Recovery in progress on the bench
Drives arrive from all 50 states
the queue moves every day
iPhone Data Recovery in California
319 Google Reviews · 2M+ Followers · Nationwide Service
- $100 Flat Diagnostic
- No Data, No Charge
- Free Insured Shipping
MDRepairs delivers professional iPhone data recovery for California residents - extracting photos, messages, contacts, notes, and app data from dead, water damaged, and physically destroyed iPhones. From iPhone 3GS through iPhone 16 and newer, we perform chip-level microsoldering recovery at our Lincroft, NJ lab that goes far beyond what any Apple Store in California can offer.
California customers ship their iPhones to us through our free insured mail-in program - devices from Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and San Jose arrive within 3-5 business days. Every recovery is performed in-house by our technicians - no outsourcing, no middlemen. No data, no charge.
Follow Our Work More Recovery Cases →
Professional iPhone Data Recovery Lab Backed By 2M+ Followers Serving California
MDRepairs is a professional data recovery lab that documents real recoveries on camera. Lead technician Joseph Montanti shares the full process - from motherboard diagnostics and microsoldering to successful data extraction - with over 2 million followers on YouTube and social media. Californians from Los Angeles to Sacramento watch us recover data from iPhones that local shops and even Apple declared beyond help. That transparency is exactly why customers across the Golden State trust us with their most important data.
Real Phone Recoveries, Filmed Start to Finish
MDrepairs doesn't just talk about mobile data recovery - we show it. Our lead technician Joseph Montanti films real phone recoveries from the moment a device hits the bench through final data extraction. From corroded Samsung Galaxy boards to iPhones snapped in half, over 2 million followers watch us bring phones back from the dead on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
- 4.6 Google rating
- 319+ Google reviews
- 2M+ Followers watching real recoveries
- $100 Flat diagnostic - no data, no charge
What Our Customers Say
4.6
Verified Google reviews No data, no charge - every case earns its rating
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My iPhone completely died out of nowhere - it wouldn't turn on at all - neither Geek Squad or Apple could do anything. I was devastated because I couldn't transfer any of my data to my new phone. MDrepairs recovered everything. So grateful!
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Caught wind of this company from some excellent YouTube vids. I had an iPhone that I sent out to multiple businesses because I could not get into it. Got back responses like 'device corrupted' and 'unrepairable'. Gave it one last try with MDrepairs.., and success!
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Contacted MDRepairs for data extraction for an iPhone 5C. iPhone had a damaged digitizer connection on the board itself. Therefore, any conventional means to extract the data failed. MDrepairs was able to recover all data through chip-level work. Incredible.
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My phone just stopped working. The phone was taken to a local shop who said the CPU had gotten hot and the solder melted. They also said that the data was unrecoverable. Fortunately I was talking to a friend in the UK who recommended MDrepairs. They got all my data back!
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Joe at MDrepairs was absolutely on point. Had to bring an old android of mine back to life and I know it was no easy task. MDrepairs was the 3rd company I called and the only ones that were able to get the job done. He had to go above and beyond by sourcing parts from a donor phone. Very straight forward process!
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Shopping around town (Nevada) all Shops told me the phone was done..... unfortunately it was worth thousands of dollars to me. Found MDrepairs in NJ and decided to give it one last shot. They pulled a rabbit out of the hat and recovered everything!
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my phone was badly destroyed completely unusable, I had lost all of my photos which were so important to me, was going to give up but came across this place!! Got all my pictures back for the low!!!!
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After 3 other companies failed to fix it MDrepairs fixed my water damaged phone with years of photos on it. Worth every penny! Recommend to everyone!
Start Here
What's happening with your phone?
Pick the symptom - we see every one of these from California weekly. You get the honest answer, not a sales pitch: what's actually wrong, what not to do next, and whether it's urgent.
Mechanical - power it OFF now
Dead phone, alive data - it lives on one chip.
Your photos and messages live in a storage chip that usually survives whatever killed the phone. Board-level repair brings the phone up long enough to pull everything. Skip the rice, skip the third repair attempt - each one risks the board.
Mechanical - power it OFF now
Corrosion is the clock. Keep it OFF.
Water does not destroy the data - the corrosion that spreads while the phone sits does. Do not charge it, do not "wait and try tomorrow." Off, bagged, shipped: that is how water-damaged phones come back with every photo.
Logical - act calmly, act soon
Screen is the cheap part. Access is what matters.
If the phone still vibrates or rings, the data is fine behind a dead display. We restore access, pull a verified copy of everything, and you decide if the phone itself is worth fixing afterward.
Serious - stop using it
Usually software or storage - both recoverable.
A phone stuck on the logo is often a storage fault or a failed update, not a dead board. Do not factory reset it - that is the one step that genuinely erases everything. Diagnostic first, reset never.
Pricing
How Much Does Cell Phone Data Recovery Cost?
Cell phone data recovery pricing depends on the device brand, model, and how badly it's damaged. Standard chip-off, JTAG, and ISP recoveries handle most Android phones, while iPhone recovery and CPU swaps for severely damaged boards require more time and specialized labor.
Every case starts here
Every case begins with a $100 diagnostic evaluation that tells us exactly what's wrong and what it'll cost to fix. If you move forward, that fee is applied toward the total recovery price.
For a detailed cost breakdown, read our guide on how much data recovery costs. Fill out the Get a Quote form for a personalized estimate based on your phone and damage type. For a full breakdown of all our recovery services and pricing tiers, visit our data recovery pricing page.
- Chip-Off / JTAG / ISP Recovery
- $600 - $1,200
- Samsung Galaxy / Android
- $1,000 - $1,200
- CPU Swap (broken board / severe liquid)
- $2,500
CPU swaps are required when the motherboard is cracked, snapped, or liquid damaged beyond standard repair. The CPU and storage chip are transplanted to a working donor board.
