How to Recover Data from a Broken Phone: A Guide

The moment your phone slips from your grasp and hits the pavement is heart-stopping. The dread that follows when you pick it up to find a spiderweb of cracks or a completely unresponsive screen is even worse. Your first thought might be about the cost of repair, but the second, more terrifying thought is about your data. Photos, contacts, important messages, and documents—are they gone forever?

Fortunately, all is not lost. Depending on the type of damage, you can often recover most, if not all, of your precious data. This guide will walk you through the various methods to retrieve information from a broken phone, whether it has a cracked screen, water damage, or won’t turn on at all. We’ll cover solutions for both Android and iOS devices, from simple DIY fixes to professional data recovery services.

First, Assess the Damage

Before you attempt any data recovery, it’s crucial to understand the state of your phone. The right method will depend on the specific problem you’re facing.

• Cracked but Functional Screen: If the screen is cracked but the touch functionality still works and the display is visible, you’re in the best-case scenario. You can likely operate the phone as usual to back up your data.
• Broken Touchscreen, Visible Display: If the screen displays images but doesn’t respond to touch, you can still access your data, but you’ll need an adapter to connect a mouse.
• Black or Unresponsive Screen: This is more challenging. If the phone still turns on (you hear notifications or feel vibrations) but the screen is black, you may be able to access it “blindly” with an external display.
• Water Damage: If your phone has taken a swim, turn it off immediately and do not try to charge it. Water damage is progressive, and immediate action is required to prevent short circuits and corrosion.
• Phone Won’t Turn On: This is the most severe situation. If there are no signs of life—no sounds, vibrations, or lights—it could indicate a dead battery, a faulty charging port, or a fried motherboard.

Once you have a better idea of the problem, you can choose the appropriate recovery method from the options below.

Recovering Data from an Android Phone

Android devices offer several avenues for data recovery, thanks to their more open ecosystem. Here are the methods, from easiest to most complex.

Method 1: Use a USB Cable for Direct File Transfer

If your phone screen is at least partially functional and you can unlock it, this is the simplest method.

1. Unlock Your Phone: Enter your PIN, pattern, or password. If the screen is partially broken, you might need to rotate the device to find a responsive area.
2. Connect to a Computer: Use a USB cable to connect your Android phone to a Windows PC or Mac.
3. Enable File Transfer: On your phone, a notification will appear asking you to choose a USB connection type. You may need to pull down the notification shade and tap the “Charging this device via USB” notification. Select “File Transfer” or “MTP” (Media Transfer Protocol).
4. Access Your Files: Your phone will appear as a removable drive on your computer. On Windows, open File Explorer and find your device. On a Mac, you may need to install the Android File Transfer application first.
5. Copy Your Data: Navigate through the folders on your phone’s internal storage. Important folders include DCIM (for photos and videos), Downloads, Documents, and folders for apps like WhatsApp (which often contain media backups). Drag and drop the files you want to save onto your computer’s hard drive.

Method 2: Use an OTG Adapter for a Broken Screen

What if your screen is visible but the touch input is completely broken? You can’t unlock your phone or enable file transfer mode. In this case, a USB On-The-Go (OTG) adapter is your best friend. This small adapter lets you connect a standard USB device, like a computer mouse, to your phone.

1. Get a USB OTG Adapter: These are inexpensive and widely available online or at electronics stores. Make sure you get one that matches your phone’s charging port (USB-C or Micro-USB).
2. Connect a Mouse: Plug the OTG adapter into your phone’s charging port, then plug a standard USB mouse into the adapter.
3. Control Your Phone: A cursor should appear on your phone’s screen. You can now use the mouse to navigate the interface, click on buttons, and draw your unlock pattern.
4. Unlock and Back Up: Use the mouse to unlock your phone. Once unlocked, you can either connect it to a computer via a USB hub (if your OTG adapter supports it) or use the mouse to upload your files to a cloud service like Google Drive, Google Photos, or Dropbox.

Method 3: Use an External Display with USB-C

If your phone turns on but the screen is completely black, you can’t see what you’re doing. However, many modern Android phones with a USB-C port support video output. This means you can mirror your phone’s screen to a TV or monitor.

1. Check for Video Output Support: Not all USB-C phones support this feature, which is often called “DisplayPort Alternate Mode.” A quick search for your phone model and “video output” or “DisplayPort Alt Mode” should give you an answer. Samsung’s high-end devices often have this feature, known as Samsung DeX.
2. Get the Right Adapter: You’ll need a USB-C to HDMI adapter.
3. Connect Everything: Connect the adapter to your phone, then use an HDMI cable to connect the adapter to your TV or monitor. If the phone is unlocked, its screen should appear on the external display.
4. Navigate with a Mouse: Since the touchscreen is broken, you’ll also need a Bluetooth mouse or a USB mouse connected via a multi-port USB-C hub.
5. Recover Your Data: With your phone’s display mirrored and a mouse connected, you can navigate your device and back up your files to the cloud or transfer them to a connected computer.

Method 4: Access Your Google Account Backups

Even if your phone is completely unusable, your data might already be safe in the cloud. Google automatically backs up a significant amount of data from your Android device.

