Mobile Device Recovery

Causes of a Mobile Device Failure

Mobile devices fail for a multitude of reasons, including:

•      Wear and tear. Using phones and tablets daily will wear them out and cause failure in the long run.
•      Impact. Roughly handling a phone or tablet, dropping them, or accidentally bumping into them while plugged in will cause problems over time, such as loose or disconnected components.
•      Liquids. Accidental coffee spills, water damage, and other intrusive liquids can harm external and internal electronic components.
•     Electrical problems. Power surges and electrical storms can damage the function of mobile devices
•     Overfull storage – when a mobile device has too many files on it (such as a host of photos and videos), the operating system can fail, and “brick” the device.
•     File deletion – When texts and/or photos are deleted (whether it’s intentional or not)
•     Logical failure. Operating system errors, viruses, and accidents can lead to a malfunctioning device.
•     Manufacturer’s defect. Many drives fail from firmware bugs or faulty parts. Manufacturers may have warranties against failures, but they will replace the device and not the data.

Signs of an Impending or Current Mobile Device Failure

Mobile devices will show signs of failure. Check to see if your device is showing any of these symptoms:

•     Passcode does not work, despite being the correct passcode
•     Device is unable to reach the login screen
•     Typical functions take longer to execute, screens load slowly, or you have to attempt actions multiple times
•     Endless loop when rebooting the device (for example, never getting past the Apple logo on startup)
•     Computer does not detect the device when it is plugged in
•     Files are unable to be deleted, moved, or edited

Error-14 and Deleted Data

Mobile devices can be tricky to conduct data recovery on, but if anyone can do it, it’s us. That said, there are a couple things worth noting before you send in your mobile device for data recovery.

•  Error-14 is a specific iPhone crash that is unfortunately unrecoverable. This happens when the phone is overfull and renders its own software inoperable. Recovering data on a smartphone involves getting the phone up and functional enough to access its contents. If the phone is too full of data to open its own operating system, then the data cannot be extracted. If you do have an Error-14, factory resetting your device is the only option. You may have an Error 14 if…
  • If you have thousands of photos and videos on your phone that you never delete
  • You recently attempted to run a system update, or a system update was recently released
  • You are in a “boot loop” – when you try to boot up the phone, it gets stuck at the Apple logo, and may even get stuck rebooting to that same spot over and over.
  • You plug your phone into your computer, and iTunes reports an Error-14, or asks to factory reset your phone.
• Deleted Data can be a tricky endeavor to recover. Mobile device technology has come a long way, and several new features over the last few years have made deleted data harder to recover than ever before. There is a feature called “trim” that overwrites your phone’s data records on an ongoing basis. It keeps the memory of the phone organized and keeps things speedy. This means that when something is deleted, it isn’t long before it’s gone permanently. As long as the phone is on, it is conducting activity that is overwriting data. You don’t even have to be using it. If the data has been gone for more than a few days, it’s unlikely we will be able to find it. We are, of course, always willing to take a look. If you have accidentally deleted data that you cannot lose, you should turn off your device immediately and contact us.

Mobile Device Recovery Process

One of Flashback Data’s customer service representatives will provide you with a scenario-based estimate, and an explanation about how the process works. We also provide a time estimate depending on your chosen service level and failure symptoms. We offer many options from low-cost and low-priority, to emergency and same-day service.

Step 1: Paperwork

You can fill out the required paperwork here, or click Send Your Media! below to electronically submit your case, and receive an optional UPS shipping label for free. We can always send the paperwork through email if you want to fill it out manually. You can ship your damaged media to us, or bring it to our lab.

Step 2: Check-in

We will send you an email and call you once your media arrives safely and we have checked in into our system. The email will contain a username and password to easily track your data recovery job’s status via our client portal.

Step 3: Diagnosis

Once our technicians have diagnosed your drive, you will receive a firm quote of the recovery cost. At this point, you can choose to accept or decline the recovery quote.

Step 4: Recovery

If you accept the recovery quote, we will begin the recovery process. You can always review your recovery status via the client portal, or by calling us at 866.786.5700. We will provide a file listing of the information we have recovered, so you can check and verify it is a good recovery.

Step 5: Transfer

We will place the recovered data on another destination media (like a flash drive or a hard drive) after it is reviewed and approved. We will then ship the data back to you, or you can pick it up from our facilities.

That’s it!  If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at any time.

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