Data recovery

[AC Question]

Hi,

I've been using a Samsung S3 for a few years and have all my contacts, photos and SMS messages stored on the device (I only just realized they weren't going to the SIM today). The LCD screen is cracked and costs a couple hundred to replace so I bought a Samsung S5. I have searched the forums but I haven't found an answer that I understood (not very tech savvy). I believe I can still access the S3 folders via USB/laptop.

My question: how do I transfer contacts, photos and SMS messages from the old S3 to the new S5?

Thank you.

 

[belodion]

Anything in your Google and any other accounts will download into the S5 when you sign in to them on that phone. If the S3 screen is working in spite of the damage you might be able to transfer via Bluetooth.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[SpookDroid]

My advice is to keep all that under your Google account. You have a smart phone now! SIM card storage is a thing of the (very long gone) past! That keeps all your data safe on the cloud, and should you lose or break your phone or just get a new one, by just connecting to your account everything is automatically downloaded to your phone.

But if you didn't do that, you can still back your phone up using Samsung's Kies on a PC. The thing is I think it would ask you to unlock your screen first. But you can try.

UPDATE: I just re-read your post. Your LCD is cracked but it seems you still have touch response? If that's the case, you can transfer everything via BlueTooth or just copying your contacts to your Google account should work, too. This might shed some light.
How to Copy All Contacts on Galaxy S3 Android Phone to Google Contact ?

 

[Xexymess]

Anything in your Google and any other accounts will download into the S5 when you sign in to them on that phone. If the S3 screen is working in spite of the damage you might be able to transfer via Bluetooth.

Posted via Android Central App

Thank you.

I had a bunch of apps and information that I thought was being backed up on Google but nothing has transferred. I'm currently going through the process of reinstalling apps one by one and for now it appears that nothing that isn't 'shared with the public' is available on Google.

The S3 screen is totally blacked out but the phone does power on and the LED indicates it still has some life. If I could just tell which folder to transfer from the S3 and where to transfer it on the S5 this would be incredibly helpful. I'm in the middle of being sued and most of my defense evidence is on the S3.

 

[SpookDroid]

Oh, unless you use apps like Titanium Backup, which has to run from your phone, you cannot transfer non-cloud data from apps, so configuration, game save files, extra downloads, etc, cannot be backed up. Stuff like Contacts, SMS, and some settings, are backed up to Google's servers IF you set it to do so.

Also, when you activate your new phone and add a new account to it, it SHOULD ask you if you want to restore such data, including auto-downloading the apps you've used in the past. But if you skipped this step or for some reason it didn't appear, you can also go into the Play Store through a web browser and you'll see a list of all the apps you've downloaded or purchased in the past. What is neat about this is that you can initiate the download and installation from your computer onto your phone. Just make sure you're on WiFi or your mobile data allowance is really gonna take a toll hehe

 

[Xexymess]

Oh, unless you use apps like Titanium Backup, which has to run from your phone, you cannot transfer non-cloud data from apps, so configuration, game save files, extra downloads, etc, cannot be backed up. Stuff like Contacts, SMS, and some settings, are backed up to Google's servers IF you set it to do so.

Also, when you activate your new phone and add a new account to it, it SHOULD ask you if you want to restore such data, including auto-downloading the apps you've used in the past. But if you skipped this step or for some reason it didn't appear, you can also go into the Play Store through a web browser and you'll see a list of all the apps you've downloaded or purchased in the past. What is neat about this is that you can initiate the download and installation from your computer onto your phone. Just make sure you're on WiFi or your mobile data allowance is really gonna take a toll hehe

Great, this will help me do things better going forward!

So, even though I can see all these folders (and the S3 was unlocked) all the contacts and SMS are basically lost to me without access to the touchscreen? I got a quote to repair but the tech also said that there was a strong chance I would lose the device storage anyway so I don't want to spend more money and still end up with no contacts or texts.

 

[anon8380037]

.... also, unless I misread, if you don't have a device lock on your S3 (pin/pattern /password) you can access the device storage DCIM folder via usb on a computer, where your photos will be.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk Pro

 

[SpookDroid]

Great, this will help me do things better going forward!

So, even though I can see all these folders (and the S3 was unlocked) all the contacts and SMS are basically lost to me without access to the touchscreen? I got a quote to repair but the tech also said that there was a strong chance I would lose the device storage anyway so I don't want to spend more money and still end up with no contacts or texts.

