Apple Data Recovery
Sealed, soldered, encrypted — still recoverable.
MacBook, iMac, Mac Studio, iPhone and iPad devices recovered in our own Belfast laboratory — soldered SSDs, T2 and Apple Silicon encryption, and locked iOS devices handled with the specific tooling Apple hardware demands. No outsourcing, one chain of custody, start to finish.
The problem
Apple builds devices against data recovery, not for it.
Every feature that keeps an Apple device secure and sealed also makes a failure harder to reach.
- Soldered, non-removable SSDs — Mac storage since 2016 cannot simply be pulled out and read on another machine
- T2 and Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) hardware encryption — data is tied to the specific logic board and will not yield to a generic imaging tool
- APFS containers and snapshots — Apple's modern file system behaves differently to the Windows/Linux tools most generalist repair shops rely on
- Face ID, Touch ID and the Secure Enclave — iOS devices lock down completely after physical, liquid or board-level damage
Important: do not keep restarting a MacBook stuck on the Apple logo or a spinning globe, and do not attempt a DFU restore on an iPhone that will not boot — both can overwrite the data you are trying to save. Power it off and talk to us first.
Capability
Every Apple device, every failure mode.
MacBook Air & Pro
Intel and Apple Silicon models that won't power on, boot, or are stuck on the Apple logo — including T2 (2018–2020) and M1/M2/M3 machines with soldered NVMe storage.
iMac, Mac Mini, Mac Studio & Pro
Fusion Drive, SSD and NVMe-only configurations, from 2012 models through to the latest Apple Silicon desktops.
iPhone
Physical, liquid and board-level damage, failed updates, and devices stuck in recovery mode or DFU — iPhone 6 through to the latest models.
iPad
iPad, iPad Air and iPad Pro across Lightning and USB-C generations, including failed updates and locked devices.
Soldered SSDs
Chip-level and board-level work on non-removable Apple storage — a specialism most labs turn away.
Learn more →Backups & containers
Time Machine, iTunes backup folders and encrypted disk images, recovered or extracted alongside the device.
Coverage
Every Apple file system and encryption layer.
Apple's storage and security stack is highly integrated. We work across all of it.
- APFS — the modern Apple file system, macOS High Sierra onward, including containers and snapshots
- HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) — pre-2017 systems and older Time Machine volumes
- FileVault — encrypted macOS volumes
- T2 and Apple Silicon hardware encryption — must be addressed at the correct level, or the data stays locked to a dead board
- iTunes and iCloud encrypted backups — extraction and reconstruction from local or cloud backup data
We access, unlock and recover encrypted or locked volumes only with credentials you provide, or under documented legal authority — never by jailbreak or unauthorised bypass. Every case is handled under confidentiality and a full chain of custody.
Process
Diagnosis first, then a fixed quote.
- 01
Diagnosis
Send the device — MacBook, iMac, iPhone or iPad — or just the logic board where the storage is soldered. We identify the exact fault: board, encryption, firmware or logical damage.
- 02
Fixed quote
Apple recoveries vary widely in complexity, so a proper diagnosis always comes before a price. You approve a fixed quote before any recovery work begins.
- 03
Laboratory recovery
Logic board repair, chip-level imaging, or APFS and encrypted-volume reconstruction — carried out in-house, always onto verified images where possible.
- 04
Verified return
Recovered files, photos and backups verified openable and returned to you on encrypted media.
Questions
What Apple owners ask us.
My MacBook won't turn on at all. Can you still get my data?
Usually, yes. A dead MacBook is very often a logic board or power issue rather than dead storage — we can repair the board just enough to power the SSD and image it, without ever "fixing" the laptop itself.
Is FileVault or my iPhone passcode a problem?
Not if you can provide the password or passcode. Encrypted data is recovered using the correct credentials or a documented legal authority — we do not perform unauthorised bypasses.
Do you need my Apple ID or iCloud password?
Only if iCloud-based recovery is genuinely the right route for your case, and only with your authorisation. Most jobs are handled entirely from the physical device or a local backup.
Is the diagnosis chargeable?
Yes. Apple diagnostics need chip-level tools and specialist engineering time that generalist repair shops don't have, so evaluation carries a fixed diagnostic fee, agreed with you upfront. If you go ahead with recovery, you'll also get a fixed quote before any recovery work begins.
How long does Apple device recovery take?
MacBooks with no hardware damage: 3–5 working days. Soldered SSD or T2/Apple Silicon logic board issues: 7–21 days. iPhone/iPad data extraction: 3–10 days. Complex encrypted systems are assessed case by case.
Describe the fault — logic board, screen damage, encryption, or a device that won't boot — and get an honest recoverability view plus a fixed quote before any work begins.