Apple Data Recovery
The T2 chip was built to stop this. We get through it anyway.
2018, 2019 and 2020 MacBook Pro Touch Bar models solder the SSD directly to the mainboard and lock it behind Apple's T2 security chip. Apple's own position is that data on a failed board of this kind is not recoverable. Years of dedicated research let us do it anyway, in most cases.
The problem
A recovery Apple itself cannot perform.
On these Touch Bar models the SSD isn't a removable module — it's soldered to the logic board and encrypted through the T2 chip. When the board fails, there is no drive to simply lift out and image.
That combination is precisely why Apple tells customers data recovery isn't possible once one of these boards has failed. It is also why very few companies anywhere are equipped to attempt it at all. This lab is one of them, working directly at board level to gain access to the soldered SSD even with the T2 chip still in place.
Because of that complexity, this work costs considerably more than recovering a conventional, removable hard drive or SSD. An engineer will explain why, and what to expect, before anything is booked in.
What we see
How these boards usually fail.
Liquid damage
The most common cause we see on these models — spilled liquid shorting components on the mainboard around the soldered SSD.
Drop damage
Accidental drops that crack solder joints or damage components on the board, often with no visible external sign.
Burned or damaged components
Liquid or impact damage frequently progresses to burned-out components on the mainboard itself, not just the SSD.
Process
Walk-in or mail-in — same specialist process.
- 01
Get in touch
Call, chat or email with your MacBook's serial number to hand. Most emails are answered in under 10 minutes so you get an early steer on whether this is a case we can take on.
- 02
Walk-in or mail-in intake
Bring the MacBook in yourself or use the Apple Data Recovery mail-in service — both are handled under the same process.
- 03
Board-level recovery work
Engineers work directly on the mainboard to gain access to the soldered SSD through the T2 chip — specialist work reflected in a higher cost than a removable drive.
- 04
Data returned
Where access is achieved, recovered data is verified and returned to you.
An honest number
An 81% success rate — not 100%.
Not every MacBook Pro Touch Bar with a soldered SSD and T2 chip can be accessed. Our current success rate on this specific type of case is 81%. A 100% or 99% figure simply isn't honest given the complexity of the work — and any lab claiming otherwise on this class of failure should be treated with caution.
The most reliable way to find out where your MacBook stands is to talk it through with a technician directly.
Have your serial number ready and talk to a technician about what can realistically be recovered, and what it will cost.