iPhone data recovery at iFixForU starts at $129 for logic-level recovery — getting data off a phone that won't boot, won't display, or won't respond — with a free diagnostic first to tell you whether your case is recoverable at all. Deeper board-level rescues (severe water damage, dead logic boards) are quoted individually after inspection; across the industry those advanced cases commonly run $300 and up, and our quote comes before any work does. If we determine the data can't be recovered, the diagnostic still costs you nothing.
Data recovery is a trust business more than a price business, so this guide is deliberately honest: what's realistically savable, what isn't — no shop can beat iPhone encryption, and anyone who claims otherwise deserves your suspicion — and exactly how your privacy is handled while a stranger has your phone.
iPhone Data Recovery Cost (2026)
| Scenario | Typical approach | Cost at iFixForU |
|---|---|---|
| Phone won't turn on, board intact | Diagnose and revive the phone enough to extract | $129 (logic-level) |
| Screen dead/shattered, phone alive underneath | Temporary screen fitted to unlock and export | $129 |
| Water-damaged, board recoverable | Ultrasonic cleaning first, then extraction | Water treatment $99–149 + recovery as needed |
| Dead logic board | Board-level repair to boot once and extract | Quoted after free diagnostic (industry norm $300+) |
| Forgotten passcode / locked account | — | Not a service we offer (see below) |
The $129 logic-level tier covers the majority of walk-ins: the phone is fundamentally intact, it just can't be operated normally. Board-level work is genuinely harder — microscope soldering, donor parts, hours of bench time — which is why the industry charges accordingly and why we quote it case-by-case instead of pretending one price fits all.
What Can Usually Be Saved — Honestly
Good news first. These cases have high success rates on our bench:
- Dead screen, alive phone. The most common case and the easiest: your data is fine, the display just died. We fit a working screen, you enter your passcode, everything exports.
- Won't power on due to battery, charging port, or power-circuit faults. Fix the specific fault, phone boots, data intact. Often the "recovery" is simply a repair that brings the whole phone back.
- Water damage caught early. Storage chips frequently survive a swim even when other circuits don't. Cleaned and revived boards usually yield everything.
- Boot loops and Apple-logo hangs. Often software or a failing component; recoverable in most cases once the underlying fault is found.
What Usually Can't Be Saved — Also Honestly
Now the part many shops mumble about:
- Forgotten passcodes and locked Apple Accounts. iPhone storage is hardware-encrypted, and the key is derived from your passcode inside the Secure Enclave. Without the passcode, the data is mathematically unreadable — not by us, not by anyone advertising otherwise. We do not bypass locks, period. This is also your protection: it's why a stolen iPhone is a brick.
- Physically destroyed storage. If the NAND chip itself is crushed or burned, there is nothing to read.
- Boards damaged beyond one boot. Some severely corroded or shorted boards cannot be revived even once. We'll tell you this at the diagnostic, not after billing you.
- Data overwritten or erased. A factory-reset iPhone discards its encryption key. That data is gone by design.
One honest rule of thumb: if the phone was working and got damaged, odds are good. If the barrier is Apple's security rather than hardware, odds are zero — and you should distrust anyone who says otherwise.
Your Privacy While We Have Your Phone
Handing over a device full of your photos, messages, and banking apps deserves more than a shrug. Our commitments:
- You unlock it, not us. Wherever possible, passcode entry and data export happen with you present. We never ask you to disable Find My for a recovery, and we never need your Apple Account password.
- Data goes to your destination only — your new phone, your own drive, or your iCloud. We don't retain copies; working files created during extraction are deleted in front of you on request.
- In-store bench work. Recovery happens at our own benches, not mailed to an unnamed third party.
- Plain-language consent. Before board-level work, you sign off on exactly what will be attempted and what it costs. No work, no charge beyond the agreed diagnostic outcome.
The Cheapest Recovery Is the One You Never Need
We'd rather lose a sale than skip this section: turn on iCloud Backup tonight. Settings → your name → iCloud → iCloud Backup. The free 5GB tier fills fast, but even $0.99/month for 50GB means a drowned phone becomes an inconvenience instead of a catastrophe. Photos, messages, and app data restore to a replacement phone in an hour. Our busiest recovery days are the ones that follow beach weekends — nearly every one of those jobs would have been unnecessary with backup switched on. If your phone currently works and you're reading this pre-emptively: stop, back up, then come back.
How It Works, Step by Step
- Free diagnostic (any of our nine stores). We identify the fault and give you a straight answer: recoverable, recoverable-with-board-work, or not recoverable — with the price for your specific case.
- Your approval. Nothing is opened or attempted beyond diagnosis until you agree to the quote.
- The rescue. Screen fitted, fault repaired, or board revived — whatever your case needs.
- Export with you. Your data lands where you want it, verified, before you pay the recovery fee.
Walk into Alhambra or Arcadia (Huntington Dr) — both benches handle recovery daily — or any other location, or book online. Every associated repair carries our standard 90-day warranty.
Bottom Line
$129 covers the common case: a phone that's broken but not gone. Board-level rescues cost more everywhere — we quote yours honestly after a free look instead of quoting a fantasy number to win the job. And if what stands between you and your data is Apple's encryption rather than damage, save your money: nobody can help, including us. Then go turn on iCloud Backup, because the best data recovery story is the one that never gets written.
FAQ
My iPhone is completely dead. Is the data really still there?
Usually, yes. Data lives on a NAND storage chip that's more durable than the circuits around it. A phone that won't boot is a delivery problem, not necessarily a data problem — the free diagnostic will tell you which one you have.
Can you recover data if I forgot my passcode?
No — and be wary of anyone who says yes. iPhone encryption keys derive from your passcode; without it, the storage is unreadable at a physics level. Try Apple's official account-recovery routes instead.
How long does data recovery take?
Logic-level cases often finish same-day, around an hour of bench time. Board-level rescues can take several days depending on damage. You'll get a real timeline with your quote, not a guess.
Do you keep any of my data afterward?
No. Data is exported to your destination, working copies are deleted, and export happens with you present whenever possible. Your passcode is entered by you, and we never need your Apple Account password.