What’s the Best Free Software for Recovering Data from a Locked Android Device?

Recovering data from a locked Android phone can be tricky, and your success will depend on a few factors, like the type of lock and whether USB debugging was enabled before you got locked out. Here are a few options you can try:

1. **Open Source:**
- **Android-Backup-Extractor**: This tool works with ADB (.ab) backups—you’ll need previously created backups for it to help.
- **Autopsy**: It’s a forensic suite that can analyze disk images or files, but it requires some technical know-how.

2. **Free Options (with limitations):**
- **ADB**: If USB debugging was enabled, you might be able to use adb pull to extract some data without needing root access.
- **PhotoRec/TestDisk**: You can use these if you can mount the storage partition on another system.

Just a heads up—if your phone’s storage is encrypted (which is common in newer Android versions), you won’t be able to get your data back without the unlock key. In really tough cases, like total data loss, a professional forensic approach might be your best bet, but that’s more complex and isn’t something you can easily do at home.