Mobile & Smartphone Data Recovery
Lost data from your smartphone or tablet? We recover data from iPhone, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi and all Android devices. Advanced decryption technology for both iOS and Android — water damage, broken display, deleted data.
Android Device Data Recovery
Mobile phones are today one of the most important places where we store photos, contacts, messages and other personal or work data. When data is lost, recovering it from Android devices is often more complicated than people think. Modern phones use technologies like TRIM and internal encryption that help ensure performance and security, but complicate data recovery.
What is TRIM and how does it affect deleted data recovery?
When you delete something on your Android phone, such as a photo, it usually doesn't get immediately removed from memory. Previously, such deleted data could be recovered because it remained 'written' in memory until something new was saved over it.
The TRIM function changes this process.
TRIM automatically frees space after data deletion by immediately erasing memory blocks and preparing them for new records. The freed memory is overwritten with so-called null write, so the place where the deleted photo was is completely emptied, practically eliminating recovery options. If the TRIM process completes, data recovery is no longer possible because all original data is irretrievably lost.
How does internal encryption work and why does it make data recovery harder?
Internal encryption protects data stored on your device by securing it against unauthorized access using encryption keys. If the phone loses access to these keys (e.g., when the password is forgotten or when the phone is severely damaged), the chance of data recovery is also reduced. Recovering encrypted data requires very specific tools and expert knowledge.
What to do when data is deleted from Android device?
If you accidentally delete important data on your Android device, turn off the phone as soon as possible and seek professional help. Our services specialize in data recovery from Android devices and we use procedures and special tools that can help recover data even in cases where TRIM or encryption significantly complicate data recovery.
What to do when Android device is physically damaged?
When an Android device is physically damaged, don't try to turn it on or charge it to prevent further hardware damage. If possible, carefully remove the SD card and SIM card – they may contain valuable data that can be recovered separately. We also recommend logging into your cloud account (e.g., Google Drive or Google Photos) where some data may be automatically backed up. For recovering internal data from a damaged device, contact experts directly – we have the necessary tools and proven techniques for data recovery even from physically damaged media. Don't disassemble the device yourself, unprofessional intervention can significantly complicate data recovery.
The sooner we start, the greater the chance of successful data recovery – especially if the device was exposed to water.
Don't wait until it's too late – contact us and we'll take care of recovering your valuable data.
Overview of common failures:
- •Phone/tablet won't charge or connect to computer: This problem is often related to the charging connector.
- •Stuck on Android logo: If the device doesn't recover on restart, it may be a system or memory error.
- •Device won't turn on: Could be a dead battery, non-functional button, physical damage, or hardware failure.
- •Red screen: If the device comes into contact with water, serious failure may occur. Don't charge the device and contact us.
- •Horizontal lines on display: Often appear after a fall or impact and may prevent use of the touch layer.
- •Stuck in recovery mode: If factory reset is needed, all data will be lost.
- •Failed OS upgrade: Memory shortage or power interruption can cause problems during OS update.
Data recovery from Android phones and tablets of all brands
Each Android device manufacturer uses their own system variant and security features. Our laboratory is equipped with Cellebrite tools and other professional solutions that support a wide range of devices.
Samsung
- •Galaxy S series (S10 - S24)
- •Galaxy Note series
- •Galaxy A series (A50, A52, A53, A54)
- •Galaxy Tab tablets
- •Galaxy Z Flip/Fold
Other brands
- •Xiaomi – Redmi, Mi, POCO
- •Huawei – P series, Mate, Nova
- •Google – Pixel series
- •OnePlus – all models
- •OPPO, Realme, Vivo – all models
Other supported devices
- •Motorola – Moto G, Edge
- •Sony – Xperia series
- •LG – older models
- •Nokia – Android phones
- •Lenovo, ZTE, Asus – select models
What data can we recover from a phone?
Most commonly recovered data
- •Photos and videos – from gallery and deleted from trash
- •Contacts – including those stored only in phone
- •SMS and MMS messages – conversation history
- •WhatsApp, Messenger – messages, photos, videos
- •Call history – list of incoming and outgoing calls
Other recoverable data
- •Calendar and notes – events and reminders
- •Documents – PDF, Word, Excel files
- •Recordings – voice notes and audio recordings
- •App data – game progress, settings
- •Emails – if stored locally
Note: Recovery success depends on the type of failure, device condition, and whether a factory reset was performed. Data backed up in the cloud (Google Photos, Google Drive) can be recovered by logging into your account – in that case, recovery from the physical device is not necessary.
Professional tools for mobile data recovery
For mobile phone data recovery, we use forensic tools that are commonly used by police forces and security agencies around the world. These tools allow access to data even in cases where conventional methods fail.