Not quite. You have a few options to do this.
1) Install Samsung Kies. Since you can browse your folders and files, which you can back up manually fro saved photos, videos, and stuff, it shouldn't be a problem to have the software recognize it and be able to do a backup of SMS, Contacts, Calendar, and even create a phone image if you were to get a new S3.

2) This is a cool one, but it requires a bit more fiddling and magic. First of all, you would need the S-Voice assistant to be working (so you can launch an app without needing to touch the screen). Second, go to the Play Store and look for SideSync 3.0. Get the app to automatically install onto your phone. Good so far? Good. Now do the same but for your PC (a Google search of SideSync 3.0 Windows should do the trick). OK, now open SideSync on your computer. Connect your phone through USB. And then, in your phone, fire S-Voice up and say "Open SideSync". It should respond with something like 'Opening App' and your computer should start to recognize it.
Why did we do all this? SideSync lets you have an actual view of your phone's screen in your PC, so you can use your phone without needing to use the phone's screen. And this way you can send a copy of all of your contacts to Google, run any app, do anything you could do before with your phone (except taking pictures or make calls through the computer).

 

[Xexymess]

Not quite. You have a few options to do this.
1) Install Samsung Kies. Since you can browse your folders and files, which you can back up manually fro saved photos, videos, and stuff, it shouldn't be a problem to have the software recognize it and be able to do a backup of SMS, Contacts, Calendar, and even create a phone image if you were to get a new S3.

2) This is a cool one, but it requires a bit more fiddling and magic. First of all, you would need the S-Voice assistant to be working (so you can launch an app without needing to touch the screen). Second, go to the Play Store and look for SideSync 3.0. Get the app to automatically install onto your phone. Good so far? Good. Now do the same but for your PC (a Google search of SideSync 3.0 Windows should do the trick). OK, now open SideSync on your computer. Connect your phone through USB. And then, in your phone, fire S-Voice up and say "Open SideSync". It should respond with something like 'Opening App' and your computer should start to recognize it.
Why did we do all this? SideSync lets you have an actual view of your phone's screen in your PC, so you can use your phone without needing to use the phone's screen. And this way you can send a copy of all of your contacts to Google, run any app, do anything you could do before with your phone (except taking pictures or make calls through the computer).

My ignorance is boundless but I appreciate everyone's responses.

I can open the device in Windows Explorer but without the ability to unlock the screen (pattern) I can't access the folders. I was at work before and didn't follow through, just got excited when the device was recognized...

Is there anyway to repair an LCD without sanitizing the data? Is this up to technician skill? I accept that I'm going to have to spend some money but after dropping full price for an S5 I really don't want to waste $200 to repair the LCD on the S3 just to find out that I still don't have the contacts or sms and photos.

 

[SpookDroid]

Well, there are ways you can back up your phone. Try the Kies option, I believe it doesn't need you to unlock the screen to actually connect to your phone, but I'm not sure since I never use secure lockscreens.

If not, do try the SideSync option. If you can run SideSync using the S-Voice assistant even with a secure lockscreen, then that would allow you to unlock your phone through your PC screen.

And the last resort, obviously, is taking it to a Service Center. I'm sure they have a way to make a backup or at least, 'lend you' a touchscreen, which by the way, is NOT LCD, it's AMOLED (I would be VERY nice to them hehe and ask them if they can open the phone, connect a test AMOLED panel and with the panel just dangling, not closing the phone, just unlock the screen, back things up, and disconnect the test panel).

 

[Xexymess]

Well, there are ways you can back up your phone. Try the Kies option, I believe it doesn't need you to unlock the screen to actually connect to your phone, but I'm not sure since I never use secure lockscreens.

If not, do try the SideSync option. If you can run SideSync using the S-Voice assistant even with a secure lockscreen, then that would allow you to unlock your phone through your PC screen.

And the last resort, obviously, is taking it to a Service Center. I'm sure they have a way to make a backup or at least, 'lend you' a touchscreen, which by the way, is NOT LCD, it's AMOLED (I would be VERY nice to them hehe and ask them if they can open the phone, connect a test AMOLED panel and with the panel just dangling, not closing the phone, just unlock the screen, back things up, and disconnect the test panel).

Thanks!

I spent a long (fruitless) night downloading Kies, trying to unlock the screen remotely with Samsung Connect (kept showing the phone as offline, even while it rang!), holding my breath and sacrificing to the moon with no results.

I'm going to take it to the service center, show a little leg and hope for the best. I really need those text messages.