How to Back Up Your iPhone Data When You Have a Broken Screen

If you‘re reading this article, chances are you‘re in a difficult situation that‘s unfortunately all too common: you‘ve broken your iPhone screen and you‘re at risk of losing all your important data. As an iPhone repair specialist and data recovery expert, I see this scenario on a daily basis. People come into the shop in a panic, hoping desperately that we can salvage their shattered phone and, more importantly, the precious photos, messages, and information on it.

Just how common are broken iPhone screens? According to a 2019 study by US Mobile, over 50 million smartphone screens are broken in the US each year. A survey by case manufacturer DBrand found that 69% of respondents had broken their phone screen at least once, and 16% were currently using a phone with a cracked screen. It can happen to the best of us – one wrong drop, spill, or fall and suddenly your $800+ mini computer is rendered useless.

But even more devastating than the broken glass is the potential for a broken screen to lead to total data loss. See, when your iPhone screen is cracked badly enough that it won‘t turn on, or the digitizer is so damaged that you can‘t enter your PIN or passcode, you also can‘t access your data. Everything that lives on your iPhone, from your iCloud Keychain with all your passwords to your photo library documenting your kids‘ childhoods, is suddenly at risk.

There‘s no guarantee that simply replacing a broken screen will leave your data intact. In fact, many third-party repair shops do screen swaps and have customers sign waivers that they aren‘t responsible for data loss. The repair process itself can lead to data corruption or loss if not done properly. And if your iPhone is so badly damaged that it needs to be replaced entirely, your data definitely won‘t transfer unless you have a very recent backup.

So what‘s a broken iPhone owner to do? As scary as this situation is, not all hope is lost. There are still ways you can back up your iPhone‘s data before sending it in for repair or replacement. It will require some patience, careful troubleshooting, and potentially the purchase of some accessories. But as a professional who helps devastated iPhone users rescue their data every day, I can assure you it‘s well worth the effort.

Before we get into the step-by-step backup methods, let‘s cover some of the features and workarounds we‘ll be using to get around a non-working screen:

Essential Tips for Navigating an iPhone with a Broken Screen

The biggest roadblock to backing up an iPhone with a shattered or unresponsive screen is that you can‘t see the display to find your way around the device. You also can‘t use the touchscreen to enter your passcode or navigate settings. But with some clever troubleshooting, you can still access your phone using alternative input methods:

1. Unlock with Touch ID or Face ID. If there‘s one silver lining about the rise of screen cracks, it‘s that biometric authentication is now more common than ever. According to Apple, over 80% of iPhone users with compatible devices use Touch ID or Face ID. If you‘re one of them, you may still be able to unlock your broken iPhone as long as the Home button or TrueDepth camera aren‘t damaged. This is crucial for being able to connect your iPhone to a computer or use recovery software.

2. Use VoiceOver screen reader. Every iPhone comes with a screen reader tool called VoiceOver. It audibly describes what‘s happening on screen and provides spoken feedback as you navigate your phone with gestures or keyboard commands. To turn it on without being able to see your screen, just ask Siri to "Turn on VoiceOver." Note that the gestures for navigating with VoiceOver enabled are different than the standard iOS gestures:

• Tap once to select an item
• Double tap to activate a selected item
• Swipe left/right to move between items
• Swipe up/down to scroll

3. Try Siri voice commands. Like VoiceOver, you can activate Siri without needing to see your screen by long pressing the side button or Home button, depending on your iPhone model. Unfortunately, Siri can‘t initiate a full iPhone backup. But it can still be very helpful for jumping to key settings quickly. Try commands like:

• "Open Settings"
• "Open iCloud settings"
• "Turn on/off Bluetooth"

4. Connect a wired or Bluetooth keyboard. To enter your iPhone passcode, navigate settings, and input information, you‘ll need an alternative to the non-working touchscreen. The quickest solution is to connect a USB keyboard using a Lightning to USB adapter (more on that later). A wired keyboard will only work while your iPhone is unlocked, but it provides the most precise navigation. If you have a Bluetooth keyboard, you can also pair it with your iPhone to navigate wirelessly (as long as you had Bluetooth enabled before the screen broke).

5. Use third-party recovery software. If all else fails and you‘re willing to pay for a premium solution, third-party data recovery programs can help you access your iPhone‘s data directly from your computer. These often have their own screen mirroring features to help you see what‘s on your iPhone. Some popular options are PhoneRescue, Dr. Fone, and EaseUS MobiSaver. Expect to pay $50-100 for a license.

