Having a dead iPhone can be very frustrating, especially if you had important photos, messages, notes, or other data stored on the device that you need to retrieve. The good news is that even if your iPhone won’t turn on or is otherwise inaccessible, there are still options for backing up and recovering your data.
What does it mean for an iPhone to be “dead”?
There are a few common scenarios that could lead to an iPhone being considered “dead”:
- The phone won’t power on at all, even after charging
- The phone gets stuck on the Apple logo during boot up
- The phone boots up but the screen remains black/unresponsive
- The phone turns on but is stuck in a reboot loop
- The phone powers on but critical components like the touchscreen or cellular modem don’t function
Essentially, any situation where you can’t normally unlock and use your iPhone could be considered a “dead” state. The specific cause could be hardware failure, software corruption, damage from water exposure, etc. But in all cases, the end result is an unusable iPhone and inaccessible data.
Can you backup a dead iPhone that won’t turn on?
If your iPhone won’t power on at all, unfortunately there is no way to directly access the data or create a backup while it is in that state. However, all hope is not lost.
First, you’ll want to try charging the iPhone for several hours, preferably using the original wall charger and cable that came with it. If the phone has been completely dead for a while, the battery may be drained too low for it to initially boot up, even when plugged into a charger. Let it charge for at least a few hours before trying again to turn it on.
If charging does not resurrect the iPhone, you have a few options for accessing your data:
- Restore from a previous iTunes or iCloud backup – If you previously synced your iPhone with iTunes on a computer or had iCloud backups enabled, you may be able to fully restore your data to a new or replacement iPhone using one of the stored backups.
- Professional data recovery service – Specialized companies like DriveSavers offer advanced data recovery techniques for retrieving data off an iPhone’s storage chips, even if other components like the screen are damaged. This can be an expensive service but may be worth it for recovering irreplaceable data.
- Local device backup – If you previously backed up your iPhone locally using third-party tools like AnyTrans, iMazing, dr.fone, or PhoneView, you may be able to access archived backups made by those tools and restore your messages, photos, notes, etc.
Can you backup an iPhone that’s stuck on the Apple logo?
If your iPhone gets stuck endlessly looping on the Apple logo during boot up, that suggests a software issue is preventing the system from fully loading. There is still hope for backing up the data in this scenario though.
First, you should force restart the iPhone by quickly pressing and releasing the Volume Up button, then quickly pressing and releasing the Volume Down button, then pressing and holding the Side button until the Apple logo appears. This will interrupt the reboot loop and allow you to access the phone.
If the phone is still not accessible enough to make a backup, try connecting it to iTunes on a computer. Even if the phone is stuck in recovery mode, some backup options may be available in iTunes, like archiving messages and photos. Just enter recovery mode and connect to iTunes.
Finally, data recovery services should be able to create a backup from an iPhone stuck on the Apple logo by pulling data off its storage chips directly. The storage is still intact in this scenario.
Can you backup an iPhone with a black/unresponsive screen?
An iPhone with a black or frozen screen can also be backed up in some cases. If you can get the iPhone into recovery mode, iTunes may be able to make a partial backup of data like messages and photos even if the touchscreen isn’t working.
You can force the iPhone into recovery mode to connect with iTunes by first quickly pressing Volume Up, then Volume Down, then holding the Side button until you see the recovery mode screen appear. Use the iTunes prompts to initiate a backup.
For more complete access to your data, professional data recovery services can read the raw storage on an iPhone with a defective screen and pull usable file backups from it. The storage chips are often still intact even if the screen fails.
Can you backup an iPhone that’s stuck in a reboot loop?
If your iPhone gets caught in an endless loop of booting up, showing the Apple logo, then rebooting again, that indicates major software corruption. But backups are still possible in this scenario.
You can interrupt the loop by quickly pressing Volume Up, Volume Down, then holding the Side button. This will force exit the loop. Then try to immediately initiate an iTunes or iCloud backup before the reboot loop starts again. You may also be able to access recovery mode this way.
