Water Damage
Stop here. This symptom means a do-it-yourself attempt can make the case worse or destroy useful evidence.
Free first-step guidance
DIY Phone Data Recovery: iPhone And Android First Steps
For phones and tablets where photos, messages, recordings, or files matter and the device may still be accessible.
- General information only
- User assumes DIY risk
- No software links
Best practices
What to do first.
- If the phone still works, back up immediately before trying repairs, updates, resets, or app cleanup.
- Check cloud backups, local computer backups, and app-specific export options before doing anything risky.
- If the phone is wet, powered off, boot-looping, hot, swollen, or physically damaged, stop charging or restarting it.
- If the screen is broken but the phone is otherwise stable, avoid random passcode attempts and preserve the current state.
- Keep passwords, passcodes, and recovery keys private. Do not send them through chat or forms.
Avoid
Actions that commonly make recovery worse.
- Do not factory reset, erase, update, or restore the phone before recovery.
- Do not keep charging a wet, hot, swollen, or impact-damaged phone.
- Do not put the phone in rice or heat it.
- Do not approve a routine repair if the repair shop may erase or swap the logic board before data is secured.
Swollen Battery
Stop here. This symptom means a do-it-yourself attempt can make the case worse or destroy useful evidence.
Boot Loop
Stop here. This symptom means a do-it-yourself attempt can make the case worse or destroy useful evidence.
No Passcode Attempts Left
Stop here. This symptom means a do-it-yourself attempt can make the case worse or destroy useful evidence.
Important Photos/Messages With No Backup
Stop here. This symptom means a do-it-yourself attempt can make the case worse or destroy useful evidence.
When to stop
Stop before the next attempt if the data matters.
If you are unsure, the safest free step is to stop and ask what not to do next. Do not keep testing just to prove the problem.
- Do not send passwords, private files, wallet seeds, confidential records, or drive images through chat.
- Do not pay anyone or ship anything until the case, path, and expectations are confirmed directly.
- Keep the original device unchanged until you are sure the recovered files are complete and usable.