iPhone won’t turn on or stuck on the Apple logo? Save your photos first

An iPhone that won’t switch on, sits on the Apple logo for ever or keeps restarting is stressful enough without the worry that years of photos, videos and messages may be stuck inside it. The good news is that in many cases the data is still there. The important thing is to avoid the one step that genuinely erases it, and to check whether you already have a copy somewhere else before anything is done to the phone.

First, check whether your data is already backed up

Before you try any fixes, find out what you may already have. From another device or a browser:

• iCloud Photos – sign in at icloud.com and open Photos. If iCloud Photos was turned on, your library may already be there.
• iCloud Backup – on another Apple device signed in to the same Apple Account, look in Settings under your name, then iCloud, to see when the phone last backed up.
• Computer backups – if you have ever plugged the phone into a Mac (Finder) or a Windows PC (iTunes or the Apple Devices app) and backed it up, a copy may be on that computer.
• Messaging and other apps – WhatsApp, Google Photos and similar apps often keep their own backups.

If everything you care about is already backed up, a repair or replacement phone is the simple route. If it is not, read on before doing anything else.

Simple checks that do not risk your data

1. Charge it properly. Use a known-good Apple or certified cable and wall plug, and leave it for at least half an hour. A completely flat battery can look like a dead phone.
2. Force restart. On iPhone 8 and later: press and release volume up, press and release volume down, then hold the side button until the Apple logo appears. This does not delete anything.
3. Look for signs of damage. A swollen battery (screen lifting from the frame), liquid exposure or a recent drop changes the picture – stop charging a phone with a swollen battery.

Update, never Restore

If the phone is stuck on the logo or in a loop, you can connect it to a computer and put it into recovery mode. Finder or iTunes will then offer two choices:

• Update tries to reinstall iOS while keeping your data. If iOS itself is the problem, this can bring the phone back.
• Restore erases the iPhone and installs a fresh copy of iOS. Once that has run, the data that was on the phone is gone for good.

Only ever choose Update, and only once. If it fails, or the phone drops back into a loop, stop there. Repeating it, or accepting Restore because the computer suggests it, turns a recoverable situation into an unrecoverable one. The same applies to “Erase iPhone” from a recovery screen or Find My.

Why iPhone data recovery is different

Every modern iPhone encrypts its storage, and the keys are tied to the security hardware on the phone’s own logic board and protected by your passcode. That has two practical consequences:

• The memory chip cannot simply be removed and read in another device; without the original board the data is unreadable.
• Recovery therefore means getting this phone working long enough to unlock it with your passcode and copy the data off.

When the cause is hardware – a failed power circuit, a short on the board after a drop or liquid, a faulty charging port – that usually involves board-level diagnosis and repair rather than a screen or battery swap. You will need to know your passcode; there is no way round it.

What not to do

• Don’t accept Restore or Erase, however many times the computer offers it.
• Don’t put a wet phone in rice or dry it with heat; switch it off and get it looked at quickly, as corrosion keeps working.
• Don’t let a repair shop replace the logic board unless you have a backup – a new board means a new, empty phone.
• Don’t keep guessing the passcode; too many attempts can disable the phone.

Getting your photos back

If the phone will not come back with the steps above and the data is not backed up, our iPhone data recovery service can assess the phone and tell you whether your photos, videos, messages and contacts can be saved. You can also request a quote online.

Call Data Retrieval on 020 7064 4996 for a free assessment, with no obligation.