We Accept
- Credit Cards
- PayPal
- Cash App
- ACH
- Apple Pay
Financing Options
- Affirm Split payments up to 12 months
- Afterpay 4 interest-free split payments
Payment is collected only after recovery is complete. We email you proof that your data was successfully recovered before requesting payment.
Pricing
iPhone Data Recovery Pricing in California
iPhone data recovery pricing depends on your model and the severity of damage. Standard motherboard repairs range from $1,000 to $1,500, while advanced CPU and NAND transplants for severely damaged boards run $2,500. Every California case begins with a $100 diagnostic evaluation - if you proceed, that fee applies toward your total. Shipping from anywhere in California to our NJ lab is completely free.
Fill out the Get a Quote form for a personalized estimate based on your specific iPhone model and damage scenario.
Get a Free QuoteTypes of Data We Recover From iPhones
We recover every type of data stored on your iPhone - whether you need to recover data from a broken iPhone, a water damaged device, or a phone that simply won't turn on.
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iPhone Photo Recovery
Need to recover photos from a broken iPhone? We extract your entire Camera Roll - photos, Live Photos, videos, slow-motion clips, and screenshots - from every album including Recently Deleted and hidden folders. For many families, years of irreplaceable memories live exclusively on their iPhone, and iPhone photo recovery is the most common reason clients contact us.
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iPhone Message Recovery
Recover text messages from a broken iPhone - complete SMS and iMessage history, including conversations, group chats, shared media, and attachments. Whether it's sentimental conversations or critical business communications, we recover the full thread history with timestamps intact.
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iPhone WhatsApp Recovery & App Data
We recover WhatsApp messages from dead iPhones and all other installed apps, including full conversations with media attachments, Telegram chats, Signal messages, Viber histories, and app-specific documents. Any data stored locally on the device is included in the iTunes backup we create during recovery.
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Contacts & Call Logs
Your complete contact list with all associated details - phone numbers, email addresses, physical addresses, notes, and contact photos. We also recover your full call history, including incoming, outgoing, and missed calls with timestamps and durations.
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Notes & Reminders
All Apple Notes content, including text notes, checklists, sketches, scanned documents, embedded photos, and table data. We also recover Reminders, Voice Memos, and any locally saved documents from the Files app. Many professionals rely on Notes for meeting records, research, and ideas that exist nowhere else.
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Calendars, Mail & More
Calendar events and appointments, Safari bookmarks and browsing history, saved passwords from Keychain, Health app data, Wallet passes, and all other locally stored information. When we create a full iTunes backup, it captures virtually everything on the device - giving you a complete snapshot of your iPhone's data.
In California
We create a full iTunes backup - a complete copy of everything stored on the device. California customers can restore this backup directly to a new iPhone or browse and extract individual items using tools like iMazing. Visit our recovered data portal for step-by-step instructions on accessing your files.
Our service recovers data from physically damaged and non-functional iPhones - not from intentional deletion. Apple's hardware encryption makes deleted data permanently unrecoverable, even with forensic-grade equipment. If your phone works but you've lost files, check iCloud or the Recently Deleted folder. If your iPhone was destroyed by a California wildfire, shattered in an earthquake, submerged in the Pacific, or simply stopped turning on - that's exactly what we do.
Why iPhone Data Recovery Is Different From Other Devices
An iPhone is not a hard drive. Hardware encryption and a paired CPU and NAND mean the only path to your data is board-level repair - here is what that involves.
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Full-Disk Encryption
Unlike hard drives or flash drives, every iPhone uses full-disk encryption tied to the CPU. We can't read data from the NAND chip directly - the iPhone must power on and unlock to access anything. This makes component-level motherboard repair essential for all recoveries.
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CPU + NAND Pairing
The CPU and NAND flash chip are uniquely paired on every iPhone. Your data cannot be accessed unless both components are present and functional. If either chip is cracked or destroyed, the data is permanently unrecoverable.
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No Partial Recovery
iPhone recovery is all-or-nothing. Once the device boots and unlocks, we recover everything - photos, messages, notes, contacts, and all app data. There's no such thing as a partial extraction with iPhones.
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Logic Board Repair Required
Every case requires iPhone microsoldering and component-level diagnostics. We use thermal cameras, oscilloscopes, and microscopes to locate faults, repair damaged traces, and restore the phone to a bootable state long enough to create a backup.
Call 732-933-7717 Board-level lab work, not a phone repair counter.
How Long Does iPhone Data Recovery Take?
Turnaround depends on the service tier you choose. Rush options move your iPhone ahead when time matters. The tiers below are how soon we begin work - the exact recovery time is confirmed after diagnostics.
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4 - 5 weeks
Standard
Included
Included with every recovery. Your iPhone enters our queue and is worked on in the order received.
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5 - 7 days
Priority Rush
+$250
Your device jumps ahead in the queue and work begins within 1-5 business days.
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1 - 2 days
Urgent Rush
+$500
Work begins immediately. Ideal for emergency recoveries.
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Same Day
Emergency
+$1,000
Highest priority. Your device is worked on the same day it arrives.
The times above are how soon we begin work on your iPhone - not the full turnaround. The exact recovery time is confirmed after diagnostics. Mail-in ships with a free prepaid insured label and typically reaches our lab in 2-3 business days.
How iPhone Data Recovery Works
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Submit a Quote & Ship Your iPhone
Fill out our quote form or call us. We'll send you a free prepaid insured shipping label. Package your iPhone securely and drop it off at any UPS location. Your device typically arrives at our lab in 2-3 business days.
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Logic Board Diagnostics
Our technicians disassemble your iPhone and perform component-level diagnostics using thermal cameras, oscilloscopes, and microscopes. We test for short circuits, assess liquid damage, evaluate chip integrity, and determine the best recovery approach. This is covered by the $100 diagnostic fee.
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Recovery Quote & Approval
After diagnostics, we provide a detailed assessment and exact recovery quote. You decide whether to proceed - if you do, the diagnostic fee is applied toward the total cost. No surprises, no hidden fees.
