What LAILOLA can't do
Thought it was gone? It may still be in your backup — that's why LAILOLA exists. But it can only find what's actually in the backup. Please read this page before you buy.
One rule: if it's there, you'll find it; if it isn't, we'll say so. LAILOLA uses only what already exists in your iPhone backup.
What you need
- A Mac running macOS 13 or later.
- An unencrypted local iPhone backup stored on that Mac. If you don't have one, back up once in Finder; the first backup takes around half an hour.
What it can't do
| Situation | Why | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Read encrypted backups | LAILOLA currently supports unencrypted local backups only | Turn off "Encrypt local backup" in Finder (you'll need the backup password you set), then back up again |
| Read iCloud backups | LAILOLA reads local backups stored on your Mac | Back up your iPhone to your Mac in Finder |
| Find content that was gone before the backup | A backup is a snapshot of the phone at that moment | Nothing; we don't promise otherwise |
| Show contact profile pictures | They aren't included in iPhone backups | Initials are shown instead |
| Turn thumbnails into originals | Some photos were only ever kept as thumbnails on the phone | LAILOLA labels them as thumbnails |
| Show unsent (recalled) messages | LAILOLA 1.0 doesn't have this feature | — |
| Read the iPhone directly, without a backup | iOS doesn't let outside programs read an app's data; the backup is Apple's way out | Back up to your Mac first |
| Run on Windows | The Windows version is in preparation | Use the Mac version for now |
Also note
- Free search shows the total count and the first 5 results; all results, saving and exporting need Pro.
- LAILOLA reads backups of your own phone on your own computer. Please only use backups you have the right to use.
Before you start, go through the checklist. More questions: FAQ.