Our laboratory is equipped with the Cellebrite UFED system, which supports thousands of phone and tablet models. We can extract data from locked devices, bypass certain types of protection, and work with damaged memory chips.
Data extraction methods
Logical extraction
Standard method for functional devices – fastest and easiest.
Physical extraction
Direct access to memory – allows recovery of deleted data.
Chip-off
Memory chip removal – for severely damaged devices.
JTAG/ISP
Connection via service interface – alternative to chip-off.
Need to recover data?
1)
Turn off the device (continued use significantly reduces the chance of data recovery).
2)
Order diagnostics (€45 European pickup) and find out the price.
3)
After diagnostics, we'll agree on the data recovery procedure.
Supported mobile devices
| iOS devices | iPhone (all models from 4 to 16 Pro Max), iPad, iPod Touch, Apple Watch |
|---|---|
| Android vendors | Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, Huawei, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Sony Xperia, LG, Motorola, Nokia, OPPO, Realme, Honor, Vivo |
| Storage types | eMMC, UFS 2.0/2.1/3.0/3.1/4.0, NVMe (iPhone), microSD (removable) |
| Encryption | iOS Secure Enclave, Android FBE/FDE, Samsung Knox — recovery requires passcode or device-bound key |
What to do after mobile data loss
Turn the device off immediately — modern smartphones encrypt data in seconds after failure.
Do not install recovery apps on the same phone — any install writes to flash and overwrites recoverable blocks.
If available, back up or verify iCloud / Google Drive / Samsung Cloud first — cloud may already have the data.
Keep the device in a dry anti-static bag and contact us — mobile recovery is highly time-sensitive.
Screen repair vs. data recovery
For working phones with a cracked screen, a screen repair is usually sufficient to recover access to data. For phones that do not power on, do not charge, or are water-damaged, professional data recovery is required — and it is fundamentally different from repair.
We do not repair phones for continued use. Our specialisation is chip-off and JTAG extraction of data from flash memory. After recovery we return your data on a medium of your choice (USB drive, cloud, or directly to a replacement phone) — the original device is typically destroyed or returned without data.
This matters because recovery on modern iPhones and Android devices requires the original hardware (secure enclave, device-bound encryption keys). Replacing boards or re-soldering memory can break the cryptographic binding and make the data permanently unreadable.
Do not keep trying to boot a failing phone
If your phone does not boot, do not plug it into a charger repeatedly or try different cables. A failing storage chip can be further damaged by each power cycle, and boot-loop conditions cause continuous writes to the flash that overwrite recoverable data.
For water damage: do not power on. Remove the battery if possible (older Android devices), keep the device upright in a dry environment, and contact us within 24–48 hours. Rice and hairdryers are myths — they drive moisture deeper into the board and accelerate corrosion.
Why choose DataHelp for mobile recovery?
Modern smartphones use hardware-bound encryption keys (iOS Secure Enclave, Android's File-Based Encryption with KeyStore). This means data can rarely be recovered without the passcode or a device-bound extraction — third-party software tools cannot bypass these protections on modern iPhones and Pixel devices.
Our mobile recovery workflow uses Cellebrite UFED, Oxygen Forensics, and vendor-specific chip-off tooling to physically extract data from eMMC/UFS/NVMe memory chips. For working phones, we use logical/file-system extraction with the passcode. For non-booting devices, we use chip-off recovery with post-extraction decryption when keys are available.
We have over 35 years of combined industry experience and process mobile recovery cases across all European countries. For business customers (stolen/lost devices with MDM) we can coordinate with your IT team to unblock recovery on managed devices.
Frequently asked questions — mobile recovery
Diagnostics are free. Software-level recovery (logical extraction with passcode) from €99. Hardware-level recovery (chip-off, JTAG, water damage) from €449. Complex cases (iPhone with Secure Enclave failure, latest Android with hardware encryption): individual quote. No data = no fee beyond the €45 pickup.
Generally no, on modern iPhones (A12 chip and newer, which means iPhone XS and later). The Secure Enclave enforces brute-force protection that cannot be bypassed without vendor cooperation. Older iPhones (pre-A12) have more options. For Android, depends on vendor, model, and Android version — contact us with specifics.
In most cases yes, if you stop charging/powering it immediately. Water damage itself rarely destroys the NAND flash — the real damage comes from corrosion of the motherboard and from repeated power-on attempts. The sooner you get the device to us (ideally within 24–48 hours), the higher the recovery chances.
Yes. Mobile recovery is the most privacy-sensitive work we do. Only authorised technicians access your device, we operate under GDPR, and we sign NDAs on request. After recovery, the original device is either returned without data (wiped) or physically destroyed — at your choice. Photos, messages and other personal content are never stored longer than the recovery itself.
Related guides
Useful reading before or after data recovery
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