How to Backup & Recover Data from Locked Android Phone

 

Can you transfer data from a locked phone? Yes, in some cases, but it depends on how the data was stored and what access was enabled before the phone was locked. If your photos, contacts, or files were already synced to a Google account or stored on a removable SD card, you may be able to retrieve them without unlocking the phone. If the data exists only in internal storage, your options are more limited.

Before trying any recovery or unlock method, first check whether your data is already available from a cloud backup, an SD card, or a previously authorized computer. Avoid factory resetting the phone or using an unlock method that may erase data until you have confirmed what can still be recovered.

 

Which Situation Are You In?

The best way to get data from a locked Android phone depends on where your files are stored and what access was enabled before the phone became inaccessible. Check your situation below before choosing a method.

Tip: If preserving the data is your priority, check backups and non-destructive recovery options before performing a factory reset or any procedure that warns it will erase the device.

Is It Possible to Recover Data from Locked Android Phone?

Yes, there are some cases in which you can recover data from locked Android phone, such
as using the Google account linked to your device,
recovering data from SD card, or using a third-party Android data recovery tool. However, some methods may haverequirements before locked Android data recovery. To reduce your inconvenience and solve your troubles, we have collected and sorted out several methods as well as their detailed steps that have been proven to be effective for you to choose from. If you want
to know how to recover data from locked Android phone, keep reading the following
content!

How to Backup Data from Locked Android Phone

Backing up data from a locked Android phone can be challenging, but several methods may
help you retrieve your important information. Here are 2 effective ways that you
can consider to back up a locked Android phone:

Method 1. Utilize Google Account Backup

If your phone was set to automatically back up data to your Google account, you can
access this information from another device:

• Access Google Drive: On a computer or another mobile device, navigate to Google Drive
  and log in with the Google account associated with your locked phone.
• Retrieve Your Data: Browse through your files, photos, contacts, and other data that
  were synced. You can download these files as needed.

Method 2. Check Accessible Files with Android Debug Bridge (ADB)

ADB may help in some cases if USB debugging was enabled before the phone became locked and the computer was already authorized to communicate with the device. It should not be treated as a universal way to create a complete backup of a locked Android phone.

First, install the official Android SDK Platform Tools, connect the phone to the computer, and run: adb devices If the device appears as an authorized device, you may be able to access certain files that are available through ADB. For example, files in accessible shared storage may be copied with an ADB pull command:adb pull /sdcard/ /desired-folder-on-your-PC/

Replace /desired-folder-on-your-PC/ with the folder where you want to save the accessible files.

That’s how you can back up data from a locked Android. Try the proper one and make
the backup on your device quickly. Or you can check the following ways to recover data
from a locked Android phone.

How to Recover Data from Locked Android

Knowing that recovering data from a locked Android is possible, you can check the
following 3 methods to get back your data from an inaccessible Android phone quickly.

Method 1. Recover from Google Drive

Google Drive saves data from cloud. If your Android phone is logged in with a Google
account, it will be easy to recover data from Google Drive. Follow the steps below to
recover your locked Android data from Google:

• Go to another device or PC.
• Visit Google Drive or Google Photos and log in with the same Google account linked to
  your locked phone.
• Check for photos, videos, or other synced data.
• Choose what you want to recover from the cloud.

Method 2. Recover Data Using USB Debugging (ADB)

Sometimes, we will use a computer to detect and access the data on Android device. If
USB Debugging was enabled before the phone was locked, you can use ADB (Android Debug
Bridge) to recover your files. Here are the steps:

Step 1. Download and install ADB tools from the official Android developer site.

Step 2. Connect your phone to the PC via USB.

Step 3. Open the command prompt on your PC and run:

adb devices

This checks if your phone is detected.

Step 4. To pull files from your device:

adb pull /sdcard/ /desired-folder-on-your-PC/

Replace /desired-folder-on-your-PC/ with a folder path on your computer.

Method 3. Using Android Data Recovery Tool – iMobie DroidKit

If the data you need is not available from an existing backup or accessible storage, you can also check whether an Android data recovery tool supports your current device and recovery scenario. DroidKit provides several recovery modes for Android data, including recovery from a connected device, Google account data, and SD cards.

Before starting, note that recoverability can depend on factors such as the Android model and version, whether the device can be detected by the computer, the storage condition, and the selected recovery mode. No recovery method can guarantee that every file on every locked or damaged Android phone will be recoverable.

• Supports recovery of various data, such as photos, videos, contacts, WhatsApp
  messages, music, etc., covering almost all the file types you need.
• Multiple data recovery solutions are available, whether you want to recover directly
  from the device or extract data from Google accounts and SD cards.
• Digital passcode, Touch/face ID, pattern… All kinds of passwords can be easily
  unlocked with one click.
• Supports a wide range of Android phones and tablets. Device, Android version, and recovery-mode compatibility should be checked before starting.

Steps to recover data from Android using iMobie DroidKit:

Step 1. Download and install iMobie DroidKit on your computer. Then launch it.

Step 2. Go to the Data Recovery panel and choose Deep Recovery from Device, which allows you to deeply scan and recover phone data.

Step 3. Select the data types you want to check and start the available scan for your device. After scanning, preview the files that DroidKit is able to detect, select the items you need, and click To PC to export supported files to your computer.

Step 4. DroidKit will recover data for you automatically, and you just need to wait
patiently. The entire recovery process will take a few minutes. When you see the
interface below, the data has been recovered successfully.

If the Android screen is broken, the available recovery method will depend on whether the phone can still be powered on, detected by the computer, and supported by the selected recovery mode. If DroidKit can detect and scan your device in the applicable recovery mode, preview the recoverable files before exporting them to the computer. In addition,
this is also an effective solution to how to access locked Android phones from PC.

Bonus Tip. How to Unlock a Locked Android without Password

If recovering the required data is no longer possible or you have already secured an available backup, you can then consider removing the screen lock. DroidKit includes a Screen Unlocker mode for supported Android devices. Check the instructions and data-loss warning shown for your device model before continuing.

Step 1. Launch iMobie DroidKit on your computer > Connect your Android phone to the
computer with a USB cable > Click Screen Unlocker.

Step 2. Then click the Start button as shown below. And DroidKit will prepare
configuration file for your device > Click Remove Now.

Step 3. You will be asked to choose the brand of your device. Then follow the on-screen
instructions to put your device into Recovery mode, and wipe the cache following the
instructions. Just minutes later, you will see your device get over-started which means
your locked screen was removed.

That’s how you can remove Android screen lock password with DroidKit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Now here are some of the most asked questions, please read on and we’ll answer
them all.

1. How to recover data from Android phone with broken screen free?

You can use Google Drive to recover data from a locked Android for free. But the
preoccupation is that your data on the locked phone has been backed up to your Google
Drive before locking.

2. How to backup a locked Samsung phone?

First check whether the Samsung phone previously synced data to your Google or Samsung account. ADB may provide access to certain files only if USB debugging was enabled and the computer had the required authorization before the phone became locked. If neither option is available, check a compatible recovery method before resetting or unlocking the device.

3. How to recover data from locked Sumsung phone with broken screen?

The above ways, including Google Drive, Android ADB, or DroidKit, can be used to recover
data from a broken Samsung. You should make clear the requirements of each method and
choose a proper one.

The Bottom Line

There are 2 ways to back up data from a locked Android, and 3 possible ways to recover
data from a locked Android. You can choose any one of the methods to get your important
data. It’s recommended to back up your data regularly so that you will never
encounter data loss on Android. Moreover, iMobie DroidKit is a great choice for deep
Android data recovery. You can try it and get back your lost data with ease.