It’s hard to imagine a time before smartphones (it did exist, honest!) so entwined are they with our daily lives. We rely on our smartphones for so much – from texting and emailing to shopping and banking – so when things go wrong it feels like the end of the world! Sometimes the phone might need replacing, especially if it's badly damaged or it’s really old, but often simple remedies can have your phone up and running like new again. |
- Battery Draining Fast
There’s nothing more annoying than having your phone battery die when you least expect it – on a train with tickets securely located in your digital wallet, about to make a purchase using your phone or in the middle of an important meeting – you need your phone to stay charged for as long as possible. First steps would be to adjust your phone settings such as reducing screen brightness and deleting unused apps to help reduce the strain on the battery. Sometimes the battery itself needs replacing, this might be a simple procedure depending on the make and model but in some cases a professional tech specialist will be your best.
- Cracked Screen
Most of us will have experienced the pain of a cracked phone screen. Not only does it look rubbish it can also affect how well the phone runs, so it’s important to get the screen replaced as soon as possible. Replacement screens can be found online and with the right tools you can have your phone looking good as new in no time. We would recommend using a professional techy for this job unless you are confident in your skills and knowledge of replacing a phone screen!
- Soggy Smartphone
We won’t judge if you dropped your phone in the toilet (well maybe a little bit), bath or sink but your phone will definitely not like having a dip! If you’re lucky your phone might just need a good dry out – turn it off, take it out of its case if it has one, remove the sim and memory cards (and battery if possible) and put it in a sealed container with silica gel packets if you have some. With a bit of patience your phone may just survive. Resist the urge to use heat to dry out the phone as this can damage the delicate components in your phone. Similarly using compressed air to blow the water out could make things worse by pushing water further inside the device! Again, it's never the wrong choice to get in touch with a professional to help you out.
- Software Glitches
If your phone is being annoying – freezing when in app or crashing then the first thing to do is try restarting it. Often this does the trick and everything is right in the world once more. If a restart doesn’t fix it then you might need to check it’s running the latest version of software, sometimes an update fixes bugs and glitches. Still no joy? A factory reset might do the trick. Back everything up first (factory reset erases everything on your phone) and hopefully your phone will be back to it’s spritely self again. If you’re still having problems then seek professional advice – they will be able to run diagnostic tests to get to the root of the problem.
- App Crashes
If an app is unresponsive you can try force closing it and then reopen it. If that doesn’t help check if there are any updates available and make sure you are running the latest version of the app.
The important thing is to act quickly and seek professional help if you feel out of your depth – solving any issues straight away will help minimise any damage and help your phone last longer.
Having problems with your smartphone and need an IT professional to take a look? Get in touch and File Genie will get your phone running smoothly as soon as possible.