Lesson 12 - Chapter 1: Troubleshooting Mobile Devices Flashcards
At what point do you turn the mobile device over to an authorized service center?
when you’re confident the problem is not software-related or when you run out of things to try
It’s best to start with which types of troubleshooting steps?
the ones that inconvenience the user the least
How should you keep the user informed when working on their mobile device? (3)
- communicate what steps you’ll be taking
- the types of data at risk of loss
- give them a chance to back up their data
What’s one of the first steps you should take? (2)
- Reboot
- Check the configuration settings after reboot
(make sure you keep track of what you’ve changed and the previous setting!!!!)
Because mobile devices have limited computing resources and burning power, what should you make sure you do?
Make sure there aren’t too many open applications in the background
What 3 things can happen to apps running on your mobile device when out of focus?
- Apps may keep running if they have work to do
- Apps are cached until you return to the app
- Apps get killed if the OS needs its resources for other apps
What’s the most common way to close an app?
Swipe in a particular direction while the app is active
For some apps that may accidentally leave background processes running, how do you stop those in Android and iOS? (2)
Android = You can use the Application Manager to force stop an a pp
iOS = a swipe close usually does the job
On a desktop, what’s the difference between a soft reboot and a hard reboot?
soft reboot = restart without powering off the hardware completely
hard reboot = complete power off
On mobile devices, what’s a soft reset?
rebooting the device (either using the buttons or within the OS)
(not losing the system’s data and settings, essentially)
What is a hard reset also called on a mobile device?
factory reset
What is a hard reset?
resets the device back to factory settings, erasing installed apps, settings and saved data
What’s the difference between a hard and soft reset for a mobile device?
soft reset = reboot the device, no data and settings are lost
hard reset = reset back to factory settings, erases saved data, apps and settings
Make sure a mobile device has what before concluding that it’s bricked?
a fully charged battery
What do you do if you perform a factory reset that fixes a device’s issues but they return some time after restoring a backup of the user’s data and programs?
return to the earlier steps for tracking down the troublemaking app
(closing apps, force quit, etc)
How do you troubleshoot an app not loading? (2)
- Start with soft reset
- Won’t work, may be incompatible with device’s hardware/OS/carrier
Do both iOS and Android devices track errors with applications?
Yes, but you need third-party tools to access app error logs
What’s the next thing to try for app issues after a soft reset and confirming the device meets the app’s requirements?
Uninstall and reinstall the app (2 ways)
What are the 2 ways you can uninstall apps?
- Through the app store they were installed with
- The device’s application manager
If a user starts to have trouble shortly after installing a new app, what should you do before uninstalling the app?
If they have been using the app for a while, jot down important settings and back up their data before uninstalling the app
What’s a reason an app can start acting up, even if it’s been installed a long time?
Developers released a bad update
How do you check whether there’s an issue with the brightness (dim display)? (3)
- Turn off any auto-brightness adjustment
- Manually change the brightness from dimmest to brightest and observe output
- Does it cover a good range? If it does, what’s keeping the auto-adjustment from working right?
What affects the auto-adjustment?
how much light the sensor or front camera can detect
What do you do if the display is too bright in a dim room?
check the area for bright light the sensor may pick up if pointed in the right direction (even if it’s not close enough to illuminate the area)
What do you do if an app like Kindle tinkers with the display’s brightness and starts to have strange brightness changes?
Do a soft reset
If a touchscreen is unresponsive or has an inaccurate touch response, what are 3 simple things to rule out first?
- Dirt (use dry microfiber)
- Accidental touches (how you hold it)
- Performance issues
Besides the 3 simple things to rule out (DAP), what else can cause a screen to become unresponsive? (2)
- screen protector
- physical damage anywhere? (internal damage, water damage)
Do mobile devices have a hidden diagnostics menu?
Look online, some Android devices may have touchscreen calibration routines
Can you broadcast the mobile device display onto an external monitor or projector? If so, how?
Yes, by plugging in an adapter into your mobile device and then to your external monitor’s port (VGA, DVI, DP, HDMI)
What are 4 things to check when your mobile device can’t broadcast to an external monitor?
check
right
does
hdmi
- Check the input source
- Right adapter for your device? (many out there!)
