When something's wrong
Getting a deleted thing back
Most deletions are recoverable. A few are not, and it is worth knowing which.
Recoverable
Trash. Deleted things and lists go there and can be restored to where they were. How long they stay is Settings Data Delete trash after 30 days. See trash.
Undo. Press ⌘Z immediately after a mistake. It covers edits and deletions within the session, including bulk actions.
Not recoverable
- Emptied trash. Settings Data Empty trash is permanent with no second tier.
- Delete all data and delete account.
- An anonymous account on a lost device, since there was no server copy.
Cause and fix
I deleted a whole list. It is in Trash with its things. Restore the list and they come back together.
I bulk-deleted by accident. Undo first. If the session has ended, Trash holds them individually.
Trash is empty and I did not empty it. Retention cleared it. Change Settings Data Delete trash after 30 days to keep forever so it does not happen again.
Preventing the unrecoverable case
Take an export occasionally. It is the only protection against a decision you regret rather than an accident. See export your things.