Accidentally deleted a journal? Don’t worry—you’ve got a few ways to get it back. Whether it was removed in-app or via the Files app, this guide walks you through how to recover your work before trying anything drastic like reinstalling the app.
What You’ll Need
Before you begin, make sure you have:
- Zinnia installed and open to the Journals dashboard
- A stable internet connection (for iCloud restores)
- Access to your Apple ID and iCloud.com
- Reminder: Zinnia’s Deleted Journals feature only works for deletions made in the app within the last 30 days
Steps to Restore Your Deleted Journal
* First, a quick precaution: Don’t delete the app!
If you’re having issues, deleting Zinnia can make recovery harder. If nothing works after following these steps, contact support by tapping the Contact Support Button in the Help Center.
1. Restore from Deleted Journals (within 30 days)
- Open Zinnia and go to the Journals dashboard
- Tap the more options icon (...) in the top right corner
- Tap Deleted Journals
- Find the journal, tap the more options icon (…) on the bottom corner of the journal itself
- Tap Restore to bring it back
2. Restore from the Files App on your iPad or iPhone (Recently Deleted)
- Open the Files app
- Tap the Sidebar icon (upper left)
- Go to Recently Deleted
- If your journal appears there, tap it and select Recover
3. Restore from iCloud.com
- Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID
- Open Account Settings > Restore Files
- Wait for the list of recoverable files to load
- Select the files you want and click Restore
Tips and Notes
- In-app Deleted Journals only works if the journal was deleted within Zinnia in the last 30 days
- If it’s not in Files > Recently Deleted, check iCloud.com > Restore Files
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After restoring, open Zinnia and stay on the Journals dashboard for a moment—this gives iCloud time to sync things back in
FAQ
Q: Deleted Journals is empty.
The 30-day window may have passed or the deletion didn’t happen in the app. Try the Files app or iCloud.com for recovery.Q: I don’t see the journal in Files > Recently Deleted.
Make sure you’re checking the right location—like “On My iPad/iPhone” or “iCloud Drive” in the sidebar. Still not there? Try iCloud.com.Q: I restored it but nothing shows up in Zinnia.
Let iCloud sync. Keep Zinnia open on the Journals screen for a few minutes, then relaunch the app.Q: Should I reinstall Zinnia to fix this?
Not yet. Reinstalling can make things harder to recover. Contact Support from inside the app first.Q: Where do I find Deleted Journals in the app?
A: On the Journals dashboard, tap the "…" icon, then select Deleted Journals.Q: Does restoring a journal overwrite anything?
A: Nope! It simply adds the deleted journal back—it won’t affect your current ones.Q: Can Support help if none of this works?
A: Yes! In app tap the more options icon (...) in the top right corner > Help > Contact Support
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