Broken iphone

Exactly how broken? It wasn't an iPhone, but I was able to back up an iPad Mini 2 with completely trashed front glass and a non-functional home button. But it was at a time when there was no USB lockout when it was locked. These days there's a setting that doesn't allow it to connect automatically to "USB accessories" including computers unless it's already approved for it manually. I could find it on Find My, turn on the alarm, etc., and even back it up to a computer. But that would mean the internals are fully operational.

If it's a broken front screen but you can operate it normally, then possibly. But if it's exhibiting signs of "ghost touch" where it seems like someone is randomly touching the screen, then that can get risky since that can result in too many passcode attempts and a possible lockout where you'll never be able to recover.

So you might want to consider your options depending on what's broken. Some fixes might require just a front screen assembly. Other times Apple won't consider a device fixable (especially with extensive case damage) and will only offer a complete replacement device in exchange, and for a price. If there's board level damage, Apple will not fix it. There are some cases where seeking aftermarket data recovery repair may make sense, but I'd only recommend it if Apple won't be able to fix it in a way to recover the data, and the data is worth paying for that service, along with a device that won't be usable long term and that Apple likely will refuse to replace.

Cheyenne1406 wrote:

Oh yikes ok no I haven’t ever connected it to a computer so I don’t know if I can use iTunes without the screen working

You're going to need that "Trust" thing with a computer before you can do a backup. And you can't do that without a working touchscreen. Have you tried checking iCloud.com to see if it's still doing regular updates? However, you might have problems with two-factor authentication (it will ask for a code that's presented on trusted devices) unless you have other devices that are trusted with your Apple ID.

It's also possible to increase your iCloud storage. If everything on your phone is functional (although not necessarily perfect) except the front screen assembly, it might still back up to iCloud every night. This would require a regular Wi-Fi network that it will connect to automatically. That's what I saw with my iPad Mini 2 that I mentioned. It was like a headless chicken where the head was the screen and the body was the rest of the device. I could trigger the alarm on Find My, see the battery charge level, and even find out the approximate location (which happened to be my home). I couldn't see anything on the front screen other than the backlight turning on and couldn't unlock it, but it was clearly still working otherwise.

I'd try logging into iCloud.com and seeing if you can see your iPhone on Find My. Maybe even turn on the alarm. If that's the case, I'd look to see what's in the iCloud backup and whether or not it might be worth adding to it. How much data do you believe your iPhone is using?

Then you likely cannot move data to a new phone if you didn't backup the phone before it broke. Sorry. You could pay Apple for a Screen replacement, but Apple won't guarantee total loss of data in the process.

This is why regular backups are vital. My iPhone backs up every night while being charged and connected to Wifi with the screen locked. If you haven't been using iCloud backup or backed up the phone to your computer using iTunes, you're likely out of luck here.

You could try an iFixit type of place in your town, and see how much they'd charge to try. You might waste money and get nothing, but that would really be your only hopeful option.

If you paid for the $2.99 plan which is 200GB, it's hard to imagine you ran out of storage space in the cloud. Have you gone to www.icloud.com, signed in with your Apple ID and Password and looked at the photos stored in the cloud?

Cheyenne1406 wrote:

The screen isn’t useable but the light still comes on when I touch it and pick it up

That's a good sign that it's working. Kind of like my iPad Mini 2. Did you ever connected it to a computer where you "trusted" it? If so, it might be possible to perform a backup using iTunes on a PC or with a Mac.

If you want Apple to fix it, the only issue is whether or not it's undamaged other than the front screen assembly. If the case or anything inside is damaged, Apple won't replace the front screen assembly unless they're satisfied that it will be in good working shape. Their philosophy is that while they understand that the data is important to the user, it's always the responsibility of the user to do proper backups. Sending in any device into Apple comes with the caveat that it may be replaced at Apple's discretion or possibly repaired but wiped for one reason or another. They consider it their obligation to provide a working device, and nothing beyond that. Even for something as basic as a battery service or a front screen replacement. For most customers, it won't be wiped, but that's always something to consider if the data on your iPhone is more important than getting an official Apple repair.

Depends on how broken it is? If the phone doesn't operate, touch isn't possible, etc., the screen is smashed, buttons don't work, then no, you can't back it up at all. The time to ensure no loss of data is before something catastrophic happens with your phone.

Is the screen cracked/broken?

It's not likely going to have a good conclusion for you. If you were out of iCloud storage, you could have purchased a 50GB plan for a mere $.99/month.