If a smartphone touchscreen gets broken in a fall or goes out for other reasons, you often cannot see your data and photos. And the main way to control your phone is also gone.
While you may have a USB cable and computer on hand, you will not always be able get to your precious data using the PC, especially if the telephone includes an unlock code or pattern.
There are some ways to get around that limitation, according to Daniel Rottinger from the German telecommunications portal teltarif.de.
A USB keyboard can be used on Android or Windows Phone devices with the help of a special adapter available online for only a few euros.
The unlock code can be typed in on the keyboard and users can transfer the data inside to a computer, saving themselves the expense of repairing the broken display.
If the owner has been using an unlock pattern instead, the adapter can be connected to a USB mouse. But, Rottinger said, unlocking the device might prove a bit tricky.
"Unlocking is not as easy as with a PIN code, since the user must estimate at what starting position the mouse currently is," Rottinger said.
In addition, not all mobile devices are compatible with USB mouses.
Another saving grace could be a removable memory card, if there is a slot built into the phone. Since the card will have functioned as the storage location for photos and videos, it can simply be taken out at any time and read on a computer.