How can I retrieve my data from my broken phone.

[Android Central Question]

My S7 edge screen got broken so i can't see what's on the screen. How can i access my data on this phone including my contacts so I can transfer them to my new phone.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Unfortunately, you can't. The phone doesn't support screen mirroring using MHL or Slimport cables, and in order for the PC to see any of the files on your phone's storage via USB connection, you have to be able to unlock the screen and change the USB connection mode from Charge Only to MTP (which requires being able to touch the screen).

If you saved your contacts to your Google account (as opposed to the local Phone account or the Samsung account), then they should be safely synced to your Google Contacts in the cloud. Go to contacts.google.com and see if those contacts are there.'

Otherwise, if this data is really important, you may just have to get the screen replaced. And in the future, make sure you're backing up or syncing your important data on a regular basis, because you never know when something might happen to the phone.

 

[Trevor Gill]

So I posted this question in the questions section I got the following response from B. Diddy and wanted to respond but couldn't so I made this thread.

My S7 edge screen got broken so i can't see what's on the screen. How can i access my data on this phone including my contacts so I can transfer them to my new phone.

Welcome to Android Central! Unfortunately, you can't. The phone doesn't support screen mirroring using MHL or Slimport cables, and in order for the PC to see any of the files on your phone's storage via USB connection, you have to be able to unlock the screen and change the USB connection mode from Charge Only to MTP (which requires being able to touch the screen).

If you saved your contacts to your Google account (as opposed to the local Phone account or the Samsung account), then they should be safely synced to your Google Contacts in the cloud. Go to contacts.google.com and see if those contacts are there.'

Otherwise, if this data is really important, you may just have to get the screen replaced. And in the future, make sure you're backing up or syncing your important data on a regular basis, because you never know when something might happen to the phone.

I managed to get the pin put in a copied all the folders to my computer. can that help?

 

[B. Diddy]

Thanks for registering! I merged the threads.

Copying all of the user-accessible folders is a start, but it won't include all of your data. Your photos should be there, but contacts won't be, since they're saved to an SQLite database in a secure system directory (which isn't accessible by a file manager on an unrooted phone). The same goes for text messages.

 

[Rukbat]

But. as B. Diddy said, if they were saved as Google accounts and synced, they'll sync to any phone on that Google account.