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Microsoldering & Data Extraction
We perform motherboard repair to get your iPhone to power on and reach a usable state. Once the device boots and is unlocked, we create a full iTunes backup containing your notes, contacts, messages, photos, and app data. For severely damaged boards, we may transplant the CPU and NAND to a donor board.
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Data Delivered
We send proof of recovery before requesting payment. Your recovered data is delivered via our secure data delivery portal or shipped on an external drive. All data is securely wiped from our systems after you confirm receipt.
In California
California customers start with a free quote request. We send a prepaid insured UPS label to your address in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, or anywhere in the state. Your iPhone ships coast-to-coast to our Lincroft, NJ lab in 3-5 business days. After diagnostics and your approval, we perform the recovery and deliver your data - typically 2-3 weeks total from the day you drop off your package at any California UPS location.
Common Causes of iPhone Data Loss
Understanding what happened to your iPhone helps us plan the most effective recovery approach.
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Liquid & Water Damage
Whether your iPhone fell in a pool, toilet, ocean, lake, or bathtub - or was exposed to rain, spilled coffee, or humidity - liquid can reach the motherboard within seconds. Corrosion begins immediately and spreads quickly - especially under the CPU and NAND where your data lives. Saltwater and sugary liquids cause the most aggressive damage. The single best thing you can do is stop trying to charge or power on the phone and send it to our lab immediately.
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Physical Impact, Drops & Crush Damage
A dropped iPhone can crack the motherboard, shatter microscopic solder connections under the CPU, or physically damage the NAND storage chip. Even if the screen looks fine, internal components can be jarred loose or fractured. We handle dropped iPhone data recovery from every scenario - phones dropped from balconies, iPhones run over by cars, bent iPhones, and devices with severe crush damage. In extreme cases, we perform a full CPU and NAND transplant to a donor board.
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Battery & Power Failure
A failing or swollen battery can cause an iPhone to stop powering on entirely, but the data remains intact on the NAND chip. In some cases, a degraded battery can cause voltage irregularities that damage the power management IC or Tristar charging chip, preventing the phone from booting even with a new battery. These are component-level faults that require microsoldering to repair.
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Short Circuits
Electrical shorts on the motherboard can be caused by liquid exposure, faulty third-party chargers, or component degradation over time. A shorted component draws excessive current, generating heat and preventing the iPhone from booting. We use thermal cameras to locate the short and then perform precision microsoldering to remove or replace the faulty component.
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Failed Repairs & Long Screw Damage
One of the most heartbreaking scenarios we see is iPhones that were perfectly recoverable before a repair shop made things worse. Improperly removing the screen, tearing flex cables, damaging CPU pads during chip removal, applying too much heat during a reball attempt, or long screw damage (where a screw that's too long punctures the motherboard and severs traces near the CPU) - all of these can turn a straightforward recovery into a complex and expensive one. Long screw damage is particularly common on iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models. If your iPhone was previously repaired or opened by another shop, let us know so we can factor that into our diagnostic approach.
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Software & Update Failures
A botched iOS update, failed restore, or iPhone boot loop can render a device unusable. Common symptoms include an iPhone stuck on the Apple logo, iPhone black screen, iPhone blue screen, or iTunes displaying iPhone error 14, iPhone error 4013, or iPhone error 4014. While software issues alone don't typically require motherboard repair, many of these failures are symptoms of an underlying hardware problem - like a failing NAND chip or marginal solder joint that gives out during a firmware update. We diagnose the root cause before recommending a recovery path.
In California
Recovery depends on one fundamental question: are the CPU and NAND chips intact? If they are, we can get your data back. California's unique environment creates specific risks - earthquake jolts can cause sudden drops, wildfire ash and smoke exposure corrodes exposed electronics, and the extreme heat of the inland valleys bakes devices left in cars. Coastal salt air near Long Beach and San Diego slowly degrades internal components over time. We verify chip integrity during our $100 diagnostic and give you a definitive answer before any commitment.
We've recovered data from iPhones buried under mudslide debris, phones dropped from Yosemite hiking trails, devices left in cars during 115-degree Bakersfield summers, and handsets caught in the surf at Venice Beach. California customers from Anaheim to Oakland ship damaged iPhones to our lab daily. If you're unsure about your device, submit a free quote with photos and a description of what happened.
Recover Data from a water-damaged iPhone in California
California might be known for drought, but water damage is still one of the top reasons Golden State residents contact us. iPhones take a swim in Pacific surf at San Diego beaches, poolside drops in Los Angeles backyards, kayaking mishaps on Lake Tahoe, and flash flood exposure during rare but devastating winter storms. Saltwater from the coast causes the most aggressive corrosion we see - far worse than a toilet or pool drop.
Apple markets water resistance with IP67 and IP68 ratings, but those seals degrade after drops, screen repairs, and normal aging. We regularly recover data from "water-resistant" iPhones that California customers assumed were safe near the ocean. The Pacific coast spray, morning fog in San Francisco, and poolside humidity across the Central Valley all compromise these seals faster than people expect.
When liquid reaches the motherboard, corrosion attacks the microscopic traces and solder joints under the CPU and NAND - exactly where your data lives. We use thermal imaging and high-powered microscopes to map the damage, then microsoldering to rebuild connections and get the phone to boot long enough for a full backup. Time is everything: corrosion is a chemical reaction that worsens every hour. Do not charge or power on a wet iPhone. Do not put it in rice. Ship it to our lab from anywhere in California as quickly as possible.
iPhone Won't Turn On? Dead iPhone Data Recovery for California
A completely dead iPhone - black screen, no vibration, no response to any charger - is the most common scenario California residents bring to us. Your phone died overnight in San Jose, stopped responding after an update in Sacramento, or just went dark on the freeway in LA traffic. A dead phone does not mean dead data. The CPU and NAND storing your photos, messages, and contacts are typically untouched - the failure is almost always a power delivery component on the logic board.
