So, I smashed my screen

[Lioness666]

Ok, this is more a little rant I feel the need to have right now. I crunched my phone whilst in my back pocket, and destroyed it. It's dead, hundreds of cracks and the touchscreen is not responding. It's under warranty and I've booked the repair already. My problem comes with doing a data backup before sending it off.

Now, before everyone shouts USB otg like I'm some kind of dafty, I've tried that. I used the mouse, unlocked my phone, even went into settings and denied sleep mode (and visited my clash of clans account and spent all my loot). The thing is, when I plugin Sony bridge for Mac I get an options box pops up...

use usb connection for

1. Charging

2. Data transfer 

3. Media transfer

4 another random thing I can't recall.

herein lies my problem: I can only control my screen with the mouse. As soon as I disconnect the USB from the computer to plug the mouse back in, the screen goes away. I've tried mobizen mirroring, and zyber...each time I get lost at some point in the start up process as I need to unplug my phone from one source to another.

Ive even tried connecting my phone to the Mac via Bluetooth, whereupon my phone says they are paired, and the Mac says they aren't. Would it not make more sense to have data transfer as the first option on the list? I'm at my wits end, been growling at the computer now for over 3 hours and gotten nowhere

[Lord_viridis]

Ok this might work, it might not but worth a try..
Enable Dev mode by tapping build number in settings/ about device 7 times.
Enable USB debugging.
Scroll a bit down and select "USB protocol" change to mtp.
Try connecting it again.

The other option is, using an otg mouse, pair the phone to a Bluetooth mouse or Dualshock 4
Use that to navigate and select mtp mode when the popup appears.

[Lioness666]

Thanks, unfortunately this also doesn't work. I had already allowed usb debugging through mobizen and set it to mtp protocols. I've also tried to connect to the Bluetooth mouse but it doesn't seem to want to do that either.

about to try using PS controller, this is possibly the final option now. So frustrating

[Lioness666]

PS4 controller didn't work either. You could highlight the popup box or click cancel, but can't actually change the option from "for charging" to any of the other three options. 

Also, neither the Mac or the laptop are actually picking the phone up as a device when plugged in (eg as an additional storage device etc) guess I'm just gonna need to send it as is

[Didrik · Accepted solution]

Hi @Lioness666,

I'm sorry to hear about your phone.

With what @Viridis suggested you should simply have to connect your device to a computer and the computer will recognize a connected MTP-device without you having to press an option on the phones display. However if you are on a Mac you will need to have Xperia Companion installed in order to make a backup.

Should the above not work you can make a backup directly in the phone to an SD-card or an online-account under Settings > Backup & Restore if you are able to use a wired computer mouse with the OTG-adapter.

If/or a backup has been made I recommend you have your device sent to an authorized service centre, contact your Local support for more information on how to send it in for repairs.

[Lioness666]

I ended up resorting to a backup to an SD card and hoping everything will be fine. My phone is currently with the Sony repair centre and I'm waiting to hear how much it's going to cost to repair it. Thanks for all the suggestions

[Didrik]

Hi again @Lioness666,

Thanks for the update. Let us know how it goes and when you get your phone back!

[p88agyxz3]

hi there i have smashed my new xz3 only 5 weeks old just wondered how resonable sone repair centres costs were when u used them cuz a replacement screen off ebay b4 fitting is £214 let me no if any1 has used their servces an their pricing