A broken Samsung phone can feel like a disaster, especially when it contains precious photos, videos, and other important media files. Whether your device has a cracked screen, is unresponsive, or has completely blacked out, the good news is that your data is often still recoverable.
In this guide, we'll walk you through four practical and effective ways to recover media from a broken Samsung device. Depending on your situation, whether you have a backup or not, you can choose the method that works best for you.
If your Samsung phone is physically damaged and you cannot access it normally, using a professional tool like Broken Android Data Extraction is one of the most reliable solutions. This specialized tool is designed to extract data, including media files, from damaged Android devices without requiring you to operate the phone's screen.
Key features of Broken Android Data Extraction:
Just follow the steps below to effortlessly recover your media files, like photos, videos, and music files, from a broken Samsung Galaxy S/Note.
01Launch the broken Samsung data extraction software
Launch the program after downloading and installing it. Then, choose the option "Broken Android Data Extraction" from the program screen and use a USB cable to connect your broken Samsung to the computer.
02Confirm name and model of your Samsung phone
Select the fixing mode and click "Start". Then, choose the name and model number of your Galaxy and click "Confirm". If you are not sure about the information on your phone, you can click on the question mark. The program will show you how to find the information.
03Put your broken Samsung into download mode
Follow the onscreen prompts to put your broken Samsung in Download mode. After that, the program will detect the phone and scan its data instantly.
04Start to recover media files from the broken Samsung
All the recoverable files on your Samsung phone will be scanned out in categories, such as text messages, contacts, videos, photos, etc. Select the media files you want to get back and click the "Recover" button to save them on your PC.
If you enabled Samsung Cloud backup before your phone was damaged, restoring media files is one of the easiest solutions. Samsung Cloud automatically syncs photos, videos, and other data to your account, allowing you to access them even if your device is completely unusable.
Here's how to restore media from Samsung Cloud:
Step 1. On a new Samsung phone, go to "Settings" > "Accounts and Backup" > "Samsung Cloud", then sign in with the same Samsung account used on your broken device.
Step 2. Tap "Restore Data" and select your previous device from the backup list.
Step 3. Choose "Gallery" or other media-related categories, then tap "Restore" to begin the process.
Step 4. Wait for the restoration to complete. Your photos and videos will be downloaded to the new device automatically.
Alternatively, in some regions, you may be able to access limited files by logging into your Samsung account via a web browser, but restoring through a Samsung device is generally the most reliable method.
Note: This method only works if Samsung Cloud backup was enabled before the phone was damaged. Also, Samsung Cloud provides limited free storage, so only files within the backup range can be restored.
If you had automatic backup enabled, Google Photos offers a quick and convenient way to recover your photos and videos from a broken Samsung phone, even if the device cannot be turned on.
Follow these steps to recover broken Samsung media via Google Photos:
Step 1. On a computer or another mobile device, open Google Photos or visit its web version, then sign in with the same Google account used on your broken Samsung phone.
Step 2. Once logged in, browse your library where all backed-up photos and videos are organized by date.
Step 3. Select the media files you want to recover, then click the "Download" icon to save them to your device.
If you're switching to a new phone, install Google Photos, sign in, and enable sync to restore your media automatically.
Check the "Trash" folder if you can't find certain files. Deleted photos and videos are stored there for up to 60 days before being permanently removed.
If your Samsung phone uses an external SD card and your media files were saved there, this is the simplest and most direct way to recover your data. Since the SD card is removable, you can access your files without needing to use the broken phone at all.
Here's how to retrieve media from the SD card:
Step 1. Power off your Samsung phone (if possible), then carefully remove the SD card using a SIM eject tool or by opening the card slot.
Step 2. Insert the SD card into a card reader and connect it to your computer via a USB port.
Step 3. Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac), then locate the SD card as a removable drive.
Step 4. Navigate to folders such as DCIM, Pictures, or Movies, where your photos and videos are typically stored.
Step 5. Copy the media files you need and paste them into a folder on your computer for safekeeping.
Recovering media from a broken Samsung phone is not as difficult as it may seem. If you had previously enabled cloud backup services like Samsung Cloud or Google Photos, you can easily restore your photos and videos without needing access to the damaged device. Similarly, if your files were stored on an SD card, you can retrieve them directly with a very high success rate.
However, all these methods rely on one important condition: your data must have been backed up in advance. If there is no backup available or your phone is severely damaged and inaccessible, these solutions may not work.
In such cases, using a professional tool like Broken Android Data Extraction becomes the most reliable option. It allows you to recover media files directly from a broken Samsung device without needing normal access, making it an ideal solution for situations where other methods fall short.
Related Articles:
Samsung Data Recovery with Black Screen (8 Practical Solutions)
How to Recover Photos & Videos from Android Black Screen [100% Working]
How to Recover Data from Broken Android Phone without USB Debugging (High Success Rate)
How to Retrieve Text Messages from a Broken Samsung Phone [4 Ways]
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