If that fails because the reboot loop starts too quickly, data recovery services offer the most reliable option for forcing a backup from the iPhone’s storage. They can read all the raw data and pull backups from the onboard storage chips.
Can you backup a fully dead iPhone’s data?
If every method mentioned so far fails because your iPhone is completely unresponsive with no sign of life, don’t lose hope yet. Data recovery professionals often can revive dead iPhones just long enough to pull backups from their NAND storage chips.
They use advanced techniques like soldering temporary connections to access on-board storage chips directly and image the raw data for backup. This is like extracting files off a hard drive. A short-lived power connection is all that’s needed to image the storage.
So in summary, if your iPhone is truly “dead” with no signs of life, data recovery is your only option for getting a backup. But the good news is that backups are almost always possible this way, unless the storage chips themselves are physically damaged.
How to backup an unusable iPhone summary:
| iPhone State | Backup Options |
|---|---|
| Won’t power on | Restore from previous iTunes/iCloud backup, use data recovery service |
| Stuck on Apple logo | Put into recovery mode, backup with iTunes, use data recovery service |
| Black/unresponsive screen | Put into recovery mode, backup with iTunes, use data recovery service |
| Stuck in reboot loop | Interrupt loop, backup immediately with iTunes/iCloud, use data recovery service |
| Completely unresponsive | Use data recovery service to image storage chips |
Tips for backing up an unusable iPhone
Based on the options covered, here are some key tips to keep in mind for salvaging data off an iPhone that’s not working:
- Always try charging for several hours first if the phone won’t power on – low battery situations can prevent boot up.
- Quickly force restarting can interrupt some issues like reboot loops and Apple logo locks.
- Try to get the iPhone into recovery mode so iTunes can potentially backup some data.
- Using professional data recovery services will provide the most reliable backups from dead iPhones.
- Backups are almost always possible as long as the internal storage chips remain intact.
Choosing an iPhone data recovery service
If you determine that professional data recovery is your only option for backing up an unusable iPhone, be sure to choose a reputable service with experience recovering data from iOS devices. Here are some things to look for:
- Good customer reviews and reputation online.
- Clean, professional-grade data recovery lab.
- Free diagnostic examination of your device.
- Data recovery capabilities for all iPhone models.
- Direct access to raw NAND flash storage chips.
- Returns all recovered data to you on a storage device.
- Reasonable pricing with quotes upfront.
Avoid any data recovery service that seems sketchy, won’t provide direct access to your device, or makes big promises without explaining their process. Legitimate advanced recovery of iPhone data can be complex and expensive.
Can you backup a dead iPhone yourself?
For average users with limited technical knowledge, attempting iPhone data recovery yourself is not recommended. Professional data recovery requires very specific tools, skills, and cleanroom facilities.
However, if you have very advanced electronics skills and are willing to experiment, some options include:
- Using a NAND mirroring device to create a raw storage image.
- Directly accessing the storage chips after removing them from the iPhone motherboard.
- Soldering temporary connector cables to the chip pins to power and access them.
- Desoldering the storage chips and placing them in a compatible reader device.
All of these carry risks of permanent data loss if not done properly. The average consumer should avoid attempting their own data recovery on a dead iPhone. The safest option is consulting a professional service instead.
Conclusion
Backing up an iPhone that won’t turn on or otherwise seems “dead” is often possible through professional data recovery techniques or previous backups. Key options include iTunes restores, iCloud restores, recovery mode backups, and data recovery services to image internal storage chips.
With the right approach, you can get your important iPhone data back even if the phone itself no longer functions. Just make sure to research reliable professional recovery firms, avoid DIY attempts if you lack expertise, and don’t give up hope. As long as the native NAND storage remains intact, your photos, messages, notes and other data are almost always retrievable from a “dead” iPhone.
