Samsung S21 broken – help me transfer data to know phone (or fix it ideally)

How to Transfer Data from a Broken Samsung Galaxy S21 to a New Device

Experiencing device issues can be frustrating, especially when you’re not highly tech-savvy. If your Samsung Galaxy S21 has become unusable due to hardware failure—such as a broken touchscreen—rest assured that there are methods to recover your important data and transition smoothly to a new device. This guide provides straightforward, beginner-friendly solutions for data transfer and device management when your current phone is inaccessible.

Understanding Your Situation

You have been using your Galaxy S21 for around five years, and recently it suffered a drop that resulted in touchscreen failure—specifically, unresponsiveness to inputs below the number 7 on the PIN screen. Although the phone’s screen appears physically intact, you cannot enter your PIN to unlock the device, complicating direct access to your data. Notably, you can still make emergency calls and the touchscreen responds externally, indicating some functions remain operational.

You’ve backed up photos and documents to the cloud but lack copies of app data and passwords. With plans to upgrade to a new phone—potentially the Galaxy S25—you wish to transfer vital data seamlessly without relying on a fully operational old device or advanced technical tools.

Options for Data Transfer When Your Phone Is Broken

Use Samsung’s Find My Mobile Service
Samsung offers a service called Find My Mobile, which, if enabled prior to device failure, allows remote access to certain device functions.

Steps:

Log into your Samsung account via a web browser on a computer or another device.
Select your broken Galaxy S21 under ‘My Devices’.
Use the “Unlock” feature to remotely unlock your device without entering the PIN. This action will disable the lock screen, enabling full access.
Once unlocked, you can initiate data transfer via Samsung Cloud or connect your device to a new one.

Note: This method requires prior setup; if you haven’t enabled remote unlocking, this option may not be available.