It can happen to anyone, but you should wait to have it fixed if your personal information has been compromised.
Cracked glass. Weak power source. A lengthy visit to the bathroom stall.
Daily used mobile devices can be surprisingly sturdy, but are they indestructible? A trip to the local repair shop may be necessary. You should take precautions to protect your private information.
After all, our mobile devices are the closest we come to “personal technology.” It’s important to be extra careful when handing over a gadget to someone you don’t know, which is often the case. (This is especially relevant if you need to mail your phone in for repairs; many persons along the way may handle it.)
Remember these tips the next time you need to go to a phone repair shop in Tampa.
Keep Control of Your Phone Number
Unless you know the repair will take little time, you should check to see whether you can maintain any communication. Your phone number is stored on a SIM card, a tiny piece of plastic and silicon that may be removed from your phone and inserted into another device.
Newer cell phones employ “embedded” SIMs rather than the cumbersome plastic cards of yesteryear. This includes all U.S.-bound models of Apple’s latest iPhone 14. This implies that you won’t be able to swap out your SIM card on the way out of the repair shop and use the same number on a different phone.
Call your wireless provider as soon as you realize you’ll have to pay for phone repairs. You can temporarily switch your service to another phone that has an eSIM. This includes the most recent models of the iPhone (the XR and XS), the Samsung Galaxy S (the S20 and later), and the Google Pixel (apart from the original Pixel).
If not, you can temporarily utilize the SIM card from your old phone if it is still there and hasn’t been completely pushed out. The last resort is to visit your carrier’s store and purchase a physical SIM card to use in one of your older phones until the repaired device is returned.
The Most Secure Options
The only method to guarantee that a repair professional won’t access your personal information is to delete everything before handing over your phone. See below for a risk-free plan of action.
1. Back up your Phone
Your iPhone’s data can be backed up in two ways: to iCloud or a PC through a USB cord. In most cases, the latter is much quicker; thus, it’s our top pick.
You can back up your applications, messages, preferences, and more to your Google account, but you should still store your images and other crucial information in a separate location. Google Photos and Google Drive are two of the most popular cloud storage options, but you may use your local computer instead.
2. Erase Your Phone
You can safely erase your phone when you’ve backed up all your data elsewhere. To wipe all data and settings from an iPhone, go to the Settings menu, General, then Transfer or Reset iPhone. A factory data reset can be accessed in various ways across Android devices; typically, you’ll need to go into the Settings menu, touch System or General management, select Reset, and finally select the appropriate option.
3. Restore Your Phone
When you get your phone back from being fixed (or replaced, or new), you should start the setup process just like you would any other time. During the installation process, you may be prompted to choose whether or not you wish to restore from a backup. Choose the right one, most likely the most recent one.
The Alternatives
Listen, if you’re going to trust just about anyone with your phone when you’re not around to keep an eye on them, think about performing a backup, wiping all data, and restoring it. What, though, if the phone’s condition is such that it’s useless?
It’s okay; we all make mistakes sometimes. But there are some measures you can take even if you don’t want to touch your phone physically.
If your Phone Still Turns on
With functional Android and iOS devices that can access the internet, we have several good choices at our disposal. Here are Apple’s and Google’s respective guides on how to check the last time your device automatically backed up to iCloud or Google One so that you can plan accordingly.
The final option for those with an Android phone that is too advanced is to log out of their Google account from afar. That way, no one else can access the information you’ve saved in the cloud, such as on Gmail or Google Drive. Instructions for doing so online are as follows:
- Visit myaccount.google.com to view your account settings.
- On the left side of the screen, select “Security.”
- Scroll down to the “Your devices” box, then click “Manage all devices.”
- Click the name of the device from which you wish to log out, then click “Sign out.”
If your phone won’t turn on
Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do in this situation. If you’re truly worried about what information is still on your phone, try remotely wiping it using the method we mentioned above. If the phone turns on and connects to the internet, it will attempt to reset itself.
Conclusion
Going to a neighbourhood phone repair shop in Tampa like TellFix is OK for simpler fixes like screen replacements and battery swaps. The wisest course of action may be to contact the manufacturer for a repair to increase your chances of receiving a complete replacement if you find yourself in a position where your phone won’t work again.
Read more about How to Stop Dropping Your Phone?