MDRepairs diagnoses the exact point of failure using board-level schematics and microsoldering tools. Common culprits include failed PMICs (power management ICs), blown capacitors, damaged Tristar or Hydra charging ICs, and fractured solder joints from repeated drops. California's extreme temperature swings - from scorching Central Valley heat in Fresno and Bakersfield to cold Sierra foothill nights - stress solder joints through thermal cycling, accelerating these failures.
Once the faulty component is identified, we replace it under a microscope and boot the device to create a complete iTunes backup. This is genuine data recovery without a backup - we pull everything directly off the device. No iCloud dependency, no Apple Store appointment needed. We ship your recovered data back to your California address through our secure delivery portal or on a USB drive.
iPhone Data Recovery by Model
Each iPhone generation presents unique recovery challenges based on its internal architecture, chip design, and board layout.
- Legacy
iPhone 3GS / 4 / 5 Series
The earliest iPhones we recover data from. The iPhone 3GS was the first model to introduce hardware encryption, and the iPhone 4 introduced the A4 chip with full-disk encryption. These older devices have simpler board layouts and larger components, making logic board repair somewhat more straightforward. However, sourcing donor boards for these vintage models can be challenging, which impacts turnaround time. Recovery pricing starts at $500 to $800 for these models. Despite their age, we regularly recover precious family photos and messages from these devices - data that often spans back over a decade.
- Mid-Range
iPhone 6 / 6s / 7 / 8 / SE
These models represent the bulk of our recovery cases. The iPhone 6 era introduced larger logic boards with more complex power management systems, while the iPhone 7 removed the headphone jack and introduced a new Taptic Engine - changes that altered the internal layout significantly. The iPhone 7 and 8 series use more advanced packaging for the CPU, making pad repair more delicate. SE models (2020, 2022) share internals with other generations but in a compact form factor. Recovery for these models typically costs $1,500.
- Modern
iPhone X / XS / 11 Series
The iPhone X marked a major design shift with a stacked logic board - two PCB layers sandwiched together to make room for the larger battery and Face ID components. This stacked design means component-level repair requires separating and re-bonding the two halves, adding complexity to every recovery. The A11 through A13 chips in these models use more advanced packaging with finer pitch connections. Despite these challenges, our success rate remains excellent when the CPU and NAND are intact. Recovery costs $1,500 for these models.
- Current
iPhone 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 Series
Apple's latest designs continue the stacked board architecture with increasingly miniaturized components. The iPhone 12 introduced 5G with the Qualcomm X55 modem, while the iPhone 14 Pro moved to the A16 Bionic with further packaging density improvements. These newer models feature more advanced thermal management and more tightly integrated components, which means liquid damage can spread faster and affect more critical areas simultaneously. Recovery costs $1,500 for these models.
- Latest
iPhone 16 / 17 Series
The newest iPhone generations push component density and chip integration even further. Apple's latest A-series processors pack billions of transistors into a chip smaller than a thumbnail, and the logic boards are engineered with virtually zero wasted space. Recovery from these models requires the most advanced techniques and newest donor boards in our inventory. Due to the recency of these models and the higher cost of replacement parts, recovery pricing starts at $1,500. If your iPhone 16 or later needs data recovery, request a quote for a detailed assessment.
- Special
iPhone SE & Mini Models
The iPhone SE line reuses internals from flagship models in a smaller chassis - the SE (2020) shares the iPhone 8's logic board, while the SE (2022) is based on the iPhone 13 platform. iPhone Mini models (12 Mini, 13 Mini) pack full flagship hardware into a compact form factor. Recovery procedures for SE and Mini models follow the same approach as their full-size counterparts, with pricing based on the internal generation rather than the external design. The compact size of these devices doesn't affect recovery difficulty since the critical components are the same.
Not sure which iPhone model you have? Our technicians identify the exact model during diagnostics using the internal model number on the logic board. When you submit a quote request, just describe the phone as best you can (color, size, approximate year) and we'll handle the rest. Every iPhone model from the 3GS onward uses hardware encryption, which is why microsoldering is always required to access your data - regardless of the model.
Dead or liquid-damaged iPhone? Do not charge it - get a free quote before corrosion spreads.
iPhone NAND Recovery: CPU & Chip Swap Explained
In some cases, an iPhone's motherboard is too damaged to repair - submerged in saltwater for days, physically snapped from severe impact, or wrecked by a botched repair at another shop. Even when the board itself is beyond saving, we can still recover your data as long as the CPU and NAND flash chip are intact.
We transplant both chips together to a working donor motherboard, preserving their encrypted pairing. This lets us boot the phone, unlock it, and create a full iTunes backup. This advanced technique is featured in many of our YouTube videos and serves as our last-resort method when standard board repair fails. CPU/NAND swap pricing is $2,500 flat due to the highly specialized labor involved.
iPhone CPU Repair & Trace Restoration
To recover data from any iPhone, the CPU must be fully functional. It must communicate with the logic EEPROM on the iPhone's motherboard to retrieve the encryption keys that unlock the NAND storage. Without this communication, your data remains locked and inaccessible.
In some cases, the CPU can become damaged from a hard drop or a failed repair attempt - such as when a technician removes the chip without proper technique, ripping or damaging the microscopic pads underneath. This breaks essential connections between the CPU and the board.
MDRepairs specializes in delicate CPU repair. We restore damaged traces directly on the chip, often under a microscope, using micro-jumpers and precision soldering. These jobs can take several hours to a full day depending on the number of torn connections. This level of component-level repair is rarely offered by most shops - but it's exactly what's needed when you're trying to recover irreplaceable data from a severely damaged iPhone.
iPhone Randomly Shutting Off - Data Recovery
If your iPhone shuts off on its own, freezes randomly, or powers down overnight while sitting idle, you're not alone. This issue is often caused by a short circuit on the motherboard - not just a dead battery or software bug.
When an iPhone powers off on its own - especially after sitting idle - it's often because the power management system is compromised or a voltage line fails under load. The phone might turn on briefly, then shut down again, and eventually stop booting entirely.
