5.5 - Troubleshooting Mobile Devices

Question 1

Poor battery health

Answer 1

• Replace aging battery
  – There’s only so many recharges
• Bad reception
  – Always searching for signal
  – Airplane mode on the ground
• Disable unnecessary features
  – 802.11 wireless, Bluetooth, GPS
• Check application battery usage
  – iOS and iPadOS: Settings/Battery
  – Android: Settings/Battery

Question 2

Swollen battery

Answer 2

• Buildup of gas
  – Designed to self-contain
  – Do NOT open the battery packet/container
  – Significant fire risk
  – You’ll be sorry
• Faulty battery
  – Stop using immediately
  – Dispose of properly
• Device can be damaged
  – Better than having a fire

Question 3

Broken screen

Answer 3

• Time for a backup - Do this first!
• Replace the screen - No easy fixes
• The glass is sharp
  – Screen protectors can help
  – Use clear tape until repaired

Question 4

Improper charging

Answer 4

• Check everything in the charging process
  – Cables, interfaces
• Check the cable interface
  – Remove any obstructions
• Check the cable
  – Don’t use frayed or damaged cables
  – Try a known-good cable
• Verify the power adapter
  – Check with a multimeter

Question 5

Poor or no connectivity

Answer 5

• Cellular or Wi-Fi
  – Location, location, location
• Cellular
  – Signal strength
  – Location matters
  – Outdoor connectivity may be better
• Wi-Fi
  – Limited range
  – Interference can limit throughput
  – May need a channel/frequency configuration change

Question 6

Liquid damage

Answer 6

• Many phones have a Liquid Contact Indicator (LCI)
  – Turns color when liquid has been present
• Power down the phone
  – Don’t power it back on. Don’t do it.
• Remove the case, cards, back, and battery
  – If possible
• Putting the phone in a bag of rice doesn’t
  actually work very well
  – Silica gel is better
• Leave it alone
  – Don’t turn it on
  – Do not charge the phone
  – Don’t connect it to power
  – Don’t press any keys
  – Don’t heat the phone
  – Don’t move it around
• Wait at least a day
  – Or until the phone appears to be dry
  – And then perhaps a few hours after that
• Once you’re sure, power it on
  – Hope for the best

Question 7

Overheating

Answer 7

• Phone will automatically shut down
  – Avoid overheating damage
• Charging/discharging the battery, CPU usage,
  display light
  – All of these create heat
• Check app usage
  – Some apps can use a lot of CPU
• Avoid direct sunlight
  – Quickly overheats

Question 8

Digitizer issues

Answer 8

• Touchscreen completely black or
  not responding to input
  – Screen presses do not register
• Apple iOS reset
  – Press power button, slide to power off,
  press power button
  – Hold down power button and Home|Volume
  for 10 seconds
• Android device restart
  – Remove battery, put back in, power on
  – Hold down power and volume down until restart
  – Some phones have different key combinations
  – Some phones do not have a key-based reset

Question 9

Physically damaged ports

Answer 9

• External interface - Charging and data transfer
• Rough handling and accidents
  – Damages the interface
• Not charging - Look closely
• Not modular - Requires a system board replacement

Question 10

Malware

Answer 10

• Always a concern
  – Even on mobile devices
  – The device type doesn’t matter
• Look for symptoms
  – Unusual apps, large data transfers, pop up messages,
  high CPU usage, device overheating, excessive
  battery use
• Try a security app or scanner
  – Identify malware infections

Question 11

Cursor drift

Answer 11

• Random input or cursor moves without
  touching the device
  – Common on older screens
• Use a touch calibration app
  – Requires user input
  – Touch certain areas of the screen
• The system will adjust to the new calibration parameters
  – No more drift