Recovering lost data from your Motorola phone is possible in many situations. According to statistics, around 94% of companies that suffer severe data loss are unable to recover from it [1]. For individuals, losing personal photos, contacts, messages and other irreplaceable data can be devastating. The most common scenarios that can cause data loss on phones include accidentally deleting files, hardware or software failures, water damage, cracked screens, bootloops, and forgotten lock screen passwords.
This guide will provide an overview of the various data recovery options for Motorola devices. We’ll cover how to retrieve deleted files, fix software errors, recover data from water damaged and cracked screen devices, bypass lock screens, and use third party repair services. With the right tools and techniques, you can often recover lost data from Motorola phones.
Preparing for Data Recovery
To avoid permanent data loss, it’s important to be proactive and prepare your Motorola phone for potential data recovery needs. The two most important things you can do are regularly backing up your phone data and enabling USB debugging.
Backing up your phone data regularly to either your computer or cloud storage is the best way to ensure you have a copy of your information if anything happens to your phone. It allows you to easily restore your contacts, photos, videos, app data and more. Backups should be done at least weekly.
Enabling USB debugging in your phone’s developer options allows you to connect your phone to a computer and access its file system for data recovery. This gives you more control and options to retrieve deleted files and fix software issues compared to just using the phone by itself. USB debugging is usually disabled by default, so you’ll need to enable it in your phone’s settings.
You may also want to install the official Android SDK on your computer, which provides useful tools like ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to communicate with a connected Android device and pull data from it. This expands your recovery options beyond just using the phone’s interface.
With regular backups and USB debugging enabled, you’ll be in a much better position to recover lost data and get your phone working again if problems arise.
Recovering Deleted Files
One of the most common reasons to need data recovery on an Android device is accidentally deleting files like photos, videos, documents, or other important information. Thankfully, there are various methods you can use to try recovering deleted files on Motorola phones.
Using a trusted data recovery app is one of the easiest ways to recover deleted files from your Motorola device. Apps like Jihosoft Android Phone Recovery allow you to connect your phone via USB and scan it for deleted files that can potentially be recovered. The app sorts all recoverable files by type and allows you to preview and selectively recover the files you want.
You can also try connecting your Motorola phone to a computer and using data recovery software. Products like Dr.Fone – Data Recovery work across Android devices and makes it easy to scan for deleted files on both internal memory and external SD cards. The software provides a user-friendly interface for previewing found files before recovery.
If you stored files on an SD card, you may be able to recover deleted files by removing the card and using recovery software designed for external memory cards. This provides an added layer of data recovery beyond scanning the internal phone storage.
The key when trying to recover deleted files is to avoid writing new data to the phone’s storage, as it could overwrite your deleted files making them unrecoverable. Stop using the device and run recovery software as soon as possible after deleting important data.
Fixing Software Errors
Software issues like random crashes or freezing are some of the most common problems with Android phones. Before resorting to more drastic measures, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can take to try and fix software errors:
First, try rebooting your phone into recovery mode. To do this, turn off your phone and then hold down the Volume Up button and the Power button at the same time until you see the recovery menu. This will allow you to wipe the cache partition which can clear out temporary files causing issues.
If wiping the cache partition doesn’t work, the next step is performing a factory reset. This will erase all data and settings and revert your phone back to factory default condition. Make sure to backup any data you want to keep before factory resetting. To initiate a factory reset, select “Wipe data/factory reset” from the recovery menu.[1]
As a last resort if the above steps don’t resolve your software issues, you may need to reflash your phone’s firmware. This is an advanced process that is specific to each phone model and will completely overwrite your current OS installation. Make sure to research the proper flashing method for your particular Android device.
Water Damaged Phones
If your Motorola phone has been exposed to water, prompt action is required to maximize the chance of recovering your data. The first step is to immediately power off the phone and remove any peripherals like cases or SIM cards. Do not try to turn the phone back on or charge it.
Thoroughly dry the phone with a microfiber cloth, paying special attention to openings like the charging port. Place the phone in front of a fan to air dry for at least 24 hours. You can also try putting the phone in a bag or container with uncooked rice, as the rice can help absorb excess moisture.
After drying, inspect the phone for any signs of corrosion like rust on the ports or clouding under the screen. Corrosion can make data recovery difficult. If there is minimal corrosion, you can try connecting the phone to a computer to see if the data is still accessible.
For more serious water damage, you may need to use a third party data recovery service. Companies like Coolmuster offer data extraction tools that can rescue data from water damaged phones, even if the phone itself no longer functions.
Cracked Screen Recovery
If the screen on your Motorola phone is cracked or broken but the phone still turns on, there are a couple methods you can use to recover the data:
Using a USB OTG Cable: You can connect your Motorola phone to a USB OTG (On-The-Go) cable, which allows you to plug devices like a mouse, keyboard or external storage into your phone’s charging port. From there, you can use the keyboard to navigate your phone and copy files over to the external storage device. Just make sure USB debugging is enabled in your phone’s settings first. Read more details on this method here: [1]
Mirror Display to PC: If your Motorola phone screen is completely shattered but still responsive, you may be able to mirror the display to a PC using a USB-C to HDMI adapter. This allows you to view and control your phone on the PC screen and transfer files over USB. Just connect the adapter, enable USB debugging on your phone, and select screen mirroring mode on your PC. You can then backup data, uninstall apps, reset passwords and more. More info here: [2]
In some cases you may need professional data recovery if your phone is unresponsive, but the above two methods work for responsive phones with cracked screens. Proceed carefully and back up your data as soon as possible.
Recovering from Bootloops
A bootloop is when your Android phone gets stuck in a reboot cycle, restarting over and over and preventing you from properly accessing the operating system. Bootloops often occur after installing a software update or flashing a custom ROM. Thankfully, there are a few potential solutions for recovering from a bootloop on your Motorola phone.
Booting into Safe Mode
Booting into safe mode loads a minimal version of Android, without most third party apps and services. This can help isolate software issues causing the bootloop. To boot into safe mode on a Motorola phone, press and hold the Power button until the Power off slider appears. Then press and hold the Reboot button until you feel a vibration. The phone will restart in safe mode. If this fixes the bootloop, try uninstalling recently downloaded apps as one may be the culprit.
Flashing Stock Firmware
Reverting back to the stock Motorola firmware via a process called flashing can fix software errors causing bootloops. You’ll need to download the appropriate firmware package for your specific device model from the Motorola support site. Then use the Motorola rescue and smart assistant tool to install the stock firmware. Just be warned this will erase all device data. But it’s one of the best ways to truly fix a persistent bootloop issue.
Bypassing Lock Screens
If you forgot your lock screen password or pattern on your Motorola phone, there are a couple ways to bypass the lock screen without losing your data:
Using ADB and Fastboot – You can use Android’s ADB (Android Debug Bridge) and Fastboot tools to bypass the lock screen. First enable USB debugging in your phone’s settings, then connect it to a computer and use ADB commands to reboot into recovery mode. From there you can use the ‘adb reboot’ command to restart the phone without the lock screen.1
Factory resetting – As a last resort, you can factory reset your Motorola phone to bypass the lock screen. This will wipe all your data, so first try to backup anything important using ADB. Then boot into recovery mode and select ‘wipe data/factory reset’ to reset the phone. You’ll have to set up the phone again but it will remove the lock screen.2
Third Party Repair Services
If the data loss on your Motorola phone is severe and you aren’t able to recover it yourself, you may need to use a professional third party data recovery service. There are two main options for third party services:
Mail-in data recovery services allow you to ship your phone to a specialized data recovery lab. These services are convenient since there is no need to visit a repair shop, but can take 1-2 weeks to get your phone back. Top mail-in recovery services like DriveSavers claim over 90% success rates for phones and charge $500-1500 depending on the device.
For a faster turnaround, local repair shops often offer data recovery services as well. By visiting a shop in-person you can get your phone back within a few days in many cases. However, success rates may vary more than professional labs. Costs at local phone repair shops are usually $100-300.
Keep in mind that data recovery can be expensive with no guarantee of success. Always try DIY software recovery methods before resorting to third party services. But for severe data loss that you absolutely need back, professional recovery may be your last resort.
Data Recovery Precautions
There are some important precautions to keep in mind when attempting data recovery on your Motorola phone to avoid making the situation worse:
Avoid Overwriting Data
Once data is deleted or lost, avoid saving new data onto your phone’s memory or taking new photos if you want to maximize chances of recovering the original files. Overwriting the phone’s storage can make it impossible to retrieve what was there before.
For this reason, it’s recommended to avoid any further use of the phone and to perhaps even remove the SIM card once data loss occurs. This helps prevent anything new writing over your lost data.
Handle the Phone Carefully
Since physical damage can make data recovery much more difficult, handle the phone with care once data loss or deletion occurs. Avoid any impacts, drops, getting it wet, or exposing it to extreme heat. This is to prevent further issues with data accessibility.
If possible, power the phone off and store it in a safe, static-free environment until you’re ready to attempt data recovery.
Be Patient
Recovering data from phones can be a lengthy process, depending on the specific recovery method. Avoid frustration by understanding it can take significant time, especially for larger amounts of data.
Rushing through the process or impatiently stopping and restarting can lead to critical mistakes, so take your time.
