Screen broken and you can’t unlock your phone?
The phone still buzzes, but the screen is black, green or won’t respond to touch, so you can’t type your passcode. Your photos are fine. You just can’t get to them. That’s a very fixable problem.
Why this happens
When the display or the touch layer breaks, the phone keeps working underneath. But without a working screen you can’t unlock it, and without unlocking it you can’t back it up.
Sometimes the drop also damaged the board, which is why a simple screen swap doesn’t always bring it back.
What to do right now
- Don’t let anyone factory reset it. That erases what you’re trying to save.
- Put it in a zip bag so no glass gets lost.
- Remember your passcode. We’ll need it to unlock the phone.
- Start your mail-in and ship it insured.
How we get your data back
We restore a working display (and repair the board if the drop damaged it), unlock the phone with your passcode, and copy your photos, videos and messages off.
What it costs
Free diagnosis. Firm price before any work. No data, no fee.
Our promise
If we can’t get your data back, you don’t pay for the recovery. You only risk the cost of shipping it to us, and we pay for the trip home.
ResultBroken screen, dead phone, nothing backed up.
The screen was broken, the phone was not working, and nothing was backed up anywhere.
Read the case
ResultA sister’s wedding photos and videos, back.
A dead phone holding the photos and videos from a sister’s wedding, with no backup.
Read the caseQuestions
Can’t I just plug it into a computer?
Not without unlocking it first. Modern phones won’t share data with a computer until you unlock them and tap “Trust”.
Will you fix the screen too?
If a screen repair is what gets the data back, the phone usually works afterward. We’ll tell you what’s needed before any work.
How long does it take?
We diagnose within 24–48 hours of arrival. Most recoveries are done 2–5 business days after you approve.
Common problems we solve
iPhone won’t turn on
iPhone dead, black screen or stuck on the Apple logo? Your photos are usually still on the board. Mail it to our lab. Free diagnosis. No data, no fee.
See howSamsung Galaxy data recovery
Galaxy phone dead, broken or wet? We recover photos, texts and contacts from damaged Samsung phones by mail. Free diagnosis. No data, no fee.
See howSD card says “not formatted”
Camera says “card not formatted” or “card error”? Don’t format it. We recover photos, RAW files and video from damaged SD cards by mail. From $89. No data, no fee.
See howGet your files back
Start your free mail-in. You’ll get a case number and a packing slip in about two minutes.