Broken phone? Your data is probably still in there.
Cracked screens, black screens, and drop damage rarely destroy the storage itself. Here's what to do — and not do — right now.
First, stop. Do not keep pressing the power button, do not plug it into chargers repeatedly, and do not attempt a DIY screen replacement. Every power cycle and every screwdriver risks closing off a recovery pathway.
A broken screen almost never means broken data
On most phones, your photos, messages, and voicemails live on storage chips that are physically separate from the display. A cracked, black, or unresponsive screen usually means the display assembly or a connector has failed — not the data. Even when the damage goes deeper, board-level repair can often bring the device up long enough for a full extraction.
How we approach it
- Screen-only failure: a controlled display or connector repair, followed by a complete backup of your data before anything else is touched.
- Deeper physical damage: board-level diagnosis and repair, controlled donor-part work where appropriate, or referral into a specialist forensic-lab workflow.
- Locked and damaged: if the phone is locked and the passcode is unknown, the lock type and whether it has rebooted matter enormously — tell us what you know when you get in touch.
If it can't be recovered today
Some combinations of damage, model, and lock state have no current pathway. That is not the end. We preserve the device in its exact state — powered down, documented, protected — and watch for the tool or method that supports it. Devices considered hopeless a few years ago are recoverable today for exactly this reason. Preserving it now is the safest default whenever you're not certain a current route exists.
What it costs
Your $150 recovery analysis includes in-house recovery when a method works. If there's no method yet, the device is preserved and monitored at no ongoing cost until one exists. The free inquiry above gives you a no-obligation answer first — nothing happens to the device without your go-ahead.
Quick answers
Can data be recovered from a phone with a broken screen?
Usually, yes. The storage chips holding your photos and messages are physically separate from the display, so a cracked or black screen most often means a display or connector failure — not lost data. A controlled repair is usually enough to get a full backup off the device.
My phone was badly crushed. Is it hopeless?
Not necessarily. Board-level repair and donor-part work can bring badly damaged phones up long enough for a full extraction, and specialist forensic labs work at the chip level when the board can't be saved. If no current route exists, preservation keeps the device ready for the next one.
Should I try a DIY screen replacement first?
No. A DIY repair risks damaging connectors and flex cables that a recovery depends on — and on locked phones, part substitution can complicate forensic routes. Leave it as it is and get it assessed first.
Free, no-obligation inquiry
Tell us what the screen is doing
This is a free inquiry, not a purchase — there’s no obligation. Tell us what happened and what data matters, and we’ll reply with the strongest option for your device, preservation or recovery.
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We reply within one business day — usually the same day — with the strongest available option and, if relevant, a written quote. Urgent? Call 0423 056 889 now.
Do not charge, update, erase, reset, or repeatedly power on the device before we reply.