With those essential tips in mind, let‘s walk through 4 methods you can try to back up your iPhone, from easiest to most advanced. I‘ve personally tested all of these, so you can trust my experience and recommendations.

Step-by-Step Guide: 4 Proven Ways to Back Up an iPhone with a Broken Screen

For all of these backup methods, you‘ll need to be able to unlock your iPhone using Touch ID or Face ID. If your Home button or Face ID camera are also broken, you won‘t be able to proceed and should seek professional data recovery services. It‘s also important that you don‘t let your iPhone run out of battery during any of these processes, as you could corrupt the data.

Method 1: Back Up to iCloud Using a Wired Keyboard

Requirements:

• iPhone unlocked with Touch ID or Face ID
• Lightning to USB adapter (Apple or Anker are reliable brands, $15-20 from Amazon)
• Wired USB keyboard
• Stable Wi-Fi connection
• Enough iCloud storage space (you can check at Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage)

Time: 10-30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Here‘s how to trigger an iCloud backup on your broken iPhone using just a wired keyboard:

1. Connect the Lightning to USB adapter to your iPhone, then plug in the wired keyboard.
2. Tell Siri to "Turn on VoiceOver" if it‘s not enabled already.
3. Press Control + Option + F3 to open the Home screen.
4. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the Settings app. Press Control + Option + Space bar to open it.
5. In Settings, navigate to [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup.
6. If iCloud Backup is turned off, press Control + Option + Space to turn it on.
7. Navigate to "Back Up Now." Make sure your iPhone stays connected to Wi-Fi until the backup is complete.
8. You‘ll know the backup finished successfully when VoiceOver reads the updated "Last successful backup" time stamp.

Enabling iCloud backup is still possible with a broken screen using a wired keyboard and VoiceOver

Method 2: Transfer Data to a New iPhone with Quick Start

Requirements:

• Two iPhones with iOS 12.4 or later
• iPhone unlocked with Touch ID or Face ID
• Lightning to USB adapter and keyboard (for navigating old iPhone if needed)
• Wi-Fi connection
• Both iPhones plugged in or charged above 75%

Time: 1-2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate

If you‘re upgrading to a new iPhone, you can transfer all your data and settings from your old broken iPhone wirelessly and automatically. Here‘s how:

1. Turn on your new iPhone and place it near your current iPhone.
2. When the Quick Start screen appears, tap "Set Up Manually."
3. Tap "Transfer from iPhone" when prompted.
4. Use Face ID, Touch ID or enter the passcode on your current iPhone to continue. Use a keyboard if needed.
5. When the "Transfer Your Data" screen appears, tap "Transfer Directly."
6. Your new iPhone will display an animation. Hold your old iPhone above it until a "Finish on New iPhone" message appears.
7. Enter your old iPhone passcode on the new iPhone if prompted.
8. Keep the two iPhones near each other until the transfer is complete. The more data you have, the longer it will take.

You can migrate all your data from a broken iPhone directly to a new one

Method 3: Back Up to a Computer with Finder or iTunes

Requirements:

• iPhone unlocked with Touch ID or Face ID
• Mac (macOS 10.15 or later) with a USB port, or PC with iTunes installed
• Lightning to USB cable
• USB or Bluetooth keyboard
• iPhone passcode

Time: 30-60 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate

To back up your iPhone to a computer, you‘ll need to unlock it and connect it with a cable. You‘ll need a keyboard to enter your iPhone passcode. If you‘ve never connected your iPhone to this computer before, you‘ll also need to tap "Trust" on a popup, which will require carefully positioning a keyboard command. Here‘s how:

1. Connect your iPhone to the computer with a Lightning to USB cable. If you don‘t see the "Trust This Computer" prompt, skip to step 5.
2. Attach a Lightning to USB adapter and connect a keyboard.
3. Use VoiceOver to navigate to the "Trust" button by pressing the Tab key, then press Control + Option + Space to select it.
4. Enter your iPhone passcode using the keyboard.
5. On macOS Catalina or later: Open Finder. Click on your iPhone in the left sidebar.
   On a PC or older Mac: Open iTunes. Click the iPhone icon.
6. Under the Backups section, choose "Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac/PC."
7. Click "Back Up Now." Keep your iPhone connected until the backup is complete, and don‘t disconnect it if the screen locks.

