How to Transfer Data from MacBook with Broken Screen

You may need to connect an external monitor to recover data from a Mac with a broken screen. The best way to recover the files on your Mac is by applying EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. You can also recover and transfer files with Time Machine backup, Target Disk Mode, and Migration Assistant. Keep reading and recover data from your Mac!

While using your Mac, if you are not careful enough, your Mac may accidentally drop to the ground, and the screen is the most vulnerable component. With so many precious photos and important files on your Mac, you will need to get data off your Mac with a broken screen. This post will discuss how to transfer data from Mac to Mac if the screen is broken, using practical methods.

To transfer data from a Mac with a broken screen, or get data off a MacBook with a broken screen, you can boot it into "Target Disk Mode" by holding the "T" key during startup, then connect it to the new Mac with a Thunderbolt or USB-C cable.

Once connected, the old Mac's drive will appear on the new Mac, and you can then use Migration Assistant on the new Mac to transfer the data. Alternatively, if you have a Time Machine backup, you can use that on the new Mac, or if the computer is still working, you could connect an external monitor or remove the drive and place it in an external enclosure.

Especially when you have an external monitor, transferring data from the old Mac with a broken screen can be really easy. Choose a method below that is suitable for your case, and follow the steps to get data off a MacBook with a broken screen.

Fix 1. Connect an External Display to Transfer Data via Migration Assistant

Some Mac computers can connect five external displays, and some MacBooks can connect only one. Identifying ports on your Mac and defining what adapter your Mac needs is the first thing you need to do. After preparing a suitable monitor, you are ready to connect an external monitor to a Mac with a broken screen.

Part 1. How to Connect an External Display to Your Mac

1. Step 1. Pressing the power button for ten seconds shuts down your Mac.
2. Step 2. Use the adapters and cables to attach your external monitor.
3. Step 3. Press the power button again to wake your Mac.
4. Step 4. Your Mac screen will show up on your external display. If it doesn't, you should try resetting NVRAM or PRAM on your broken Mac.

Part 2. Recover/Transfer Data from a Mac with Migration Assistant

macOS Migration Assistant can help you easily accomplish content transformation between Macs. Your files and folders on your Mac with a broken screen can be copied and moved to a new Mac with Migration Assistant.

Step 1. Connect an external display to your old Mac.

Step 2. Launch Migration Assistant with the Spotlight on both Macs.

Step 3. Choose the first option on your new Mac and the third option on your broken Mac.

Step 4. Select the broken Mac on your new Mac, and you should enter a safe code on your broken Mac.

Step 5. Select the contents you want to transfer to another Mac, and click "Continue".

Step 6. Wait patiently and keep both of your Macs on.

You can refer to this video tutorial to learn more detailed steps about transferring data from a broken screen MacBook:

1. 02:03 Connect an external monitor
2. 03:51 Use Migration Assistant to transfer files.
3. 07:57 Other methods can help you recover files.

Share this post with your friend to help them learn how to get data off a MacBook with a broken screen.

Fix 2. Recover Data from a Mac with a Broken Screen Using Software

If you don't have an external display for your old Mac, don't worry! Mac Data Recovery tool is here to get data off your broken Mac without an external display needed! EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is designed for Mac and MacBook data recovery, and you can quickly get data off a Mac with a broken screen.

You may need this functional Mac recovery software in the following situations to protect & restore data:

• ❌Mac encounters some startup issues and cannot boot successfully, and you need to recover data from Mac that won't boot;
• 🦠Malware and computer viruses attack your iMac or MacBook and maliciously delete your files and folders. EaseUS software helps recover deleted files;
• 🗑️Accidentally deleted some important files and emptied the Trash as well. If you encounter this situation, you will need data recovery programs;
• ⚠️Need to recover lost data after upgrading macOS Tahoe, or other versions;
• 🗃️Need to recover lost files after formatting the internal hard drives, external hard drives, SD cards, USB flash drives, and other storage devices;

Now, launch EaseUS Mac data recovery software and follow these steps to recover data from a Mac with a broken screen:

Step 1. Select the location to scan

Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac and choose the hard drive, SSD,  SD card, USB flash drive, or TF card where you lost data. Click "Search for lost files" to start scanning.

Step 2. Filter lost Mac data

The software will automatically scan for lost data on MacBook/iMac. When the scan completes, filter wanted data through the "Type" and "Path" buttons.

Step 3. Recover lost data or files

Double-click a file to preview it. Then, click the "Recover" button to restore the lost data to another place. 

Fix 3. Restore Data from a Mac with a Broken Screen from Time Machine Backups

If you habitually back up the whole Mac with Mac Time Machine every week or month to your external hard drive or Mac's internal hard disk, you can recover most of your files from a Mac with a broken screen.

Step 1. Connect the external monitor to your Mac.

Step 2. Use macOS Spotlight to search and launch Time Machine.

Step 3. You will see and select a backup of a specific time to restore.

Step 4. Click the "Restore" button to recover these files quickly with Mac Time Machine backup.

Note: Suppose you have a backup on your external hard drive and need to replace your broken Mac with a new one. You can connect your external hard drive to your new Mac and restore the files directly.

If you don't have any Time Machine backup, install EaseUS data recovery software and get data off the screen-broken MacBook quickly and safely!

Fix 4. Transfer Data from a Mac with a Broken Screen with Target Disk Mode

macOS Target Disk Mode will be handy when transferring files, migrating data, and recovering data on your Mac. You will need two Macs and the connection cables to link your two Macs. When you are ready, keep reading and follow this tutorial.

Step 1. Connect your Mac with a broken screen to your new Mac.

Step 2. Make sure your broken Mac is shut down. (You can hold the power button for ten seconds to shut down a Mac.)

Step 3. Turn on your Mac and press the T button to enter Target Disk Mode.

Step 4. Click the disk icon on your new Mac, and you can recover files and folders from your broken Mac to the new one.

Recover Data from a Mac with a Broken Screen FAQs

After reading the tutorial on connecting an external monitor to a Mac and four methods of recovering data, we hope you have recovered data from a Mac with a broken screen. There are some questions and answers below to let you learn more:

How do I get files off a Mac or MacBook that won't boot?

If your macOS Ventura won't boot, you can get data off your Mac with six methods:

1. 1. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.
2. 2. Restore from Time Machine backup.
3. 3. Creating a Mac disk image.
4. 4. Recover files with APFS snapshots.
5. 5. Using Target Disk Mode.
6. 6. Contact Apple Support.

How do I restore a Mac with a broken screen from Target Disk Mode?

You can apply the Target Disk Mode to restore files with two Macs:

1. 1. Connect your Mac with a broken screen to your new Mac.
2. 2. Make sure your broken Mac is shut down. (You can hold the power button for ten seconds to shut down a Mac.)
3. 3. Turn on your Mac and press the T button to enter the Target Disk Mode.
4. 4. Click the disk icon on your new Mac, and you can recover files and folders from your broken Mac to the new one.

How do I extract data from a dead Mac?

You can bring your dead Mac to the local repair store or use a portable data recovery tool – EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.

1. 1. Create a bootable installer for your dead Mac with this recovery tool.
2. 2. Secure files from your dead Mac.
3. 3. Select and recover the files from your dead Mac.

How do I recover data from my Mac with a broken screen without the software?

There are three ways to recover data from your Mac with a broken screen without the software:

1. 1. Using macOS Target Disk Mode.
2. 2. With Time Machine backup.
3. 3. Using Migration Assistant.