We use advanced diagnostics like thermal imaging and board schematics to pinpoint the fault and restore stability to the board. Once repaired, we extract your data - messages, contacts, photos, videos, and app data - even if the phone doesn't fully boot on its own.
Tip: Avoid repeated charging or force restarts. Let our lab handle the diagnostics and recovery professionally - repeated power attempts on a shorted board can cause additional damage.
What to Do When Your iPhone Dies
The actions you take immediately after your iPhone stops working can make or break a successful recovery.
Do This
- Stop using it immediately. If your iPhone got wet, fell hard, or stopped working suddenly - set it down and leave it alone. Every additional attempt to power it on risks causing more damage to the logic board.
- Keep it powered off. Do not plug it into a charger, connect it to a computer, or press any buttons. Charging a liquid-damaged or shorted board can cause irreversible damage to the CPU, NAND, or power management circuitry.
- Store it in a dry, room-temperature environment. Avoid leaving your iPhone in a hot car, direct sunlight, or freezing temperatures. Extreme temperatures can accelerate corrosion or cause thermal stress on already-compromised solder joints.
- Contact a professional lab. The sooner a qualified technician examines your iPhone, the better your chances. Submit a quote request to start the process - we'll provide a free shipping label and initial assessment at no obligation.
- Document what happened. Write down exactly what happened and when - dropped in water, fell from a height, stopped working overnight, etc. This information helps our technicians plan their diagnostic approach and prioritize the most likely failure points.
Don't Do This
- Don't put it in rice. This is the most common myth in phone repair. Rice does not remove moisture from inside an iPhone. It can introduce starch dust into ports and connectors, and it gives people false hope while corrosion continues spreading internally. Rice delays professional treatment - which is the one thing that actually matters.
- Don't use a hair dryer or heat gun. Applying heat to a damaged iPhone can reflow solder joints in unintended ways, warp the logic board, or cause moisture to migrate deeper into the device. Leave thermal work to professionals with proper equipment.
- Don't take it to a phone repair shop. Most cell phone repair shops specialize in screen replacements and battery swaps - not iPhone microsoldering. Many shops will attempt basic repairs that can make your data unrecoverable, or they'll simply tell you nothing can be done and suggest you buy a new phone.
- Don't attempt DIY repair. YouTube tutorials for iPhone repair are designed for cosmetic fixes, not data recovery. Opening an iPhone and attempting board-level work without proper tools and training almost always results in additional damage - torn flex cables, scratched boards, damaged CPU pads, and stripped screws.
- Don't wait weeks or months. If your iPhone has liquid damage, corrosion spreads every day it sits untreated. The longer you wait, the more damage occurs to critical components. Some customers contact us months after a water incident and by then the corrosion has reached the CPU or NAND, making recovery impossible.
In California
Losing access to your iPhone data is stressful - whether it happened during a wildfire evacuation, an earthquake, or just an ordinary Tuesday in Los Angeles. The good news: in most cases, your data is still there. The CPU and NAND are remarkably resilient, and our job is to repair the surrounding circuitry well enough to boot the phone one last time and extract everything. California customers can call 732-933-7717 for a free phone assessment.
iPhone Data Recovery Success Rates
Our success rate is 100% when the CPU, NAND, and EEPROM are intact. The vast majority of iPhones we receive have working storage chips - it's the surrounding power circuitry, charging components, or corroded traces that have failed. This is exactly the scenario our motherboard repair process resolves.
Cases where recovery is not possible: if the CPU or NAND is physically cracked, shattered, or corroded through the chip packaging. This can result from extreme impact (phone crushed by a vehicle), prolonged saltwater submersion, or botched repair attempts where chips were improperly removed. We always provide a straightforward assessment during diagnostics - if recovery isn't viable, we'll explain why, return your device, and you pay only the diagnostic fee.
iPhone Encryption: Why You Can't Recover Data Without Professional Help
As explained above, iPhones use hardware-level encryption that permanently binds the CPU and NAND. But the practical implications of this go further than most people realize. You cannot desolder the NAND chip, read it with an external reader, and decrypt the contents - the decryption key doesn't exist outside the CPU silicon. You cannot swap the NAND to a different phone's board - the processor on that board has a different key. And no iPhone data recovery software can bypass hardware encryption on a phone that won't power on.
This is why our recovery process centers entirely on iPhone logic board repair. We fix whatever is preventing the phone from powering on, boot into iOS, authenticate with the passcode or Face ID, and create a standard iTunes backup while the phone is alive and unlocked. If the original board is too damaged, we transplant the CPU and NAND together to a donor - preserving their cryptographic bond. This is iPhone chip level repair at its most advanced.
It's also worth noting that Apple's encryption applies equally to every file type. There's no way to selectively extract "just photos" or "just messages" - the device must fully boot first. Apple does not offer any data recovery service - the Apple Store will recommend replacing the device. Apple does not perform motherboard repair or microsoldering. AppleCare does not cover data recovery. For actual recovery from a non-functional iPhone, you need a specialized lab.
iPhone Data Recovery Lab - Tools & Equipment
iPhone data recovery is among the most complex work in the data recovery industry. Our Lincroft, NJ lab is equipped with specialized tools purpose-built for component-level iPhone repair and data extraction.
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Thermal Imaging Cameras
Detect short circuits and failing components by visualizing heat signatures on the logic board.
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Oscilloscopes & Multimeters
Board-level electrical testing to trace power rails, verify signal integrity, and identify component failures.
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High-Powered Microscopes
Precision inspection of microscopic pads, traces, and solder joints for CPU repair and micro-jumper work.
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Rework Stations
Chip-level reflow, reballing, and component removal/replacement with precise temperature control.
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iPhone NAND Recovery Tools
Specialized tools to interface with encrypted NAND storage for iPhone NAND recovery, data extraction, and backup creation.
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Programmable Power Supplies
Controlled power delivery to boot damaged iPhones safely without triggering additional short circuits.
Free insured shipping from California - $100 diagnostic - no data, no charge.
