For most of us, carrying a cell phone is no different then carrying our purse or wallet. We take them wherever we go. These high tech gadgets are now part of our culture, and like most electronic devices, they occasional break. We drop them, spill things in them, send them through the washer, or even accidentally run them over with our car. When they break, we tend to panic and wonder what we will do without them, or how we can afford to buy a new one. Well maybe we don’t have to. Here are two common cell phone problems and how to fix them.
The most common problem that faces cell phone users is spillage. If it hasn’t happened to you yet, it will. You spill coffee, soda, or some other liquid into your phone and it dies. Maybe you forgot to take your cell out of your pocket and cent it through the wash. Well don’t panic. Here’s what you need to do to hopefully restore your phone back to working condition.
1. Take out the battery as soon as possible along with the SIM card if your phone has one. If your phone is connected to a charger, disconnect that as well. You need to completely remove any power sources to prevent additional damage.
2. Dry your phone – I know this seems obvious, but do your best to remove all the liquid you can get at. Remove any accessible covers to help get at the liquid.
3. Let your phone dry – cover your phone in a bowl of rice overnight, or seal it up in a baggie with a desiccant bag (those little bags that come with dvd players, etc to keep out dampness). This will draw any moisture out of the phone. I have also found that leaving your phone in your car on a hot day also works well. Remember, the longer you let it dry, the better chance it will work again.
4. Once your phone is dry, its time to see what the verdict is. Reinstall your SIM card if you have one, but don’t install the battery. A battery that has gotten wet may be broken beyond repair. Try using your charger to power up your phone first. If it works, then try your battery to see if it works as well. Hopefully your phone will work fine and you won’t have to worry about buying a new one.
The second common problem that occurs with cell phones is they will randomly shut off. This is usually a sign that the phone has been dropped a few times, and the battery is loose. Luckily this is easy to fix. If you remove your battery cover, you will notice that the battery has metal “contacts” on it that touch additional metal contacts in the phone. What has happened is the battery moves around, and when the contacts breaks connection, your phone will shut off. The simplest fix is to take a small piece of folded up paper and wedge it between the edge of the battery and the edge of the phone, on the opposite side of the battery that the contacts are on. This will help push the battery against the contacts and stop your phone from shutting off.
