How to recover data from a broken Android?

Data Recovery
2

Yikes, busted screens can be so frustrating but don’t worry, there are a couple of ways to give your broken Android another lease of life to grab those precious files. Here’s a step-by-step based on what kind of access you might still have.

1. Use USB OTG Adapter to Connect a Mouse

If the touch functionality is completely dead but the display is still somewhat visible, you can use a USB OTG (On-The-Go) adapter to connect a mouse. If the screen is unlocking via a PIN or pattern, the mouse should allow you to navigate by controlling the pointer on the screen. Here’s how:

  • Connect the OTG adapter to your device.
  • Plug in a USB mouse.
  • Move the cursor to enter the PIN or pattern to unlock your phone.
  • Once unlocked, you can navigate to your files and transfer them to a computer via USB cable or to a cloud service.

2. ADB (Android Debug Bridge)

If the screen is completely gone, using ADB might be your best bet. ADB can help you interact with the device over the command line. For this, USB debugging must have been enabled before the screen broke. Here’s a quick guide:

  • Download and install ADB on your computer.
  • Connect your Android device to the computer with a USB cable.
  • Open a command prompt window and type adb devices to ensure your device is recognized.
  • Use commands like adb pull /sdcard/ to transfer files from your phone to the computer.

3. Use Disk Drill

If ADB sounds too techy, you might want to try using a recovery software like Disk Drill. It’s a data recovery tool that can scan your Android device and help pull out your files even if you can’t see the screen. Disk Drill is user-friendly and capable of recovering a wide variety of file types. You can grab it from Disk Drill.

4. Google Account to the Rescue

Lastly, if your photos were set to sync with Google Photos, or if you’ve backed up your data to Google Drive, you might be able to access them without needing your phone at all. Just log into the respective services on your computer and navigate to your files.

Hope these help! Once you’ve got your data safe somewhere, consider getting the screen repaired or if the phone’s too far gone, it might be time to upgrade!

Cheers and good luck!

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