Data Recovery from an iPhone with Black/Blank Screen

A black screen always results from a hardware problem with your iPhone. Mainly, there are two pieces of hardware might be related to this issue: Your iPhone's Display and the Logic Board. The logic board to a smartphone is what a brain to human being. The display shows you the images you see, but the logic board tells it what to display. Also, there are four major components built into your iPhone's display: the LCD screen, the digitizer, the front-facing camera and the home button. So, technologically, iPhone will turn to a black/blank screen due to any malfunction of them. 

Generally speaking, if the problem is caused by hardware, it might be hard to be repaired by ourselves. However, a software crash can cause your iPhone display to freeze and turn black as same as the case that iPhone is stuck on Apple Logo, so there are still solutions to make it right. For more details, you can check out the fifth section of this article.

• Feasibility: Why Is It Possible to Restore Data on a Black/Blank iPhone?
• Method 1: Directly Extract Files from iPhone
• Method 2: Restore Contents from an iTunes Backup
• Method 3: Recover Data from an iCloud Backup
• Solutions: How to Fix iPhone Stuck on Black/Blank Screen?

Feasibility: Why Is It Possible to Restore Data on a Black/Blank iPhone?

An iPhone with black/blank screen is in fact still working but one sees nothing on the screen. You can hold the iPhone for a while and you would know that it's still getting hot as usual. Your iPhone is on, but the screen is black. Your iPhone rings, but you can't answer the call.

However, it might be hard to be repaired if it's caused by hardware problems. So, in case that you lose the existing data on your iPhone. It's recommended to export and recover current contents to the computer. If you've backed up your iPhone via iTunes or iCloud, it's a cakewalk to restore them to computer or another iPhone. Or, with no luck, you have no backups available. You can try iPhone Data Recovery to directly recover your data to the computer without any data loss.

Method 1: Directly Extract Files from iPhone

If there are no backup files available, you might as well try to restore data on iPhone with a black/blank screen via iPhone Data Recovery. If you've been connected your iPhone to the software, it's possible to access files on iPhone even though the screen is non-responsive.

Step 1. Connect Disabled iPhone to the Computer

Launch iPhone Data Recovery on Mac/PC and connect your iPhone to it. Since the default function is "Recover from iOS Device", so you don't have to choose it again.

After your iPhone is connected, you need to choose desired types of data to scan. Please make your choices and hit the "Start Scan" button to start scanning for the lost data.

Note that the more data you choose, the longer it takes to scan them out.

Step 2. Preview and Export Current Data

When scanning completes, users are allowed to preview all the contents before the recovery. Then, users can selectively restore files to the computer. Please choose files and tap on "Recover to Computer".

Method 2: Restore Contents from an iTunes Backup

If lucky, you've backed up data before long, you can choose to restore iTunes backup to another iOS device via iTunes. Done by: Connect another iOS to the latest version of iTunes, go to "Files" > "Devices" > "Restore from backup...". However, if you have no another iOS device or don't want to overwrite existing data, try iPhone Data Recovery.

Step 1. Scan the iTunes Backup

Perform iPhone Data Recovery and choose the second function on the left panel - "Restore from iTunes Backup File". It takes seconds to automatically scan out existing iTunes backups on the computer, which will be showed with Name, Model, Date, Size and Serial Number. Please choose one to start the scanning.

Note that you might need to navigate to the iTunes backup files if you changed the default route.

Step 2. Check out Data and Get them Recovered

It might take as much time as compared to the size of the backup file. After that, all the data stored in the backup will be scanned out and displayed on the screen. You can preview the contents and choose to restore them on Mac/PC with a touch of "Recover to Computer'. You can view them in full size after the restoration.

Method 3: Recover Data from an iCloud Backup

Also, you can restore files uploaded to iCloud to another iOS device. The iOS device needs to be reset in order to retrieve data from an iCloud backup. If you nevertheless have no other iOS devices, you can use iPhone Data Recovery to export data stored in iCloud to the computer.

Step 1. Download Files from iCloud

After you run iPhone Data Recovery, please choose "Recover from iCloud Backup File". Next, you will need to enter your iCloud account for the access to contents on iCloud.

Note that no personal information will be recorded or saved.

Then, iCloud backup files will be listed on the program with information like Name, Model, Date and Size. Please choose the according backup and click on "Download" button. You will now be asked to choose types of data to download. Please tap on "Next" option to begin downloading.

Step 2. Retrieve Data to the Computer

Since it needs to download data from iCloud, it might take a while to finish downloading. After that, please check for the details of data you chose and highlight contents that you'd like to export to computer. Hit the "Recover to Computer" option and choose the route to save them on Mac/Win.

Solutions: How to Fix iPhone Stuck on Black/Blank Screen?

As I've mentioned before, it would be more difficult to fix the problem if caused by hardware issue. However, if not, you can try the following solutions one by one and see whether it works.

1. Try to force your device to restart.

You can force your disabled iPhone to reboot even if your screen is black/blank or your buttons aren't responding. Forcing your device to restart won't erase the content currently on your device.

To force restart an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus: Press and hold both the Sleep/Wake and Volume Down buttons for at least ten seconds, until you see the Apple logo.

To force restart an iPhone 6s and earlier, iPad, or iPod touch: Press and hold both the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons for at least ten seconds, until you see the Apple logo.

2. Charge for an Hour

If your device still won't turn on or start up, you can try plugging in your iPhone and have it charged for up to one hour. If you see the charging screen after a few minutes, it means that it's working. If you don't see the charging screen within an hour, or you see the connect to power screen, check the jack, USB cable, and power adapter. Make sure that everything is plugged in firmly, free of debris, and not damaged. You might want to try a different USB cable or power adapter.

3. Drain out Juice until iPhone Powers off

Totally different from the 2nd method, you might as well try to let your iPhone run out of battery, which means that you just let the battery dead and then re-charge it again. Then, see whether it will show the charging screen. You can try the 2nd method before coming to this way.

4. Fix via iOS System Recovery

iOS System Recovery is a software well-designed to cope with a variety of iOS problems. It can help users get iPhone out of all kinds of trouble like being stuck in Recovery Mode, Apple Logo and so on. It's easy and fast to user.

Step 1. Connect iPhone to iOS System Recovery.

Step 2. Download corresponding package for repairing.

Step 3. Start the process of repairing and wait till it's done.

I hope this guide will help you get your data currently on iPhone with black/blank screen. Before you try to recover data on your iPhone, you might try iOS System Recovery to fix this issue. If it works, you don't need to extract contents from your iPhone, right?