Galaxy S20 FE with Fingerprint Lock, can't access phone due to broken screen

[tlinmaine]

Hi,

I had a Galaxy S20 FE secured with a fingerprint lock.  Then I broke the screen.  I had a couple months' worth of photos that I did not have backed up.  The phone itself still works;  I hear the ring tone on incoming calls and text messages.  Is there any known way to get the phone open or at least recover the photos?

Thanks, everybody.  You all hit the nail.  My security did me in.  The only way to access the phone is to open it first, and I can't do that with a broken screen.  I tried casting it to the TV -- I didn't get a screen image, just the word "Lock."  Not helpful.  Replacing the screen wasn't a viable option.  Too expensive, and it looked like the camera was trashed, too;  I could (and did) buy a new phone for the same price.  Only if I had data or photos that I just had to have would that have been worth it.  Net-net, lesson learned -- don't wait so long to back up recent data.  Understand that if your phone is locked and you trash the screen, you're (or your phone is) toast.

[New 10/29]  Thanks again.  But all the suggestions are "woulda, coulda."   I coulda used an SD card.  But no, I didn't.  I coulda backed up to Google Photos.  But no, I didn't.  (And the problem with that is that Google is just TOO aggressive.  They want to control everything, and before you know it, they've used up your remaing 10 GB of free storage, and "For only $XX per month, you can have more."  I don't want more and I don't want to pay $XX per month, so I cut Google Photos loose and deleted what they had scooped up from my phone.  I think the only answer is to back up my hike photos to my computer when I get home and to back up my computer to a thumb drive on short intervals.  Thanks, again.

tlinmaine

[GaryB82]

Sorry to say the only way would be to get the screen replaced and then you would be able to access the stored information that you have since you can't access the display to enter your pin or fingerprint 

[NoKellieKnow]

Did you happen to have Google Chrome downloaded? cause I think you could recover your pics from Google

[realaud]

If the phone works even if you can't see the screen, you should be able to connect it to a computer and run smart switch, to backup/retrieve your information.  Or you can link to windows and the phone should show up in your windows explorer as  a device, where you can transfer your photos. 

If you do not have a computer, but have a spare phone/tablet/other device with a screen, you can use smart switch to copy the photos to that device.  If you have a TV or monitor with a USB port, you may be able hook the phone to it to use a a phone screen.  If that works and you have more than one USB port, you should be able to open my files and copy your photos to a flash drive. Caveat:  Other than the computer transfer, I have never tried the monitor/TV bypass and am only throwing out there as an idea.  If you buy a new device, you can just do a direct transfer phone to phone.

[GaryB82]

No they won't be able to run Smart switch or Link to Windows since you have to Unlock your device for those to work and since they can't unlock the device due to the broken screen they might be able to us a external monitor with a micro hdmi but I'm not sure about that since the screen is broken and can't be used to enter the pin or fingerprint 

[realaud]

Ok. Thought it would be worth a shot. Not eveone secures their phone. I did think though that a Bluetooth keyboard and monitor might solve that, but I guess not if they didn't already have a keyboard paired. A screen replacement would probably be easier than going through all that anyway.

[GaryB82]

Yeah since the screen has to be replaced anyway and without being able to use the screen to unlock the device nothing can be accessed until it’s fixed and you login it’s that way to prevent anyone getting your locked phone and copying it without your knowledge 

[MrAntPerky]

Does the FE, featured edition by chance??

[ExtraSauce70]

This is a far reach, but are your pictures saving to an SD card.

[realaud]

I read your update.  It's possible a data recovery service can rescue your photos, as the screen is a separate entity from the storage space. Of course, that will cost you as well.  You don't have to synch with Google (as you have discovered), but you can sync with One Drive. If you are an Amazon prime member, Amazon has unlimited photo storage, and I believe you can sync to that.  I'm sure there are apps out there that you can set to automatically backup your photos to the location of your choice on a schedule.  Or, as you came to realize, just backup when you return from your photo expeditions.