Having an iPhone that won’t turn on can be incredibly frustrating, especially if you have important photos or other files stored on the device that you need to access. The good news is that even if your iPhone is completely broken and won’t power on, there are still ways to recover data from the phone.
Quick Summary
Here are some quick answers to common questions about getting data off a broken, non-functioning iPhone:
- Use a computer data recovery software like Dr.Fone or iMyFone D-Back to extract data from an iPhone that won’t turn on.
- Connect the iPhone to a computer using the charging cable. The computer should recognize it even if the screen is damaged or black.
- Recovery software can bypass the iPhone’s lock screen to access data, even without passcodes.
- Recovered data includes photos, messages, contacts, notes, and more.
- This process works even if the iPhone is water damaged, smashed, or otherwise broken.
- An undamaged charging port is required for the iPhone to connect to a computer.
Connecting the iPhone to a Computer
The first step is to connect your broken iPhone to a computer using the charging cable. Even if the iPhone’s screen is fully black and unresponsive, the computer should still recognize that an iPhone is plugged in as long as the charging port is intact.
You’ll want to use a personal computer rather than connecting to a public computer for security reasons. The computer will need an internet connection and enough storage space to transfer over any data recovered from the iPhone.
On a Mac computer, you should see the iPhone appear as an icon in Finder. On a Windows PC, it may pop up in File Explorer as an external device. If nothing happens when you connect the iPhone, try using a different charging cable and USB port on the computer.
Bypassing the Lock Screen
Since you can’t actually use the iPhone’s screen or enter the passcode, specialized data recovery software is required to bypass the lock screen and access files on the device. Software like Dr.Fone and iMyFone D-Back work by installing a recovery app on your computer and using advanced techniques to bypass iPhone security.
This allows the software to essentially “hack” into the iPhone and pull data off it directly, without needing anything on the iPhone itself to be functioning. The whole process is designed to be fully read-only, so nothing gets deleted or altered on the iPhone during data recovery.
Recovering Photos, Messages, and More
Once connected to the computer, the recovery software scans the iPhone for stored data and gives you the option to selectively recover specific types of files, or extract everything all at once. Here are some of the data types that can typically be recovered from a dead iPhone:
- Photos & Videos – Camera roll images and videos can be extracted and saved onto the computer.
- Messages – iMessage conversations and SMS/MMS messages can be recovered.
- Contacts – Names, numbers, and other contact details are retrievable.
- Call History – Past dialed, received, and missed calls can be pulled.
- Notes – Any notes and reminders can be exported.
- Voicemails – Saved voicemail recordings can be recovered.
- Calendars – Calendar events and meeting details can be extracted.
- App Data – Some data within third-party apps may be recoverable.
- Keychain Passwords – Any stored passwords and website logins can be found.
The software scans through the raw file system on the iPhone to find recoverable data. This means it can bypass any screen lock or password protection to access the internal storage. The process pulls encrypted data off the device first, then decrypts it using advanced techniques to render the files usable again.
Recovering Data from Water Damaged iPhones
If your iPhone was damaged from water or liquid, the same data recovery process applies. As long as the hardware is intact enough for the phone to connect to a computer, the software can pull the data off of it.
That said, with water damage it’s best to act quickly before corrosion has a chance to further destroy internal components. Turn off and dry out the iPhone immediately after water exposure. Then connect it to a computer and run data recovery as soon as possible for the best chances of salvaging the data.
Recovering Data from Smashed/Damaged iPhones
Even if an iPhone is cracked, smashed, or severely physically damaged, the recovery process still works the same. As long as the basic internal components, charging port, and logic board remain functional, data can be pulled off of it.
With extreme physical damage, recovery may be a bit trickier. It helps to carefully straighten any bent charging pins in the port before connecting to a computer. In some cases, extremely damaged iPhones may need to be taken to a repair shop where the storage chips can be temporarily removed and read using special equipment.
Using iPhone Data Recovery Software
To start recovering data from an unresponsive iPhone, you’ll need desktop data recovery software installed on a computer. Some top options include:
| Dr.Fone – iPhone Data Recovery | Extremely reliable iPhone recovery software with full options for extracting lost data. Works even when devices won’t turn on. |
| iMyFone D-Back | Another highly recommended data recovery suite for retrieving files from damaged or disabled iPhones and iPads. |
| EaseUS MobiSaver | Solid iPhone data recovery software with iCloud support and free trial option. |
| iMobie PhoneRescue | Secures erased or lost iPhone data from backups or directly off the device. |
These types of software work similarly. After installing on your Windows or Mac computer, connect the unresponsive iPhone via USB and launch the program. It will scan and detect the iPhone, then allow you to proceed with data extraction.
