A modern smartphone stores its data in flash memory (eMMC or UFS), often integrated right next to the processor, and almost always encrypted. Recovery therefore isn't about "fixing the phone" in the commercial sense: it's about giving the board just enough life to read the memory, then legitimately crossing the encryption barrier.
This chapter is for anyone who wants to understand what's possible before handing over a device. For terms and turnaround, see the smartphone service.
1 · Recognize the situation
Water damage
The worst enemy isn't water but corrosion, which spreads as long as the board is powered or wet. This is the only case where time is critical: treated within 48h the prognosis stays good; after several days, corrosion attacks the traces.
Cracked or black screen
The memory is intact; only the display or touch is affected. The most favorable case — often a temporary screen replacement is enough to extract the data.
Won't turn on / won't charge
Torn charge connector, blown power circuit (PMIC), short after a surge. The memory is usually healthy; everything rides on the board.
Crushed / bent
Deformed chassis, cracked board. If an essential trace is severed, we repair by micro-soldering; if the board is unrecoverable, we transplant the processor.
2 · The laboratory process
Step 1 — Diagnosis & opening
Inspection under a microscope, electronic measurements on the power rails, identification of the faulty part. On water damage, immediate board removal to stop corrosion.
Step 2 — Desoxidation (water case)
Ultrasonic bath with dedicated solvents that dissolve corrosion down into the micro-vias. Oxidized components (coils, capacitors) are replaced one by one under a stereo microscope.
Step 3 — Board-level repair
Precision micro-soldering: repairing cut traces, replacing the charge connector, the PMIC, blown circuits. Goal: bring the board to a state where the memory becomes readable — not necessarily fix the phone for daily use.
Step 4 — Processor transplant (CPU swap)
If the board is too damaged, we desolder the processor and its memory — which, on iPhone, form an inseparable cryptographic pair — to transplant them onto an identical donor board. The most delicate mobile operation.
Step 5 — Crossing encryption & extracting
On iPhone, data is sealed by the Secure Enclave: we preserve the processor-memory pair, and decryption requires a working device and the user's passcode. On Android (Knox, FBE), reading the eMMC/UFS and unlocking depend on the PIN or pattern. We never extract without legitimacy — that's a privacy guarantee.
3 · Success rates by scenario
- Cracked / black screen (board intact) — 95%
- Won't charge / dead connector — 90%
- Water damage treated within 48h — 80%
- Cracked board (CPU swap) — 70%
- Memory physically destroyed — around 10%
4 · The mistakes that destroy data
What you must never do to a failing phone
- Power on or charge a wet phone — electricity causes irreversible shorts.
- Rice — ineffective, corrosion continues inside.
- Shake to get the water out — water reaches still-healthy areas.
- Keep retrying the boot — each attempt worsens the shorts.
- Hand it to a "screen" repair with no data care — clumsy disassembly can damage the board.
Principle. Mobile recovery is fine work on the circuit board. Anything that stresses a damaged board — current, heat, impact — lowers the odds. The right move is to do nothing and hand over fast.