1. Check Google Photos: Visit photos.google.com on a computer and sign in with the same Google account you used on your phone. If you had backup enabled, all your photos and videos should be there.
2. Check Google Contacts: Go to contacts.google.com. Your contacts are automatically synced with your Google account and should be fully accessible.
3. Check Google Drive: Visit drive.google.com. Here you’ll find any files you manually uploaded. Google also creates automatic backups of your device settings, app data, and SMS messages, which can be restored when you set up a new Android device. You can view these backups by clicking on “Storage” in the left menu and then “Backups” in the top-right corner.

Recovering Data from a Broken iPhone

Apple’s ecosystem is more closed than Android’s, which can make data recovery more restrictive. However, iCloud and iTunes/Finder offer powerful backup solutions that often save the day.

Method 1: Trust the Computer and Use iTunes or Finder

If you have previously connected your iPhone to a computer and selected “Trust This Computer,” you may be able to perform a full backup even with a broken screen.

1. Connect to Your Trusted Computer: Use a Lightning cable to connect your iPhone to the PC or Mac you’ve previously trusted.
2. Open iTunes or Finder: On a PC or an older Mac (macOS Mojave or earlier), open iTunes. On a newer Mac (macOS Catalina or later), open Finder.
3. Locate Your Device: Your iPhone should appear in the sidebar in iTunes or Finder. If it doesn’t, this method won’t work.
4. Initiate a Backup: Select your iPhone, and on the Summary page, click “Back Up Now.” This will create a full backup of your device on your computer. This backup can later be restored to a new iPhone.

This method works even if the screen is black, as long as the phone is on and was previously trusted by that computer.

Method 2: Access Your iCloud Backup

Like Google, Apple provides a robust cloud backup service. If you had iCloud Backup enabled, most of your data is likely safe.

1. Check iCloud.com: Go to iCloud.com on a web browser and sign in with your Apple ID. From here, you can directly access:
2. • Photos: Your entire photo library if you used iCloud Photos.
   • Contacts: All your synced contacts.
   • Notes: Your saved notes.
   • Calendars and Reminders: Your appointments and to-do lists.
   • iCloud Drive: Any files you stored in iCloud Drive.
2. Restore to a New Device: While you can access some data via the website, a full iCloud backup can only be restored to a new or newly erased iPhone during the setup process. This will recover your device settings, app data, iMessages, and more. To check if you have a recent backup, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup on a working iOS device, or check via iCloud.com.

Method 3: The VoiceOver Trick for Untrusted Computers

What if your screen works but the touch input doesn’t, and you need to connect to a new, untrusted computer? You can’t tap the “Trust” button on the screen. This is where a clever accessibility feature, VoiceOver, can help.

1. Activate Siri: Press and hold the Home button (on older iPhones) or the side button (on newer iPhones) to activate Siri.
2. Turn on VoiceOver: Say “Turn on VoiceOver.”
3. Connect to a Computer: Plug your iPhone into the computer. The “Trust This Computer” prompt will appear on your iPhone’s screen.
4. Navigate with VoiceOver: VoiceOver changes how gestures work. Swipe left or right to move between on-screen elements. You’ll hear VoiceOver announce what’s selected. Swipe until you hear “Trust.”
5. “Tap” the Trust Button: Double-tap anywhere on the screen to “press” the selected “Trust” button.
6. Enter Your Passcode: Swipe left and right to select each number of your passcode, and double-tap to enter it.
7. Complete the Backup: Once trusted, your phone will connect to the computer, and you can perform a backup using iTunes or Finder.
8. Turn Off VoiceOver: Activate Siri again and say “Turn off VoiceOver.”

When to Call a Professional

If none of the DIY methods work, or if your phone has severe damage (e.g., it’s in pieces, has extensive water damage, or won’t power on), it’s time to seek professional help.

Data Recovery Services: These specialists have advanced tools and clean-room environments to work on damaged hardware. They can perform “chip-off” recovery, where they physically remove the memory chip from the motherboard and read the data directly. This process is expensive and invasive but has a high success rate for even the most damaged devices.

Authorized Repair Shops: For less severe issues, like a broken screen or a faulty charging port, an authorized repair shop can often fix the phone enough for you to access and back up your data. This is usually cheaper than a full data recovery service.

Final Steps: Protect Your Data for the Future

Losing access to your phone’s data is a stressful experience. Once you’ve recovered your files, take steps to ensure it never happens again.

• Enable Automatic Cloud Backups: This is the single most important thing you can do. On Android, enable Google Photos backup and Google Drive device backup. On iPhone, turn on iCloud Backup and iCloud Photos.
• Perform Regular Manual Backups: In addition to cloud backups, periodically connect your phone to a computer and create a full local backup.
• Invest in a Durable Case and Screen Protector: Prevention is better than a cure. A good case can absorb the shock from a fall and significantly reduce the risk of a broken phone.

By following this guide, you stand a great chance of retrieving your valuable data. And by setting up a robust backup strategy, you can face the next accidental drop with a little less panic.