Backing up an iPhone to a computer with a broken screen takes some keyboard finagling but is doable

Method 4: Use Third-Party iPhone Backup Software

Requirements:

• Windows or Mac computer
• Lightning to USB cable
• Paid license for data recovery software
• iPhone passcode (if not previously unlocked)

Time: 30-60 minutes
Difficulty: Advanced

If you‘ve exhausted all other options, investing in third-party recovery software can help you access your data and do a full backup through your computer. These programs are designed to recover lost or deleted files from iPhones, even if the screen isn‘t working. They range in price from $30-100.

I‘ve had the best experience with these recovery programs for broken screen iPhones:

• iMobie PhoneRescue ($50-70 for a single license)
• Dr. Fone – Recover ($70-100)
• EaseUS MobiSaver (free trial to recover up to 5 files, $50 for unlimited)
• Tenorshare UltData ($60-70)

While the specific steps vary slightly between programs, here‘s the general process:

1. Download, install and launch the data recovery application on your Mac or PC.
2. Connect your iPhone to the computer with a Lightning cable. The program should detect the device.
3. Click "Recover from iOS Device" or similar to begin scanning your iPhone for data.
4. The software will likely prompt you to enter your iPhone‘s passcode to proceed. Use a keyboard if needed.
5. Once the scan is complete, select which data types you want to back up (Photos, Messages, Contacts, etc.).
6. Choose a location on your computer to save the files and click Recover.

Data recovery software like PhoneRescue can extract your iPhone data to your computer, broken screen and all

While third-party software is often a reliable last resort, keep in mind that the data recovery process isn‘t always perfect. Recovered files may be corrupted or incomplete, and you‘ll likely need to pay for a software license before you can save the recovered data to your computer. But if you have important data that isn‘t backed up anywhere else, it‘s usually worth the cost.

Comparison of iPhone Backup Methods for Broken Screens

To help you decide which backup method to try, here‘s a quick comparison of the requirements, pros, and cons of each:

Method	Requirements	Time	Pros	Cons
iCloud Backup	– Touch ID/Face ID – Lightning adapter – USB keyboard – Wi-Fi	10-30 min	– No computer needed – Free with enough iCloud storage	– Requires accessories – Slow upload speed – iCloud storage limits
Quick Start	– Two iPhones with iOS 12.4+ – Touch ID/Face ID – Wi-Fi	1-2 hours	– Transfers everything automatically – No accessories needed	– Requires new iPhone – Takes a long time for large data transfers
Computer Backup	– Mac/PC – iTunes (PC) – Touch ID/Face ID – Lightning cable	30-60 min	– Free – All iPhone data backed up – Faster than iCloud	– Requires computer access – More complex to navigate with keyboard
Data Recovery Software	– Mac/PC – Lightning cable – Software license	30-60 min	– Can recover data directly from iPhone – Intuitive recovery process	– Most expensive option ($30-100) – Recovered data may be incomplete – Requires passcode

Key Takeaways: Prepare for the Worst, Back Up for the Best

I know firsthand how stressful and upsetting it is to be locked out of a broken iPhone, unsure if you‘ll ever see your data again. I truly hope this guide has given you some useful tools and step-by-step advice to salvage your iPhone data before sending it off for repair or replacement.

But more importantly, I hope you‘ll take this experience as a lesson in the importance of regular backups. Too many people don‘t think about backing up their iPhone until it‘s too late. But the fact is, you‘re carrying around a tiny $500-1000 computer in your pocket all day every day – it‘s not a question of if it will break, but when.

Consider these sobering stats:

• A whopping 23% of iPhones break within the first year, usually from a drop or fall (SquareTrade)
• Water damage accounts for 35% of all iPhone failures (Gazelle)
• 113 cell phones are lost or stolen every minute in the US (Kensington)

When you look at it that way, taking 5 minutes to make sure iCloud backup is turned on seems like a no-brainer. Or commit to plugging your iPhone into your computer once a week before bed for a backup while you sleep.

You never know which mundane backup could end up saving you from catastrophic data loss one day. As a data recovery specialist, the saddest cases are the ones where the data is simply gone forever because there was no backup. Don‘t let that happen to you.

Here‘s to hoping you never need this article again – but if you do, you‘ll be prepared. Have you had any experience trying to back up a broken iPhone? Let me know in the comments if you have any other tips to share.