I dropped my Samsung Galaxy S23, and although the display still lights up, touch input no longer works. I bought a BENFEI 5-in-1 adapter to connect the phone to a monitor, laptop, or TV, but the phone only shows the message: "To use USB device, unlock your phone." I need to unlock it so I can back up my files to the cloud and transfer everything to my new phone. Is there a way to control or unlock it without a working touchscreen?
3 Answers
The most dependable solution is to replace the damaged display, even temporarily. Once the touchscreen works, you can unlock the phone, approve the USB connection, and back up your data normally. A repair shop may be able to fit a replacement screen just long enough to recover the files.
If you can connect a USB keyboard through an OTG-compatible hub, try waking the phone, pressing a key or Space to bring up the unlock screen, entering your PIN, and pressing Enter. If your lock uses a pattern, a USB mouse may let you draw it instead. After unlocking, reconnect the display adapter and try Samsung DeX or screen mirroring.
If the phone supports wired DeX, a USB-C-to-HDMI hub with a USB port could let you use a monitor along with a keyboard or mouse. However, the phone generally must be unlocked before external display output and USB accessories become usable, so this may not bypass the lock by itself.
The difficulty is that the phone seems to require unlocking before it will recognize any USB accessory. A hub with power delivery, HDMI, and USB ports may still work, but the keyboard or mouse has to be connected through the correct OTG-capable adapter.