How to Choose
Choosing the Right iPhone Data Recovery Service in California
Looking for iPhone data recovery near me in California? Here's the irony: Apple is headquartered in Cupertino, California has more Apple Stores than any other state, and Silicon Valley invented the iPhone - yet none of those resources can recover data from a dead one. Apple does not offer data recovery services at any location. The Genius Bar will troubleshoot, suggest a replacement, and wish you luck with your irreplaceable photos and messages.
Most phone repair shops scattered across LA, San Francisco, San Diego, and Oakland specialize in screen swaps and battery replacements. When they encounter a dead motherboard, they either turn you away or accept the device and quietly ship it to a third-party lab - adding weeks of delay and hundreds in markup. If a California shop is quoting you $300 for iPhone data recovery, your phone is going on a trip they're not telling you about.
Be especially cautious of services advertising passcode bypass or recovery of deleted data. Apple's encryption architecture makes both physically impossible. Any company claiming otherwise - whether in the Bay Area or anywhere else - is either misinformed or deliberately misleading you.
At MDRepairs, we perform every recovery in-house. Our mail-in program connects California residents - from Fresno to Long Beach to Bakersfield - directly to the lab and the technician doing the actual chip-level work. No middlemen stand between you and your data.
If your data matters, skip the Apple Store appointment and trust a team with hundreds of documented recoveries on YouTube proving we do exactly what we say.
iPhone Data Recovery Software Is a Dead End - What California Tech-Savvy Users Need to Know
California is the global epicenter of technology, so it's no surprise that residents here often try the software route first. Tools like Dr.Fone, iMyFone, Tenorshare, and PhoneRescue rank high in Google searches across San Jose, San Francisco, and the rest of the Bay Area. The problem is simple: none of them work if your iPhone won't power on.
Every recovery software tool communicates with iOS through a USB connection. The phone must be powered on, connected, and typically unlocked for any data transfer to occur. A dead logic board, a water-damaged motherboard, or a boot-looping device gives these programs nothing to connect to. No software on earth can bypass Apple's hardware-level encryption from the outside - not even software built in Cupertino itself.
These tools have exactly one narrow use case: recovering recently deleted files from a working, unlocked iPhone. Even then, Apple's file system discards encryption keys for freed storage blocks, making success inconsistent at best.
iTunes and iCloud fare no better. If the phone won't turn on, iTunes won't detect it. If it's stuck on the Apple logo, DFU mode or recovery mode will factory-reset the device, permanently destroying everything. That's erasure, not recovery.
Real data recovery from dead and damaged iPhones requires physical motherboard repair - microsoldering under a microscope to fix the hardware failure preventing boot. No software shortcut exists. Our $100 diagnostic gives you an honest expert assessment, and if we can't recover your data, that's all you pay.
iPhones With Stolen Device Protection Enabled
If your iPhone has Stolen Device Protection (SDP) enabled, we can still recover your data - but with one important difference. When SDP is active, Apple requires Face ID or passcode authentication to create a local backup. Because of this, we cannot transfer your data to a USB drive or external storage.
Instead, we will need to back up your data directly to your iCloud account. You'll need to provide your iCloud credentials so we can complete the backup. Your data will then be accessible through iCloud on any of your Apple devices.
If you're unsure whether SDP is enabled on your device, don't worry - we'll identify this during diagnostics and walk you through the process.
Business
Business & Enterprise iPhone Data Recovery in California
California is home to the largest concentration of technology companies, entertainment studios, and startups on the planet - and every one of them runs on mobile communication. When a business-critical iPhone fails for a San Francisco venture capitalist, an LA entertainment executive, or a San Jose engineer, the loss goes beyond personal photos - it can include deal communications, intellectual property, production schedules, and privileged legal correspondence.
Silicon Valley tech workers are among the most sophisticated iPhone users in the world, yet even they face the same wall when a device fails: Apple offers no data recovery path. We've recovered critical data for California startup founders who never backed up their prototype documentation, real estate agents in Sacramento with years of client communications on a dead phone, and film production crews in Hollywood who lost irreplaceable on-set footage.
MDRepairs provides professional recovery for California businesses of all sizes. Our Priority Rush and Emergency Same-Day service tiers are designed for situations where downtime carries real financial consequences. We provide formal chain-of-custody documentation for legal proceedings and compliance audits.
For California law firms, healthcare organizations bound by HIPAA, financial services companies, and tech enterprises, we deliver detailed recovery reports documenting our methods and findings. All work is performed in-house at our Lincroft, NJ facility with strict security protocols - your data never leaves our lab or touches a third party's hands.
If your California business has multiple devices requiring recovery or wants priority access for future incidents, ask about our partnership program for businesses and repair shops.
iPhone Data Recovery vs. Other Devices
How iPhone data recovery compares to other device types we service at MDRepairs.
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iPhone vs. Android Recovery
Android devices like Samsung Galaxy phones use a different encryption architecture. While modern Android phones also use full-disk encryption, the implementation varies by manufacturer. Some Android devices allow chip-off NAND reading with decryption, while others require a boot-and-backup approach similar to iPhones. The motherboard repair and microsoldering skills transfer directly. If you have an Android device that needs recovery, visit our cell phone data recovery page for details.
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iPhone vs. iPad Recovery
iPad data recovery uses the same encryption architecture and boot-and-backup approach as iPhone recovery. The primary difference is physical: iPads have larger logic boards with more accessible components, which can simplify certain repairs. However, iPads are more susceptible to flex-related damage due to their larger glass surfaces and thinner chassis. If you need data from a damaged iPad, the same techniques we use for iPhones apply.
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iPhone Data Recovery vs. iPhone Repair
These are two distinct services. iPhone repair makes the phone usable again - replacing screens, batteries, and cameras. Data recovery has a completely different goal: we repair the motherboard just enough to boot the device one time and extract a backup. The microsoldering techniques overlap, but the end goal is different. If your phone just needs a screen or battery, our repair service is faster and less expensive.
