Backing up a dead or unresponsive iPhone can be challenging, but it is possible with some preparation and the right tools. Being able to access the data on your iPhone even when it won’t turn on is important for restoring your information and settings to a new device.
Can you backup a dead iPhone?
Yes, it is possible to backup an iPhone that won’t turn on, as long as the phone is intact physically and you have the right equipment. The key things you’ll need are:
- A computer with iTunes installed
- The charging/data cable that came with your iPhone
- A healthy battery in the iPhone (or an external battery or charger)
As long as the iPhone has enough battery power to initiate a backup, and the phone is not damaged in a way that prevents a connection through the charging port, you should be able to recover data from it even if the screen is damaged or it does not power on.
How to backup a dead or broken iPhone
Follow these steps to backup an unresponsive iPhone:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer using the iPhone’s original cable. This may require some force if the port is damaged. Wiggle the cable gently until it seats properly.
- Force your iPhone into recovery mode – hold down the Home button while connecting the phone to your computer via USB. Keep holding the Home button until you see the “Recovery Mode” screen.
- Open iTunes on your computer. iTunes should recognize your iPhone is in recovery mode and give you the option to backup or restore. Select “Backup.”
- Stay patient! The backup process can take a while, especially for large-capacity phones. Let it run until it finishes.
- When done, you can disconnect the iPhone and find your backup file on your computer under Devices in iTunes.
As long as the iPhone has enough charge and can connect to the computer, this process should work to create a full backup of your data that you can then restore to a new iPhone or a factory reset version of the original.
What can I backup from a dead iPhone?
Backing up an unresponsive iPhone using recovery mode will save:
- Contacts
- Text messages
- Notes
- Voicemails
- Photos and videos
- Many app data and settings
- Home screen and app organization
- iMessage history and attachments
- Some iPhone settings
So most of your personal data, conversations, photos, and key app information can be pulled off the iPhone this way as long as the phone is not too damaged physically.
What can’t I backup from a dead iPhone?
There are some limitations to what can be recovered from an unresponsive iPhone:
- Password-protected data – You’ll need to enter passwords manually after restoring to access some data
- Health app data – Not included in iTunes backups
- Apple Pay information
- Touch ID and Face ID settings
- Activity and fitness data
So some types of personal data and settings cannot be backed up using this method.
How to restore a backup to a new iPhone
Once you have your iPhone backup file, you can restore it to a replacement device:
- Obtain a replacement iPhone – either a new device, used device, or factory reset original device.
- Connect the replacement iPhone to your computer and initiate setup.
- In iTunes on your computer, select the option to restore from a previous backup.
- Select your iPhone backup file to restore it to the new device.
- Let the restore process complete – this may take some time for a full backup.
- Go through the setup steps for the replacement iPhone.
- Log in to your Apple ID and apps to restore missing data not in the backup.
Your new iPhone should now have your backed up data, and you can reconnect accounts and fill in any missing pieces.
Tips for successful iPhone backup
Follow these tips for the best results when backing up and restoring a dead or broken iPhone:
- Use iTunes on a computer instead of iCloud – iTunes backups are more reliable for damaged devices.
- Force quit iTunes before disconnecting your iPhone after a backup.
- Don’t interrupt the backup process – let it fully complete.
- Disable Find My iPhone before restoring to a different device.
- Check your iTunes preferences to ensure full backups.
Can I backup a dead iPhone wirelessly?
Unfortunately, you cannot backup a dead or unresponsive iPhone wirelessly since this requires the phone to be on and connected to WiFi.
An iTunes wired connection is required to access a damaged iPhone’s data and create a backup file through recovery mode.
Third party tools to backup broken iPhones
Some other third party tools claim the ability to backup dead or damaged iPhones that won’t connect properly to a computer. Examples include:
- Dr. Fone iPhone Data Recovery
- iMyFone iPhone Backup Extractor
- iSkysoft Toolbox – iOS Backup & Restore
- EaseUS MobiSaver
However, it’s unclear how reliable these tools are compared to the official iTunes method. Proceed with caution with any third party backup tools, as they may disrupt the data on your iPhone further.
Using iCloud to backup a dead iPhone
Since wireless backups through iCloud require a powered on and functional device, iCloud is not directly useful for backing up a dead iPhone.
However, if you happened to have iCloud backups already enabled on your iPhone before it died, you may be able to recover data from the latest automatic iCloud backup.
Connect the replacement iPhone to WiFi, sign in to your iCloud account, and choose to restore from the iCloud backup during setup. This will transfer your data as long as the dead iPhone already had recent backups.
Recovering data from a dead iPhone without backup
If you don’t have an existing backup of your unresponsive iPhone, here are a couple options to try recovering some data:
- Use phone data recovery software like PhoneRescue to scan your iPhone while in recovery mode and extract some photos, messages, and other files directly.
- Take your iPhone to a repair shop and have them attempt to temporarily revive the motherboard and pull data. Costs vary.
- As a last resort, send your iPhone to a dedicated data recovery service. This can be expensive but may recover data even from heavily damaged devices.
Without a backup, your chances of data recovery decline, especially if the phone has physical damage. But some tools may be able to rescue photos and other files directly in limited cases.
Can I backup a dead iPhone to iCloud?
You cannot initiate a backup to iCloud from an iPhone that won’t power on since it needs to be connected to WiFi and able to send data.
But if you already had iCloud backups configured on the iPhone before it died, you may be able to restore that last auto iCloud backup to a new device, as long as you know your Apple ID and password.
Conclusion
Backing up and recovering data from a dead or unresponsive iPhone is tricky but doable in many cases using iTunes on a computer. The key requirements are an intact device, a healthy battery, the proper cabling, and iTunes to initiate a backup. With some patience you can likely get your photos, messages, notes, call history, and some app data off the iPhone. Just be sure to keep regular backups of your iPhones to avoid winding up in this situation!