This is a review of Enigma Recovery, a software tool that can recover lost data on iPhones.
I’ve worked in tech long-term. I offered IT training and support over several decades and write software reviews and how-tos for business users. I’ve taken an in-depth look at Enigma Recovery to let you know how likely it is to recover your iPhone’s lost data.
My first impression of Enigma Recovery wasn’t positive. When I tried to test it several years ago I could install it on my Mac but it wouldn’t run. The app’s main window wouldn’t even appear. Things have improved since then—I can now run the software, but I still can’t recommend it.
In this Enigma Recovery review, I’ll explore the types of phone data the application can restore, how long it’s likely to take, and weigh up your chance of success.
Let’s get started.
Contents
Enigma Recovery Overview
Enigma Recovery gets back lost data from your iOS device after backing it up. It can recover your messages, calls, notes, and more.
It runs on your computer rather than your phone. Versions are available for Mac and Windows and your iPhone needs to be attached with a cable so it can be backed up and scanned.
Three licenses are available for Enigma Recovery:
- Enigma Recovery Single $59.99/year lets you recover data on 1 device
- Enigma Recovery Multi $69.99/year lets you recover data on 3 devices
- Enigma Recovery Pro $199.99/year lets you recover data on 10 devices
Those prices are roughly comparable with similar recovery tools for mobile devices. The features for each license are the same. A free trial will show you if any lost files are located before you need to pay, but the information offered is far more limited than competing applications.
For that reason and others, I can’t recommend Enigma Recovery. I will list some reputable, effective alternatives at the end of this review.
Recovery Features
How is data recovery possible? Deleting a file doesn’t actually remove its data, but simply marks it as being deleted. This lets iOS know that the storage in that location is now available, and in time it will be overwritten with new files.
Enigma Recover can restore lost items by scanning the iPhone or from an iTunes backup. It cannot currently restore data from an iCloud backup.
Supported file types: Text messages, iMessages, contacts, calls, notes, WhatsApp, photos, videos, internet history, calendar, Kik, Viber.
Enigma Recover works with iOS devices only. It does not support Android phones or other types of smartphones and mobile devices.
Performance
Scanning for lost files can be time-consuming. How fast is Enigma Recovery?
To begin with, the software will automatically perform a backup of your iPhone and for me, this took half an hour. While it’s a worthwhile precaution, you are not given a choice and my phone had already been backed up.
After that, the app scanned my 128 GB iPhone 12 mini for lost files. That took another half hour and the entire process took 55 minutes from the time I first launched the software.
From my previous experience with recovering data on iPhones, that’s fairly typical, though some apps are much slower.
Effectiveness
Data recovery can never be guaranteed. How effective is Enigma Recovery? To find out I turned to consumer reviews to see what success real users had when using the application.
What I discovered is concerning. There were much fewer reviews than other apps, indicating fewer users overall, and its consumer ratings were very low:
- Trustpilot gave it a score of 2.4 stars based on 18 reviews. 61% of the reviews were only 1 star. [1]
- Sitejabber gave it a score of 1.83 stars based on 46 reviews. Only 4.2% of ratings given over the last 12 months were positive. [2]
- Amazon gave it a score of 1.7 stars based on just five reviews. Four of those five reviews were one star. [3]
Those low ratings are a stark contrast to other data recovery applications. For example, two of the alternatives I listed below were awarded more than four stars by Trustpilot and received thousands of reviews.
Some users happily reported they could successfully recover their data using Enigma Recovery. But most reported problems such as these:
- It wasn’t able to recover text messages that had only just been deleted
- It was unable to restore iMessages back to their original location—they have to be exported to your computer
- Deleted items are difficult to find because they are listed with currently existing items, an issue shared by several other data recovery apps
- After running a scan with the free trial some users felt they were led to believe their data would be recovered after purchasing a license, but it wasn’t
To be fair, Enigma Support did reach out to numbers of those users offering to help them with their issues, and some complaints were very vague.
The users with the final complaint I list above make a good point. Most of the located items are simply labeled “Full Version” and previews are unavailable.
You have no idea whether the data you want to restore has been located or not. That’s not good enough. Other apps clearly show you whether the information you need to recover has been located, giving you a good faith basis on which to purchase the software.
Note that to restore the lost data directly back to the iPhone you need to install an additional iOS app on the device, and some users complained about this extra step which isn’t required by other data recovery apps.
In years of testing, I never found an app able to recover all the information I deleted from a mobile device. Enigma Recovery is no exception. But given its poor reputation, I suggest you use a more reputable application instead.
Customer Support
The Enigma Recovery Support & FAQs page [4] displays some general FAQs, a searchable help center, and a compatibility list. Support tickets can be submitted via email.
FAQs
Will Enigma Recovery work with my Android phone?
No, the software only works on iOS devices.
Does Enigma Recovery actually work?
I haven’t discovered a data recovery application that’s 100% effective, and Enigma Recovery is no exception. While it has undoubtedly helped some users recover their lost information, it will not clearly show you what information it will recover until you pay for the app, and many users who paid were left disappointed.
Alternatives
I don’t recommend Enigma Recovery. Here are some alternatives that I do recommend.
Aiseesoft FoneLab effectively locates lost data on iPhones and rooted Android phones using fast scans. It also performs backups and transfers files between your phone and computer. Windows and Mac versions are available.
Tenorshare UltData lets you minimize the time taken by its fast scans by choosing the types of data to scan for. iOS and rooted Android devices are supported and there are versions for Windows and Mac.
Wondershare dr.fone’s scans are slower than other apps I tested, but it doesn’t require you to root your Android phone. Your phone will be automatically rooted and unrooted during the recovery process. iPhones are also supported and there are versions for Windows, Mac, and Android.
Final Verdict
I can’t recommend Enigma Recovery. It has consistently received low ratings and existing users seem to have little confidence in its ability to recover their phone’s data.
While the free trial will show you whether data can be recovered, it hides the identity of most of the files until after you pay.
Unlike other data recovery applications, this does not offer a good faith basis for purchasing the software by allowing you to confirm that it has successfully located the files you need.
There are plenty of reputable alternatives, such as those listed in my Alternatives section, and I suggest you use one of them instead.
References