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Can Apple Recover Data from a Dead iPhone?
No. Apple does not offer any iPhone data recovery service. Apple data recovery simply does not exist - if you bring a dead or water damaged iPhone to the Apple Store or Genius Bar, they will attempt basic troubleshooting - force restart, DFU restore - and if those don't work, they'll recommend purchasing a replacement. Apple does not perform motherboard repair, microsoldering, or chip-level data extraction. AppleCare does not cover data recovery. Their service model is to swap the entire device, which means your data stays on the old motherboard and goes in the bin. This does not mean your data is unrecoverable - it means Apple doesn't have the tools or business model to recover it. A specialized lab like MDRepairs can.
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Mail-In vs. Local iPhone Recovery
Many people assume they need a local shop for iPhone data recovery, but very few local shops have the equipment or expertise for motherboard repair and microsoldering. Most will tell you nothing can be done or quietly ship your phone to a specialist lab - adding cost and delay. Our nationwide mail-in program connects you directly to the lab doing the work. We provide free insured UPS shipping labels, your device arrives in 2-3 business days, and you get the same expert service whether you're in Alabama, New Jersey, or anywhere else in the country.
In California
Whether you have an iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, or another device in California, MDRepairs provides the motherboard-level expertise required for real data recovery. Our cell phone data recovery service covers all major brands, and Samsung Galaxy recovery is a specialty alongside iPhone work. California residents across Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, and statewide can submit a quote for any device and any type of damage.
After Recovery: How You Receive Your iPhone Data
Once we boot your iPhone and create a full backup, we email you proof of recovery - typically a screenshot or file listing showing photo counts, message threads, and app data. Payment is only collected after you've confirmed the recovery was successful.
Your data is then delivered through our secure data delivery portal or shipped on a USB drive for larger backups.
With the iTunes backup file in hand, you can restore it to a new iPhone using iTunes or Finder, transferring all your photos, messages, contacts, apps, and settings. You can also browse the backup using tools like iMazing or iExplorer to extract individual files without restoring. Switching to Android? Check our data transfer guide.
After you confirm receipt, all copies are securely wiped from our systems.
Ready to Recover Your iPhone Data in California?
Every recovery starts with a $100 professional diagnostic and our no data, no charge guarantee. Call us directly at 732-933-7717 or get started online - we provide free insured shipping both ways.
Coverage
iPhone Data Recovery Cities in California
MDRepairs serves California customers through our secure mail-in program with free prepaid insured shipping both ways from anywhere in CA.
FAQ
iPhone Data Recovery FAQ - California
How much does iPhone data recovery cost for California residents?
Standard motherboard repairs for data recovery range from $1,000 to $1,500 depending on the iPhone model. Advanced CPU or NAND chip transplants for severely damaged boards cost $2,500. California customers pay the same nationwide rates - no shipping surcharges despite the coast-to-coast distance. Our $100 diagnostic identifies the exact failure and provides a firm quote before any work begins.
How do California residents ship their iPhone to MDRepairs?
After you submit a quote request, we email a free prepaid insured UPS shipping label. Pack your iPhone securely - bubble wrap, padding, a small box - and drop it at any UPS location. California has UPS stores in virtually every city and neighborhood. Your device ships coast-to-coast to our Lincroft, NJ lab in 3-5 business days.
Can Apple recover data from a dead iPhone in California?
No - and this surprises many Californians given that Apple is headquartered right here in Cupertino. Apple does not offer data recovery services at any Apple Store, including their flagship locations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and across the state. The Genius Bar will troubleshoot, suggest a replacement, and recommend you check iCloud. They do not perform motherboard repair or microsoldering. For actual chip-level data recovery, you need a specialized lab like MDRepairs.
Can you recover data from a completely dead iPhone?
Yes. A dead iPhone - black screen, no charging indicator, completely unresponsive - usually has a single failed power component on the logic board. The CPU and NAND where your data lives are typically intact. We diagnose the exact component failure, repair it with microsoldering, boot the device, and create a full backup. Many California customers reach us after being told by local shops that nothing could be done.
Is there an iPhone data recovery service near me in California?
Despite California being the tech capital of the world, very few facilities in the state have the microsoldering equipment and expertise for real iPhone data recovery. Most repair shops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and San Jose handle screens and batteries - not motherboard-level chip work. Our mail-in program gives you direct access to the lab performing the actual recovery, without the middleman markup local shops add when outsourcing.
How long does iPhone data recovery take for California customers?
Standard turnaround is approximately 4-5 weeks. Priority Rush (+$250) starts your case within 1-5 business days. Urgent Rush (+$500) and Emergency Same-Day (+$1,000) options are available for time-sensitive situations. Shipping from California to our NJ lab takes 3-5 business days via UPS - slightly longer than East Coast states due to the cross-country distance.
Can you recover data from an iPhone damaged in a California wildfire?
It depends on the severity of heat exposure. If the iPhone was in a structure that burned, direct flame contact likely destroyed the CPU and NAND chips. However, if the device was exposed to smoke, radiant heat, ash, or was recovered from the perimeter of fire damage - recovery is often possible. The chips themselves are remarkably heat-resistant for brief exposures. We've recovered data from fire-adjacent iPhones after multiple California wildfire seasons. Send us photos for an assessment.
My iPhone was damaged in an earthquake - can you recover the data?
Yes, in most cases. Earthquake damage to iPhones typically comes from drops, falling debris, or being crushed - not from the seismic activity itself. If the phone is bent, the screen is shattered, or the housing is cracked but the logic board is structurally intact, we can almost always recover the data. California's seismic activity makes this a scenario we see regularly. Ship the device to our lab for diagnostic evaluation.
Can you recover photos from a broken iPhone without a backup?
Yes - this is our core specialty. We recover photos, videos, messages, contacts, notes, and app data from iPhones that have no iCloud backup and were never synced to iTunes. We repair the motherboard to get the device to boot, then create a full backup directly from the phone. No prior backup of any kind is needed.