The recovery process takes some time but is very straightforward. Just choose the types of data you want to recover from the iPhone, then specify a save location on your computer to export them. The software takes care of bypassing the lock screen and extracting the encrypted data.
Recovering Data from iCloud Backups
If you previously had iCloud backups enabled on the iPhone, an alternate recovery option is to restore from the iCloud backup to a new device. This works best if you need to recover much of the data rather than just a few file types.
To use this method:
- Acquire a replacement iPhone or iPad.
- On setup, choose to restore from an iCloud backup.
- Enter your Apple ID credentials and select the desired backup from the listed dates.
- Allow the device to download and restore the data from the cloud.
This effectively replicates your entire iPhone onto the new device, getting back photos, messages, app data, settings, and more. The main catch is that you need to have had proper iCloud backups configured in advance of the original iPhone breaking.
When to Use a Repair Shop
In some cases where an iPhone is extremely damaged, you may need to enlist professional help to recover the data. If you’ve already attempted data recovery on your own without success, a dedicated repair shop may be able to salvage the data where consumer software fails.
Repair pros have tools to safely disassemble iPhones and remove internal storage chips. They can then use special reading equipment to read the flash memory directly and access the data for recovery. This only works if the storage chips themselves remain undamaged.
Going to a repair shop makes the most sense if you have already failed to pull data off the iPhone yourself using computer software, and have reason to believe the flash storage is still intact and recoverable by the pros.
Avoid Using the iPhone During Recovery
It’s very important to avoid using the broken iPhone during the data recovery process. This means don’t try to power it on, charge it, or otherwise disrupt the current state of the device.
As soon as an iPhone is damaged, further usage can make permanent data loss more likely. The recovery software needs to access the phone in the same state it was in during or immediately after the damage occurred for the best chance of success.
Avoid anything that writes new data to the internal storage like updating software or settings. This overwrites space needed to recover the original data shards that are already there. Basically, damaged iPhones should be left completely untouched after the initial incident until recovery can be attempted.
Can Data Be Recovered After a Factory Reset?
If an iPhone was factory reset recently, data recovery becomes much more difficult, but is still possible in some cases depending on how much new data has been written since. A factory reset erases all user data from the storage, marking the space as writable again. Any sections of storage not overwritten yet can potentially still be recovered, but it becomes a tricky technical process.
For the best chance of pulling data off a factory reset iPhone, you’ll probably need to use a dedicated repair shop rather than consumer software. The pros have methods and equipment for finding recoverable data remnants even after erasure, but there’s no guarantee anything can be salvaged after a reset.
Contact Apple Support
As a last resort if no other recovery options are available, you can try contacting Apple Support. Explain that you have an iPhone in need of data recovery, but are unable to access the device or turn it on.
Depending on the circumstances, Apple may be able to offer additional troubleshooting tips, set up a repair process for data recovery, or help access iCloud backups. There’s no guarantee of success, but it’s worth checking with them if you’ve run out of other options.
Preventing Data Loss in the Future
To avoid going through this type of data recovery nightmare again, there are some preventative measures you can take:
- Always immediately dry out wet iPhones and refrain from charging.
- Get AppleCare+ insurance on your iPhone to cover damage incidents.
- Use phone cases and screen protectors to prevent cracking.
- Regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud or a computer.
- Encrypt iPhone backups for added security.
- Avoid deleting photos or files unless positively backed up already.
Taking proactive steps can help mitigate most common causes of iPhone data loss. But even if disaster strikes again, at least you now know the various options for attempting DIY data recovery at home.
Conclusion
When an iPhone is damaged beyond functionality, specialized data recovery software running on a trusted computer offers the best chances for successfully retrieving photos, messages, and app data off the device. With some persistence using professional-grade recovery tools, there’s a good possibility of salvaging at least some files, even from a phone that’s completely smashed or waterlogged.
Just be sure to avoid further tampering with the iPhone during recovery attempts, and don’t expect data recovery to be easy or quick. But the process can seem almost like magic when you regain access to precious files you thought were lost forever due to an unfortunate accident or damage. So it’s usually well worth the effort and cost to at least try professional DIY iPhone data recovery before giving up hope.