This is a review of Jihosoft iPhone Data Recovery, a little-known tool for recovering lost data on iPhones and other iOS devices.
I’m a tech guy and have offered IT training and support over several decades, and written software reviews and how-tos for business users. I’ve taken an in-depth look at Jihosoft iPhone Data Recovery to let you know how likely it is to recover your lost data.
I found Jihosoft iPhone Data Recovery to be easy to use but its scans are relatively slow. The software seems to operate as advertised, but due to a very small user base, it is impossible to verify this. It has not been included in any comparative industry tests I could find.
In this Jihosoft iPhone Data Recovery review, I’ll explore the types of data the application can restore, how long this is likely to take, and weigh up your chance of success.
Let’s get started.
Contents
Jihosoft iPhone Recovery Overview
Jihosoft iPhone Data Recovery recovers lost data on iOS devices such as iPhones, iPads, and iPods Touch. The software runs from your computer and scans your phone over a wired connection.
The software is available for both Mac and Windows, and each version costs $59. A free trial is available, and this will show you whether your data can be recovered before paying for a license.
That price is fairly typical of iPhone data recovery applications, but there are reputable alternatives that cost less.
In this review, I will focus on the Mac version, but everything I write is also relevant to the Windows version.
Jihosoft iPhone Data Recovery works in a similar way to other apps in this genre and seems to work as advertised. Unfortunately, that’s hard to confirm because of a lack of consumer reviews and industry tests. I’d rather spend my money on an app I can learn more about, and recommend a few below.
Recovery Features
How is data recovery possible? Deleting an item on your iPhone doesn’t actually remove its data, but in time it will be overwritten by new data.
Methods of data recovery offered:
- Scan for lost data on your iOS device with no backup required
- Recover from an iTunes backup
- Recover from an iTunes backup
Supported data types: Photos, videos, messages, calendar, contacts, call logs, notes, reminders, WhatsApp, Viber, and more.
User Experience
Jihosoft iPhone Data Recovery is easy to install and use. Scanning for lost data on your iPhone is done using four simple steps:
- Download and launch iPhone Data Recovery
- Connect your iOS device to your computer
- Scan the device for lost or deleted data
- Preview and recover the lost iOS data
I did find some small spelling errors in the application, but nothing serious or misleading.
Performance
Scanning for lost files can be time-consuming.
How fast is Jihosoft iPhone Data Recovery? When I started to scan my 128 GB iPhone 12 mini the app estimated it would take around an hour and fifteen minutes. That was a slight underestimate—it took 1:36 in total.
How does that compare with other apps? It’s a little slow. Many others scanned my iPhone 7 (a slower phone with twice the memory) in an hour or less, though some were significantly slower.
The times quoted above were for scanning for all types of data. You can significantly reduce that time by only selecting the types of data you want to recover.
Effectiveness
Data recovery can never be guaranteed, and I have not discovered a program that can recover all lost phone from an iPhone. How successful was Jihosoft iPhone Data Recovery?
I was unable to find any consumer ratings for the app, which indicates it has a very small user base. I was also unable to find any comparative tests that included it.
One reviewer [1] reports that the software located “old files that have been long deleted” on his iPhone 7. But he didn’t conduct a systematic test where he can report back on files that were not found.
He also reports that the Windows version he downloaded from the official website was corrupted. He had to resort to downloading it from an unofficial source to get it working. That casts some doubt on the care taken by the company.
You can display only those files that are deleted in some categories: messages, contacts, call history, voicemail, WhatsApp & attachments, Viber & attachments, notes, calendar, reminders, and Safari bookmarks. Also, deleted items are displayed in red while current items are in black.
That’s an improvement over some recovery apps that show a combined view, mixing deleted files with existing ones, and making it more difficult to tell if your lost files have been located.
Customer Support
The official website offers a FAQ [2] and a Resource page [3] that offers articles and tips. The support team can be contacted via email and replies can normally be expected within 24 hours on weekdays.
FAQs
Is Jihosoft iPhone Recovery safe to use?
Yes, it is safe to use. A scan with Bitdefender found no malware in the Mac version. However, it is always a wise precaution to back up your phone before using any recovery software.
Is Jihosoft iPhone Recovery free?
No. You can use the free trial to scan your iPhone for your lost data, but to recover it you will have to pay to register it.
Can you use Jihosoft iPhone Recovery on Android phones?
No, but the company does a separate app, Android Data Recovery.
Alternatives
If Jihosoft iPhone Recovery isn’t right for you, here are some alternatives I recommend.
Aiseesoft FoneLab supports iPhone or rooted Android phone and its scans are fast. It can back up your phone and transfer files to your computer. It runs on your computer and Windows and Mac versions are available.
Tenorshare UltData allows you to choose the types of data to recover to minimize the scan time. It can recover a range of data types from iOS and rooted Android devices, and the software runs on your PC or Mac.
Wondershare dr.fone is one of the slower apps I tried but doesn’t require you to root your Android phone. It can also recover data from iPhones, and there are versions for Windows, Mac, and Android.
Final Verdict
I can’t give an unqualified recommendation for Jihosoft Data Recovery, though it may work for you. I can’t confirm how effective it is compared with other apps, it has a small user base, contains spelling errors, and there are reports of the official Windows download being corrupted.
There are more reputable alternatives available at the same price or less. These have been stringently tested by industry experts and compared with similar apps, and you can refer to thousands of consumer reviews for feedback on how well they work.
I recommend you try Aiseesoft FoneLab, Tenorshare UltData, and Wondershare dr.fone listed above. In my tests, they were unable to recover every type of lost data on my phone, but are ahead of the field.
References