Can you recover data from a water-damaged iPhone?
Yes. Water damage is one of our most frequent recovery types from California - ocean drops at Huntington Beach, pool incidents across Southern California, and even morning fog condensation in San Francisco. We use thermal cameras to locate short circuits caused by liquid intrusion, then microsoldering to repair damaged traces and components. Saltwater from the Pacific causes especially aggressive corrosion - ship the device as soon as possible without attempting to power it on.
Can you recover WhatsApp messages from a dead iPhone?
Yes. Once we repair the motherboard and boot the device, we create a complete iTunes backup that includes all app data - WhatsApp conversations, attachments, media, as well as Telegram, Signal, and other messaging apps. California has a large international community that relies heavily on WhatsApp for family communication, and we recover these conversations regularly.
What happens if you can't recover my data?
You only pay the $100 diagnostic fee. If we determine during evaluation that the CPU or NAND is damaged beyond repair, we explain exactly what we found, return your device with free shipping to your California address, and you owe nothing beyond the diagnostic. Our no data, no charge policy means there's no financial risk beyond that initial evaluation.
Can you recover deleted data from an iPhone?
No. iPhones use full-disk encryption tied to the device hardware. When data is deleted, the encryption keys for those storage blocks are discarded, making the data permanently inaccessible - even with the most advanced forensic tools available. No lab anywhere, including in Silicon Valley, can undo this. Our service recovers data from damaged or non-functional iPhones, not from intentional deletion.
Do I need my iPhone passcode for data recovery?
Yes. Apple's encryption requires the device to be unlocked before any backup can be created. You must provide your passcode - and for devices with Face ID, we may need to restore facial recognition functionality or reach a state where the passcode can be entered manually. We cannot bypass passcodes or any Apple security features. No legitimate lab can.
Will my data be kept private and secure?
Absolutely. Your data never leaves our Lincroft, NJ facility, and we never access, view, or copy your personal information. All recovery work is performed in-house with strict chain-of-custody protocols. Data is securely wiped from our systems after you confirm receipt. For California businesses, we provide formal documentation for legal, compliance, or CCPA-related requirements.
Can you recover data from an iPhone stuck in a boot loop?
Yes. A boot loop - the iPhone repeatedly showing the Apple logo before restarting - usually indicates either a hardware fault on the logic board or software corruption. We diagnose which: if it's a failing NAND chip, marginal solder joint, or damaged power rail, we repair the board. If it's software-related, we may extract data without board-level intervention. Either way, do not attempt a factory reset or DFU restore - that will erase everything.
How do you deliver recovered data to California customers?
We deliver recovered data through our secure data delivery portal as a downloadable iTunes backup file. You can also request delivery on a USB flash drive shipped to your California address. The iTunes backup restores to any compatible iPhone through iTunes on Windows or Finder on Mac - or use tools like iMazing to browse and extract individual photos, messages, and files.
Is it worth shipping my iPhone from California to New Jersey?
Yes. iPhone data recovery requires microsoldering equipment and chip-level expertise that virtually no facility in California possesses - regardless of the state's tech reputation. The 3-5-day shipping time is a minor wait compared to the alternative of losing irreplaceable data. Shipping is free, insured, and tracked. You work directly with the lab - no middlemen, no markup, no local shop adding their cut for work they can't actually perform.
Can you recover data from an iPhone that another shop couldn't fix?
Yes - and California generates a large share of these cases. Many customers come to us after a repair shop on Melrose, in the Mission District, or near a university campus told them the phone was a total loss, or worse, attempted a repair that caused additional damage. Most shops lack the board-level tools and training for this work. We regularly succeed where others have failed.
Can you recover data from an iPhone that was in the ocean?
Yes, though Pacific saltwater causes the most severe form of corrosion. If your iPhone went into the ocean at Malibu, Santa Cruz, or San Diego - time is the critical factor. Do not rinse it with fresh water, do not attempt to dry it with heat, and absolutely do not try to charge it. Saltwater corrosion is an active chemical process that accelerates with each passing hour. Get the device to our lab as fast as possible.
What if my iPhone has Stolen Device Protection enabled?
We can still recover your data, but the backup method changes. When Stolen Device Protection is active, Apple requires biometric authentication (Face ID) for local backup creation. In these cases, we back up to your iCloud account instead. We identify this during diagnostics and walk you through the adjusted process before proceeding.
Do you work on Samsung Galaxy and Android phones from California?
Yes. While this page focuses on iPhone recovery, we offer cell phone data recovery for all major brands including Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, OnePlus, and other Android devices. California residents ship any phone to our lab using the same free mail-in process.
My iPhone was left in a hot car in California - can you recover the data?
In most cases, yes. Interior car temperatures in the Central Valley and Southern California deserts can exceed 150°F, which can cause battery swelling, display failure, and logic board damage. However, the CPU and NAND chips are rated for temperatures well above what a car interior reaches. If the phone stopped working after heat exposure, the failure is almost certainly a repairable power component - not chip destruction.
What's the difference between data recovery and iPhone repair?
Standard iPhone repair restores the phone to daily use - replacing screens, batteries, and cameras. Data recovery has a different objective: we repair the motherboard just enough to boot the device one time and create a backup. The phone may not be viable for continued use afterward. If your iPhone just needs a screen or battery, our repair service is faster and far less expensive.
Can I restore the recovered data to a new iPhone?
Yes. The backup we create is a standard iTunes backup - the same format Apple uses natively. Restore it to any compatible iPhone using iTunes on Windows or Finder on Mac. Your new device will contain all recovered photos, messages, contacts, notes, app data, and settings from the original phone - as if nothing happened.
No question matches that - it's probably faster to just ask us: (732) 933-7717 or .
Related Services
More Data Recovery Services in California
MDrepairs offers professional data recovery for all device types. We serve California through our secure, insured mail-in program with free shipping both ways.
Lost your data? We'll get it back.
Start with a $100 diagnostic and our no data, no charge guarantee. Free insured shipping both ways for California customers.