Quick Fixes for Android Smartphones

Got a problem with your Android Smartphone? You may be able to solve them with these three quick fixes so you don’t need to send it off to be repaired.

Before you do anything, back up your data! That includes your contacts, photos, videos, apps and personal data. Otherwise if your phone decides to wipe its memory while you’re trying to fix it, you’ll lose everything and have to start from scratch.

So now that your phone is backed up, let’s look at the three quick fixes which tend to solve most problems with an Android Smartphone.

Quick Fix 1: – Remove your battery

You’ve heard it a hundred times, but turning it off and turning it back on again is often the simplest solution that seems to magically solve all manner of technical glitches. And this is always the first thing any phone repair service will do. Taking the battery out to force your handset to reset itself is also a good one. Just make sure that your handset actually has a removable battery before you pull it apart!

With the device on, remove the back cover and remove the battery. Leave it off for about a minute, then put the battery back in and close the back cover. Your phone will load up again, but if it doesn’t press the power button to get it to start.

If this didn’t fix the problem, updating the software could be the answer...

Quick Fix 2: – Update your software

In the same way that a Windows update can give your PC the dreaded ‘blue screen of death’ only to be fixed the next day by a Samsung update, software updates can do equally amazing things for your handset from adding new features to fixing bugs.

So, to do a software update, make sure you are connected to a secure Wi-Fi network and make sure your phone is well charged or plugged in while you’re doing the update, because it can take a while and put a drain on the battery. After all, you don’t want it dying half way through a reset.

Tap the Settings icon in your apps list, Scroll down and tap About Phone, tap Software Updates, tap Check Now and see if any new updates are available for your handset.

If you can’t update your phone for whatever reason using the Over The Air update system, you can use the manufacturers software that came with your phone to check for updates. Simply plug your phone into your PC and open the PC suite. There should be simple instructions to update the software from there.

If you’re still having problems, then resetting your phone to factory settings will restore your handset to the day it was born...

Quick Fix 3: – Reset to your factory settings

When all else fails, resetting your phone puts things back to basics, often removing any nasty bugs in the process. Obviously, make sure your data is backed up first, because you will lose all of it if you reset to the factory settings.

To reset your Android phone back to the day it was born, tap Settings, Backup and reset, tap Factory Data Reset and then tap Reset Phone at the bottom of the screen. Your phone will ask you for a password before you can select Erase Everything.

If you’re locked out of your handset and can’t perform a reset, your handset may allow you to use buttons to perform a reset instead. In which case, start by turning off your Smartphone.

If you have an HTC or Samsung device, press and hold the Volume down and Power buttons at the same time to force a reset to factory settings. Meanwhile for Sony Ericsson handsets you need to hold the Left and Right buttons located beneath the display, press and release the Power button.

In all instances, you need to let go of all the buttons when you see your phone’s screen change and the System Recovery feature should load. Now you can Select Wipe Data or Factory Reset by pressing the Volume buttons to go up or down and the Home button to select options.

Select yes to delete all user data, then select Reboot System and your phone should now be reset to its original, factory state.

Phone Repairs

If none of the above worked, then the problem may be beyond your ability to fix. Or there may be risks involved in fixing it yourself. For example the microphone stopped working on my phone and one of the popular solutions online was to ram a straightened paper clip down one of the ports, wiggle it about and then pull it out really quick. Naturally, I didn’t want to risk damaging my expensive Smartphone.

It’s time like this that phone repairs are the best way to get a problem fixed. I took my phone in and they fixed it for a small fee. Yes, I was reluctant to pay out for this, but it’s a lot cheaper than if I tried to fix the phone myself and caused more harm than good. So it’s always something worth considering.