- Does the adapter need a power source?
- HDMI: does HDMI recognize the device and monitor? Reset one or both devices
What do mobile devices rely on to keep it cool and prevent overheating?
air vents (too small for heat sink or fans)
Make sure protective cases have __ __ to prevent overheating and avoid storing in clothes, hot cars, under blankets or pillows
air vents
What do you do if the device is hot to the touch?
Turn off as many heat-generating features as possible (use airplane mode, close running apps), and if it doesn’t cool down power it off
What are some tasks that can cause a mobile device to run hotter than usual?
Charging, large data transfers, frozen apps, recording HD videos, etc
What’s a warning sign for mobile devices when overheating? (2)
- It gets hot enough to burn someone
- The device overheats for no obvious reason
(defective battery or power circuit, turn it off and service it!)
What is thermal throttling?
throttles performance to limit any heat damage to the CPU
What type of batteries do mobile devices use?
Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, just like laptops
What are 2 ways to think about battery life? (which can also be optimized at the same time)
- How long it will last on each charge
- How long the battery can meet needs before you have to replace it
Why is it important to keep an eye on device features you may not be using?
your battery will need to recharge faster, and the extra recharge cycles will shorten the life of the battery
What are 7 of the ways we can prevent the biggest battery drains for mobile devices?
- turn the
- lower the
- turn off
- enable pow
- use dar
- Limit/disable
- Disable lo
- Turn the display off (after a short period)
- Lower the screen brightness (best compromise: auto brightness)
- Turn off wireless networking (apps searching for signals is power intensive)
- Enable power-saving mode
- Use darker colors on OLED screens (dark theme, black wallpaper)
- Limit/disable roaming (search for cell signals drain power)
- Disable location services (per app, change type of location service, or disable altogether)
For location services, which uses the least amount of power?
approximates your location using nearby cellular and Wi-Fi networks but is less accurate than GPS
Which location service uses the most power but is most accurate?
GPS
What’s a main cause for a swollen battery?
overcharging (the circuits designed to prevent overcharging have failed)
Why are non-OEM chargers and batteries risky?
they can cause a swollen battery from overcharging or overheat - they might not be rated for the correct voltage and wattage
What is the proper disposal for a mobile device battery?
recycling facility (just like all electronics batteries minus the simple alkaline ones)
What do you do if you’re not getting any sound and you know the volume is turned up and not muted through an app or configuration setting?
soft reboot
(can you get sound from some apps but not others?)
If there’s no sound, how do you test the speakers on the mobile device to rule out a hardware issue?
Try connecting some headphones or an external speaker
What can you buy to help improve a weak cell signal?
cellular signal boosters but only useful if you’re stationary far from a tower and not on the move
What would an overloaded network appear as? When are they seen? (2)
you have full bars but are unable to place calls, texts, transfer data. Common during large public gatherings (sports events) or could be restrictions from the carrier.
Why would you experience slow data speeds while roaming?
the carrier of the network you’re roaming on limits data rates for nonsubscribers
What 3 things can happen when you reach your data usage limit?
- Carriers stop data usage beyond limit
- Charge additional data at a higher cost
- Throttle the speed of the connection
An employee having terrible call quality in Skype and another employee not receiving important emails on her device is a sign of what?
they’re probably over their data usage limit
What do synchronization issues look like?
Get partial sync/duplicate messages or stuck waiting for an important sync to complete
What are the 6 common culprits for synchronization issues?
- W/C
- Up
- Problems
- Auth
- Incorrect
- Incorrect
- Wi-Fi/Cellular connections
- Upstream connectivity (you and sync server)
- Problems with sync server
- Authentication issues
- Incorrect OS/software version
- Incorrect configuration settings
What happens when multiple devices try to sync the same data?
sync issues occur
(Enterprise: conflict is likely in the MDM software’s configuration)
What is system lockout?
The lockout occurs when too many consecutive login attempts fail (to protect from brute-force attacks)
For an organization, what can you use to configure login attempts after some time, require login with full account credentials, and wipe user data as a precaution?
the organization’s Mobile Device Management (MDM) software
How can an organization remotely unlock a device?
Through MDM software
