How to access broken phone. From PC

Dear Wendy Pridemore!

Welcome to the Microsoft Community!

If your phone is damaged, such as a cracked screen, non-functional touch, or won't turn on, but you need to extract data from it, here are some possible solutions:

1. Connect using a USB cable

If your phone is damaged but can still turn on or at least enter charging mode, you can try the following steps:

Make sure your phone is recognized by your computer:

Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable.

If your phone's screen is broken, you may need to try a different USB port or use the original cable.

Enable USB debugging (for Android devices):

If your phone's screen is still working, go to Settings > Developer options > USB debugging.

If you can't operate the screen, you may need to use another phone of the same model with USB debugging turned on to generate an authorization request, and then use that phone's screen to confirm the authorization.

Trust this computer (iOS devices):

If your phone's screen is still working, when your phone prompts "Trust this computer", select "Trust".

If you can't operate the screen, you may need to back up your phone's data through iTunes first.

Access files:

For Android devices, install the Android SDK Platform-Tools on your computer and use the adb command to access the phone's file system.

For iOS devices, you can use iTunes backup to access data such as photos and contacts, but you cannot directly access the entire file system.

2. Use third-party tools

There are many data recovery software that can help you recover data from a damaged phone.

If none of the above methods work, you may need to contact a professional phone repair service, who may replace the screen or try other hardware repairs so that you can access your data.

3. Use cloud services or backups

If you have previously set up cloud sync or backup, you can download your data directly from the cloud service.

For Android devices, you can use Google Drive backup.

For iOS devices, you can use iCloud.

Note:

If the phone is severely damaged, none of the above methods may apply.

Before trying anything, make sure you have access to the data in the phone.

If the phone is a company device, follow the company's data access and data protection policies.

Please choose the appropriate method based on your specific situation. If the phone cannot be turned on or is completely damaged, you may need professional help to recover the data.

Thank you for your understanding and support! 

I wish you all the best.

Best regards,

Yang.Z - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist