The answer is yes, but only in some cases. If you have previously synced your photos with iCloud you may be able to save them. If not, you might be able to use a data recovery tool in order to recover the photos.
Breaking your phone can be a devastating experience, as replacing it with a new device can be expensive. But in addition to losing your device, you could lose all of the photos and other data on the iPhone. This is especially true if you don’t have a backup.
However, there are a few things to try before you give up. Read on to learn more about how you can try to recover photos from a broken iPhone that won’t turn on.
Key Takeaways
- Yes, you can recover photos from a broken iPhone even if you don’t have a backup. However, your methods are relatively limited.
- If you have synced your photos to iCloud in the past, you may be able to save them by going to iCloud.com, checking other devices that are synced with the same iCloud account, or asking someone you’ve shared an album with.
- If you haven’t used iCloud to sync your photos in the past, you can attempt to use some sort of data recovery software in order to recover the photos.
Photos Synced to iCloud
If you have the photos on your iPhone synced with iCloud, you may be able to save them. Even if you don’t have a dedicated iCloud backup created, if you have synced photos with iCloud there is a good chance they will exist somewhere off the device.
You can try visiting iCloud.com and signing into your account. After logging in, head over to the Photos section and see if your photos are there. From the list of results, you can select and download the ones you want to save.
Also, if you have other devices that also have their photos synced with the same iCloud account, you may be able to find some of the photos on these devices, as there should be a shared photo library between them.
In a similar vein, if you have a shared photo album with someone else, you could ask them to view the album and send the photos to you that you want.
This may not help you recover each and every one of your lost photos, but you can at least save the ones that were found in that shared album. Of course, if your photos weren’t synced with iCloud, and only resided on the device itself, these options won’t work.
Use a Data Recovery Tool
If you haven’t synced your photos with iCloud in the past, the only other option you can try is to use an iPhone data recovery tool. These pieces of software can access hidden parts of your device to recover files, photos and data that you cannot otherwise access.
However, keep in mind that for this to work, the broken iPhone also needs to be able to be detected by a computer. If you connect the phone and the computer/software doesn’t recognize it or register the connection, this method won’t work.
Also, many of these tools will require that you trust the computer with your device before working. If you haven’t given the computer permission to access information on the iPhone in the past (and vice versa), you may not be able to access and recover your photos.
There are many pieces of software that can help, and make sure to choose one that is trustworthy, reliable, and has solid reviews from those who have used it. When you have found the right one, begin the recovery process by starting the software and connecting your phone.
If a connection is made and your phone is recognized, select the type of data you want to recover and begin the scan. Once the software has scanned the device, you will see a collection of the photos it found, and can select the ones you want to recover.
The exact process varies from tool to tool, but this is generally how the steps will look as you aim to recover your photos.
Final Thoughts
Dealing with a broken iPhone can be bad enough, but losing precious photos that were kept on it because you didn’t have a backup can make it worse. I hope this guide has been able to help you learn a few ways to save photos from a broken device, even if you don’t have a backup.
Is there anything else that you feel I should have included in this guide but didn’t? If so, don’t hesitate to let me know in a comment.
