget to check the Trash folder, though, if that’s what you want – perhaps you don’t need a complicated data recovery suite after all.
Other uses for data recovery tools are significantly less common, at least for your average user. It is possible for data to simply end up corrupted, especially when stored on an aging or otherwise damaged drive. Hard disk drives that are older than 5 years old are typically considered unreliable; they can last far longer than that without any issues, but you might lose a file or two in the meantime. This is especially true for laptops; their portable nature further strains the drive as it is subjected to things such as shakes. All MacBooks made after 2012 utilize SSD technology, which is generally more reliable, but if you have a MacBook made before that, data loss is a real possibility. Losing data thanks to viruses such as ransomware is also possible. Yes, macOS users have to deal with significantly less malware when compared to Windows users, but it does exist.
Either way, if you’re reading this, you likely have a need for such a program. We have compiled a list of the best data recovery software for Mac so that you can review and compare your options.
