iPad Data Recovery
iPad dead, smashed or water damaged, with photos and documents still inside? We recover data from iPads at board level at our Burwood and Newtown workshops — including tablets that will not power on at all. Free assessment before you commit to anything.
Professional iPad Data Recovery
Most people who come to us for data recovery are not dealing with failed storage. They are dealing with an iPad that will not switch on, and the photos, notes and schoolwork inside are perfectly intact. Separating those two situations is the first thing we do, because it changes the job completely.
iPads make this harder than laptops. The storage is soldered directly to the logic board and encrypted against that specific device, so there is no drive to remove and read elsewhere. To reach the data, the board has to work well enough to boot — which means diagnosing and repairing whatever stopped it. That is board-level work, and it is the reason many shops will tell you the data is unrecoverable when what they mean is that they cannot do it.
For phones, laptops and other devices, see our general data recovery service. For iPads specifically, this is the page.
iPad Models We Recover Data From
Every iPad Apple has released, Pro, Air, mini and standard.
| Model | Apple model numbers |
|---|---|
| iPad Pro 13-inch (M5, M4) | A3360 · A2925 · A2926 |
| iPad Pro 11-inch (M5, M4) | A3357 · A2836 · A2837 |
| iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd–6th gen) | A2436 · A2378 · A2229 · A1876 |
| iPad Pro 11-inch (1st–4th gen) | A2759 · A2377 · A2228 · A1980 |
| iPad Air 13-inch (M4, M3, M2) | A3461 · A3268 · A2898 |
| iPad Air 11-inch (M4, M3, M2) | A3459 · A3266 · A2902 |
| iPad Air 3, 4 and 5 | A2152 · A2316 · A2588 |
| iPad mini 6 and mini (A17 Pro) | A2567 · A2993 |
| iPad mini 2–5 | A1489 · A1599 · A1538 · A2133 |
| iPad (A16, 10th, 9th gen) | A3354 · A2696 · A2602 |
| iPad 5th–8th gen | A1822 · A1893 · A2197 · A2270 |
| iPad 2, 3 and 4 | A1395 · A1416 · A1458 |
When You Need iPad Data Recovery
- iPad will not power on, or shows a blank screen
- Stuck on the Apple logo, or restarting in a loop
- Screen smashed so badly you cannot unlock it
- Dropped, and dead since
- Liquid spilt on it
- Photos or notes that have disappeared
- Storage reported as full, corrupt or unreadable
- Not recognised when connected to a computer
If any of these apply, the most useful thing you can do is stop using the iPad. Continued use is what turns recoverable data into overwritten data.
Our Recovery Process
- Assessment. We establish whether the fault is the tablet or the storage. Free.
- Quote and honest odds. You get a price and a realistic view of the chances before we start.
- Board repair where needed, carried out under a microscope.
- Recovery and verification. You confirm the files you needed are there.
- Handover. Data supplied on your drive or ours, plus advice on backing up so it does not happen twice.
Why Choose Cheap Mobile Repair
- Board-level recovery from iPads that will not power on, not just healthy devices.
- Free assessment before you commit.
- Realistic answers. We tell you early if we think the data is gone.
- Your privacy respected. We verify the recovery; we do not read your files.
- Experience with soldered, encrypted Apple storage.
- Trading since 2015 across Burwood, Newtown, Parramatta and Adelaide.
iPad Data Recovery Cost
Price follows difficulty rather than urgency. An iPad with a smashed screen and a healthy board is a modest job — often just a screen replacement to restore access. A corroded board after a spill takes far more work and costs accordingly.
The assessment is free and the quote comes before any work. If recovery is not viable we will say so at that point, not after a bill has built up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you recover data from an iPad that will not turn on?
Very often, yes. A tablet that will not start usually has a power, charging or board fault rather than dead storage. We work at board level, so we can frequently bring a board back far enough to read the data even when the iPad itself is beyond economic repair.
Is iPad storage removable?
No. On every iPad the storage is soldered to the logic board and encrypted to that specific device, so it cannot be lifted out and read in another machine. Recovery means repairing the board, which is why many shops tell customers the data is gone.
I deleted photos by accident. Can they be recovered?
Sometimes, if you act quickly and stop using the iPad immediately. Every minute of normal use risks overwriting what was deleted. Check your iCloud backup first, then bring it in.
How much does iPad data recovery cost?
It depends on why the data is unreachable. A tablet with a broken screen but a healthy board is straightforward. A corroded board after a spill is not. We assess first and quote before starting.
How long does it take?
Simple cases can be same day. Board-level cases take longer because the repair has to come first. We give you a realistic timeframe after the assessment rather than an optimistic one at the counter.
Do you need my passcode?
Yes, in most cases. iPad storage is encrypted and tied to your credentials, so without the passcode or your Apple Account details the data stays unreadable even to us.
Will you look at my files?
No. We access the storage only as far as needed to verify the recovery worked, and we do not browse your files. If you would rather be present when it is checked, ask and we will arrange it.
My iPad was water damaged. Is the data gone?
Not necessarily, but time matters enormously. Corrosion spreads every day the tablet sits. See our iPad water damage repair page and bring it in quickly.
The screen is smashed and I cannot unlock it. Can you still get my data?
Usually yes. If the display is the only thing broken, replacing it restores access and your data is untouched. That is often the cheapest route to your files.
What if the data cannot be recovered?
We tell you plainly and early, rather than after a long bill. Some failures are genuinely unrecoverable and pretending otherwise helps nobody.
Visit Our Stores
We handle iPad data recovery at our Burwood store at 10 Burwood Rd and our Newtown store at Shop 1A, 2 Enmore Road. Customers in Parramatta can use our free pickup and delivery service.
For everything else your iPad might need, see our main iPad repair page, or get in touch and we will point you in the right direction.
