How to Protect Your Data Before Any Phone Repair

Why a little preparation goes a long way

Most repairs, like screens, batteries and charging ports, don't involve the parts of the phone that store your photos and messages. Your data normally comes through untouched. But any repair carries a small risk, and phones that are already damaged can fail at any time. A few minutes of preparation means that if anything does go wrong, you lose nothing that matters.

Here's a step-by-step checklist that works for iPhone, Samsung, Pixel and other Android phones.

Step 1: Make a fresh backup

This is the single most important step. Do it the day of the repair or the day before.

• iPhone: tap your name at the top of Settings, then iCloud and iCloud Backup, and tap Back Up Now. Or back up to a computer with Finder on a Mac or the Apple Devices app on Windows. Our post on backing up an iPhone before a screen repair has the full steps.
• Android: find Backup in Settings and run a backup to your Google account. Samsung owners can also use Samsung Cloud or Smart Switch.
• Apps with their own backups: some apps keep their data separately. WhatsApp chats, for example, are backed up from inside WhatsApp's own settings. If you use an authenticator app for two-step sign-in codes, make sure it's backed up or synced too.

Check that the backup actually finished. Look for the date and time of the last successful backup.

Step 2: Don't sign out of everything

It's natural to want to lock everything down, but signing out of your Apple Account or Google account, or turning off features like Find My, isn't needed for most at-home repairs. Signing out can cause more trouble than it prevents: re-syncing photos, re-entering passwords and dealing with verification codes afterwards.

Leave things as they are. If a specific repair needs a particular step, the technician will tell you and explain why.

Step 3: Never share passwords or verification codes

A repair technician never needs:

• Your Apple Account or Google account password
• Your email, banking or social media passwords
• Your bank card PIN
• One-time verification codes sent by text or email

Step 4: Use your passcode for testing only

After a repair, the phone has to be tested properly: touch across the whole screen, Face ID or the fingerprint sensor, cameras, speakers, microphones and charging. Many of those tests need the phone unlocked.

With an at-home repair, you're right there, so the simplest option is to unlock the phone yourself when it's time to test. If you'd rather share your passcode, you can change it once the visit is over. Either way, it's only used to check that the repair worked.

Step 5: Use a repair mode if your phone has one

Some Android phones have a built-in way to hide your data during a repair:

• Samsung Galaxy: Maintenance mode, found in your device care or battery settings on recent One UI versions, restarts the phone into a separate, empty profile. Your apps, photos and accounts are hidden until you turn it off with your own lock.
• Google Pixel: Repair mode, found under System in Settings on supported models, works in a similar way.

These modes are most useful when a phone is going to be out of your hands. They need a working screen to turn on, and you'll need to turn them off again to test the repaired phone fully, so for a repair done in front of you they're optional.

Step 6: Hide notification previews

Messages can pop up on the lock screen while the phone is being worked on. If that bothers you, set previews to show only when unlocked. On iPhone, that's Settings › Notifications › Show Previews › When Unlocked. On Android, look for lock screen notification options in Settings.

Step 7: SIM and memory cards

• Leave your SIM card in unless the technician asks you to remove it. Most repairs don't require it.
• If you use an eSIM, there's nothing to remove. Don't delete it.
• If your Android phone has a microSD card, it's sensible to pop it out and keep it yourself.

What to expect on the day

With an at-home visit, your phone doesn't leave your sight. The technician does the repair at your table, in your lobby or at your car, then tests it with you. There's no need for anyone to copy, open or browse your data. For more on how a visit runs from start to finish, see our at-home phone repair guide.

Need a hand?

Once you're backed up, call or WhatsApp (365) 351-4247 or request a visit online. A certified woman technician comes to your home, workplace, parked car or condo lobby, gives you a free quote before any work starts, and repairs your phone while you watch. See our iPhone repair page and the areas we cover.

Frequently asked questions

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