When you need files from a phone that will not start, tell me which files and which apps. Getting the phone to turn on, recovering photos and exporting a particular app’s records are different goals. A useful evaluation starts with that distinction, before anyone promises a part or a recovery result.
Make a short list of the information you need
Write down the app names, the type of records you need and the approximate dates. For example, say whether you need saved documents, recordings, notes or messages. Do not send the private contents of those files in a repair request.
Rank the items that matter most. Tell us whether you would accept recovering only those files or whether you also want the phone repaired for daily use. That helps define the work you are asking us to evaluate.
Check existing copies without changing the damaged phone
Use another device you trust to check accounts you already use. Open the actual files you need, if they are available, rather than assuming that signing in means everything is protected. Look for previous exports on your computer as well.
Google explains that not every Android app backs up or restores all of its data. Device backup, synced photos and an app’s own export are not interchangeable. Check the app developer’s instructions for that specific app before assuming a backup will contain its records.
If the Pixel cannot start, Settings-based backup instructions cannot create a fresh backup on it. Note any existing backup date you can verify, but do not erase or reset the damaged phone just to test a restore.
Do not turn a recovery request into an erase attempt
Google’s manual Pixel reset procedure includes a data-wipe step. That is not a way to retrieve files that exist only on the phone. Do not select a factory reset as a repair experiment when those files matter.
Keep your Google password, phone PIN and verification codes out of the quote form. Tell us whether you know the screen lock and can access the account; discuss any necessary access privately after the evaluation scope is clear. Keep a wet, swollen or otherwise unsafe phone off and stop charging it.
Bring the previous diagnosis, but keep it separate from the facts
If another shop said the motherboard was the problem, tell us what they checked and bring any written findings. Also describe what you actually observed: no response, vibration, a charging symbol or a blank screen. A reported diagnosis is useful history, not a diagnosis we can confirm from a message.
Before approving work, ask whether the plan aims to restore the original device enough to access data, replace hardware, or perform another recovery step. Ask what could affect stored information and what the estimate covers if the desired files cannot be recovered.
We can discuss supported-device evaluation at Davie, Tamarac or Fort Lauderdale / Swap Shop. Use the store links below to confirm the model and visit details. Hardware repair does not guarantee app access, a complete export or successful data recovery.
Sources and further reading
Common questions
Does a Google backup include every app’s files?
No. Google says not every app can back up or restore all settings and data. Check the particular app’s backup and export instructions and verify the files you need.
Does a no-power Pixel automatically need a motherboard replacement?
No. Describe the symptoms and previous work, then request evaluation. Ask how any proposed work relates to preserving the data before approving it.
Related repair help
Get a clear next step.
Call your nearest Phone Repair Guy store or send the device and symptoms for a repair evaluation.