A broken iPhone can be quite tricky, especially considering how much it can cost to repair the thing. Whether you plan to fix or repair your iPhone, you should know how to back up your phone and restore all your data. If you’re wondering if this is even possible, it depends on how damaged your iPhone actually is.
In this guide, we’ll show you different methods for backing up your broken iPhone. Once you successfully back up your data, you’ll be free to replace your broken screen.
Back Up iPhone With Broken Screen
Dropping an iPhone even once can result in the screen breaking completely. Whether you will have trouble backing up your iPhone depends on how damaged the screen is. If it is responsive to touch, that’s great news. If not, there are other methods and external devices you’ll have to use to save your data.
If your screen is somehow responsive, this is what you need to do:
- Go to “Settings” on your home screen.
- Tap on your “Apple ID” at the top of the settings menu.
- Go down until you find the “iCloud Drive” tab.
- Proceed to “iCloud backup.”
- Select the “Back Up Now” tab.
Give your iPhone some time to back up all your data. To speed things up, make sure you’re using a strong internet connection.
If you can’t use your screen at all, then you’ll have to go about this in another way. The most common and effective method to back up your broken iPhone is via iTunes. Before trying this method, make sure you have the newest version of iTunes installed on your computer. You’ll also need a USB cable. To back up your broken iPhone with iTunes, follow the steps below:
- Connect your iPhone and your computer/laptop via USB cable.
- Launch iTunes.
- Click on your iPhone under “Devices” on the left sidebar.
- Under the “Settings” section, select “Summary.”
- In the “Backups” panel, check the “This computer” option.
- Click on the “Back up now” button on the right side of the panel.
- Go to the “Done” button.
It will take some time for iTunes to back up all your data, which will be stored on your computer. If you decide to get a new iPhone, you can transfer all your backed up data from your computer by clicking on the “Restore Backup…” button on the same panel.
Keep in mind that the iTunes method only works with trusted computers. If you’re using a computer that you’ve never paired with your iPhone before, you won’t be able to connect these two devices without the ability to use your iPhone’s screen.
Back Up iPhone With Broken Screen Without iTunes
If you don’t want to use the iTunes method, or if you can’t access your computer at this moment, there are other things you can try to back up your broken iPhone. If you want to use any of these workarounds, there are a few requirements you must meet.
To begin with, you need to be able to actually see your screen, even if you can’t touch it. Secondly, you have to unlock your phone. Since you can’t enter your password or PIN, you will have to use the Face ID or Touch ID features. Older iPhones, such as iPhone 8 and older, don’t support Face ID so you will have to use the Touch ID feature. Thirdly, you need to have Siri enabled on your iPhone so that you can use her to activate VoiceOver, which is especially convenient if you can’t see the screen at all.
Most importantly, you will need one of the following Apple accessories to access your iPhone: a USB keyboard, a Lightning to USB adapter, and a Bluetooth keyboard. You will also need to have an iCloud account that has enough room for your backup, as well as a stable internet connection.
To back up your iPhone with the VoiceOver feature and a USB keyboard, this is what you need to do:
- Connect your iPhone and the USB keyboard with the Lightning to USB adaptor.
- Unlock your iPhone with Face ID or Touch ID.
Note: Keep in mind that if you restart your iPhone, or if it shuts down due to low battery, you won’t be able to use Face ID or Touch ID to unlock it. When you turn your iPhone on and off, you need to enter your password or PIN to unlock it. - Say, “Hey Siri, enable VoiceOver.”
- Give this voice command “Open iCloud settings.”
- Press the “Right” cursor key on your USB keyboard until you select “iCloud Backup.” (If you can’t see your screen at all, press the key 22 times)
- Press the “Ctrl,” “Alt,” and “Space” keys at the same time. If you’re using a Mac USB Keyboard, then press “Control,” “Option,” and Space.” This will take you to the “iCloud Backup” screen.
- Use the same keys to turn the “iCloud Backup” option on.
Note: If you can’t see your screen at all, press the “Right” cursor key three times. The VoiceOver feature will say “iCloud Backup On/Off” to inform you whether this feature has been enabled or not. - Select the “Right” cursor key two more times.
- Press the “Ctrl,” “Alt,” and “Space” keys at the same time. For a Mac keyboard, press “Control,” “Option,” and “Space” simultaneously.
- Wait for your iPhone to back up all your data.
Your iPhone’s data will be backed up to your iCloud account. If you want to use a Bluetooth keyboard, then you’ll need to use Siri, the VoiceOver feature, and your USB cable to turn your Bluetooth on and connect the two devices. The reason why it’s useful to have a Bluetooth keyboard in this situation is that you’ll be able to connect your iPhone and your computer via the Lightning port.
Back Up iPhone With Unresponsive Broken Screen
All of the above methods are applicable if you can use your broken screen, even if you can’t touch it. But what happens if your screen is black and you can’t even see anything? The good news is that you can use the VoiceOver feature, along with Siri and a USB keyboard. That’s what the VoiceOver feature is for, to tell you exactly what is happening even when you can’t see it.
However, if your screen is completely unresponsive, your only option is to get it serviced or replaced. If you’ve tried all of these methods, and none of them worked, you should take your iPhone to the nearest Apple Store or affiliate. It’s possible that not only the screen is broken, but some of the internal hardware as well. If that’s the case, then it’s highly unlikely you will be able to back up your iPhone and restore all your data.
Save All the Data on Your iPhone
Just because you’ve broken your iPhone’s screen doesn’t mean that all is lost. If you didn’t damage any of the internal hardware, you can back up your iPhone and restore all your data using a variety of methods. Once all of your data is secure, you can fix or replace your iPhone’s screen or buy a new one. All you need to do then is import all your data back to your device.
Have you ever broken your iPhone’s screen before? What did you do? Did you manage to back up your iPhone? Let us know in the comments section below.
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