If you backed all your information up on Google you will be able to retrieve it.

If you had back to all your information up on Google you can retrieve it!

The only thing I know is plugging in a phone with a broken screen into a computer if the phone doesn't have an SD card you can transfer. With an SD card, you can retrieve that data plugging it into a new phone or a card reader. I've never managed to break an SD card when a phone was smashed.

Ok my phone is sadly an extension of me. So that's never happened prolly never will because I'll come looking ??. Almost lost it today while I'm talking. Had to re park and walk all the way back to the office I left it. Is also funny to watch strangers react when you do things like drop it or the pat dance. They are like feeling your angst like it's thier own ? phones can't live with them..

I never really had to deal with this problem, but still I tend to backup my phone to my computer (and iCloud). My wife had to replace her battery of her iPhone 6 (Apple replacement program). They couldn't get it to start up again, and after 90 minutes waiting she got a new phone. I had made a backup before, so restoring the content was easy. I did the same (battery replacement) myself with an older iPhone, and could not get it working again. Too bad, but I had it already replaced, so it was empty. Sjit happens (I know that is not how to write it but it gets met trough censorship, just like bullflip, fluck, crunt, etc.).

Some times I've been left with info I can remember. Welcome to the 21st century any phone should be able to retrieve everything from wherever it was...

Last time a phone failed me it was a Windows phone so the data on it was synchronised with my windows desktop and tablet. Not that I ever recommend getting a Windows phone now that MS has pulled out of the market. Be proactive and either use a built in backup or a backup app.

@DoDapper

Have never had an expensive phone ...left mine in supermarket ..went back ..gone .
Kept mesaging and phoning my number ...relentlessly... On my son 's phone..until eventually it was answered by a teenage girl .My phone looked like an i-phone ...but was not ...think when she got home ..realised how un -cool it was ...not the phone to be seen with ..
Got it back ... !!!! The moral here being ...
Invest un a totally un cool phone ..that no one wants to be seen with ...and if you lose it ...greater chance of getting it back !!!
Result !!!!

Upload backups to the cloud?
both iPhone and Android do this easily

How about you get a phone pouch and have it around your neck, sleep with it, shower with it, never ever leave it, and you will be ok.

i have had cellphones die on me. i could not retrieve the info. i do try to remember to transfer pictures and such from it to the computer at every opportunity, even though apart from what comes through the camera stuff gets transferred from the computer to the phone more often. i have the ringtones on the computer, or at least i hope i do, so i can reuse those on a new phone. samsung or google saves my contacts so i don't have to replace those from phone to phone as long as i keep using their services, which i like and thus intend to do. it's good to be mindful about not losing the phone but it's also good to be mindful about backing up your data!

g

Make regular backups of your data.