Data transfer from S7 with broken screen

[Android Central Question]

Hello - I have an S7 with a broken screen. I did not have a pin number set on it - just swipe to unlock. I did not have a Samsung account on it, so I cannot use Kies, and since I can't access the phone I can't install SmartSwitch, Sidesync, etc.

I can, however, connect a USB cable to the phone and see the files on it and the card. I went ahead and grabbed all my photos and music, but I also want to get my Contacts, texts, and memo files.

I searched and found some .vcf files - I'm assuming those are my Contacts but I'm not sure yet. I also tried searching for the texts and memo files but did not find them.

Does anyone know what files I need to look for to transfer from my broken phone, to my computer, then onto my new phone (I got an S8) for my Contacts, texts and memos?

 

[Rukbat]

Contacts are at Google Contacts if you left things at the default (and entered contacts as Google contacts) and will sync to any phone on that account. Memos - not unless the phone is rooted. Texts? Depends on the carrier, but usually no - they're in a SQLite file that - again - you can only access if the phone is rooted.

As mustang7757 said, that's why we have backups. (Maybe I'm a bot over the top, but I do a full backup before every update - just in case. With a 6TB drive in the PC, keeping all the backups from April 2018 - 455GB - doesn't bother me.)

 

[anon(10614692)]

Can you not install Smart Switch remotely to your phone via PC and transfer data to your new phone?

 

[OnlyDroid]

Rukbat; thanks for the info. I've never rooted a phone before so I don't know if I can get through that or not...but I really have nothing to lose. Do you have some suggested links for me to follow to get through the process, then once I've done it, how to get my desired data out of it?

 

[OnlyDroid]

Galactic Zoo; I can install it on my PC (I did it once but then took it off - see above thread), but I'm not sure how I would install it on the phone through my PC (I also cannot unlock the phone remotely).

 

[OnlyDroid]

Rukbat; Another thought - I'm able to completely copy my phone contents to my PC. So, they can be worked on there instead of on the phone; would this help? Would it be an option to do something to the files on my PC instead of rooting the phone?

 

[anon(10614692)]

Galactic Zoo; I can install it on my PC (I did it once but then took it off - see above thread), but I'm not sure how I would install it on the phone through my PC (I also cannot unlock the phone remotely).

Log in to your Google account on your Pc, find Side Switch app start installing the app and select your phone https://m.wikihow.tech/Install-Apps-Remotely-on-Android

 

[anon(10614692)]

Rukbat; Another thought - I'm able to completely copy my phone contents to my PC. So, they can be worked on there instead of on the phone; would this help? Would it be an option to do something to the files on my PC instead of rooting the phone?

No because you cannot copy files you are denied access to