FoneLab review: A solid iPhone data recovery option

We spent a lot of time reviewing Best data recovery apps for your iPhoneand FoneLab is worth including in the list.

The app is easy to use on macOS and offers a simple way to recover a range of data. Scanning is free on iOS, iTunes backups (if you still use those), and iCloud data, but recovery is limited to three samples on the free plan.

The premium version of FoneLab allows the user to recover data from any of the above, as well as a ‘fix iOS system’ option that can help you brick a device (this can be a handy safety net if you’re still jailbreaking your iPhone).

It also covers a number of messaging services, including Messenger and WhatsApp, as well as regular suspects like Viber, Kik, Line, and WeChat, and it does so for around $70 for a lifetime license.

This single license covers you for 1 Mac and 6 mobile devices and is a much better value than paying $50 per month for 1 Mac and 1 device with a monthly license. See other Mac data recovery apps we tested Best Mac data recovery app summary.

It is perhaps not full-featured in terms of features like duplicate item detection offered by. Disc Drill (reviewed here)but it remains an affordable option that can afford a family’s devices for a relatively affordable price, and that’s before discounts.

First Impressions

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When you launch the Mac version of FoneLab for the first time, it instantly explains what you can gain from the premium version. I appreciate this transparency, rather than waiting for users to fumble among themselves and figure out what the paywall is.

There are no real problems with the app either; You plug in your phone, enter your password and press ‘Scan’. Scanning is faster than some competitors, but it takes a little longer to analyze the data; You can expect to see a lot of thumbnails that cannot be opened yet.

Still, it’s nice to look at, with a clear sidebar full of filters and a main window with plenty of previews so you can easily choose what you need to recover.

FoneLab features

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While some options offer a wealth of features, like a data recovery Swiss Army knife, FoneLab is solely focused on doing the recovery part well.

As I mentioned above, this may be what makes it a little faster than other recovery tools we’ve reviewed.

This meant that in about 45 minutes I was able to view a number of images that I thought had been lost over time, including deleted product photos and duplicate pet photos from old reviews. It can also restore from iCloud backups, which comes in handy if your device is lost or stolen.

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If you accidentally bricked your phone, the iOS System Recovery tool may be useful; The option to back up and restore your phone locally is useful, but it’s also something offered by Apple’s own toolset.

Still, for anyone tired of the long process of switching between phones and having your data come with you from the messaging app, WhatsApp transfer is quite welcome.

It’s also worth noting that there’s also a Windows version of the app, so you’re not limited to using just an Apple computer.

FoneLab woes

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I tested FoneLab on an M3 MacBook Air with 24GB of RAM and unfortunately encountered a few instances per scan where performance gradually slowed down. Luckily it worked again and I didn’t have to cancel the process, but if you’re running it on an older Mac it can be difficult to continue.

On the subject of device-to-device variation, it’s worth noting that some reviews suggest FoneLab is less useful for recovering certain types of data. I can only review based on my experience, but enough of the lack of photo recovery is mentioned here to make it worth pointing out.

Should you buy FoneLab?

A solid recovery option that lacks the features you’ll find elsewhere, FoneLab is a relatively affordable option that’s ideal for families with multiple devices.