One of the most common and worst things to happen to our smartphones is to have its screen broken. When this happens, either you have to deal with the rough edges against the tips of your fingers or the touchscreen becomes entirely unresponsive. Fortunately an unresponsive screen doesn't have to mean the end of your device, you can still use it via a PC. Here is how you can do that:

How to access data from a broken screen with a functioning display

In case your device’s screen is broken but the display is still functioning, all you need a USB OTG (On the Go) along with a mouse to have your device connected. An USB OTG allows mobile devices to be connected to other devices. Essentially Android devices feature a mini-USB which can simply be connected to a mouse that comes with a USB. The USB OTG is responsible for these connections.When you connect a mouse to your device, you will be able to unlock whatever security set up you have on your device, such as a pattern, password or PIN.After the phone is unlocked, then you can mount to your computer and transfer the data you want to any external memory or to the storage of your microSD card. Otherwise, you can connect it directly to your PC and move the files there.

How to access data in case the screen is turned off

If you are unable to see or access your screen, then a VNC program is what you need. You can find a lot of these on the market, thus finding one that is safe and even free, shouldn't be too hard. Basically, these programs are able to present the interface on your Android device on a PC allowing you to control it from there.All you need to do, is download the program onto your PC as well as your Android device. You can also choose a paid version that comes packed with more features aside from this.

If you are still unable to retrieve your data

If you’ve tried the above options and you are still unable to recover your data, then you may need to take it to a shop that can handle the problem for you. Though this may cost you some cash, it is the best solution because aside from getting you your data, you will also go home with a fixed phone.Whatever shop you decide to go to, ensure that it has a good reputation, so ensure you ask around from people who've had satisfactory services, to avoid getting ripped off.Have you been able to retrieve your data from a broken smartphone? Let us know in the comments below.

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What's my model number?

There are several ways to locate your model number:

Option 1
On your device, go to Settings, then "About device" and scroll down to "Model number"
Option 2
Often times you can view the model number inside the device, by removing the battery
Option 3
Using Samsung's model/serial number location tool

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